Help please!

Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was stolen from 
Royston, Herts last night.
It is very identifiable; Its a large white LDV convoy (pre-conversion) with 
'Triple AAA travel' in big blue letters down the sides (we never got round 
to removing the lettering). It's an 'L' reg and ends in UEB. 'Useless Engine 
and Body' we used to say, but she was beautiful and invaluable to us.
She contained two big silver electric mobility 'cars', lightweight metal 
ramps, a full sized new green awning, bedroom extension, a small Bradcot 
porch awning, bed settee, all our tables, chairs, water containers 
etc....basically all we needed for our weekends away.
As we are both disabled, the effect of losing this part of our mobility is 
devastating. We drove for miles on our scooters in the countryside near our 
regular site at Kelvedon. My two little Shih-Tzu's sit in my basket and love 
the trips out.
Being on a strict budget and somewhat stupid it seems, we are not fully comp 
and have lost the lot.
My appeal is please, please, please can you look out for a big white LDV 
convoy with 'Triple AAA Travel' down both sides.
It is possibly still in the Royston area, but could be anywhere. Please call 
your local police station if you see Bertha or remove the obvious from my 
email address.

Thank you,

Dribbler aka Kay

Dribbler wrote:
> Help please!
> 
> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was stolen 
> from Royston, Herts last night.
> It is very identifiable; Its a large white LDV convoy (pre-conversion) 
> with 'Triple AAA travel' in big blue letters down the sides (we never 
> got round to removing the lettering). It's an 'L' reg and ends in UEB. 
> 'Useless Engine and Body' we used to say, but she was beautiful and 
> invaluable to us.
> She contained two big silver electric mobility 'cars', lightweight metal 
> ramps, a full sized new green awning, bedroom extension, a small Bradcot 
> porch awning, bed settee, all our tables, chairs, water containers 
> etc....basically all we needed for our weekends away.
> As we are both disabled, the effect of losing this part of our mobility 
> is devastating. We drove for miles on our scooters in the countryside 
> near our regular site at Kelvedon. My two little Shih-Tzu's sit in my 
> basket and love the trips out.
> Being on a strict budget and somewhat stupid it seems, we are not fully 
> comp and have lost the lot.
> My appeal is please, please, please can you look out for a big white LDV 
> convoy with 'Triple AAA Travel' down both sides.
> It is possibly still in the Royston area, but could be anywhere. Please 
> call your local police station if you see Bertha or remove the obvious 
> from my email address.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Dribbler aka Kay

I've posted a summary on uk.rec.driving with a request to report the 
minibus to the police if spotted.

"Jim Newman"  wrote in message 
news:6icfh0Fo1mr1U1@mid.individual.net...
> Dribbler wrote:
>> Help please!
>>
>> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was stolen 
>> from Royston, Herts last night.
 It's an 'L' reg and ends in UEB.
CUT
>> My appeal is please, please, please can you look out for a big white LDV 
>> convoy with 'Triple AAA Travel' down both sides.
>> It is possibly still in the Royston area, but could be anywhere. Please 
>> call your local police station if you see Bertha or remove the obvious 
>> from my email address.
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Dribbler aka Kay
>-------------
> I've posted a summary on uk.rec.driving with a request to report the 
> minibus to the police if spotted.
--------------
Really appreciated! Thank you very much indeed.
We are feeling so lost without the ability to go to the shops because my 
electric car has been stolen along along with my partners.
Having a muscle wasting disease means I cannot push myself more than a few 
feet so it looks like I'll be staying in for a while.
What idiots we were not being fully comp. At around £200 more it just seemed 
too much.....

Thank you again
Dribbler

"Dribbler"  wrote in message 
news:6icg59Fprr1cU1@mid.individual.net...

> What idiots we were not being fully comp. At around £200 more it just 
> seemed too much.....

Unless you are insured for Third Party Only (very rare nowadays) you will 
still be covered for theft surely, have you spoken to your insurers?

HTH

John

"Jim Newman"  wrote in message 
news:6icfh0Fo1mr1U1@mid.individual.net...

> I've posted a summary on uk.rec.driving with a request to report the 
> minibus to the police if spotted.

