Robbery !

[Gardian]

Sad to report that we had a break-in during the night.

Never heard a thing. Mrs G said to me at about 07.30, “Did you leave the car somewhere else yesterday?”

To make it short, they broke in through the back doors, had a good riffle through anything worth taking and found the key ring in the other back door. What was on there ? The car keys.

So, off the barstewards went with our more than halfway decent Tiguan. Not much else of value taken in truth - probably not much more than €1k tops. Obviously more value in the car & contents. Happily, wallet & Mrs G’s purse (thus all bank cards etc) were with us in the bedroom.

Gendarmerie excellent - they were here in 30 mins. DNA samples taken, but officer not overly optimistic. Returned to the ‘nick’ this afternoon for him to produce his report - he reckoned that our car will get ‘torched’ over the weekend.

Insurer (Pacifica) equally excellent - taxi to our local town (15kms) for a hire car, locksmith organised to fix things. Ongoing help available, prior to a detailed claim.

The point of posting all this is not to seek sympathy - it’s to suggest, in the strongest possible terms, that you check out your car & home insurance. We’re probably OK-ish, but I don’t doubt that this episode will cost us more than a few quid (or rather euros!)

Not the best of days.

[suein56]

Oh gosh .. I am so sorry to read this, how upsetting.

At least you were helped quickly and sympathetically by the forces of order and your insurance.

Hopefully you won't be too much out of pocket in the long run.

You never know they might even find someone to blame ?

[Gardengirl]

I was sorry to read about your break-in, hope that all is put right soon and neither of you worries overnight - although having been visited once that will be it.

I realised about 10 minutes ago that I hadn’t brought my bag upstairs and thought I wouldn’t bother about it. I’ve just been down for it, so thanks for making me bother. Mr GG’s wallet etc are already up here - sensible man!

Best wishes to you both from us in the UK.

[idun]

I am so glad that the insurers and gendarmes were good.

I always take my bag with car keys in it up to bed with me. Now my OH doesn't seem so bothered and asks why, but this is the reason.

Shouldn't make it easy for the bar stewards!

[NormanH]

Sorry to hear this, and a little jealous that the insurers and gendarmes were so good.

In town we have to rely on the Police who are overwhelmed, although they did manage to find my mobility scooter when it  was hot wired and driven away under the eye of the video surveillance of the synagogue while I was having lunch a couple of years back.

The insurance were predictably useless.

[alittlebitfrench]

The most important thing is that you are safe.

These types of things can go south very quickly had you woken up.

I would be interested to know the profile of the burglars.

[woolybanana]

Oh dear, all my sympathy, a very frightening experience, Gardian. I hope it doesnt shake your confidence in the house you live in.

I have always relied on the dogs to warn me of anyone outside but what good is that; perhaps I shall sharpen the assegai that used to be under the bed, for years, with a spiked knobkerrie, though not sure what good they would do me.

ALBF, thieves are thieves whichever way you look at it..

[Gardian]

Many thanks for the best wishes everybody. Quite right - best really to have heard nothing.

The gendarmerie in Uzes has been trying to contact me today (we were out) and when I rang back, nobody knew why! The officer who came to our house was from a smaller sub-station.

You never know, they might be wanting to tell me that they’ve recovered the vehicle untouched and they have the perpetrators in custody and hanging upside down by their ‘nether regions’.

ALBF - obviously unable to answer your question re profile, except to say that they ignored the cheap ornaments - the only one they took was a ‘Tiffany Apple’.

[NormanH]

I was about to write that "I have no cheap ornaments so our social spheres are obviously very different"; but the truth is that I have no ornaments at all [:D]

[BritinBretagne]

I’m sorry to hear this bad news as losing things through robbery is terrible.

I have learnt something through this thread though, I had never heard of people taking keys and valuables to their bedrooms at night before.

[woolybanana]

Ther was a time when I always slept with my passport and card wallet under the pillow, later the whole man bag. Nowadays it is near the dog who has big teeth.

[Gardian]

As at this morning, we still hadn’t heard from a locksmith.

Rang insurer and was told that we were “too far away” - presumably from the outfit on their list of approved locksmiths. I think that ringing me back to tell me that, was put on the ‘too difficult’ pile.

Accordingly, I have to get it fixed and send in the bill. Locksmith (hopefully) coming in an hour or so.

[nomoss]

[quote user="Gardian"]As at this morning, we still hadn’t heard from a locksmith.

Rang insurer and was told that we were “too far away” - presumably from the outfit on their list of approved locksmiths. I think that ringing me back to tell me that, was put on the ‘too difficult’ pile.

Accordingly, I have to get it fixed and send in the bill. Locksmith (hopefully) coming in an hour or so.[/quote]

Just for future reference, who are your insurers, please?

