A topic that I haven't seen addressed much, how about financial strain due to theft. I am speaking from firsthand experience, unfortunately. My DD#3's musical instrument was stolen at school. Now, you might think, no problem, it happened at the school, they must have to relpace the instrument (french horn, hideously expensive), OH NO NO NO. We had to make a police report, and our homeowners insurance is expected to cover it. Minus the $500 deductable! Standard financial advice has been to raise your deductable, it will lower your rates. And it did, but that means you have to pony up the 5 big ones! I was NOT HAPPY with the attitude at the school. It was in a locked band room, and the school was closed for three days last week because of flu. How did someone get into the room, and walk out with the pretty large case, and no one noticed? Well, they are "looking into it". Anyway, now I am going to have to figure out how to shuffle money around to get the darn thing replaced! Luckily, the insurance adjustor didn't give me 2 seconds of trouble about replacement value, she said depreciation on musical instruments is very little, and it's only 2 years old. So we should be able to get the exact same instrument. But now what? Is she going to have to bring it home every night because the band room is not secure? And what would they DO with a french horn? I can just imagine a van in the alley... Psst, lady, you wanna buy a nice french horn?
It Takes A Thief
November 17th, 2009 at 02:38 pm
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Pawn shops are a common "fencing" outlet for amateur criminals with stolen goods to get rid of.
But of course, pawn shops also cater to legitimate customers.
The problem is that many pawn shop owners don't ask where the merchandise comes from, and transactions are paid in cash.
In other words, it's hard to tell sometimes what is stolen and what is legitimate. Clearly, certain items such as firearms with serial #s are much harder to fence, due to traceability. But more generic items, such as musical instruments are not.
If you want it traceable, I would recommend even etching your own set of serial numbers on your valuables, and display in visible areas. Perhaps it will deter the crime, or at the very least, make it easier to trace your stuff. Keep the list with your serial #s written down in a safe place.
Some even go as far as using a video camera and record your belongings that way. It comes in handy, not only for thefts, but also in other emergencies such as fire or flood, for insurance claims.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:55 pm 1258502149