Also summarised and posted on ukcampsite.co.uk

HTH

John

"John"  wrote in message 
news:AYidnQR1y6lziVzVnZ2dnUVZ8szinZ2d@bt.com...
>
> "Dribbler"  wrote in message 
> news:6icg59Fprr1cU1@mid.individual.net...
>
>> What idiots we were not being fully comp. At around £200 more it just 
>> seemed too much.....
----------------
> Unless you are insured for Third Party Only (very rare nowadays) you will 
> still be covered for theft surely, have you spoken to your insurers?
>
> HTH
>
> John
 -----------------
Hi John,
We are insured third party fire and theft. That doesn't include the contents 
I believe. The insurance company have yet to call me back, but I'm pretty 
sure I'm right. We are in the position that the contents were worth far more 
than the bus itself.....
At least Royston police had talked to all the surrounding neighbours that 
they could by midday. They also told me the last vehicle taken from there 
was found in Cambridgeshire and has therefore notified them too. Superb 
policing so far.

Dribbler

might be worth having a look at your household insurance as it will 
quite likely cover some items outside your home upto a certain value.

"Dudley Simons"  wrote in message 
news:g9rb54$hng$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> might be worth having a look at your household insurance as it will quite 
> likely cover some items outside your home upto a certain value.
----------
Superb suggestion! Many thanks, I'll get onto to it pronto.

Dribbler

"Dudley Simons"  wrote in message 
news:g9rb54$hng$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> might be worth having a look at your household insurance as it will quite 
> likely cover some items outside your home upto a certain value.
------------
I phoned Pearl home insurance folllowing your advice Dudley.
Sadly, as the bus was parked outside the house three doors away and not 
directly outside our house, we are not covered under the household 
insurance.
It was worth a try,
Thank you again,

Dribbler

"Dribbler"  wrote in message 
news:6ic5kmFptra6U1@mid.individual.net...
> Help please!
>
> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was stolen from 
> Royston, Herts last night.
> It is very identifiable; Its a large white LDV convoy (pre-conversion) 
> with 'Triple AAA travel' in big blue letters down the sides (we never got 
> round to removing the lettering). It's an 'L' reg and ends in UEB. 
> 'Useless Engine and Body' we used to say, but she was beautiful and 
> invaluable to us.
> She contained two big silver electric mobility 'cars', lightweight metal 
> ramps, a full sized new green awning, bedroom extension, a small Bradcot 
> porch awning, bed settee, all our tables, chairs, water containers 
> etc....basically all we needed for our weekends away.
> As we are both disabled, the effect of losing this part of our mobility is 
> devastating. We drove for miles on our scooters in the countryside near 
> our regular site at Kelvedon. My two little Shih-Tzu's sit in my basket 
> and love the trips out.
> Being on a strict budget and somewhat stupid it seems, we are not fully 
> comp and have lost the lot.
> My appeal is please, please, please can you look out for a big white LDV 
> convoy with 'Triple AAA Travel' down both sides.
> It is possibly still in the Royston area, but could be anywhere. Please 
> call your local police station if you see Bertha or remove the obvious 
> from my email address.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Dribbler aka Kay

Phone the police and make sure they have put the stolen report on the PNC 
with a
marker to stop the vehicle.  This will flash it up when it goes through any 
ANPR
cameras.  The police often forget to do this and sometimes can't be 
bothered.
Your insurance should cover providing you insured all of the items, it only 
matters
which level of cover you had if you had crashed.

"Ian"  wrote in message 
news:g9rilb$d3$2@news.albasani.net...
>
> "Dribbler"  wrote in message 
> news:6ic5kmFptra6U1@mid.individual.net...
>> Help please!
>>
>> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was stolen 
>> from Royston, Herts last night.
>> It is very identifiable; Its a large white LDV convoy (pre-conversion) 
>> with 'Triple AAA travel' in big blue letters down the sides (we never got 
>> round to removing the lettering). It's an 'L' reg and ends in UEB.
CUT
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Dribbler aka Kay
-----------------
> Phone the police and make sure they have put the stolen report on the PNC 
> with a
> marker to stop the vehicle.  This will flash it up when it goes through 
> any ANPR
> cameras.  The police often forget to do this and sometimes can't be 
> bothered.
> Your insurance should cover providing you insured all of the items, it 
> only matters
> which level of cover you had if you had crashed.
-------------
When I spoke to the police this morning, she said she had put it on ANPR.  I 
hadn't got a clue what she was talking about, but now you have explained 
what it is, I feel much better.
Both our third party fire and theft and our house insurance will not cover 
any of the contents. The van insurance doesn't cover contents and the house 
insurance say as it was three doors away on the road and not outside our 
house, they aren't interested either.
Thank you,
Dribbler

