Very Upsetting Theft At BCV

[Luigi's Girl]

I have not been on the boards here for about six months because of some health issues and personal problems that have gone on in my life recently. I always enjoyed checking the boards everyday and learning so much from so many wonderful fellow Disney lovers, and because of an incident that happened to my sister yesterday I felt the need to visit my old stomping ground here and share my story with you all.

My sharing my love of Disney and for the Vacation Club is what made my sister and her family become vacation club members also. We have shared wonderful vacations together and this time she went without my family but we have been in constant touch through text and pix messaging and cell phone calls all day long. They checked into the BCV on Monday the 29th and were put into room 452, at the end of a hallway and facing the service road and right next to a staircase that leads to that back area. Late Wednesday night she called housekeeping and said she didn't need the trash and towel service the following day because they wash their towels daily, take out their own trash, and keep the room tidy. My sister is also like me and doesn't really like knowing that someone is in the room with all of their personal stuff anyway. Call it crazy, but that's the way we feel. So, on Thursday morning they left the room in the morning and headed to MK for a bit and then off to Epcot before returning to their room at about 4 o'clock to get changed into swim suits to go to the pool. Their very responsible 16yr old son stayed in the room when they went for a swim with their other 3 children. They came back awhile later to get ready for dinner at Cape May Cafe and my sister went to get her jewelry. Now, I know I'm going to hear people say "why wasn't the jewelry in the safe" or "you should leave jewelry at home", but that is besides the point. It was not in plain sight. It was buried in a duffle bag under my sisters clothes and underwear, in a drawstring bag along with a box that held her watch. Unfortunately, my brother-in-law's wedding ring was in there also. He never takes it off but his fingers swelled from the heat, so the night before he asked her to put it with her jewelry, and so she did.

Now, is it a coincidence that she called housekeeping the night before and asked them not to come? Maybe that alerted them to think she didn't want them in the room because she must have valuables in there? Then the following day when they leave their room someone goes in and rummages through her suitcases and finds her jewelry?! It's too suspicious. To top it off, they are extremely dissappointed in the way they were treated and I am very upset too.

They first called security and the housekeeping manager came up with a little notepad. She said she was the one who took the phonecall to cancel trash and towel so nobody should have been in their room. (Oh, I forgot to mention that when they initially came back from Epcot and were returning to their room, there was a man in what looked like a maintainance outfit walking in the hallway outside of their door and my brother-in law thought he looked suspicious and made a comment about it. They later gave a description of the man to the manager). They said they would check and see whose cards were swiped that day and they could tell if housekeeping or maintainance went in their room. They came back and said nobody but my sister and her husbands cards were swiped that day so therefore... nobody was in their room. They proceeded to suggest that she misplaced her things. My brother in law said he was going to call the local police and report it and they insisted on calling themselves. He insisted back that he would be calling them but the housekeeper herself went and made the call. All the while that this is happening, their kids are starving because they are missing their 730 dinner reservation, my sister is crying, and a huge damper is being put on their vacation.

Now, one female police officer showed up along with the same housekeeping manager or supervisor (I'm not sure of her correct title but I'm going to find out). They insisted that nobody used a key and came in their room! My sister and her husband kept saying somebody WAS in their room because their stuff was TAKEN! It went back and forth with one saying "nobody used a key" and the other saying "our stuff is gone". They were rude and condescending and never made my family feel like they cared at all. There are no cameras in the hallways ,there was nothing they could do, are you sure you didn't put a box and a drawstring bag that you keep hidden in one spot somewhere else, oh you left your 16yr old son in the room alone for awhile..... these are samples of some of the things that were said. No "I'm sorry this is happening to you, we'll do everything we can, please go have your dinner while we work on this,... nothing. My sister was sick to her stomach all night and the rest of the trip is ruined because of this. I spoke to her at length during all of this and I told her at about midnight last night(while she was up because she couldn't sleep) that should she go down first thing this morning and speak to someone higher up. Not just the person from housekeeping who (I'm not accusing) but who was the one who took the phonecall the night before, who came to the room when security was alerted, and who personally called the police after my brother in law insisted he wanted to.

