It has been recently reported that £650,000 worth of jewels were stolen from a hotel in Cannes, during the film festival according to French Police.
The theft took place a few hours after the festival was shown The Bling Ring, a new film about teenagers who find out when celebrities are attending red carpet events in order to break in to their homes to steal possessions.
The jewels were taken from the hotel room of an employee of the exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard.
Police say the thieves ripped a safe containing the valuables from the wall at the Novotel hotel.
A company spokeswoman insisted the value of the pieces had been greatly exaggerated and “the jewellery stolen is not part of the collection ….. worn by actresses during the Cannes Film Festival”
How does this affect us?
This indirectly affects all of us as the insurance companies will pay out for the loss but will look to re-cover their losses from every premium payer on their books which could be us all.
In addition and closer to home, this also highlights issues not just for the rich and famous but for anyone who has items of personal importance whether valuable or otherwise.
We must always ensure that our property is secure and this is no further from the truth than when we are away. Ensure that when no one is in attendance of your property you limit the signs of this to a minimum. If you have deliveries of mail, papers or milk request that they are stopped and items held till your return. Lights can be put onto timers but make sure that they are not of the type that it is easily obvious. There are some very good products that will be so random you would never know.
Have reliable relatives or friends look in regularly, not just check for any sings but sit and watch tv, spend the night if possible as this will deter any one watching the property.
Remove and secure items in plain view through windows that might provoke an attack, look through the eyes of the criminal and think as he would and thus take actions to minimise the risk.
Before departure whether for the day or longer that all locks work correctly and are fully used. Don’t forget, it is your responsibility to ensure your property is secure and that you have done everything possible to protect your goods.
It is not that of your insurer to pay out in the event of a loss. They will challenge every claim received.
As an additional thought, should you be away on holiday and taking valuables with you, every hotel has a main safe somewhere in the building. If you feel that the room safe is not adequate for your possessions then insist that they placed in the central safe. This is far more secure and generally less complicated should there be a reason to claim.