[nomoss]

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]..........................

I would be interested to know the profile of the burglars.[/quote]

We haven't been burgled in France in over 20 years here, but our next door neighbour's garage was broken into recently whilst he and his wife were shopping less than a km away, so we have no illusions, and close the shutters on all the doors and windows even if we expect to be out for only a short while.

However, in 20 years in Spain, our business premises were broken into and robbed three times, as were some of our vehicles on several occasions, and our house once.

On every occasion the police attended promptly, took photos and fingerprints etc. in a most efficient way, but nothing happened except regarding the house burglary, where some jewellery was taken.

Some time later a young couple, apparently drug addicts, were arrested when selling stolen jewellery. We were asked to identify our stuff, and later to appear in court.

We were told that the MO in this type of theft was to take a bus, and get off at random in a quiet looking residential area.

[Gardian]

Nomoss ..........

Insurer is Pacifica.

To be fair, they started well, but things have slipped downhill since. Given the total amount that I spend on insurance with them, I’m less than amused.

BTW, no-show by the locksmith. I’ll give it till 10.00 tomorrow morning and then go in to ‘kill mode’. This whole business is extremely stressful and I’m not normally a stressed person !

[nomoss]

[quote user="Gardian"]Nomoss ..........

Insurer is Pacifica. .............................................[/quote]

Thanks. We were insured with them through Credit Agricole for several years, until I went into the bank for advice on making a claim. I was told that the bank only sold the insurance, and I would have to deal with it with Pacifica's Carcassonne office 30 km away, or by mail.

I looked around and found Groupama, with an office just across the road, offered a similar policy for much less, and now have all our property insured with them.

[woolybanana]

Guardian, you relocked?

Generally I feel that getting insurance through a bank rather than going direct to the insurance company is more expensive, mainly because the bank has to take its cut.

Any thoughts?

[Gardian]

Yes thanks WB.

GardenGirl put me on to a locksmith and he came by yesterday to assess the job and back today to fit the new locks.

He was very polite, but said that it was hardly surprising that the perpetrator(s) got in so easily. He reckoned that it was a 20 second job for somebody who knew what he was doing.

The new kit (Heracles) is very impressive, so the place should be like Fort Knox. Mark you, very, very expensive (the hardware rather than the artisan, whose fee was very modest), so now I just know that I’ll be having a fight with our insurer over the cost.

[Un autre Gallois]

Hi Gardian - sent you an e-mail.

UaG

[Gardian]

Replaced the stolen car today.

I knew that I had to sort something out, because you get 30 days car rental from the insurer and then you’re on your own - perfectly reasonable btw.

We wanted another Tiguan and the local dealership only had two new ones in stock - the spec of neither of them suited us and besides, the €40k - ish was a bit too strong, given that we’re a while away from getting an insurance settlement on the stolen one.

Fortunately, they had an 18 mth old one, 31k kms and very ‘clean’. We decided to take it and it was just a case of organising the handover. The salesman was isolated at home, but we arranged everything by email. The hire car place is (surprisingly) open, so they weren’t a problem, but the dealership was essentially closed, so it was a case of arranging a convenient time for somebody to come in and open up for me.

The documentation was a nightmare, but you can’t just drive off with an expensive vehicle without insurance, etc, etc.

Did it all this morning. You’re always nervous when handing back a hire car, but the bloke was happy and cancelled the ‘caution’ on my credit card. Walked to the dealership and after a 10 minute wait outside the locked gates, one of the members of the family business drove from round the back.

Off I went, hoping that I wouldn’t get stopped by the boys in blue - plenty of them around, but just touring rather than road-blocking.

Big relief ! Now for the insurance claim forms. Horrible.

[Un autre Gallois]

That's good news - bonne chance with the insurance forms!

UaG

[Gardengirl]

Excellent news, Gardian!

[idun]

Well done!

[NickP]

Brilliant Gardian, well done

[Gardian]

Something strange this morning - would be grateful for opinions on whether I’m barking up the wrong tree.

My insurer wants, amongst loads of other documents, the carte grise for the stolen car. Needless to say, the cg was in the car so I have to go onto the ANTS website in order to request a duplicate.

After completing some basic information, it kicked me in to touch, saying “We cannot proceed with this application because you’re not the registered keeper of this vehicle”.

My first reaction was that the barstewards who took the car have sold it on and its been re-registered. However, the gendarmerie took all the details and you’d think that standard procedure with any stolen vehicle would be to have it ‘blocked’ so that re-registration would be impossible ..... wouldn’t you?

I’ve texted the gendarme who attended and completed the report. Hopefully he’ll get back to me.

Any thoughts?