This morning she did go to the desk, she obviously got nowhere, and she said nobody cares and the attitudes were terrible. Not ONE person ever said they were sorry that this was happening to them on what's supposed to be a magical vacation. Not ONe person tried to make them feel better while they were upset and even when ny siuster couldn't hold back the tears from feeling so violated that someone was in her suitcases touching all of her things. Sure, they can't prove it... but her things are gone and SOMEONE took them. She just can't believe that nobody is acting like they care. Like I said, her trip is ruined because of this and neither her nor her husband want to go back again because of this incident.

So, my fellow friends here on the boards.... what suggestions do any of you have or just words of advice to make her feel better and to get the "magic" back if possible? Is there anything else that can be done? I know from previously reading the boards that other people have gone through the same thing.

Thanks for listening... and reading this looong post!!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Only words of advice - Use the safe! I do each and every trip. We put I-pods, PSP's and my credit cards etc., even car keys in it and use it each day. I'm not much into jewelry so that does not apply or I would put it in there as well.

It's upsetting, but I don't see a resolution of any kind. Unless you can identify the person who took the items, then it becomes just a police report & an issue for you and your insurance company, if applicable.

Not just good people work and go to Disney!

 

[Sandisw]

I don't have any advice but would just like to say I am sorry that this happened to her and impacted the magic of her trip.

 

[CarolAnnC]

It is upsetting to have this happen on vacation, I am sure.

The electronic key entry records exactly who and what time enter and leave the rooms. This is how they determine nobody entered other than the guests.

For future, I always assume anyone can enter the room in case of emergency, repair, etc. Valuables are left out at one's own risk. Did you put out the privacy sign? Even if you did, they can enter the room if there is an emergency situation, repair, etc.

The resort probably will not say "sorry" to your sister as that would implicate guilt on their part. They are not going to accept responsibility for wrongdoing as they have no evidence of being the cause of the theft.

Perhaps your sister can find restitution via her homeowners insurance? Some policies have riders on them for jewelry...good luck to them!

 

[jworkkul]

Unfortunately, there is not much that Disney can do in this situation. They put the safes in the rooms for things such as this and your sister should have utilized that option. About 7 years ago my daughter and I were in the MK at
Mickey's Not So Scary with a bag loaded with rare pins (this is when the pin
trading first started). We were very "gung-ho" about pin trading and collecting and I probably had about $2000 worth of priceless pins and collectors pins in there. That bag never left my sight. We had dinner at the LTT that night and I had the pin bag right beside me on the chair. When we left, however, I did forget the pin bag and we left without it. We wanted to see the fireworks and never thought a thing about the pin bag. I would say approximately 15 minutes passed before I noticed that I did not have my pin bag. I immediately went back to LTT to where we were just sitting having dinner and guess what no pin bag We alerted the manager of the resturant and Security but they could do nothing about it.

Needless to say, my passion for pin trading went bye-bye that night and even to this day I still don't have the heart like I used to. I still go to WDW and do pin trading but something left me that night.

I do feel for your sister and hope she contacts her insurance company. Just be careful next time. Unfortunately, people will be people and there are some out there that will take advantage.

 

[allshookup]

As the wife of Police Officer, I can tell you that unfortunately theft happens all the time, just about everywhere & 9 out of 10 times, there is nothing that can be done. Unlike the crime shows on TV, local police just do not have the time nor resources (especially with more & more cuts) to check out every theft & all they will do is take a report & hope your property shows back up again & that's about it.

It's unfortunate it happened at WDW, but it won't be the first time nor the last. Hopefully your sister & family learned a valuable lesson & will always use the safe from now on. I know it probably seems like nobody cared, but they are also just trying to cover all bases & make sure it wasn't misplaced. I'm sure they run into that a lot too. I really hope they can find the magic in WDW again & put this unfortunate incident behind them.

 

[jbrowna]

My DS and his DW had an incident where a GPS unit they had used on a trip to North Dakota disappeared. In their luggage they found the case, but the unit itself was gone. The only people who had access to the luggage were TSA people and airline luggage handlers. They filed a complaint. Were told that missing electronics are not covered. In other words, make sure you carry on all eletronics because TSA and airline handlers have a license to steal!

