The Avenger Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 So my house was burglarized the other day - wife came home to find the door pried open and our stuff thrown everywhere. We lost cash and jewelry and now I'm dealing with my homeowner's insurance for the loss - anyone have experience with this? The insurance company is sending me forms to list my losses and tell them what I paid and what it will cost to replace. The adjuster told me the only thing they really needed me to try and give price info on was the jewelry as without that they have very little to go on (i.e. - if I list a gold necklace what type was it? How much did it cost? What's a similar one cost?). Now I know that when I list my losses and tally up what I think they're worth the insurance company will look at that and offer me something less than what I'm claiming, but I have no idea how much less. If I say I lost $2500 in jewelry are they likely to offer me $2200 or $800? Anyone been through this process? I'm really hoping against hop that this won't be a painful process (I already feel completely victimized) - the last thing I need is to get ripped off by the insurance company (I just got ripped off, and I actually pay money to the insurance company). Before you ask, I do NOT have receipts for the jewelry I lost (who keeps a receipt for a necklace they bought 15 years ago?). I also don't have pictures of the stuff. Yeah - I know I should have receipts or pictures, but honestly, in real life how many people are that organized/anal retentive? (pat yourself on the back if you are). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanners Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) I just went through this myself. It is horrendous what they offer in return. It was on average of 25-40% of the original cost, when you take out the deductible it doesn't even come close to your losses. We had $10000 in losses, and ended with a check for $1000 when they took out the $2500 deductible. Edited March 10, 2011 by Sanners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 So my house was burglarized the other day - wife came home to find the door pried open and our stuff thrown everywhere. We lost cash and jewelry and now I'm dealing with my homeowner's insurance for the loss - anyone have experience with this? The insurance company is sending me forms to list my losses and tell them what I paid and what it will cost to replace. The adjuster told me the only thing they really needed me to try and give price info on was the jewelry as without that they have very little to go on (i.e. - if I list a gold necklace what type was it? How much did it cost? What's a similar one cost?). Now I know that when I list my losses and tally up what I think they're worth the insurance company will look at that and offer me something less than what I'm claiming, but I have no idea how much less. If I say I lost $2500 in jewelry are they likely to offer me $2200 or $800? Anyone been through this process? I'm really hoping against hop that this won't be a painful process (I already feel completely victimized) - the last thing I need is to get ripped off by the insurance company (I just got ripped off, and I actually pay money to the insurance company). Before you ask, I do NOT have receipts for the jewelry I lost (who keeps a receipt for a necklace they bought 15 years ago?). I also don't have pictures of the stuff. Yeah - I know I should have receipts or pictures, but honestly, in real life how many people are that organized/anal retentive? (pat yourself on the back if you are). Most people keep receipts for valuable jewelry, so if it's a 15 year old gold chain and you can't remember what it cost, than I'm guessing it wasn't that expensive and you can make a reasonable guess by looking on the web at comparable pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyMannn Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 That sucks. My house was broken into about 20 years ago. A neighbor was a foster parent, and had a kid for like 2 months who broke into half of the closest 25 houses around. Local police tell me that they won't be able to recover anything, but most everything ends up at the local pawn shop and I can go buy it back if I want it bad enough. I said isn't that like a crime in itself being a receiver of stolen goods? They said you want it or not? I remember although I already had deadbolts, I put up a massive vapor light in my backyard, and pinned all my windows. The kid broke a window latch to get in. Put glass block cellar windows in too. But if someone wants to get in, they will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Most people keep receipts for valuable jewelry, so if it's a 15 year old gold chain and you can't remember what it cost, than I'm guessing it wasn't that expensive and you can make a reasonable guess by looking on the web at comparable pieces. What good would a 15 year old receipt do for gold jewelry? The figure is meaningless for replacement purposes. Anything that may go up in value [jewelry,collectible items,etc] should be professionally appraised and the value listed on the appraisal bought to the insurance company's attention BEFORE a loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Avenger - sorry this happened to you. Gives me pause to think about keeping better records. Will the insurance company help to actually purchase replacement items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 What good would a 15 year old receipt do for gold jewelry? The figure is meaningless for replacement purposes. Anything that may go up in value [jewelry,collectible items,etc] should be professionally appraised and the value listed on the appraisal bought to the insurance company's attention BEFORE a loss. A receipt would tell the type, size, quality, etc. which you would need to ascertain the correct replacement value. And I also said "valuable jewelry". An $80 gold chain isn't valuable and should be easy to guess the value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 A receipt would tell the type, size, quality, etc. which you would need to ascertain the correct replacement value. And I also said "valuable jewelry". An $80 gold chain isn't valuable and should be easy to guess the value. I assumed the OP meant real gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamboni Man Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I went through a burglary a little over a year ago. 