iPad lost/stolen at hotel in Bulgaria

peachyprice

05bar76 wrote: »

OK, I am exploring all avenues for this situation as I obviously don't want to be out of pocket. If I felt that I was negligent then I would accept the responsibility but my stuff has been taken from my locked hotel room by the hotel and moved to somewhere else in the building without my permission. My property was therefore out of my control and in a place where who knows could have accessed it. I think I've taken reasonable care of my stuff and I don't think hotel guests should be expected to chain everything down or lock all their stuff away. Considering that my iPad has gone missing without trace I don't feel that the hotel have taken a reasonable care of my stuff when they've had possession of it.

It was your responsibility to put your valuable item in the safe provided in the room, you chose not to do so. You were negligent in the first instance by failing to take reasonable care of your own valuable item. The theft is a consequence of your on inaction.

This is why hotels have safes for guests use, it exonerates them from claims against them for theft by people who fail to use them.

melanzana

05bar76 wrote: »

I have stayed at hotels many times before in the UK, Europe and in other parts of the world and have never locked my valuables away (except when staying in hostels) and have had nothing stolen. I feel that if you pay for your own room, there should be a basic level of security and safety provided (I'm not carrying the crown jewels here!).

Oh I agree with you, but life is not that simple. And without cctv in your room who will ever know what happened?

I think our guard goes down the minute we arrive in another country. Holiday happiness. Same happens when pickpocketed out in the street, or the handbag/wallet gets dipped.

Our eye is off the ball, and that is what thieves rely on.

Poppie68

05bar76 wrote: »

I have certainly learnt a lesson from this- lock away anything of any value or keep it on me. I had taken my phone and wallet with me out of the hotel room and my heart sank a bit when I came back to my room and everything was gone.

We use good quality locks on our cases and bags and anything of value that doesn't fit in a safe box stays locked in them , now they could just walk of with the whole thing but we minimize the risk of left. It's sad people have to be so cautious but that's the world we live in.

melanzana

budgetflyer wrote: »

Although I can confirm the opposite.
Paying xxx for a hotel room, should that not afford you a certain level of security?
Should hotels be forced to warn their customers that the staff they employ (may) be theifs ?
I have a solution.
Many construction sites now have a statement.
" we have been working xxx no of days without an accident."
Could the hotel industry not use the same criteria?

No, to me an hotel is a bed and a shower and breakfast. With nice staff, and good quality bedlinen, and cleanliness.

Good hotels will provide safes for valuables. I always use that.

When I go out in my home town I watch everything. Theft is everywhere.

budgetflyer

Good for you.
I expect the staff not to steal from me when I am paying.

melanzana

budgetflyer wrote: »

Good for you.
I expect the staff not to steal from me when I am paying.

Why do you think it is the staff?

Thieves are amazing these days, anywhere.

And hotels and etc. are fair game. The thieves know the guard is down. And in they go.

Put your valuables in the safe provided, otherwise leave valuables at home and take your cash, cards passport and phone with you,

And take care when out and about too with the phone etc!

SW17

Good hotels that care about their reputation would not be happy about the prospect of staff stealing from guests and would investigate thoroughly, but there will always be those that don't. If the hotel is not cooperating, in reality there's not much to do except get the police report (hopefully they are willing to write that it was stolen) and try insurance.

Bit harsh to call the OP negligent, though am sure insurance companies would use the word to avoid paying out. Made a mistake and will likely pay a price for it. Always use the room safe (even though hotels often have a disclaimer on that as well), minimise risk to larger items by locking them in suitcases, and always put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door when you leave the room, unless you are expecting it to be cleaned.

callum9999

05bar76 wrote: »

I have stayed at hotels many times before in the UK, Europe and in other parts of the world and have never locked my valuables away (except when staying in hostels) and have had nothing stolen. I feel that if you pay for your own room, there should be a basic level of security and safety provided (I'm not carrying the crown jewels here!).

Of course there should be, but it's a matter of risk assessment. If it's your own money on the line then I'd agree with your argument that you showed a relatively reasonable (though clearly it turned out to be insufficient in hindsight) level of caution by leaving it in a locked room.

It's not just your money on the line though - it's your insurers. Your insurers will expect you to take as much care over it as possible, and you didn't do that, so they'd be completely within their rights not to reimburse you for it.

lovinituk

Bettie wrote: »

I can track mine with wi fi but it has to be set up which I did when I bought it. Is yours not password protected?

silvercar wrote: »

Not true. It will pick up location. Just tried with mine.

It has to be connected to a Wifi network. So unless the thief is actually connected at the time you try to track it, it's not going to work!

PeacefulWaters

I think it's naive to assume a hotel room will offer a great deal of security. Numerous staff have access to it. Locks are rarely difficult for criminals to by-pass either.

Equally, I never pay to use a hotel safe. Too many staff will know how to access it. I use it if it's free but that risk still remains.

My wallet remains on my person when I travel, as does my phone. My iPad goes on every trip - I wouldn't be without it. I usually carry it with me but there will be times that I leave it in a drawer in my hotel room. I don't have any other items of value when I travel.

I'd be severely !!!!!! off if I had my iPad stolen. More so than ever in the circumstances described by the OP. I would report it to the police myself and ask the hotel to reimburse me for the loss.

But I wouldn't expect reimbursement because I wouldn't be able to prove that the iPad was there to start with.

So I'd take the police report, claim on my insurance when I got home (the item was in a locked room and may not have fitted in the safe!), take the hit on the excess and write a stinking (but factual) review on Trip Advisor.

I wouldn't try to take on the hotel over billing as that is a separate issue, although I might ask them for a gesture of goodwill and see what happens.

I've been lucky that I've never had anything stolen in 30 years of travel as an adult. I've been relatively careful but I've saved a fortune on safe fees that would more than replace the cost of a couple of iPads.

Travelling does carry risks like this. You can learn from it but sometimes the same circumstances will repeat in future. You can't remove all risk of theft from your life.