Stealing from room safe

[minnie mum]

I am five pages into this thread and I have to wonder- In this day and age, why does anyone have cash at Disney? Yeah, I have a little tip money with me, but someone said $2000 cash . Goodness, front desk accepts my totally free debit card. They also hand me a KTTW or soon a band to charge everything. I can take my debit card down to the front desk and get $50 pocket tip money any time I want too. I check every night to see what I have charged. Cash? I vote paperless (and I am in the paper industry )

heck, I wish all the valet's and baggage handlers had Samsung phones that would let me tap them a tip instead of handing cash

So they steal your debit card from the safe instead of cash. Will that make you any the less upset?

 

[smiths02]

So they steal your debit card from the safe instead of cash. Will that make you any the less upset?

Yes much less upset, I could report my debit card lost/stolen and not be responsible for charges. (Either through my bank policy or Visa/MC or through my identity theft insurance.)

If I have $2000 in my room safe and someone takes it, it is gone.

 

[Poohlove]

I just wanted to offer my experience with the Vanilla card - if anyone is interested

Every year for birthdays and Christmas this is what several members of my family purchase and gift as gifts rather than cash. I agree that it is convenient - at first. Once you get to the end of the funds on the card not all places will be able to swipe it and deduct the balance on the card from the transaction amount if the transaction amount is greater than the balance on the card. (It will decline the card and it's kind of embarassing) If you know the balance, it is easy enought to obtain but the object is to be as hassle free as possible, you can tell the cashier what it is and they will then be able to proceed from there.

Also, if using a Visa gift card (not just Vanilla) in a restaurant, some places will place a hold on funds that exceed the amount of the transaction therefore temporarily reducing the amount available to you. For this reason I do not use Visa gift cards in restaurants.

An option to consider is to purchase Disney gift cards, you can use them most places on property. I am old school and like to have cash on hand and do not have a debit card. What I like to do is bring 1 credit card (Disney Visa) and cash. I do not bring laptops and Ipods and all that stuff because after all, we are on vacation. I use the room safe for some cash and bring the some cash, credit card and safe key to the parks with me. I also don't utilize the mousekeeping services every day so that minimizes our exposure.

Hope this made sense and helps out!

 

[robinb]

I am five pages into this thread and I have to wonder- In this day and age, why does anyone have cash at Disney? Yeah, I have a little tip money with me, but someone said $2000 cash . Goodness, front desk accepts my totally free debit card.

Some of the posters are from the UK and Canada so it's easier for them to exchange their currency to US Dollars than to charge to their credit cards and pay a conversion fee. I don't even know if their debit cards would work here and most credit cards charge a couple percent in addition to the exchange rate.

 

[karriealex]

You know what surprised me was this mousekeeper stole from several rooms before they set up the sting. They caught her red handed and she is currently on unpaid leave. She was not fired even though they know she did it. I do not understand this at all.

 

[TDC Nala]

It takes time to fire someone. Even after a criminal accusation. They may keep her on unpaid leave status until her trial or until she pleads guilty to avoid one.

 

[karriealex]

It takes time to fire someone. Even after a criminal accusation. They may keep her on unpaid leave status until her trial or until she pleads guilty to avoid one.

I could see that if she was only suspected but they actually caught her doing it. I have seen others get fired for stealing and I think it is odd that Disney isn't just nipping this in the bud. Kinda doesn't look good on Disney's part. They already have people who are considering not coming back due to this. One guy was quoted as saying such in the article in our paper that I read.

 

[TDC Nala]

Whether they caught her doing it or not, they may wait for the court to determine guilt before they fire her. She's suspended without pay, it's not like she is working with the opportunity to steal more. It also means that she is not working while they process whatever they need to do in order to fire her.

If people are deciding they do not want to come back because an employee was stealing from a hotel room, they will probably need to consider never staying at any hotel.

If they're refusing to come back because Disney didn't immediately fire her, then that's their choice.