Dribbler wrote:
> 
> "Dudley Simons"  wrote in message 
> news:g9rb54$hng$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>> might be worth having a look at your household insurance as it will 
>> quite likely cover some items outside your home upto a certain value.
> ------------
> I phoned Pearl home insurance folllowing your advice Dudley.
> Sadly, as the bus was parked outside the house three doors away and not 
> directly outside our house, we are not covered under the household 
> insurance.
> It was worth a try,
> Thank you again,
> 
> Dribbler
> 



I don't think I would leave it at that.  I would ask Pearl to send you a 
copy of the policy with the relevant section highlighted.  If you could 
see the vehicle from your house then I would think you are still in with 
a chance as you can argue that the vehicle was parked within your sight 
and therefore its exact position in the road is not impportant and that 
placing a restriction on cover only applying when the vehicle is 
directly outside your own property is unreasonable.  I could accept 
their position if you were unable to clearly see the vehicle from your 
house.  I could also understand them putting in a clause that says the 
contents cover only applies when the vehicle is actually parked ON your 
property and not whilst on the street.

If they really do have you over a bit of small print I would point out 
to them how disappointed you are to find there is such a pedantic clause 
within the policy and will be pointing this out to the young lady from 
The Cambridge Evening News, when she comes to interview you to do a 
piece for the paper and get a photo of you looking wistfully out of your 
front window to the place where you van used to be - you know the sort 
of thing they usually print.

You have given the CEN a ring haven't you?  This is just the kind of 
story they like to carry and the fact that they can portray an Insurance 
company as an old time villain complete with black cape, stove pipe hat 
and cads maoustache would be a real bonus as far as the CEN is concerned.

Good luck, don't accept the first answer they give you and always get 
them to confirm in writing anything you find unreasonable or when they 
claim that they are quoting you chapter and verse over the phone.  You 
can also take advice from Citizens Advice or better still does your car 
insurance offer you any access to legal advice - a lot of them do now 
but its often only on fully comp policies.  If anyone in you family work 
for a company or have union membership that offers access to free legal 
advice take advantage of it.  They can tell you what options you have 
against Pearl and the exact wording and which piece of legislation to 
quote to use in correspondence to put some pressure onto Pearl. They 
could also tell you that you don't have a leg to stand on - no pun 
intended ;o)

If Pearl see that you mean business, are prepared to stand up for 
yourself and will not be fobbed off they will treat you claim more 
seriously.

Hope this helps


regards



Dudley

"Dribbler"  wrote in message 
news:6ic5kmFptra6U1@mid.individual.net...
> Help please!
>
> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was 
> stolen from Royston, Herts last night.

Entire message cross-posted to news:uk.rec.waterways , where they 
had a good result in recovering a stolen hire boat.

-- 
MatSav

"Dribbler"  wrote in message 
news:6ic5kmFptra6U1@mid.individual.net...
> Help please!
>
> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was 
> stolen from Royston, Herts last night...

Also x-posted by me to news:uk.rec.scouting to try and help.

-- 
MatSav

X-post from another group, news:uk.rec.camping. Scouts Help 
Others, and as Shaw Taylor used to say, "Keep 'em peeled".


"Dribbler"  wrote in message 
news:6ic5kmFptra6U1@mid.individual.net...
> Help please!
>
> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was 
> stolen from Royston, Herts last night.
> It is very identifiable; Its a large white LDV convoy 
> (pre-conversion) with 'Triple AAA travel' in big blue letters 
> down the sides (we never got round to removing the lettering). 
> It's an 'L' reg and ends in UEB. 'Useless Engine and Body' we 
> used to say, but she was beautiful and invaluable to us.
> She contained two big silver electric mobility 'cars', 
> lightweight metal ramps, a full sized new green awning, bedroom 
> extension, a small Bradcot porch awning, bed settee, all our 
> tables, chairs, water containers etc....basically all we needed 
> for our weekends away.
> As we are both disabled, the effect of losing this part of our 
> mobility is devastating. We drove for miles on our scooters in 
> the countryside near our regular site at Kelvedon. My two 
> little Shih-Tzu's sit in my basket and love the trips out.
> Being on a strict budget and somewhat stupid it seems, we are 
> not fully comp and have lost the lot.
> My appeal is please, please, please can you look out for a big 
> white LDV convoy with 'Triple AAA Travel' down both sides.
> It is possibly still in the Royston area, but could be 
> anywhere. Please call your local police station if you see 
> Bertha or remove the obvious from my email address.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Dribbler aka Kay

Given this Group's success in finding nb "Holly", I thought I'd 
post this message, originally from news:uk.rec.camping, here. As 
Shaw Taylor used to say, "Keep 'em peeled".