's smashed in my back sliding glass door and cleaned me out of basically anything they could grab and take (laptop, flat screen monitor, PS2, DVD player, external HD, etc. etc.). The worst thing is that they stole an unopened bottle of champagne my Dad gave me from Super Bowl XXV, which probably wasn't worth much dollar-wise, but it was a really cool piece of Bills memorabilia and pretty much irreplaceable. The police dept offered very little help (no finger prints or anything like that), just a walk through and a police report listing what all was stolen. When it came to dealing with the insurance company, they basically asked me for a copy of the police report and how much everything was worth. They told me that if I had receipts great, but if not, then it was no big deal. Paid the deductible, they cut me a check and that was that. The big thing is that they pay you based on what the merchandise that was stolen would be worth now. So for some of the stuff (DVD player for example) that I bought a few years back for say $200-$250, they gave me like $70. Being robbed is a bad, bad feeling. I never really felt the same in my place for the rest of the time I lived there. I always encourage family and friends, when you buy big home electronics (TV's, laptop, etc. etc.) document serial numbers, I didn't have ANY for the police when I went through my robbery and none of my stuff was ever recovered. I make it a point to take pictures of my stuff and the serial number now and have it stored online just in case. Sorry to hear about Avenger, truly sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Avenger Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 Avenger - sorry this happened to you. Gives me pause to think about keeping better records. Will the insurance company help to actually purchase replacement items? I hope we'll get money to replace the items - my guess is that I tell them the replacement value of everything we lost is X and they come back and give me a check for X minus the deuctible minus some other factor (the "yeah SURE it cost $1000 - here's $400" factor). I was hoping someone might give me some insight into how big that factor is - I'd be happy to get near what my stuff was worth, but if they give me 20% of what it's worth I'm really going to feel victimized again..... I assumed the OP meant real gold. Yeah - real gold. I mentioned a gold chain because that in and of itself really tells you nothing about its value - was it a chapo $25 chain or a very nice $2500 necklace? Most of what we lost was nice jewelry, but certainly not Harry Winson stuff - I think the most expensive piece was a diamond bracelet that probably goes for about $1000. I went through a burglary a little over a year ago. 's smashed in my back sliding glass door and cleaned me out of basically anything they could grab and take (laptop, flat screen monitor, PS2, DVD player, external HD, etc. etc.). The worst thing is that they stole an unopened bottle of champagne my Dad gave me from Super Bowl XXV, which probably wasn't worth much dollar-wise, but it was a really cool piece of Bills memorabilia and pretty much irreplaceable. The police dept offered very little help (no finger prints or anything like that), just a walk through and a police report listing what all was stolen. When it came to dealing with the insurance company, they basically asked me for a copy of the police report and how much everything was worth. They told me that if I had receipts great, but if not, then it was no big deal. Paid the deductible, they cut me a check and that was that. The big thing is that they pay you based on what the merchandise that was stolen would be worth now. So for some of the stuff (DVD player for example) that I bought a few years back for say $200-$250, they gave me like $70. Being robbed is a bad, bad feeling. I never really felt the same in my place for the rest of the time I lived there. I always encourage family and friends, when you buy big home electronics (TV's, laptop, etc. etc.) document serial numbers, I didn't have ANY for the police when I went through my robbery and none of my stuff was ever recovered. I make it a point to take pictures of my stuff and the serial number now and have it stored online just in case. Sorry to hear about Avenger, truly sucks. Sorry you had the same experience, Zamboni - it really does suck. The cops took some of the piggy banks that they went through - they thought they might be able to get some fingerprints there. I realize it's not the crime of the century, and I also realize that even if they caught the scumbag responsible for it today it wouldn't do a thing for me - my stuff's gone and it's not coming back and if caught the guy's not going to be severely punished. At this point it's more the hassle of having to go through the process and hoping I can be made close to whole again. The problem I have here is that I'm in MA, near NH and the police said the guy would surely pawn our stuff in NH where they don't have to report anything to the MA police - unless I go find it and buy it back it's gone. Does make you fantasize about getting the drop on the dude as he's in your house and being able to serve up some real justice. I've decided in that situation you could easily kill a guy and burry him in the back yard and they'd almost never catch you - nobody misses a crackhead and even when they do there's nothing to link him to you - why would anyone ever even ask you about a missing crackhead? Would make a good movie...