Disney Claims Department - Anyone been through this process?

[Anjelica]

Has anyone gone through the Claims Department for any "lost" items? This is the first time in 10+ years we have ever dealt with the Claims Department at Disneyworld so I'm not quite sure what is the "purpose"? Are they going to do more investigation?(we haven't heard from our claims representative from Disneyworld yet)

Back story - our daughters 3DS was either taken or after it was turned in was misplaced. My daughter left her 3DS, Case, games, AND her rainbow loom container with rainbow loom/bands, etc. in the drawer under the TV in the living room (we were at one of our home resorts, VWL, in a 2 bedroom recently).

We realized she had left these items at the resort after we returned home 2 days later. We immediately called VWL and after being transferred to lost & found they indicated the rainbow loom container/kit was turned in by housekeeping after we had checked out but before the next guest arrived. However, there was no Nintendo 3DS that could be located.

The manager of VWL contacted us the next day after a more thorough search of the room and the Nintendo 3DS could not be found. (Let me state here I know for a fact that the Nintendo 3DS and Rainbow Loom were both in the same drawer and no family member had removed it, moved it to a different location, etc.). It was at this time VWL manager gave me the Claims Department # to file a claim with them.

So here we are a week after calling in a claim (and I know with the holidays, etc. folks are on vacation). We haven't heard from our claims person yet but even after talking with the person who answers the main phone number she couldn't tell me what the process is, the purposed, etc. - therefore I am reaching out to my fellow DVC members and their experiences.

 

[DebbieB]

Has anyone gone through the Claims Department for any "lost" items? This is the first time in 10+ years we have ever dealt with the Claims Department at Disneyworld so I'm not quite sure what is the "purpose"? Are they going to do more investigation?(we haven't heard from our claims representative from Disneyworld yet)

Back story - our daughters 3DS was either taken or after it was turned in was misplaced. My daughter left her 3DS, Case, games, AND her rainbow loom container with rainbow loom/bands, etc. in the drawer under the TV in the living room (we were at one of our home resorts, VWL, in a 2 bedroom recently).

We realized she had left these items at the resort after we returned home 2 days later. We immediately called VWL and after being transferred to lost & found they indicated the rainbow loom container/kit was turned in by housekeeping after we had checked out but before the next guest arrived. However, there was no Nintendo 3DS that could be located.

The manager of VWL contacted us the next day after a more thorough search of the room and the Nintendo 3DS could not be found. (Let me state here I know for a fact that the Nintendo 3DS and Rainbow Loom were both in the same drawer and no family member had removed it, moved it to a different location, etc.). It was at this time VWL manager gave me the Claims Department # to file a claim with them.

So here we are a week after calling in a claim (and I know with the holidays, etc. folks are on vacation). We haven't heard from our claims person yet but even after talking with the person who answers the main phone number she couldn't tell me what the process is, the purposed, etc. - therefore I am reaching out to my fellow DVC members and their experiences.

I once had a cellphone either lost at OKW or taken from the room. The last time I saw it was after we checked in, we were waiting for a call from someone we were meeting. I thought I put it into my carryon bag. This was a long time ago, I only used my cellphone for emergencies then, I didn't carry it with me all the time.

When I went into the bag in the room a couple of days later, it wasn't there. I called lost and found, they did not have it. They suggested I call the Orange Co Sheriff to file a report. I also called my homeowners insurance, I only had a $100 ded at the time. They paid to replace it, which wasn't cheap since I had just signed a contract.

 

[disneydenisel]

I am sorry to hear about the missing 3DS! I haven't had to deal with Claims, but I wanted to share our "lost item" experiences.

At DLR, my son left his iPod Touch 5th generation on the counter in our VGC villa when we checked out. I got a call when we were at the airport, asking me if we were missing something. I thought it was a strange call, but then I asked "like what," and the CM said, "like an iPod," and then I asked my family and my son started crying. The CM asked me to describe it, which I did (and it had his name engraved on the back, too!), and she said she would ship it to me FedEx if I paid the charges, which I happily did.

