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| What do you do after a burglary? | What do you do after a burglary? |
| (4 months later) | |
| There has been good news on burglary in recent weeks. Official figures show that break-ins were down 9% in 2012, in part because the fall in electrical prices means there's less stuff that is worth nicking. The Economist last week analysed the "Not so mean streets" of Britain where despite recession and high unemployment, burglary continues its decade-long decline. But this offered little comfort to us after arriving home from the cinema last weekend to find our home ransacked. Computers stolen, watches and jewellery gone, cameras looted, drawers emptied and clothes strewn across the floor. Nothing really prepares you for it. | There has been good news on burglary in recent weeks. Official figures show that break-ins were down 9% in 2012, in part because the fall in electrical prices means there's less stuff that is worth nicking. The Economist last week analysed the "Not so mean streets" of Britain where despite recession and high unemployment, burglary continues its decade-long decline. But this offered little comfort to us after arriving home from the cinema last weekend to find our home ransacked. Computers stolen, watches and jewellery gone, cameras looted, drawers emptied and clothes strewn across the floor. Nothing really prepares you for it. |
| On the top floor the Velux roof window was wide open. Had we disturbed the thieves? Were they lurking outside on the roof? Unlikely, but I called 999 for the first time in my life. The response from the Metropolitan Police was magnificent. Two policeman were at the door within minutes. Just five minutes later, there was a police helicopter thermal imaging the roof, sadly to no avail. An hour later a forensics expert made a detailed examination (we may have a DNA sample of the thief). | On the top floor the Velux roof window was wide open. Had we disturbed the thieves? Were they lurking outside on the roof? Unlikely, but I called 999 for the first time in my life. The response from the Metropolitan Police was magnificent. Two policeman were at the door within minutes. Just five minutes later, there was a police helicopter thermal imaging the roof, sadly to no avail. An hour later a forensics expert made a detailed examination (we may have a DNA sample of the thief). |
| It's early days on my claim, but the insurers (esure) have been both reassuring and professional. I asked – well, more likely, gibbered – if the thieves would be back once the payout has been agreed. My father had rattled me with the story of a neighbour burgled three days after the first break-in. But the rep assured me that second-time-round robberies are actually very rare. | It's early days on my claim, but the insurers (esure) have been both reassuring and professional. I asked – well, more likely, gibbered – if the thieves would be back once the payout has been agreed. My father had rattled me with the story of a neighbour burgled three days after the first break-in. But the rep assured me that second-time-round robberies are actually very rare. |
| Still, your first instinct is to turn your home into a fortress. On Sunday I Googled "burglar alarms", to find the first reference was a consumer test I wrote myself in 2005 (never expect journalists to follow their own advice). An hour later I was at Screwfix, on the path of burglary cliche number one. Nine out of 10 burglar alarms, I'm told, are bought after a burglary. And then half are never turned on. | Still, your first instinct is to turn your home into a fortress. On Sunday I Googled "burglar alarms", to find the first reference was a consumer test I wrote myself in 2005 (never expect journalists to follow their own advice). An hour later I was at Screwfix, on the path of burglary cliche number one. Nine out of 10 burglar alarms, I'm told, are bought after a burglary. And then half are never turned on. |
| Are they really worth having? Rather tellingly, when I asked esure if my new burglar alarm would result in a lower premium, it said: "We do not offer a discount to homeowners that have a burglar alarm fitted." Evidently they don't do much to reduce claims. | Are they really worth having? Rather tellingly, when I asked esure if my new burglar alarm would result in a lower premium, it said: "We do not offer a discount to homeowners that have a burglar alarm fitted." Evidently they don't do much to reduce claims. |
| Should we fit a "London Bar" on the front door frame, motion sensitive lights outside, iron bars on the windows? I'm sure I and many others would like to know what works. | Should we fit a "London Bar" on the front door frame, motion sensitive lights outside, iron bars on the windows? I'm sure I and many others would like to know what works. |
| There's no question that I'll now face steeper home insurance premiums in future. But how much more? Esure was less forthcoming, saying it will "depend on a number of things. Typically the claim amount, the no-claims bonus reduction, etc." I'm already starting to think of home insurance as a repayment plan rather than the pooling of risk. Do insurers simply claw back payouts through premium hikes? Again, I'm interested to hear your post-burglary insurance experience. | There's no question that I'll now face steeper home insurance premiums in future. But how much more? Esure was less forthcoming, saying it will "depend on a number of things. Typically the claim amount, the no-claims bonus reduction, etc." I'm already starting to think of home insurance as a repayment plan rather than the pooling of risk. Do insurers simply claw back payouts through premium hikes? Again, I'm interested to hear your post-burglary insurance experience. |
| The police recommended I use immobilise.com to register my goods, which ain't so easy when all your computers are in someone's swag bag. Virtually everyone said "you do use Dropbox, don't you?" to back up photos. No, I don't, and please, no one else say so. | The police recommended I use immobilise.com to register my goods, which ain't so easy when all your computers are in someone's swag bag. Virtually everyone said "you do use Dropbox, don't you?" to back up photos. No, I don't, and please, no one else say so. |
| A colleague told me to keep an eye on the pawnbrokers. He spotted his stolen saxophone and French horn in Cash Converters, Streatham, two weeks later. He marched in, called the police, and got them back. It even resulted in the conviction of the thief. | A colleague told me to keep an eye on the pawnbrokers. He spotted his stolen saxophone and French horn in Cash Converters, Streatham, two weeks later. He marched in, called the police, and got them back. It even resulted in the conviction of the thief. |
| So midweek, between the payday loan and pound stores that line my south London high street, I visited the many pawnbrokers. How do they know the goods aren't stolen? Ah, we ask for passports and look on "CheckMEND", they told me. But if you haven't already registered on immobilise.com, they have no way of knowing it's your stuff being fenced. Meanwhile, on the web there's a frightening number of ads offering "free delivery" of second-hand electricals – just call this mobile number. How efficient the internet is in distributing stolen goods. | So midweek, between the payday loan and pound stores that line my south London high street, I visited the many pawnbrokers. How do they know the goods aren't stolen? Ah, we ask for passports and look on "CheckMEND", they told me. But if you haven't already registered on immobilise.com, they have no way of knowing it's your stuff being fenced. Meanwhile, on the web there's a frightening number of ads offering "free delivery" of second-hand electricals – just call this mobile number. How efficient the internet is in distributing stolen goods. |
| Meanwhile, to the person in possession of a MacBook Pro, serial number C02FL1AEDF91, bugger off, it's mine. | Meanwhile, to the person in possession of a MacBook Pro, serial number C02FL1AEDF91, bugger off, it's mine. |
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