Pins stolen from checked luggage

[wildeflowers]

Well, just wanted to let everyone know, if you don't know already, to never pack your pins in your checked luggage. My 5 yo daughters pins and lanyard were gone when we arrived back home. Thankfully, my son carried his.

I never thought that would happen, as we didn't have tons and they weren't LE or anything that I know of. She is going to be really upset.

So if you are even considering packing them, don't do it.

 

[saradela]

Several years ago, someone got inside my room at a resort in WDW property. They took all of my daughters pins, and toys. The police arrived . Disney gave us money to replace them, we went and replace them the last day. We checked our luggage, with the airline. We had a conecting flight, and for some reason, the airplane couldnt depart, so the airline, gave us a room, and money for food, they took our luggage. The next day when we arrived , we checked our luggage and all the pins were missing again. The airline gave us the money to replace them, but we were not at Disney anymore.

 

[safetymom]

Never put any valuable in your luggage. There is no problem carrying them on the plane.

 

[wildeflowers]

Wow, Saradela, that is awful! That is my biggest concern, too, that if I even get any resolution from the airline, that I can't replace them.

It never occurred to me to think of the pins as ~valuable~, per se, as the clothing and toys we packed were worth more. With all the stuff in our luggage, I never would have thought (not knowing anything about pins at all, as I hadn't read anything on them until after our return) that out of all the stuff in our luggage, that those pins would be lifted. We were leaving at 4 am and I put them in the suitcase so that at 3 am when I got up, they wouldn't be forgotten. She is only 5, and I had enough to worry about. Truth is, they should not have been stolen regardless of how valuable or not valuable they are.

I didn't know that it was common for them to be taken out of checked luggage at Orlando until after the fact, and am simply posting so others may not make the same mistake.

 

[Disneyhappy]

My mom just flew home form her winter in Florida and asked if she could check her laptop in her luggage. I told her absolutely not as laptops are frequently stolen.

 

[goofy4tink]

THis is what I say when someone asks me what to pack in their checked bags....anything you don't mind replacing. If it is going to really upset you to lose it, then don't put it in a checked bag. I know, it's sad to have to feel that way, but it is what it is.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Well, just wanted to let everyone know, if you don't know already, to never pack your pins in your checked luggage. My 5 yo daughters pins and lanyard were gone when we arrived back home. Thankfully, my son carried his.

I never thought that would happen, as we didn't have tons and they weren't LE or anything that I know of. She is going to be really upset.

So if you are even considering packing them, don't do it.

So sorry this happened. Curious, did you have a luggage lock on your luggage. When TSA opens it (if they choose too) they place a note in your luggage. (and my TSA approved lock SHOWS that the lock was OPENED)And usually those that "can" steal will avoid those with locks, I realize none of this helps now, an again, sorry.....my nieces all use it as their carry ons.....They LIVE for those pins....
IF this was at airport I would certainly notify the airline of theft. If you do not know When/time frame, not much option.
Nasty people exist everywhere, even at that Magical place

 

[keishashadow]

we had a bag go missing with pins few years ago

neither airline or my insurance policy would cover them as they were considered 'collectibles'

when in doubt, carry it on

OP maybe u could replace some of the favorite pins on ebay

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Sounds like she would just be buying back the pins that were stolen....how sad

 

[papertraveller]

Two years ago DD left her lanyard and pins on the backdoor of a washroom at the Poly. As soon as we realized it, we went flying back, and of course it was gone. Asked at the front desk, and registered, but no one ever turned it in.
I was very saddened to think another hotel guest would be so opportunistic.

 

[wildeflowers]

Thanks, everyone.

No, we did not have a luggage lock on her suitcase, but my husband's bag was searched and there was a note there. We did not use the luggage check in at the resort, as we were leaving too early, so it had to have happened after we checked the luggage in at the airport.

I would look for some on Ebay, but I am nervous about that after reading more about pins and seeing there are so many stolen or scrap pins sold on Ebay. I certainly don't want to add to the problem, kwim? Knowing as little as I do about the pins, I wouldn't know where to start outside of the resorts.

I called our airline and baggage in Orlando, left a message and they never called me back. I asked my husband to call because he is platinum elite or whatever from flying so much for work. Usually they are a lot nicer to him than me, so I thought if anyone could get anywhere with this, it would be him.

