iPad lost/stolen at hotel in Bulgaria

05bar76

callum9999 wrote: »

I suspect the wording is actually along the lines of "leaving it unsecured and unattended". If something was stolen from a safe then I'm sure you would be covered.

No its not. The policy itself states that any electrical items left unattended are not covered. It says nothing about being secured or not.

peachyprice

05bar76 wrote: »

No, the manager is not the only person with access to the safe. Even the bell-boy can open the locked safe, as I saw him do when later on in the day my grandad had messed up the code setting process on the safe and it needed opening.

That's very unusual, you usually have to wait for a manger to unlock a safe because all and sundry do not have the code. Sounds like you're staying in a well dodgy hotel.

05bar76

callum9999 wrote: »

Without mincing words, that's an utterly stupid decision to take. All the people who have been bankrupted and stranded abroad said the same things before they left without taking out travel insurance... A ridiculous risk to take, especially as you can get it for virtually nothing - free in fact within Europe.

I disagree. The way you are talking sounds like a fear mongering insurance salesman.

05bar76

peachyprice wrote: »

That's very unusual, you usually have to wait for a manger to unlock a safe because all and sundry do not have the code. Sounds like you're staying in a well dodgy hotel.

Its a Best Western.

peachyprice

05bar76 wrote: »

I disagree. The way you are talking sounds like a fear mongering insurance salesman.

Just use the search function on this very forum to see how many people thought they didn't need travel insurance only to lose £1000's because they couldn't travel/were ill on holiday/had accidents/lost all their luggage.

peachyprice

05bar76 wrote: »

Its a Best Western.

Yes, well dodgy, they're run as franchises not a chain.

Poppie68

05bar76 wrote: »

I didn't carry it with me because of the inconvenience. I'm on holiday and there to enjoy myself, I don't want to be carrying it/a bag everywhere I go. I don't think it's fair to say its my fault that it went missing. The hotel admit they have taken possession of all my property against my will and without my knowledge when I had put it where it was supposed to go. During that time that it was in their custody, my iPad went missing and so they have failed to return all the property they took. It is because of this that I think they are responsible.

I haven't recklessly exposed this iPad to theft- it was kept in a bag in my own locked hotel room. I haven't encouraged or incited anyone to take it.

They didn't take it against your will because that would mean they had forcibly removed it after you asking them not to.
It's not right at all that it has been stolen but the onus was on you to make sure you have done everything you can to ensure it is kept out of the hands of thieves, unfortunately you didn't.. you left it lying around in an unlocked bag knowing housekeeping hadn't finished your room...to be honest it may not of even been a member of staff as while rooms are cleaned occupied or not doors always seem to be left open... that is another reason valuables should be secured. Then there is a chance it was your room maid but another member of staff that came across it in the room it was kept in, but without any proof of even you having left it you wouldn't stand a chance of a hotel paying out.

Poppie68

callum9999 wrote: »

Without mincing words, that's an utterly stupid decision to take. All the people who have been bankrupted and stranded abroad said the same things before they left without taking out travel insurance... A ridiculous risk to take, especially as you can get it for virtually nothing - free in fact within Europe.

The poor families that are inevitably in the news year after year asking for help to raise money to repatriate their family members because they too thought being young and healthy meant they were never going to end up killed either by accident or murder or needing to be flown back by air ambulance because they unexpectedly fell ill, been attacked or in an accident.

05bar76

Poppie68 wrote: »

They didn't take it against your will because that would mean they had forcibly removed it after you asking them not to.
It's not right at all that it has been stolen but the onus was on you to make sure you have done everything you can to ensure it is kept out of the hands of thieves, unfortunately you didn't.. you left it lying around in an unlocked bag knowing housekeeping hadn't finished your room...to be honest it may not of even been a member of staff as while rooms are cleaned occupied or not doors always seem to be left open... that is another reason valuables should be secured. Then there is a chance it was your room maid but another member of staff that came across it in the room it was kept in, but without any proof of even you having left it you wouldn't stand a chance of a hotel paying out.

They did take it against my will- "my will" means my desire, my intentions, what I wanted. It was contrary to what I wanted to have my bags taken away from me and out of my room. Who would desire for the hotel to take their bags from them in this situation?

Again, I think your mentality is wrong. It is not helpful to say I could have done more to stop it being stolen- of course I could have put it in the safe, I could have carried it with me 24/7, I could have left it at home or indeed I could have not bought it in the first place- after all they can't steal from me something that's not mine. A victim of crime could always have done more to prevent it- you could put iron bars on all windows of your home to stop burglaries and in fact that can be done without an exceptional cost. My property is there for me to use and enjoy, not to guard till the end of all life.

Theft is inherently a dishonest act by one person from another and a failure of the owner to do all they could in the circumstances does not make them liable (or even partially liable) for the crime. The mentality of this thread seems to suggest that I have done something just as bad as the thief themselves. I posted on here for helpful advice and suggestions and I have got that, but in such a way as to make me feel responsible for the act itself.

05bar76

peachyprice wrote: »

Just use the search function on this very forum to see how many people thought they didn't need travel insurance only to lose £1000's because they couldn't travel/were ill on holiday/had accidents/lost all their luggage.

It's a bit like the lottery. Those that don't win don't tell everyone that they haven't won- only when they have. I don't expect many people would bother to write on this forum how much they have saved from not paying insurance because its not something particularly amazing or exceptional. I have not had insurance for the past 10 years while I have travelled to many countries both inside and out of Europe - so far I have probably saved £100's and would have saved slightly more if I hadn't have taken out insurance this year.