New computer stolen by builder

many years ago we had a break in and the house was efficiently scoured by the thief. He knew all the places where people hid things, under the bed, under the mattrass, in the oven.

Our house was done over uickly and neatly. The police actually said they recognised the modus operandi and it was part of a pattern of burglaries.

The point of this being, that an open door and a passing professional thief, could be in and out of your house having looked in all the usual places people hide valuables in less than 10 minutes.

Most burglaries, however, are carried out by chance opportunists. At least most of ours have been.

All I can add is that some grans/pensioners seem to be better off than others eg me if they can write off a new laptop and turn a blind eye to somebody entering a room which was supposed to be sealed off and rummage around under a bed.
PS if the builders left unsupervised open access to the house they are liable in law and they should cough up even if it wasn’t the lad you suspected.
No wonder tradesmen have taken advantage of OP in the past if she is unwilling to pursue a simple case like this.

barmcake

The builder has done a good job and I want him to finish. I expect them to be around for a couple of weeks.

I spoke to neighbours and the door was open all day: they were taking down and putting up a new fence at the back. Anyone could have entered the property as it's on a busy road. The computer was unopened and I'd just shoved it under the bed the morning I left as everything was so chaotic. The computer was not expensive so I've cut my losses and am over it. People have far worse experiences.

You've changed passwords, the builder will finish. Sorted.

Cutting losses is best, IMO. Well done you.

& this is the reason we keep our front door locked at all time as we have a ginel just up the road from us, so get lots of people passing by as a short cut.
But if you have builders in & out, they don’t think about shutting the door behind them, especially if working out back.
More likely to be a passing by chancer 😩

The builder has done a good job and I want him to finish. I expect them to be around for a couple of weeks.

I spoke to neighbours and the door was open all day: they were taking down and putting up a new fence at the back. Anyone could have entered the property as it's on a busy road. The computer was unopened and I'd just shoved it under the bed the morning I left as everything was so chaotic. The computer was not expensive so I've cut my losses and am over it. People have far worse experiences.

Jaxjacky

Smelling a rat MT62

Oh I am thick 🤣Jj

Allsorts

You say builder has done a bad job son he has proved not to be trusted

I can’t see anywhere that Barmcake has said the builder has done a bad job, please correct me if I’m wrong. She says he had good reviews but what she is worried about is that he might not finish the job and make off with her £12,000 or that he might do some damage. She seems to have had previous problems with builders. Hence my advice to wait until he ‘s finished the job before reporting it.

Smelling a rat MT62

What I cannot understand is, why havent you tackled the builder about the computer and book and tajen steps about the roof and got in touch with trading standards.

How much longer are the builders likely to be before they finish the job? If it is not too long you could wait until they have finished and then suddenly discover that the laptop is missing and report it to the police and claim on your insurance. You could then contact the builder and tell him what has happened, stressing that you are not pointing the finger at him but that, of course, the police may need to speak to him and the young lad. In the meantime, if you’ve changed all your passwords you should be safe online but make sure that anything else of value is well hidden, perhaps give it to someone else for safekeeping for the duration.

Sorry JJ I don’t know what that means.

You say builder has done a bad job son he has proved not to be trusted, if you are 100% sure only he could have the book, I would notify insurance company and police and change every password. However, few weeks ago having never lost a credit card or anything in my life, my debit card was missing, I cancelled it, it turned up weeks later stuck to the back of a store card. How I did it I don't know, quite out of character.Be very sure if you are accusing anyone as it’s a very serious crime.

MT62

Jaxjacky

I’m not saying anything, I got into trouble with my previous comment 🐀

What’s with the rat Jj ?

👃 of.

I’m afraid you lost me as soon as you said you ‘weren’t bothered’ about the stolen computer.
Why weren’t you angry? I would have been absolutely furious if anything at all was stolen from my home, regardless of its monetary value, and I’m pretty sure most folk would feel the same.

Jaxjacky

I’m not saying anything, I got into trouble with my previous comment 🐀

What’s with the rat Jj ?

I’m not saying anything, I got into trouble with my previous comment 🐀

Maybe it’s not anything to do with the builders, maybe door has been left open.
I would hate that feeling of not being able trust my workman (like I said we had footprints up to our cd racks).
Same thing with cleaners, if anything is misplaced the cleaner always seems to get the blame.

barmcake

What would this site be with Detective Inspector Sago. It's actually giving me a good laugh now.

Is that all it is?
A laugh?

I agree. Smells off.

To be honest I’m just so surprised you didn’t take your little password book with you in your handbag to the guest house instead of squirrelling it away under your socks!

Sorry but something doesn’t add up here….

What would this site be with Detective Inspector Sago. It's actually giving me a good laugh now.

As long as you've got email and phone registered you can change them quite easily. Some need security questions which I know.

JenniferEccles

Something just doesn’t ring true about this story, especially as builder problems seems to be a recurring theme.

It’s all a story, non of it rings true from McCarthy and Stone wanting her to renovate her property before a PX to paying 12K upfront.

Most computers have a tracker “find my computer” facility.
If the builder had broken through a latch etc to get in to the room, he is about as bright as the OP who kept the passwords in a book with the computer.

It has only just occurred to me that we all probably use a computer on a daily basis, and even if barmcake has another one, wouldn’t she need her passwords book? All a bit odd.

Jaxjacky

Casting aspersions David49 are you saying all subcontracting tradespeople are light fingered?
My husband is a ceramic tiler and isn’t a thief thanks.

I don't think David49 is saying all subcontractors are dishonest.
I took it to mean that other people, besides the builder and his team, had been in the property.