hi i was burgled last week got most of my valuables i have contacted nationwide who are my insurance people and they have asked for receipts for all my itemss or proof of ownership i have managed to find manuals for my laptop and camcorder is this good enough i dont have receipts we through them away theitems are less than a year old and were paid for in cash at christmas i also have no proof of other item as pictures of me wearing them are all on my lap top or camera which they also stole.i have only been in my house 3 weeks and its our first mortgage so we have only just got contents insurance and made our first payment were worried its going to look dodgy because of this but were not dishonest people our house as all the right locks as its a new build.

zmann

The Insurers just need proof of ownership. Of course receipts, bank/credit card statements showing transactions would be better, but they should accept the manuals etc.

Normally Insurers would arrange replacement of the items in the first instance, using their suppliers. You should expect a delay if you cannot provide proof of ownership. Also I would not try to insist on a cash settlement as this will have the alarm bells ringing with Insurers and they will become more difficult.

How did the burglars gain access? It would be worth getting the locks changed and investing in the anti-bump liquid. It is possible the burglars could have got hold of a key or have a bump key. If you do a google for bump key, you will see youtube videos and other details on this problem. There is a liquid which is like a heavy oil that you can apply to the locks that stops the bump keys from working. I know QVC sells the liquid, but it may be also available elsewhere.

There are also euro cylinder locks for UPVC door which have anti-bump feature. Screwfix have one such lock available for £36.20. I understand that these locks are easy to replace, even for someone with limited DIY skills.

I do not wish to worry you further but you should think about getting advice about security. Statistically once you have been burgled there is more than a 50% chance of a further burglary within 6 months. Your local police may have a crime prevention team that can advise you. I would think the minimum you should invest in is, change of locks, security lights and a dummy alarm box. You should check with your Insurers as to whether they will require any minimum security to be installed. They could ask for an approved security alarm to be installed, when the policy next becomes due for renewal. You may wish to look into the costs of installing an alarm. See the NACOSS site. http://www.nacoss.org/

Huckster