bridggar:

RC - I'd suggest using a different insurance company if all they seem to want to do is wriggle out of paying a claim. Why give someone your business if innocent, sensible approaches to personal security give them an excuse to stiff you?

We had our house broken into earlier this year while we were asleep upstairs, came in through the back door and out the front. They didn't take much but it added up. Insurance didn't make a fuss about anything. We use Chubb and would never go anywhere else. 

My wife had her car keys in her purse which was stolen and it honestly was a bigger pain than if they had taken the car. Because we couldn't find the other key right away we had to get it flat-bedded to the dealership. Had to get new keys from Germany and because the thiefs had the key, it had to be all new locks and keys (including the glove box). Cost almost $10k and took 5 weeks where we were not allowed to drive the car with the other key in case it got stolen so sat in the dealership, insurance had to get us a rental.

Between that, my wife's purse, my LV briefcase (with passport in it - a whole other layer of headache and cost) it cost the insurance company about $20k from what was probably a 45 second smash and grab. I'm very glad we slept through it. Running down my stairs naked at 3am, grabbing one of the African or S. Pacific war clubs we have as an art installation on our stairwell wall might have frightened any robber enough to get our stuff back but it also might have meant I have to attack some guy with a war club which means I get arrested, get sued and even if I win is a whole lot more painful than my insurance taking care of everything for me.  

For the record, our insurance told us if we left the car running (say warming up in the winter) and someone stole it we would still get paid. There is no real negligence on our side and criminal intent on the other. If we hadn't changed the locks on the car and then they stole it later it would be negligent on our side but leaving the keys on a hook by the door, having someone break in and steal them then take the car has no negligence involved. 


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Past-President, Porsche Club of America - Upper Canada Region