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I can understand you're wanting to kill the SOB. Life is hard enough without this crap to deal with. Keep a eye on Craigslist. I just checked the jewelry listings for Anchorage-15 new listings TODAY. Hum wonder if some of it might be hot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live&DieBillsFootball Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 The big problem with jewelry is the tremendous markup at retail. A number of years ago I filed a claim for my wife's diamond earrings that were lost or stolen. I had an appraisal stating a value of $1500. What the insurance company did was used the description of the earrings to locate a similar pair at some wholesale jeweler that they used. Their jeweler would sell a similar set to me for $600. So the insurance company gave me the option of a check for $100 ($600 replacement less my $500 deductible) or I could pay the $500 deductible and they would replace the earrings. To answer your question: I don't think they have a percentage that they use to adjust your estimate. More likely they will use your description to find a similar item and pay you the wholesale value less your deductible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'm not going to get into my sad tale of woe on this subject. But yes, I was victimized in a similar manner several years ago. My insurance company was exceptional in handling my claim though. I think it boils down to what kind of coverage you have, including deductibles and the integrity of the company. Sorry The Avenger that you're going through this. It ain't pretty, and the sense of being violated is very real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Local police tell me that they won't be able to recover anything, but most everything ends up at the local pawn shop and I can go buy it back if I want it bad enough. I said isn't that like a crime in itself being a receiver of stolen goods? They said you want it or not? Can't speak for all pawn shops, but one of those "reality" TV pawn shows, they had a woman come in and verify a piece of jewerly they had was hers. Once she said it was, they would give it back once they got a copy of the police report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB27 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Can't speak for all pawn shops, but one of those "reality" TV pawn shows, they had a woman come in and verify a piece of jewerly they had was hers. Once she said it was, they would give it back once they got a copy of the police report. I agree, if you can prove that an item in a pawn shop is yours, and that it was stolen (police report), then the pawn shop has to give it up. It's stolen property, and possession of such is a crime. Where do you live that the cops told you to buy it back if you found it in a pawn shop. If you find it in a pawn shop, tell the pawn shop, and at the same time, call the local police. Don't buy it from the pawn shop, it is your property already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) I've decided in that situation you could easily kill a guy and burry him in the back yard and they'd almost never catch you - nobody misses a crackhead and even when they do there's nothing to link him to you - why would anyone ever even ask you about a missing crackhead? Would make a good movie...... Sorry for your misfortune Avenger... Who knows who it was... Not saying that to get you freaked... It is not always a crackhead! Could be a suburban soccer mom on painkillers and E-Bay. Read below: Be careful what you think. I have family in MA and years (around 2000ish or so) ago we went on vacation with them... My wife's family in MA had their best friend/neighbor look after the place when they were gone... When they got back, they found their house robbed... Also, their neighbor's (the one watching their house) was also robbed. So, sometime goes by and my sister-in-law is in an antique shop a few town's over and she notices something of hers that was stolen. The shopkeeper said that she must be mistaken... Yet, my sister-in-law was sure... She even pointed out a defect in the item. Well, to make a long story short... They traced the item back to her neighbor/best friend! Supposedly she had a painkiller and online shopping addiction! She was best friends with my sister-in-law and they lived in a really affluent area... Here husband was some exec pulling in big bucks... Really twisted how she made it look like both houses were robbed! Stole items from the children and all kinds of stuff... Made the robbery look messy... Even broke into her own home forcibly. I agree, if you can prove that an item in a pawn shop is yours, and that it was stolen (police report), then the pawn shop has to give it up. It's stolen property, and possession of such is a crime. Where do you live that the cops told you to buy it back if you found it in a pawn shop. If you find it in a pawn shop, tell the pawn shop, and at the same time, call the local police. Don't buy it from the pawn shop, it is your property already. With my story above, they traced it right back to the friend via the check the shopkeeper cut. In fact, it was almost too easy to track! Edited March 14, 2011 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) This remains the best insurance against burglary. I'm guessing no one in this thread who's been a victim had any problem with Mr. Horn's actions. Edited March 15, 2011 by KD in CT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 This remains the best insurance against burglary. I'm guessing no one in this thread who's been a victim had any problem with Mr. Horn's actions. Yeah.. And your point is? Oh, I get it... Never leave home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Yeah.. And your point is? Oh, I get it... Never leave home. Uh, wrong again Looney Tunes. The owner of the house in that story wasn't home. The point was to have good neighbors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Uh, wrong again Looney Tunes. The owner of the house in that story wasn't home. The point was to have good neighbors. Yeah.. I was wrong. How many "good" neighbors will there be. Still your better bet is a good deadbolt and insurance. Even a Looney Tune can see that. You want me carrying around a weapon? I think not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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