"Dribbler"  wrote in message 
news:6ic5kmFptra6U1@mid.individual.net...
> Help please!
>
> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was 
> stolen from Royston, Herts last night.
> It is very identifiable; Its a large white LDV convoy 
> (pre-conversion) with 'Triple AAA travel' in big blue letters 
> down the sides (we never got round to removing the lettering). 
> It's an 'L' reg and ends in UEB. 'Useless Engine and Body' we 
> used to say, but she was beautiful and invaluable to us.
> She contained two big silver electric mobility 'cars', 
> lightweight metal ramps, a full sized new green awning, bedroom 
> extension, a small Bradcot porch awning, bed settee, all our 
> tables, chairs, water containers etc....basically all we needed 
> for our weekends away.
> As we are both disabled, the effect of losing this part of our 
> mobility is devastating. We drove for miles on our scooters in 
> the countryside near our regular site at Kelvedon. My two 
> little Shih-Tzu's sit in my basket and love the trips out.
> Being on a strict budget and somewhat stupid it seems, we are 
> not fully comp and have lost the lot.
> My appeal is please, please, please can you look out for a big 
> white LDV convoy with 'Triple AAA Travel' down both sides.
> It is possibly still in the Royston area, but could be 
> anywhere. Please call your local police station if you see 
> Bertha or remove the obvious from my email address.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Dribbler aka Kay

"MatSav" <matthew | dot | savage | at | dsl | dot | pipex | dot | com> wrote 
in message news:kZ6dnVovEbXSdl_VnZ2dnUVZ8hmdnZ2d@pipex.net...
>
> "Dribbler"  wrote in message 
> news:6ic5kmFptra6U1@mid.individual.net...
>> Help please!
>>
>> Our minibus full of disabled and caravan/camping equipment was stolen 
>> from Royston, Herts last night...
>
> Also x-posted by me to news:uk.rec.scouting to try and help.
>
> -- 
> MatSav
-------------
What a superb response from this newsgroup! Thank you for all the x-posting, 
everything helps.
I'm following Dudley's directions and have asked the household insurance 
policy (who refuse to accept the claim) to send a copy of the policy with 
relevant parts they refused on highlighted.
I will get in touch with our local Royston Crow newspaper on Monday to ask 
if they will bring attention to our plight. If that fails, I'll try the 
Cambridge papers.

Just to recap on our stolen minibus, it is a 'T' reg, not an 'L' as I first 
said and it ends in 'UEB' (useless engine and body). It is a white high top 
LDV long wheel base with 'Triple AAA Travel in big blue letters with blue 
stars on either side of that lettering.The side windows are heavily tinted, 
the back door windows have 'fishing trips, airports runs' etc written on 
them. I'm pleased we never got round to removing the lettering now, it makes 
it much more noticeable. There is very little rust on her, and only a slight 
dent on the drivers front wing. We painted the rear step on the outside with 
silver paint, there is a tow bar in the middle of that step. All but one row 
of three seats behind the driver have been removed.
The bus has a blue fluffy fitted carpet which we protected with sheets of 
ply.
There were two silver four wheeled mobility cars, a Sungift 200 and a 
Sungift 500/700 with 2 big red battery chargers.
Inside was a long list of caravan/camping equipment. Waste carriers, water 
bottles, one big green Bradcot awning, one blue porch awning, two fold up 
silver ramps to get our scooters in and out with, a blue two seater bed 
settee, table, electric sander, four canvas fold up chairs and an old pine 
chest - distinctive as it had been sanded and then varnished with circular 
sanding marks still on it.
Everything apart from the chairs have been picked up second hand over the 
years, but all of it was in good condition and very well looked after.

The negative impact this has had on us is enormous, our ability to be 
independent and mobile has been taken away from us by callous thieves.

Please help and look out for a large white minibus, 'Triple AAA travel' and 
blue stars painted on both sides, 'T' reg, UEB (useless engine and body). 
Stolen from Royston, Herts in the early hours of last Thursday night/Friday 
morning
Many thanks,

Dribbler (aka Kay)
for email remove the obvious