At any rate I don't think WDW will lose enough custom over this to make them nervous that there will be a precipitous drop in resort occupancy.

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

I could see that if she was only suspected but they actually caught her doing it. I have seen others get fired for stealing and I think it is odd that Disney isn't just nipping this in the bud. Kinda doesn't look good on Disney's part. They already have people who are considering not coming back due to this. One guy was quoted as saying such in the article in our paper that I read.

In a word UNION

 

[lmhall2000]

In this day and age, why does anyone have cash at Disney? Yeah, I have a little tip money with me, but someone said $2000 cash .:

We are not aware of the travel particulars, I can tell you where I have travelled with lots of cash, it's when I go out of the country!! We did the Mediterranean Cruise and unfortunately many of our excursions took cash only and could not take credit cards...the driver in Sorrento, the tour guide in Pompeii, the special meal at Positano...etc.
We had to travel with over $1500 in Euros..it was stressful but we chose those specific options based on the incredible reviews...some people prefer using cash because they do NOT have a credit card, don't want to fool with a pre-paid, I know my grandparents never had a credit card in their lives...always used cash, still do!
So, there are reasons why someone would have cash, and putting it in a safe is the logical choice.

 

[jedijuhl]

Some of the posters are from the UK and Canada so it's easier for them to exchange their currency to US Dollars than to charge to their credit cards and pay a conversion fee. I don't even know if their debit cards would work here and most credit cards charge a couple percent in addition to the exchange rate.

Speaking from a Canadians view.... All of my bank/debit cards as well as Visa and MasterCard works no problems in the USA. Tested in Wash state, Oregon, Cali, Arizona, Texas, Florida so far I do however make it point to contact my bank and the credit card company to alert them and add a note on my account that I will be using the card in such and such state or region for a specific timeframe. That way they won't immediately think its fraud and stop any transactions. If there is an issue with the card or if it ever were to be stolen I would just call the toll free # for it and get it resolved ASAP.

As for the conversion, there is going to be a conversion rate either way. Either when you convert the cash or convert through a card. For the most part I have found them to be fairly close. The one thing to be aware of is if your bank or credit card company charges a "Foreign Transaction Fee". Thats what can really add additional coats. Google search will come up with cards that do not.

Unfortunately I can not speak for our UK DIS Fans.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[2Tiggies]

The article says the items were in the safe. It does not say the safe was locked. Nor does it say how she gained access to the safe if it was locked. It also says she worked at the All Stars. While some resorts now have safes with electronic locks, the values still have safes with keys. Those safes could probably be pried open or picked.

If there is a master key or a master code, I find it difficult to believe it is given to the housekeepers. If it is, that's really bad practice.

IIRC with the room safes which are operated by key, you cannot remove the key without turning it to the locked position so I am guessing that if it was locked the key may have been left in it, or the key turned to the locked position and then removed meaning the safe door could not close.

 

[robinb]

Speaking from a Canadians view.... All of my bank/debit cards as well as Visa and MasterCard works no problems in the USA. Tested in Wash state, Oregon, Cali, Arizona, Texas, Florida so far I do however make it point to contact my bank and the credit card company to alert them and add a note on my account that I will be using the card in such and such state or region for a specific timeframe. That way they won't immediately think its fraud and stop any transactions. If there is an issue with the card or if it ever were to be stolen I would just call the toll free # for it and get it resolved ASAP.

As for the conversion, there is going to be a conversion rate either way. Either when you convert the cash or convert through a card. For the most part I have found them to be fairly close. The one thing to be aware of is if your bank or credit card company charges a "Foreign Transaction Fee". Thats what can really add additional coats. Google search will come up with cards that do not.

Unfortunately I can not speak for our UK DIS Fans.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thanks for the Canadian perspective . We travel internationally and there is always an exchange rate, but most US credit cards charge an additional fee (the Foreign Transaction Fee you mentioned) on top of the exchange rate. We found an AMEX card that does not and we used it last year when we went to France & Germany. IIRC our credit union did not charge an additional fee either so we simply use the ATM and withdrew Euros from our checking account.