Unfortunately, this was not the only thing my little one lost this trip. She left her wand from the BBB on the Dumbo ride, and it was never turned in to lost and found, right after when we went back, later in the day or when I called central lost and found. That was our carelessness, however, although I agree it is sad that someone would be opportunistic like that. I told my husband I hope that whatever little girl ended up with it, that it really made her happy.

 

[saradela]

Mine had a luggage lock. I belive that because some Pins are "summer only" or "Aniversary Pins", they grow its value with time...... Probably is why they get stolen.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I am shocked about the pins, sorry to hear about these stories! I would have never of though they were a hot item at the airport!

Once 4 of us missed a plane in Philadelphia, connecting home to Providence from a cruise in Miami. We were stuck there for hours. It was pouring out in Philly, when we got in RI our luggage was soaked. When we got home, we discovered some items were mixed up (Person 1's belt in person 2's bag, and no they weren't roommates on the ship!) Someone in Philly stole items from our luggage and US Air couldn't care less when I called them!

The other thing, I will never use a hotel safe that uses a key again. In 2006 my mom had a credit card she never uses in the safe the entire trip. Card wasn't physically stolen, but a duplicate was made and used at self serve gas stations and grocery stores in Florida two weeks later. Hotel completely denied it. The card hadn't been used for at least a month before that. Now when I stay at that resort... DD still wears pampers underjams to bed, so I bring the underjam bag with me and hide things inside one underjam, tucked away in the bag. Before that I would do it with a bag of diapers. Or I always have a big drawstring bag of dirty clothes. Another place to hide valuables.

It is amazing how rotten some people are... At Marriott Grande Vista, DH and I were getting in the car and realized DD's autograph book was in there. My parents were taking her to the park in a few minutes. I placed the book near the windshield wipers on their rental car, called my Dad on his cell and told him the book was there. It was gone in a matter of minutes! Boy am I stupid to think that something would survive 5 mintues out in the open that obviously belonged to a child!

 

[Disney Bunny]

Well, just wanted to let everyone know, if you don't know already, to never pack your pins in your checked luggage. My 5 yo daughters pins and lanyard were gone when we arrived back home. Thankfully, my son carried his.

I never thought that would happen, as we didn't have tons and they weren't LE or anything that I know of. She is going to be really upset.

So if you are even considering packing them, don't do it.

Any chance that the luggage in question has some type of liner that the lanyard/pins could have slid under?

 

[Disneyof3]

This happened to me 3 years ago. I put the pin (the special ones that you get 2 from a CM and give one away to someone else in the park during your trip) in my husbands sock and when I returned home it was gone I was so upset and I used the WDW check in for my luggage.So obviously they were searching for stuff to take. I learned from then on and from the disboard that pins can be carried in your carry-on.

 

[cm8]

, I hope that you will be able to locate the missing pins or have them restored to you at a later date.

 

[Daniel-99]

Disney&RedSox - You made a comment about theft from your hotel room safe. Their is a product on the market now that lets you put you own lock on the outside of your room safe. That way no one with a master code can open the safe without damaging you own lock. Look on the internet for a product called "Milockie" hotel safe lock. This is a small portable lock device that you would take in your luggage.

Thefts from cruise ship safes are very rare, as well as hotel room safes. However when you do read about it, the reports of thefts from hotel room safes seem to be centered around from hotels in Spain, Canary Islands, Mexico, and the Caribbean - rarely in the US.

 

[crashbb]

Thefts from cruise ship safes are very rare, as well as hotel room safes. However when you do read about it, the reports of thefts from hotel room safes seem to be centered around from hotels in Spain, Canary Islands, Mexico, and the Caribbean - rarely in the US.

Do you have any actual proof for you comments?

 

[persimmondeb]

Odd things disappear from luggage. My favorite sweater seems to have vanished during a TSA check at JFK. Nothing else was missing, despite having about 4 pounds in English money and some costume jewelry in the same suitcase. Unfortunately I didn't notice until a couple of days later when I was in Ireland, and I was no longer completely sure I had packed it. By the time I got home and checked it seemed a little silly to take it up with the TSA. I don't know it it was irresistable to someone, or more likely, just got taken out of my suitcase for the check and never put back in.

 

[mousey]

When they had the dream team passing out fast passes several years ago our friends won them and wanted to keep them for a souvineer. Even though they were worthless, they were stolen from their luggage on the way home. They need cameras everywhere to catch these thieves!