At WDW last month, my son lost his orange Magic Band somewhere between our BCV villa and the AK entry. It was found at AK, and a runner from BCV went to the transportation center to pick it up for us the next morning.

Hopefully, your claims process will go smoothly and maybe the missing 3DS will reappear.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO you have no claim, you forgot the item and have no proof that Disney, their agents, or employees did anything wrong.

If you receive anything from claims, consider it pixie dust.

A few years ago our family got ill after eating all of our meals on property. Ended up in the hospital for a few days, tests verified that it was food related illness. Disney paid for our cab fare and they converted our admission tickets from expiring to non-expiring since we stayed in our room the whole time being sick. We were given a card by management to file a claim.

Filed a claim requesting a room and transportation refund and was denied.

Bill

 

[staceymay00]

IMO you have no claim, you forgot the item and have no proof that Disney, their agents, or employees did anything wrong.

I agree. Quite possibly the next guest took the DS and left the rainbow loom, which was then found after you called. I doubt housekeeping typically even opens drawers while cleaning. Personally I would not expect Disney to pay for something I left behind in the room. It is, of course, always nice when a left behind item is found by an honest person who turns it in - sorry that was not the case with your daughter's DS.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[taterheads]

Has anyone gone through the Claims Department for any "lost" items? This is the first time in 10+ years we have ever dealt with the Claims Department at Disneyworld so I'm not quite sure what is the "purpose"? Are they going to do more investigation?(we haven't heard from our claims representative from Disneyworld yet) Back story - our daughters 3DS was either taken or after it was turned in was misplaced. My daughter left her 3DS, Case, games, AND her rainbow loom container with rainbow loom/bands, etc. in the drawer under the TV in the living room (we were at one of our home resorts, VWL, in a 2 bedroom recently). We realized she had left these items at the resort after we returned home 2 days later. We immediately called VWL and after being transferred to lost & found they indicated the rainbow loom container/kit was turned in by housekeeping after we had checked out but before the next guest arrived. However, there was no Nintendo 3DS that could be located. The manager of VWL contacted us the next day after a more thorough search of the room and the Nintendo 3DS could not be found. (Let me state here I know for a fact that the Nintendo 3DS and Rainbow Loom were both in the same drawer and no family member had removed it, moved it to a different location, etc.). It was at this time VWL manager gave me the Claims Department # to file a claim with them. So here we are a week after calling in a claim (and I know with the holidays, etc. folks are on vacation). We haven't heard from our claims person yet but even after talking with the person who answers the main phone number she couldn't tell me what the process is, the purposed, etc. - therefore I am reaching out to my fellow DVC members and their experiences.

I hate to say it but if you didn't purchase trip insurance your claim will be denied or dismissed. Even if you did purchase trip insurance, I'm thinking you are looking at a long uphill climb on this one. I hate that for you. I know what it's like to lose an expensive "toy". My son left his I touch in a mcdonalds once never to be seen again. It broke his heart but also taught him and me a very important lesson about not misplacing or forgetting things. We watch our devices like hawks now. I hope it works out for you in the end.

 

[Anjelica]

I actually didn't even bring up anything to the manager regarding filing a claim (I didn't even know "that" existed in terms of Disney) - he suggested I file one and when I called they made it sound like its something they deal with all the time.

Again - I expect nothing. In never dealing with Walt Disney Claims Department I am not quite sure what to expect.

I didn't even imply to the manager that I thought it may have been housekeeping - but rather was told that the rainbow loom was found by housekeeping BEFORE the next guest checked in (I guess they keep a log of when items are found, etc.???). He seemed a bit concerned that one of the two items was found and turned in while the other was not - even though they were in the same drawer.

At the end of the day it sucks no matter how you look at it. I feel bad for my daughter because its a tough lesson to learn and I feel partially responsible as it was my idea to put those items in the drawer while we were there.

In all our years of staying with Disney and cruising I have only ever left a group of items behind and luckily was sent those items without even having to call (I can tell you from personal experience Disney Cruise WILL send you your bras back... On this trip I ended up with a sinus infection on Christmas Day - we checked out on December 27th - and with all the meds I was taking that day I know my head wasn't in he right place... I'm usually good about going back and checking every nook and cranny....