 

[karriealex]

IIRC with the room safes which are operated by key, you cannot remove the key without turning it to the locked position so I am guessing that if it was locked the key may have been left in it, or the key turned to the locked position and then removed meaning the safe door could not close.

The article I read said that the safe was locked. I can only assume that they were also locked in the rooms that she stole things in. I can't see someone safeguarding something in a safe and leaving it open.

On the note of her being suspended and not fired and people not wanting to go back. I can see both ways. I have no problem going back as I stay at a deluxe and the safe is harder to get into and I don't bring cash. I do bring electronics but if they are going to steal it is more likely cash they want and not something they have to fence. Those that stay at the Values may have had their beliefs shaken a bit. Everyone likes to feel they are safe but to know you stayed or are staying at a hotel that was hit several times and knowing they are not firing the person and then knowing that the exact safes are still in the rooms might lend to some to get a little nervous.

The mousekeepers must be union because seriously if any one else had been caught as she was they would have been fired on the spot. I have seen it numerous times. There is no wait and see its See Ya Baby. I made a mistake one time that cost the store I was working at money and I was fired immediately. There was no wait and see the outcome of an investigation. I made a mistake that could have been proven, she was caught red-handed.

 

[smiths02]

The article I read said that the safe was locked. I can only assume that they were also locked in the rooms that she stole things in. I can't see someone safeguarding something in a safe and leaving it open.

On the note of her being suspended and not fired and people not wanting to go back. I can see both ways. I have no problem going back as I stay at a deluxe and the safe is harder to get into and I don't bring cash. I do bring electronics but if they are going to steal it is more likely cash they want and not something they have to fence. Those that stay at the Values may have had their beliefs shaken a bit. Everyone likes to feel they are safe but to know you stayed or are staying at a hotel that was hit several times and knowing they are not firing the person and then knowing that the exact safes are still in the rooms might lend to some to get a little nervous.

The mousekeepers must be union because seriously if any one else had been caught as she was they would have been fired on the spot. I have seen it numerous times. There is no wait and see its See Ya Baby. I made a mistake one time that cost the store I was working at money and I was fired immediately. There was no wait and see the outcome of an investigation. I made a mistake that could have been proven, she was caught red-handed.

She doesn't have to be union. We had someone at my old workplace buying phones on our dime and sending them to her b/f in prison. She was fired and threatened discrimination lawsuit and came BACK to work. Then they had to write her up....insane!

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

I am not defending or accusing anyone, but whatever happened to "Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law" ?

Regarding the electronic safes: They can be locked either by a password, or by any card with a magnetic stripe. However, it is recommended NOT to use a room key, because if a key is lost/reprinted, the replacement card will have a different ID # encoded onto the magnetic stripe, and it will not work to open the safe. There are safe reprogramming devices, but those are only used by the housekeeping manager, and are stored in a secure location.

Regarding non-electric safes: A key could have been removed/copied. Even if it says "Do not duplicate" on the key. I've seen self-serve key copying machines at big box home improvement stores.

 

[karriealex]

I am not defending or accusing anyone, but whatever happened to "Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law" ?

Regarding the electronic safes: They can be locked either by a password, or by any card with a magnetic stripe. However, it is recommended NOT to use a room key, because if a key is lost/reprinted, the replacement card will have a different ID # encoded onto the magnetic stripe, and it will not work to open the safe. There are safe reprogramming devices, but those are only used by the housekeeping manager, and are stored in a secure location.

Regarding non-electric safes: A key could have been removed/copied. Even if it says "Do not duplicate" on the key. I've seen self-serve key copying machines at big box home improvement stores.

It would be hard for her to plead innocent when she was seen doing it. If there was any question I would be the first to say give her the benefit of a doubt. Also not trying to start a debate I just don't understand it.

I am ROFLing at your signature!! Too funny!!