Jewellery stolen

MrChips

Pollycat wrote: »

Did your wife's employer's policy cover the loss of these earrings?



Did you report the theft to either Russian or UK police?

I agree with most of the other posters about never putting valuables in hold luggage, and especially with jackieblack that if it won't fit in my hand luggage, it stays at home..

Claim is still rumbling on - we haven't been able to do anything for the last three weeks as we've been on holiday visiting family overseas (and no internet connection). It looks like our best bet is her travel insurance but there is a £100 excess. I think they would also expect a police report so I'll go to our local station to report it (she's still overseas, I've come back a bit earlier for work reasons).

Dimey

Pilfering from suitcases on airlines happens a lot. Forget doing anything about it, especially as it appears to have been by customs. You don't want to clash with such people. Think of future journeys, you don't want to be strip searched! (sort of joke)

I never travel with any jewellery, not even a watch. I use my mobile for time. You could use junk jewellery you can afford to lose.

US customs put a notice in your case when they open it and if its padlocked, they break the lock. After that happening to me a few times I decided I'd always leave my bag unlocked - less damage.

I've had my suitcase pilfered a few times. Lost Chanel make up in the US, a hairdryer in Columbia and a blouse and trousers in Russia.

daisiegg

Dimey wrote: »

Pilfering from suitcases on airlines happens a lot. Forget doing anything about it, especially as it appears to have been by customs. You don't want to clash with such people. Think of future journeys, you don't want to be strip searched! (sort of joke)

I never travel with any jewellery, not even a watch. I use my mobile for time. You could use junk jewellery you can afford to lose.

US customs put a notice in your case when they open it and if its padlocked, they break the lock. After that happening to me a few times I decided I'd always leave my bag unlocked - less damage.

I've had my suitcase pilfered a few times. Lost Chanel make up in the US, a hairdryer in Columbia and a blouse and trousers in Russia.

In the US last summer on a flight between NYC and Toronto I had £1500 worth of jewellery stolen by US customs people. My case had the note saying it had been searched, though our other cases had not been searched. Yes, I know ridiculous to put that in the hold - but it was a genuine mistake. I had two pieces of hand luggage (a small suitcase and a handbag) and when checking in for the flight they made me check in the small suitcase. Very stupidly I forgot the jewellery was in that and not in my handbag. I had packed it in what I planned to be hand luggage and then that bag was unexpectedly checked in.

We weren't covered by travel insurance as they did not cover valuables in checked luggage but we were able to claim on our home insurance. There was a £250 excess but for that amount of jewellery it was still worth doing. We did have to have reported it to the police but we had done that in Toronto anyway and got a reference number. We also had to show that we had complained to the airline, which we had, and also submitted a claim to the US customs (which was painstakingly complex and we never got a response!).

It always annoys me when people say 'well you have learned a lesson now not to put valuables in the hold'. I knew that already which was why the jewellery was packed in a bag that was intended to be hand luggage! Yes it was stupid to forget about it when the bag had to be checked in but it was a genuine mistake made at a busy airport check-in desk and I forgot the jewellery was in that bag and not in my hand bag.

I will continue to take my jewellery on holiday (what is the point of having it if you can't wear it when you go to lovely places?) but I will definitely keep it in my handbag which never leaves my hand!

Dimey

I really hope you're not mugged if you keep it in your handbag.
Take care.

jpsartre

Thankfully muggings aren't too common on board of airplanes.

Dimey

Ha Ha. No I meant on the street.

shaun_from_Africa

jpsartre wrote: »

Thankfully muggings aren't too common on board of airplanes.

I think that being asked to pay £1.80 for a can of Pepsi on a Ryanair flight is close to being mugged.