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

...... was told that the rainbow loom was found by housekeeping BEFORE the next guest checked in (I guess they keep a log of when items are found, etc.???). He seemed a bit concerned that one of the two items was found and turned in while the other was not - even though they were in the same drawer.......

That was what I took away from your first post - that the items were turned in by housekeeping - but not the most expensive which is why the manager directed you to the claims department.

The one thing we all know about Disney is that it's inconsistent. Perhaps the items will suddenly be "found". Or perhaps Disney claims will do something. Or it may all come to nothing.

Hope it's a positive outcome for you!

 

[AnnaS]

A few years ago we left some of my dd's HP items (about $100) behind. DH had her put them in the draw. I thought I checked everything before leaving.

My dd did not realize she did not have them until about 5 days or so after we got home (teen ager - no hurry to unpack ).

Called WLV and was directed to Lost and Found. Our items were there and were shipped to us within a few days. I remember thinking - wow, they must ship items home every day at their expense.

The next guest could have taken it. A dishonest housekeeper could have taken it - who knows. Recently there was one who was caught at one of the value resorts. Anything is possible.

 

[staceymay00]

I didn't even imply to the manager that I thought it may have been housekeeping - but rather was told that the rainbow loom was found by housekeeping BEFORE the next guest checked in (I guess they keep a log of when items are found, etc.???). He seemed a bit concerned that one of the two items was found and turned in while the other was not - even though they were in the same drawer.

Sorry, I missed the part in your original post that said the loom was found before the next guest checked in. That does make it seem likely a Disney employee with access to the room took the DS, and explains why the manager directed you to file a claim.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[disneynutz]

Sorry, I missed the part in your original post that said the loom was found before the next guest checked in. That does make it seem likely a Disney employee with access to the room took the DS, and explains why the manager directed you to file a claim.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Disney has millions of guests and thousands of lost items, standard procedure is that CM's refer you to their claims group if the possibility exists that any liability is involved. They actually have business cards that they give out with the claims contact info.

Bill

 

[Kidanifan08]

Sorry to read about your ordeal. Lost items may be one of the negative aspects of owning and staying DVC!

I drive my family crazy with checking and re-checking the room when we are checking out. Invariably, I find something on my last sweep -- phone charger, lone sock, goggles, matchbox car . . . something. Sometimes I find something on my final sweep that is not ours. I have found someone else's phone charger, a cummerbund, bow tie, and even a handheld gaming system. That last item was found at BLT in the space between the mattress and arm of the fold out chair. Who knows if it belonged to the people before us or someone before them. We turned all of the found items in at the front desk.

We also had a nephew who lost his Kindle Fire in one of the 2BR concierge rooms at Jambo in 2012. We realized it was missing as soon as we moved over to BLT. We called right away, but it was not found or turned in. We are pretty sure it fell into the sleeper chair there, as that was his bed. We called a few times after we got home to see if it was turned in, but no luck.

Hopefully your gaming system will eventually show up. It's tough losing the device and all of those games.

 

[Sheepdog23]

i have only had positive experiences with claims, but it has been because it was pretty much their problem. The first thing was that my daughter's brand new bathing suit disintegrated on the third day of our trip and she broke out in a huge rash as well as had an asthma attack because the chlorine levels were off. They did send someone to check and they did say the levels were higher than they should be. I just presented them with a receipt and they covered the suit. The other thing was that my sister lost a very expensive bra (has an unusual size) when housekeeping came to clean our villa while she was getting ready to go out and had placed it on the bed. Again, we were given money to replace it because they said that as soon as they strip the beds, anything that could have been in them or on them is gone.

I would just give them every detail that you can and hope that you get the right person.

 

[cwdefouw]

We once lost a cell phone at DisneyLand. Called Lost and Found Dept the next day, they could not find it, or it had not been found yet. We were even pretty sure where we had left it in the park. Kept calling every couple of days for next few weeks. Nothing. Then about 6 months later, we get a package from Anaheim and it is the missing cell phone. Of course we had already replaced it but I was surprised they even bothered to return it after so much time had passed.

