What to do in the event of theft abroad?

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What to do in the event of theft abroad?

What to do if your wallet, credit cards and ID are stolen abroad?

A few years ago we were guest at St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, The Irish president had Travel bloggers from all over the world are invited to an event to bring Irish people and friends of Ireland from all over the world to the Emerald Isle and we were a part of it all. It was a week of superlatives that we were allowed to spend in Dublin. We were very impressed by the hospitality, friendliness and helpfulness of the Irish. However, the trip also brought with it a less than pleasant experience. Petar's wallet was stolen during the hustle and bustle of the St. Patrick's Festival celebrations. What to do in the event of theft abroad? Since we were experiencing something like this for the first time, it wasn't that easy.

How did the theft come about? What is the first thing to do in the event of theft abroad?

As you can imagine, there is a colorful hustle and bustle at such festivals. It's no different at the St. Patrick's Festival. People from all over the world arrive at Dublin Airport in crowded planes. They only want one thing: to have fun. But there are certainly some among them who have other intentions. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the city. This was full of visitors. There were stages everywhere where Irish music groups performed their great songs. Enthusiastic spectators dressed, painted or costumed in the national colors of Ireland cheered them on.

We were on the road with a group of travel bloggers and followed our guide, who was in a hurry because the next appointment was coming. Nevertheless, we wanted to take pictures of the events on site to tell you about it here. Petar filmed the hustle and bustle outside the Shelburne Hotel while trying to keep up with the hurrying guide. He had to pass through dense crowds, and it happened unnoticed. After we had caught up with the group, he suddenly noticed that his photo bag was lighter - and after a brief look into it there was the shock: the wallet with ID card, driver's license and bank cards was gone. Loud in the turmoil of the closed bag.

Now you may say: "If only he had been more careful!" But think about it honestly: Do you always and constantly watch your bags and luggage when travelling? Certainly not. Neither do we. Nobody is immune to the criminal activities of crooks, crooks and thieves. There is no such thing as absolute security. So what to do in case of theft abroad?

What to do if your ID, driving license and bank cards are stolen abroad?

After we realized that the wallet was really stolen, we rushed to the hotel immediately to have our bank cards and credit cards blocked. For this you must necessarily have the appropriate telephone numbers of the output companies at hand. As soon as the blockage is over, no more money will be issued. From a bank, we learned that an attempt had already been made, but failed due to incorrect pin input. Therefore: never keep the pin number together with the card! A credit card company offered us an instant replacement card that would have been delivered to the hotel the next morning - if I had not owned my card. A very practical and in such a situation extremely helpful service, which is worth thinking about when signing up for a credit card contract.

Petar was fortunate that he had deposited his passport, his plane ticket and most of his money in the hotel safe. The identity card, 20 Euro, driver's license and bank cards were penned. So the rest of the trip and the return flight to Germany were secured, and we were able to save ourselves the passage to the German consulate and to the airline. However, what is absolutely necessary in such a case is to report this theft to the relevant police department. And we did that in the morning.

The report to the Irish police was written in minutes and we had a copy with us, so although a bit shocked we were able to enjoy the rest of our stay in Dublin with relative ease. However, it is worth thinking about what to do in the event of theft abroad before you travel.

What happens after the return?

We have taken out all-in-one travel insurance for all of our trips, which we pay once a year and which applies to all trips that take place during the year that are shorter than six weeks. After our return, we immediately reported the incident to our insurance company, which then requested further confirmation of the incident from the German police authorities. Obtaining this was easy by showing our theft certificate from the Irish police.

We submitted these documents to our travel insurance company, along with a concrete description of the incident and a fully completed damage report on which we listed all the stolen items - an inventory list of the valuables taken during a trip is extremely helpful here. And then it was time to wait. The processing process took a few months, but we have now been reimbursed for all costs incurred for the stolen items and their replacement.

 

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Text What to do in the event of theft abroad?: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline

What to do in the event of theft abroad?

Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Slow Travel and Enjoyment travel blog TravelWorldOnline Traveller. You have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Your topics are Trips to Savor and wine tourism worldwide and Slow Travel. During her studies, Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she traveled to the USA and Canada - sometimes together with Petar Fuchs - and spent a research year in British Columbia. This strengthened her thirst for knowledge, which she pursued for 6 years Adventure Guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as Study tour guide for Studiosus Reisen tried to breastfeed all over the world. She constantly expanded her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: “What is beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do you eat in this region?” These are the questions she is now trying to answer as a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), among others. travel writer and travel blogger answers in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is below Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021 Other Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs. Recommendations on LinkedIn from tourism experts Further recommendations from cooperation partners and tourism experts Professional experience Monika on LinkedIn