Stolen Bikes
 

So, I come home from traveling cross country to retrieve my wife and newborn child. I drive into the garage and something is missing. Hmmmm..... Something blue, with nice shiney parts, that puts a smile on my face even when I don't have time to use it..........WHAT WAS MISSING********** My freakin bike was. I saved for three years to be able to afford the bike of my dreams... I loved it..... and some lowly scumball is now riding, or selling it for who know's what.
Oh well.... I guess in another three years I might be able to afford a new bike.

To the person who stole it... Have fun and I hope a freakin truck smears you ass.

Thank you for the place to rant, just so pissed off I can't see straight.

....insurance?

Dude, I feel for you. It will take the sting out of the whole situation when your homeowner's/renters insurance company cuts you that fat check. You might as well use it - you pay a boatload of $ for the policy.

If you have homeowners insurance, it should cover the bike. Even if you rent, if you have renters insurance, it should cover the theft of the bike.

Call the police and report the bike missing immediately, and fill out a police report. Insurance companies will insist on seeing a police report so you can file a claim and get the bike reimbursed.

Sorry to hear about your ride stolen, though. :(

Koffee

Well, Insurance company will not pay for the bike. The garage that is in our house has the quick release system so that if a child/car or anything else is under the door it opens.
So the double screw has happened.
But sometimes things happen for a reason. I will just start saving for a new one, and this time it will be locked to a concrete sinker in the garage when not in use.

what does that have to do with it?

I thought it was a law that all automatic garage doors have that safety feature. I would say the insurance company would be paying a lot more if someone got hurt because the door didnt have that.

From the responses of other people, it sounds as though you should pursue it.

Insurance companies always seem to initially deny, deny, deny... they are almost like lawyers! I bet most people don't pursue further action after the initial denial, which is how insurance companies get away with so much. :( If I were you, I'd pursue it further anyway, and if they try and play hardball over an issue that is required by law for your garage, threaten to take it to an attorney. It is a lot cheaper for them to pay your claim then retain their lawyers to prevent you from getting the money to replace your bike.

Koffee

The only thing you want to watch out for is if they raise your premium because you put in a claim (or worse yet drop you altogether). Sometimes its best just to take your lumps rather then end up paying more in increased premiums than the claim was worth.

ok, so are lawyers good or bad? good when they help you, bad when they help someone else?

oh, and that completely sucks about your bike being stolen. i'd pester them, were i you.

gotta be careful, in california homeowners ins is insaely expensive, and many folks just cant get it anymore...

Definate bummer, hopefully you had the SN and other info so police can ID it if they find it again. Also make sure all the bike shops in your area know about the bike being stolen, etc. Checking the flea markets for it is also a good bet....I've seen quite a few seemingly shady bikes at those...people claiming to have ridden a bike that they cant even fit on for years, etc....no way a 5ft man will be riding a 65cm trek....let alone the bike was too new to be owned as long as he claimed....so be sure to check flea markets and swap meets if you have the time.

Perhaps this may be helpful. An insurance company is not allowed to unreasonably or groundlessly deny a claim. Assuming your policy covers the claim (there may be no personal property coverage, or certain items or causes of loss may be excluded, the policy may have expired, the amount of the loss may be less than a deductable, etc.), they must explain why the policy excludes the loss. You are required to submit the information necessary for an evaluation of the claim (document the original purchase, give evidence of value, provide a copy of police report) and cooperate in the investigation.

One potential valid reason to deny may be if you failed to keep the insured property safe, such as by leaving the garage door open. The insurer might have grounds to argue if you failed to lock the garage door. They probably cannot reasonably expect that the door be immune from forced break-ins, and I doubt they can exclude a door that fails to remain shut because of a door closer equipment malfunction that you were not aware of or did not have sufficient opportunity to fix (or due to normal safety feature operation).

To protect your claim, you should (with the assistance of your insurance agent, if you have one) make a written notice of claim. Insurance agents or insurers often have a form for you to fill out. The insurer is required to provide a written response, with an explanation for any denial.

You can file a complaint with the state department of insurance. In some states, the attorney general or some other department may also accept consumer complaints.

written like a true lawyer (or insurance agent)!
:D

When you get a new bike or find your bike that was stolen (I hope you do)

Don't buy anymore locks, cables, u-locks or anything because that is the best way to make sure your bike is safe 24/7.

