# A word of warning!



## philnkim (Jul 24, 2014)

We have just come back from our Autumn trip to France. Great weather in Dordogne and South France. All well until we decided to stop for a stroll and coffee in Aix-en-Provence before heading back down south. We were only gone an hour and half to return to the parked van and find the quarter light glass smashed, glass everywhere. Lots stolen - 2 bikes, laptop, camera, TV, iPod, watch, jewellery, glasses etc.! Aix-en-Provence has lots of car parks but they are all underground and so impossible for motorhomes due to the height restrictions.
My advice is to secrete away electronics and jewellery and check around the locality you decide to park up in.

A word or two on insurance. Our motorhome insurance did not cover electronics, bikes or jewellery! They said that it covered things kept in the van e.g. pots and pans! Not exactly the items they steal! The house insurance did not cover us as the items were not in the house! We are now ensuring our new house insurance (renewal due next month) covers these things. 
My advice is to check the details on your policies.

We are determined not to let this put us off our usually wonderful trips. We will be more security conscious in future.

Best wishes

Philip

PS By the way, it was our honeymoon!


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## philnkim (Jul 24, 2014)

Another thing to remember - always 'back up' your laptop. Fortunately we had done so before we had left home.

Philip


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

*Break in*

Now Phil that is really sad to hear and I know we would find it really heartbreaking if/when it happens to us

When you feel a bit better any help to us paranoids would be useful.............in retrospect................ 
any signs about the locality ?
was it just a carpark ?
any other people around ?
van alarmed .....anyone take any notice ?
police say it had happened before ?
would you have done anything different ?

Or is it just a case of **** just happens and be ready for it.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

It would also help if we knew which insurance cover you had please.
Were you asked if you had these items, that were not covered, when taking out the policy.
Last but not least, had you hidden from view all the items stolen.
I ask in case any of us are due for renewal with the same company and will need to add these items to the policy.

cabby


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Philip

What an awful nightmare

Our bikes are covered

I never carry jewelry, only because I'm not a jewellery person 

Must double check the electronics

Having said that the window of opportunity to thieves is limited to when both of us are out with the hound from hell

He doesn't do towns, or supermarkets

I don't do early morning or evening walks 8O 

Every little helps
Aldra


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Thanks for the warning, unfortunately this could happen anywhere and as you say, it should not put you off travelling.
The insurance warning is well founded, for our two electric bikes are covered on the household insurance and the vans non-fixed items are also covered, although by the time you will have paid the excess, the limit is soon reached as to how much they can pay out.

Alan


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

So long as nobody was harmed. 

Sorry to hear of your plight.

TM


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## alexblack13 (Feb 10, 2013)

A great shame. Thieving toerags are everywhere. You lost quite a lot. very sorry to hear.

Got me thinking though and we will carefully check our policy to make sure Items you lost we have properly covered. 

I thank you for the heads up. Much appreciated and we hope you get it all sorted out as painlessly as possible. 

All the very best.

Alex (& Carol ) Black.


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## philnkim (Jul 24, 2014)

Dear All

Thank you for the replies - what a nice bunch of people motorhomers are.

Further to some of the queries:

- The place in Aix-en-Provence was Boulevard Marechal Juin. It is close to the main police station (perhaps a clue there).

- Autoglass is Carglass in France.

- Our, soon to be exhousehold, insurers are LV. Although I expect that you can be specific about items that you can have insured. We have made enquiries with Aviva and Direct Line, both will cover the bikes and personal items out of the home. In fact, for the same price as our current policy.

- We had put the items stolen out of sight. In future we will secrete them away in those areas we all know in our vans. We also plan to take a better smart phones (that we can carry with us), instead of our laptop, on future trips. If you haven't already done so, I would suggest you password access all your equipment. We were so glad that we backed up the laptop.

- The van was alarmed.

Anyway, lesson learned, we will be more risk averse in the future. As you say, nobody harmed.

Onward and upward.

Regards Philip and Kim


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

Hi Philip and Kim
What a dreadful thing to happen.
It doesn't help I suppose that those sort of people who rob are just a very tiny minority.
Most people are amazing
Chin up guys
Kev and Sue


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

Sorry to hear this  
It is interesting about the insurance. Just last week I had a quote for our home in France...they refuse to cover jewelry under general household.
Funnily, everything in the motorhome is covered up to a certain value but it must be inside ie bikes in garage are fine but not on bike rack. Makes sense I suppose.

So now I have to take all my jewelry on the road with us :?


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