 

[Dano1182]

I doubt that the same person who took the DS would turn in the loom.

 

[Anjelica]

Update

Well we heard from the disney claims person assigned to our case and I have to say I am extremely disappointed with the process. Regardless of the outcome, the process/claims person we dealt with was not the best at all.

When I first submitted the claim (again per the manager's at WL advice) they took down the information and said a claim person would be in touch with us a in a couple of days. We waited a few days after the couple of days and started calling and leaving messages. After 5 messages and contacting the "front desk" person, who said she was going to hand write our contact information and place it on the claims person desk, (I had inquired on whether the person was out of office, etc. - she wasn't), we left Thursday for our Disney Run Marathon weekend.

We FINALLY received a call from the claims person while at the Expo - she was "short" in her tone and from all indications had NOT done any investigation what so ever (we inquired) and promptly stated that "Disney is not responsible for things left in the rooms" and that "she doesn't know why were even told to call in to the claims department". To be honest - I would be surprised if she even read the claim because I think if she did she would understand that the circumstances sound a bit odd and why the manager at VWL told us to call in a claim.

At this point and the fact that I don't believe any investigation was completed (the denied claim letter we received states she did a thorough investigation) I am going to file a police report. At the end of the day, do we expect to ever see the 3DS and games - nope. But if we file a police report at least there will be a record and if it happens to be a pattern at VWL there will be a record of the incident.

I appreciate everyones repsonses and sharing their experiences. If anything changes I will come back and update everyone.

 

[disneynutz]

Update

Well we heard from the disney claims person assigned to our case and I have to say I am extremely disappointed with the process. Regardless of the outcome, the process/claims person we dealt with was not the best at all.

When I first submitted the claim (again per the manager's at WL advice) they took down the information and said a claim person would be in touch with us a in a couple of days. We waited a few days after the couple of days and started calling and leaving messages. After 5 messages and contacting the "front desk" person, who said she was going to hand write our contact information and place it on the claims person desk, (I had inquired on whether the person was out of office, etc. - she wasn't), we left Thursday for our Disney Run Marathon weekend.

We FINALLY received a call from the claims person while at the Expo - she was "short" in her tone and from all indications had NOT done any investigation what so ever (we inquired) and promptly stated that "Disney is not responsible for things left in the rooms" and that "she doesn't know why were even told to call in to the claims department". To be honest - I would be surprised if she even read the claim because I think if she did she would understand that the circumstances sound a bit odd and why the manager at VWL told us to call in a claim.

At this point and the fact that I don't believe any investigation was completed (the denied claim letter we received states she did a thorough investigation) I am going to file a police report. At the end of the day, do we expect to ever see the 3DS and games - nope. But if we file a police report at least there will be a record and if it happens to be a pattern at VWL there will be a record of the incident.

I appreciate everyones repsonses and sharing their experiences. If anything changes I will come back and update everyone.

You might find resistance getting the Sheriff to take a report when you tell them that you left the item(s) behind.

Bill

 

[Dean]

You might find resistance getting the Sheriff to take a report when you tell them that you left the item(s) behind.

Bill

Plus after the fact by phone.

 

[Firepath]

I feel for you as I too have teenagers who have lost electronics at WDW. The manager probably referred you to their Claims Dept. because s/he couldn't do any more for you. Disney handles their claims like any other self-insured company in that you have to be able to prove they were negligent in order for them to pay your claim. Sadly, it doesn't sound like you can, even if you're pretty sure someone with access to the room took it. If a particular cast member had been accused of similar thefts in the past, they might look at it differently, otherwise it's your word vs. theirs. Unfortunately, there is so much fraud in the claims world, if they paid every claim based just on the guest's word, none of us could afford to vacation there. Another example of the honest folks suffering because of the dishonest ones. I'm sorry this didn't have a happier ending for you.

 

[Dano1182]

Let it go and tell your DD to be more responible for her stuff .

Kids lose things all the time.

What do expect the police to do?

You are right if they took a report for every item that a kid left behind at WDW they would see a pattern.

Things get lost on vacation.