Of course, I should mention the follow-up. Six months later they are getting ready for another trip. They open the front pocket of a suitcase and there is the "stolen" GPS unit! DS's wife then remembered that's where she had put it at the last minute after they had turned in their rental car in Fargo.

I will be interested to hear the follow-up to this incident. OP didn't say they had checked all their other luggage -- like my DS and his DW had, when they accused the TSA! And, of course, there was one person in the room, the "very responsible 16yr old son." I'm not accusing, but if it were me I'd be asking some tough questions there.

What they should do is file an insurance claim. If the jewelry was worth a substantial amount, I would think the insurance investigators would check things pretty thoroughly, since before paying off, any insurance company would want to leave no stone unturned in either recovering the items or making sure the claim is valid.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

Thanks for taking an interest and for all the replys so far. Just to mention that my sister DID check every piece of luggage and bag they had, first quickly before they called and reported the theft and then very thoroughly before going to bed. The long box which held a watch and the large drawsrting bag holding the jewelry are not in any of them. I'm sure they would LOVE to find them 6 months down the road in some little nook or cranny, but we shall see. We all call my sister Martha Stewart because she is so organized and meticulous and everything is always in it's place.
I also only mentioned their 16 year old son being in the room just to show that the alledged theft happened when they were at the parks during the day and NOT while he was in the room from about 4 till 6.

Also, the first thing I asked my sister was why she didn't have her jewelry in the safe. I give her all of my Disney advice but unfortunately I didn't think she needed me to tell her that.

Again, thanks for the responses, I welcome them, and for the caring words.

 

[sean-1966]

I do promotional videos for hotels. Somewhere along the line I was told that the card scanner doesn't record all entrances. There are master cards that don't get recorded. I don't know if this is the system that WDW uses though.

 

[DebbieB]

Since there is no record of a key being used to enter the room (if that's true, would Disney admit it if it was one of their employees?), is it possible the door did not latch and was left open?

 

[Chuck S]

I would not jump to the conclusion that WDW personnel entered the room and committed a theft. There are many other possibilities. Especially if the system showed no employee key was used.

Doors do not always close securely, so it is possible that some thief simply "pushed" the door open.

Was it a dedicated two bedroom, or a lockoff? If a lockoff, were both entry doors closed securely?

Was a balcony door left unlocked?

Who would have known the jewelry was "hidden" in a duffel bag under clothing and lingerie items? Odd that a thief would find it there, yet leave no mess to indicate they had rummaged through their items...a neat thief that takes the time to be tidy?

In hindsight, I'm sure they realize they should have used the in-room safe. As far as making their trip "magical" again, what really can be done by anyone? Like those that lose their possessions in a fire or flood, they have to go on and realize it really is just "stuff" that can be replaced if necessary. The feeling of "violation" however, will simply take time.

 

[jbrowna]

Doors do not always close securely,

I can verify that. Last time we stayed at SSR, our studio room door would not latch unless you pushed on it to deliberately make sure that it had. The first time we discovered that was when someone had to go back to retrieve something they had left (when we were only a few steps away), and they simply pushed on the door and got in. From then on we tested it to make sure it had latched!

 

[Dean]

Unfortunately it's often even possible for people to access the safes. Even for those with card access, it's possible to get into them without an even being recorded or that recording showing the original card.

 

[TDC Nala]

However, if you put the items in the safe and the safe is broken into, you may have some legal recourse as the safe is in the room for the express purpose of safeguarding valuables. If the valuables were not in the safe, there is probably no legal recourse available unless the thief is caught.

It also can't be assumed with any certainty that the thief was a housekeeper or some other Disney personnel.

As for the attitude of the Disney personnel, all your sister can do is report it to DVC or to guest services if she was distressed by it. I hope she got names.

 

[littlestar]

Sorry this happened to your family. But I can tell you from experience that it's easy for the doors not to latch. My husband laughs at me, but I always double check that the door has latched properly when we come and go. And anybody can come and go on Disney property.

