Curbing Break and Enter Thefts - Ask The Expert with Greg Marcyniuk

Greg discusses how to avoid being a break and enter victim in this episode of Ask The Expert. 800 CHAB radio presents Ask the Expert with Greg Marcyniuk of Heritage Insurance located in Moose Jaw.

Here's a full transcript of this episode:

Rob Carnie: Greg Marcyniuk with Heritage Insurance. Greg, it's that time of year, spring, summer, fall. The economy maybe is taking a dip here and there, and break, enter, and thefts are up soar and we need to protect ourselves against that.

Greg Marcyniuk: That's correct, Rob. The biggest thing, you know, you want to make sure that you keep your doors locked on your home. You also want to make sure that you keep your vehicle locked. We've had numerous break and entries where people have had, broken into their vehicles, taken the garage door opener, opened it up that way.

And keep your door locked between your house and your garage as well. Don't keep your keys out by the garage door because — There was one situation where we just recently had a vehicle actually stolen.

The biggest thing that we are finding when we do have the B&Es, Rob, is that people are not keeping track of what they have in their house. Insurance is there so that — you suffer a loss, you were put back to the place you were prior to the loss. It's not a lottery. It's not something that you can go and just claim everything for. It's so important that you do have a record of your belongings, because they want to have proof of ownership more so, and it makes it so much easier when you have a record of belongings.

So what we do recommend. I do have a form that you can download online at our website, nohassleinsurance.ca. And when you get that, go through and just take your time, go one room at a time, list everything that you've got, record each item and what the original price is and the date of purchase on that.

Rob: And if you've got receipts and photographs, that's the best, right?

Greg: Oh, for sure, it is. And I know we've talked about this many a time. As you're doing this, what you can do if you don't want to sit down and write it down, you can sit there and record it with your iPhone now and just talk into the phone as far as, "This is what we have. This is what we paid." And that's a heck of a lot easier. It might be a great chore for your teenage boy or daughter just to go through and do that because they're very versed with this information. And that way you have proof of it so that when and if you do ever suffer a loss, whether it a B&E, or whether it be a fire or flood — you know, you just never know — or tornado, it's just that much easier for you.

So it's important that you go through and you keep an inventory list current. And again, if you have any appraisals, any sort of receipts, make sure that you do keep those. And especially when it comes to any Blu-rays, any stereo equipment, things that the thief can go take and actually pawn it off — that's typically any tool — same thing, it's easy. But, again, if you've got the information on this, the serial numbers, it makes it that much easier for the police to track this — because all the pawn stores do keep track of the serial numbers and they can coincide that and find out exactly where and if somebody had gone there.

The other thing is, if you got any valuables like collector cards, any sort of jewelry — any of your higher end items — there are limits on that. So you want to make sure that you do discuss with a broker — you can come down and talk to any of our brokers — because every policy does have a limit of a certain amount, either on jewelry, any sort of collectibles, any antiques. So, it's important that you go through and do that as well.

So, the biggest thing is, preparation is just key to making your claim that much easier. The better prepared you are, the quicker you're going to get a settlement, and the less hassle you have.

(Video transcription by Speechpad)

Curbing Break and Enter Thefts - Ask The Expert with Greg Marcyniuk

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