Though the headlines have concentrated on bags going missing,
particularly after the disastrous opening of Heathrow's Terminal 5, the
high incidence of theft abroad goes largely unreported. But it is a
growing problem and affects thousands of holidaymakers abroad each
year.
Generally when we go abroad, our guard is down and this is what
the professional gangs and pickpockets look out for. Whilst baggage
that is lost whilst under the control of the carrier may be attributed
to theft, generally this will be marked down as lost in transit and a
claim against the carrier and travel insurance
will be fairly straight forward providing that a passenger irregularity
report is obtained from the airline. But this is just the tip of the
iceberg for the unwary traveller. Many thefts occur as soon as you have
picked up your bags and ventured into the arrivals hall. Picking up a
hire car is a very common place to be targeted where bags are taken
whilst distracted at the counter. Travelling on public transport is
another popular target area where jostling can appear harmless, only to
find that a purse or wallet has been taken in the confusion. Placing
bags under your chair in a restaurant is an open invitation to it being
lifted. If you are unfortunate to have any items stolen on holiday, do
make a list of the items stolen and cancel your credit cards and
travellers cheques immediately. Go to the local police station as soon
as possible and insist on a police report. This is an absolute must if
you intend to claim on your travel insurance
and most policies insist that this should be done within 24 hours of
the incident. If you don't, then you will find your insurer less
inclined to pay out. If you lose your passport, then contact the
nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate who will be able
to issue you with an emergency replacement passport to get you home.
Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design