Theft seems to be happening more frequently than ever with the bad economy, too. My little quiet neighborhood has been hit about 8 times in the last four months. And our local Chase bank in a little small town called Wanamaker got held up yesterday and the mailman was shot during the hold-up. Thankfully nobody died.

 

[Dean]

However, if you put the items in the safe and the safe is broken into, you may have some legal recourse as the safe is in the room for the express purpose of safeguarding valuables. If the valuables were not in the safe, there is probably no legal recourse available unless the thief is caught.

If there is no record it becomes your word against theirs giving you no recourse.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

I would not jump to the conclusion that WDW personnel entered the room and committed a theft. There are many other possibilities. Especially if the system showed no employee key was used.

Doors do not always close securely, so it is possible that some thief simply "pushed" the door open.

Was it a dedicated two bedroom, or a lockoff? If a lockoff, were both entry doors closed securely?

Was a balcony door left unlocked?

Who would have known the jewelry was "hidden" in a duffel bag under clothing and lingerie items? Odd that a thief would find it there, yet leave no mess to indicate they had rummaged through their items...a neat thief that takes the time to be tidy?

In hindsight, I'm sure they realize they should have used the in-room safe. As far as making their trip "magical" again, what really can be done by anyone? Like those that lose their possessions in a fire or flood, they have to go on and realize it really is just "stuff" that can be replaced if necessary. The feeling of "violation" however, will simply take time.

Thanks Chuck. Your hindsight comments are true and almost the exact words I used when trying to make her feel better. As far as some of the other things, I will try and answer those questions.

They were in a dedicated 2 bedroom, so no extra door. I asked them if they were sure the door was closed all the way because I ALWAYS check ours and make sure I'm the last one out, because I have also experienced the door not shutting all the way in the past ... they said the door was shut. As far as the system showing nokey was used, well, you never know... you just have to believe them and as someone else posted, there could be ways to get around that. As far as the thief being neat... well she said it was disturbed but she couldn't say it wasn't from her doing it herself when she came back to the room to get ready for the pool at 4. She didnt notice the jewelry missing until right before dinner when she went to put it on.

Now, the last thing is the balcony door. I also asked that same question because it's something I alwys make sure is locked before we leave the room. They checked it last night when she was telling me the news and I asked her about it. Guess what? It was unlocked. Now I gave her my theory of what could have happened but I don't want to say. I've read things on here before and I told her about them too after this happened. Since you asked Chuck, and I did mention they were on the 4th floor, you must have heard of ways employees or other guests or outsiders could have gotten in and I'd be curious to get your response and anyone else's.

Mistakes were definitely made here and they have to take responsibility for not using the safe and locking the balcony but it still doesn't lessen the disappointment they feel about the incident. Lessons are being learned and it stinks that it had to happen whle having such a nice time and getting away from the rat race at home.

 

[Tine731]

I do promotional videos for hotels. Somewhere along the line I was told that the card scanner doesn't record all entrances. There are master cards that don't get recorded. I don't know if this is the system that WDW uses though.

Master keys get recorded just like the others. It will also list who the master key was assigned to and when.

 

[Chuck S]

Now, the last thing is the balcony door. I also asked that same question because it's something I alwys make sure is locked before we leave the room. They checked it last night when she was telling me the news and I asked her about it. Guess what? It was unlocked. Now I gave her my theory of what could have happened but I don't want to say. I've read things on here before and I told her about them too after this happened. Since you asked Chuck, and I did mention they were on the 4th floor, you must have heard of ways employees or other guests or outsiders could have gotten in and I'd be curious to get your response and anyone else's.

I haven't stayed at BCV, but if this photo from Allears is a typical BCV balcony set up, it looks like a thief could easily go from one balcony to another.

 

[edk35]

OH that is terrible. WHAT A NIGHTMARE for them. I am sorry this happened t them. Unfortunately in today's world....you can never be too careful. We too use the safe and personally wish they were bigger. I would love to have something to put a laptop in. I don't bring my diamond engagement anymore to WDW. Sometimes my fingers swell too and that part of my set is worth big bucks. We put the kids Ipods, Gameboys and such in the safe too. You can never be too careful.

I know that these words of advice are a day late but I hope they can enjoy the rest of their vacation.