Who are your watches insured with?

Cyrus

As time has gone on, the requirements of my house insurance provider have gotten more and more onerous.

I live in an apartment and we arent permitted to have alarms, but the insurer wont renew cover without a monitored alarm system due to the value of items insured all risks.

who can provide a decent level of cover without a million restricitions / requirements?

Wibbs

I really don't know C. Have looked before and getting halfway decent cover even with an alarm* was hard to find without big premiums.






*monitored or not they're effectively useless as a deterrent. Your neighbours will ignore it and by the time any action is taken by the monitoring crowd the scumbags are long gone.

Cyrus

Wibbs wrote: »

I really don't know C. Have looked before and getting halfway decent cover even with an alarm* was hard to find without big premiums.






*monitored or not they're effectively useless as a deterrent. Your neighbours will ignore it and by the time any action is taken by the monitoring crowd the scumbags are long gone.

i agree regarding alarms, what a waste of time

peasant

This is who my watches are "insured" * with



*putting in for a claim might be difficult though ..not sure that a slobbery chew toy will quite replace some of my better watches

Mredsnapper

Wibbs wrote: »

*monitored or not they're effectively useless as a deterrent. Your neighbours will ignore it and by the time any action is taken by the monitoring crowd the scumbags are long gone.

I subscribe to the theory that burglers are more likely to go for soft targets. One's without alarms etc. It's all about risk v's return.

Wibbs

I dunno M. Sure it's a security layer and layers are good, but studies I've read show burglars care little for house alarms(in the UK anyway). The response time is too long or non existent. Monitored alarms are pretty much the same, only more expensive. I have a non monitored one myself, but no way would I rely upon it. I'd look at house security the way I look at car security(I've an older non factory immobiliser car that scum love so had to get inventive). I break it down to two things; layers, an alarm being one and Scum Confusion(™). An apartment is going to be a different approach, but for a house layers would include motion detection lighting around the perimeter. Decent locks on all doors(change patio door locks as the majority are utter junk), if you have double glazing most panels come out from the outside of the house so they can remove a window remarkably easily and remarkably quickly. There are measures to stop or reduce that risk though. Gravel driveways are noisy so better than plain concrete. Even stuff like having fast growing climbing roses on garden walls can be a deterrent. Dogs are a well known deterrent too. Floor safes sunk in concrete are great in theory however they're damp as feck, so not a good bet for watches, unless fully sealed divers and the like.

Scum confusion is a slightly different approach and assumes they're already past the deterrents. The "career" scumbag with lots of break ins behind him with practice becomes instinctive in how he moves through a target. Once they're in the first port of call are the bedrooms, because that's where folks tend to keep their more personal valuable and portable items. Watch cases and winders are essentially scum gift wrapping. So don't keep such valuables in the places were everybody does. Get inventive. Not in the corner of sock drawers mind you, again that's obvious. They just upend drawers onto the floor/bed anyway.

Mredsnapper

regarding Scum Confusion(™). I remember reading a post on TZ-UK (I think) about a guy who bought a huge old safe that he left in plainview as a confusion/delay tactic and left his valuables elsewhere - out of sight.

Homer

Mredsnapper wrote: »

regarding Scum Confusion(™). I remember reading a post on TZ-UK (I think) about a guy who bought a huge old safe that he left in plainview as a confusion/delay tactic and left his valuables elsewhere - out of sight.

I've done the same with an albeit small safe I bought off adverts in the hope they would see that and cut their losses thinking they have got something off value!

893bet

Petty thieves my be fooled but career criminals I assume would have seen it all before and know all the hiding places and tricks.

blue5000

893bet wrote: »

Petty thieves my be fooled but career criminals I assume would have seen it all before and know all the hiding places and tricks.

+1
they probably can read and use the internet as well:eek:

These days all you can do is try make them look for a softer target. I heard of scum being caught with 2 lists of names and addresses, took the cops a while to figure out what the difference was, when they started calling round to the houses, the penny dropped.

1 list was houses with dogs, the other list, no dogs. Dogs are a good deterrent. A terrier that yaps at the postman might be a pain in the ar5e, but if he deters scum, he's worth his weight in gold.

Menas

I would have thought that alarms and cameras would be a deterrent to El Scumo. But there was an interesting case a few years ago that changed my mind.
Remember St Lukes? Berties 'constituancy office'?

When Bertie was our leader there used to be cameras and alarms outside that house. When Bertie was home there used to be a Garda outside it.
Well, one of the local El Scumos did not know that this was Berties gaff. He assumed that because of all the cameras etc that there must be something of value inside. And low and behold he broke in to the place!

bren2002

Would it be cheaper to use one of those secure storage places?

200 per year from these guys. Fair enough you dont have 24/7 access.

http://sentinelvaults.ie/safety-deposit-box-pricing-plans/

Wibbs

It's an idea and their insurance cover seems flexible and cheap enough, with an option for cover while wearing your watch.

bren2002

If i was going on holiday I would definitely be looking at the 1 month option.

Cyrus

bren2002 wrote: »

Would it be cheaper to use one of those secure storage places?

200 per year from these guys. Fair enough you dont have 24/7 access.

http://sentinelvaults.ie/safety-deposit-box-pricing-plans/

You still have to add insurance it seems

shavilla

First post since joining so thought I would reply to this discussion as I am a Consultant in Financial services and specialise in Insurance Consultancy: It may sound obvious but you really just have to shop around and use a broker to do all the work. If you have no alarm just say so and the premium will reflect this. If you insure the contents for say €80,000 then this will allow you 10% on non specified items meaning you have cover for $8000 on an individual items value. If we are talking serious value of the watch and you have to have the individual cover for peace of mind then this will drive the cost up completely.
Few tips:
1) Have each watch valued if you don't have receipts by reputable Jeweller.
2) Photograph all your watches every few months showing dates on picture and yourself with watch.
3) Follow the advice already given in relation to storage and security.
4) Ask your broker to answer any questions you have around security.
5) Think like an underwriter and claims assessor. What will they try to do to stop the claim from being paid out. (did you call the Guards straight away, was the watch mentioned in the report, where did you leave the watch, did you inform your broker in relation to your watch collection, did you tell your broker about not having an alarm.

I could probably go on and on with this topic so please feel free to ask any questions and I will try my best to offer advice.

Shav.

Cyrus

shavilla wrote: »

First post since joining so thought I would reply to this discussion as I am a Consultant in Financial services and specialise in Insurance Consultancy: It may sound obvious but you really just have to shop around and use a broker to do all the work. If you have no alarm just say so and the premium will reflect this. If you insure the contents for say €80,000 then this will allow you 10% on non specified items meaning you have cover for $8000 on an individual items value. If we are talking serious value of the watch and you have to have the individual cover for peace of mind then this will drive the cost up completely.
Few tips:
1) Have each watch valued if you don't have receipts by reputable Jeweller.
2) Photograph all your watches every few months showing dates on picture and yourself with watch.
3) Follow the advice already given in relation to storage and security.
4) Ask your broker to answer any questions you have around security.
5) Think like an underwriter and claims assessor. What will they try to do to stop the claim from being paid out. (did you call the Guards straight away, was the watch mentioned in the report, where did you leave the watch, did you inform your broker in relation to your watch collection, did you tell your broker about not having an alarm.

I could probably go on and on with this topic so please feel free to ask any questions and I will try my best to offer advice.

Shav.

thanks for that very helpful

ill call around again, as im in an apartment and only taking contents insurance the underwriters are reluctant as the value of my all risks is much greater than the F&F of the apartment itself and obviously im not insuring the building.

my current underwriter will not quote at all without an alarm apparently, this is a new development.