You can go in stores for as long as you want, go anywhere you want to go, and never have to worry about your bike being stolen. Locks, cables, u-lock or any kind of lock won't stop a thief. I know it will stop some but not all. If a thief wanted to they could steal just a brakecable, bag, etc off your bike. You really can't lock those. You could take the brake cable and bag with you but taking the brake cable with you could be a pain. I wouldn't take the brake cable with me but there are other ways to keep everything all safe 24/7 no matter what thief walks by. It can be the best thief ever but they will not get my bike. They can try to touch it but they won't beable to get it. I know nothing is impossible but this is the only 99% sure way that your bike and even bike trailer won't get stolen.

Thats why I am making sure whenever I go my bike and bike trailer is always safe because I know someone is going to steal it even if I had the best lock ever on the bike and to me I figured that a bike and a lock is not worth it at all. Not even the best one.

Insurance isn't either. They may protect you if your bike gets stolen or your bike trailer (not sure on this one) but I don't think they will protect you if a brake cable, the stuff in the trailer, anything on your bike gets stolen. So insurance isn't worth it either.

Both of them have major disadvantages that are not worth risking.


You have to fight thiefs back with all the fire possible. This will work too. Not saying real fire or any violent at all because this does not involve that. Heck if you don't even want to say one word it will still work 100%.

Well this is obviously an old thread and I hope it all worked out for the poster but I will add that not only should this insurance company pay for your bike but simply due to the fact that they decided to give you a bunch of hastle about it I would find a new insurance company. My insurance agent bends over backwards for me to get me not only what I deserve under the insurance I pay for but also the best deal possible on insurance. Maybe this is because I got to a private agent who handles multiple companies but I can't even imagine paying for insurance and then having the comapny deny a legitimate claim...I mean what are you paying for?

Grasschopper insurance isn't worth it because they won't repay you back if a brake cable, or anything off of your bike gets stolen. There no way they would.

It has a lot of huge disadvantages. Any insurance.

You never get the full amount either plus you have to pay monthly.

Its not 100% safe.

Err we are talking about homeowners insurance covering the bike's theft out of the guy's garrage here. I HAVE to have homeowners insurance says the bank that loaned me the money to buy my home so if one of my bikes gets stolen out of my garrage I FULLY expect them to buy me a new one (less deductable).

Theres the keyword! "less deductable"

Thats a huge disadvantage and they won't pay you back for any item that gets stolen off the bike. It doesn't matter what it is. Wheel and rim, seat, etc.

So you loose more money in the end.

I don't know, I am assuming the bike this guy saved 3 years for was worth...I don't know at LEAST 3X the $300-$500 deductable. I would rather be out $300-$500 than another $2000-$4000 for the high end bicycle that I saved 3 years for.

No offense, but wtf did you just say? I read your post 3 or 4 times and I still have no idea what you were trying to say.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt that way. :) Also, who would steal a brake cable? If the crime rate is that bad where you live I would definately move.

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/we...havenoidea.jpg

Yes but its not as good as still having the bike because all of that takes a lot of time and paperwork to get back. Time is money.

money to whom? time is only money if you're spending the time and losing the money or buying the time with the money.
don't pretend you're time is worth more than it really is and you'll be just fine.

Its still not getting the full amount back. Nothing will change that. Thats why insurance sucks. Its not worth it because you can't get a insurance that will repay you back fully so it really isn't worth it. Plus they won't pay you back if just a wheel, or anything off the bike gets stolen. So your out of luck a lot of money.

so you just sit and cry instead of paying the measly deductible...and then you go pay $3000 for a new bike? or you just never ride again? maybe steal someone else's bike...

of course you won't get the full value of the bike if it happens to be stolen, but if someone takes your bike what do you do? wait for them to give it back and laugh at your insurance provider because they didn't get your $500 deductible? what if the thief doesn't have a change of heart and never returns the loot? then $500 for a $3000 bike looks pretty good, i'd say.

do you have car insurance? what's your deductible? if you did $4000 of damage to your car, i bet you'd go ahead and pay that deductible before you paid the $4000...