posted
My store was broke into and they trashed the whole office. Mainly they took two of our computers, laptop and my digital camera, and of course the cash box too! The worst of it all was not noticed until we were closing up tonight. I had all of my CD's from the last 12 years in two CD cases and I guess they thought they were music CD's and took them both!! All of my artwork and program files were in those two cases. I was wondering if this has ever happened to anyone and what I could expect from my insurance company as far as the "artwork" on all those CD's. I know there were at least 100 or more CD's. The other bad thing is they took the computer with all my hardware locks on them for flexi and omega! Any insight would be appreciated.
Thanks, Mike McLeod Sign World Macon, GA
-------------------- Mike McLeod Sign World 1051 College St. Macon, GA 31201 Posts: 32 | From: Macon, Georgia | Registered: Dec 1998
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That really sucks. Our shop been broken into and items stolen before, albeit not to the extent that you have been, and it deprives you of more than just your property.
I spoke to an insurance agent that belongs to my Masonic Lodge about what you could expect. You ain't going to like what he had to say...
The computers and the camera shouldn't be hard to replace but you can expect massive depreciation in value. Proof of purchase will be necessary.
The programs and dongles should be covered but, again, proof of purchase will be necessary. The clip art disks will be the same deal with reciepts needed to prove purchase. Expect incredible depreciation on the software depending on age.
He expresses his well wishes on the art files. You will most likely need time logs or other docementation to prove the files even existed and establish what, if any, value will be assesed to them. Even then, you will most likely receive little more than a pat on the back and a "oh so sorry". He told me that insurance companies place far less value on files than we do.
Cash is limited to the policy limits set and is basically your word against theirs.
He also expressed the thought that all of this contingent on your policy inclusions, exclusions, and the limits set forth in your policy.
I truly wish you the best in this matter and hope that it all works out for you. I hope we all can learn from your hard life lesson. It really opened my eyes... Please keep us posted.
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6465 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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Thanks for all the info, I figured that would be the case as far as the artwork goes. We were hit my lightening last year and all the electronics were damaged so I am aware about the depreciation.
I will keep the board posted on the outcome of all this.
** even if you have hundreds of CD's like I did I hope all of you learn a lesson from my misfortune and make a backup of "all your CD's" Today!! and take them home with you at night and put them under your pillows **
Thanks again Bruce, Mike McLeod Sign World Macon, GA
-------------------- Mike McLeod Sign World 1051 College St. Macon, GA 31201 Posts: 32 | From: Macon, Georgia | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Mike..Sorry to hear about your misfortune!!
About a year ago we were broken into as well. We are home based and nothing of real value was taken. (We know who broke in but can't prove it. But we know what he was after..our laptop..unfortunately for him we had it with us for the weeknd!!)
The breakin was an eye-opener for us. I immediately did a back-up of files...burned a CD and opened up a safe deposit box at our bank and deposited the CD in it. I keep replacing that CD with a current one as often as I remember. I also have weekly backups on 2 computers and on a "PD Drive backup disc". I don't save bitmap graphics files so the vector files from over 10 years all fit on one CD at this point.
We currently have, and always have had, a seperate insurance policy on our computer/electronic equipment with a "replacement with equivalent equipment no matter the differnce in cost or the devalued value of lost equipment" clause. The insurance on equipment is reviewed annually and is updated as new hardware or software is acquired.
This is our livelihood...why leave things to chance?????
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
find yourself an independent insurance adjuster, These people work for you and not the insurance company. Its your right to choose who you want to represent you. They will get you what you deserve rather then the insurance company telling you what you're getting.
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
posted
When I was broken into, I got compensated for my artwork, because I had a special clause in my policy. I was covered for $10,000 worth of lost work, and I only claimed $2,500.
Things changed once I had the break-in. I HAD to put bars on all the windows, I HAD to get a proper backup system for my files. If I didn't do these things, the insurance company would no longer cover me. I went the extra mile, and even got special safes that lock around your whole tower that drill into the floor.
Things to prepare:
Start a binder with tabs for sections. You'll need it with all the paperwork that's about to enter into your life. Document EVERYTHING. Every conversation, date it, put a time on it, get a name.
Be prepared to temporarily lay off employees or be without work for at least a week.
Your insurance should cover your software with dongles with no problem, provided you had adequate coverage.
Proof of purchase isn't always mandatory but it helps. Start looking for all your original receipts, and list everything you lost and put a dollar value beside it.
Sorry for what you're going through. It's a long road ahead of you, but if nothing else, it's a great wakeup call to get a good backup system.
posted
I've been through 2 insurance claims within the last year for lightening strikes. Lost everything the first time....artwork and all. Never thought to try to collect on the artwork, I just figured it was my responsibility to have it backed up.
Both times it took 2 months to get them to pay up. The second time I had to turn away several jobs so I tried to collect on loss of business, at least enough to help with building payments. There was nothing in my insurance to help with payments, but there was for business loss. After a couple days of digging up enough information for the insurance company they decided my lost business was worth about 40 bucks. I spent more money in time digging up the info. than they would willing to pay.
Both times for me they were slow and uncaring. They should have cared enough to get my shop running as soon as possible. I did get all new equipment, but the old equipment wasn't even a year old. It was the amount of time the shop was closed that hurt the most.
If your adjuster is local, that may help a lot. No adjuster ever came to my shop, it was all done through e-mail.
The independent adjuster ideas sounds pretty good.
-------------------- Ace Graphics & Printing Camdenton, MO. USA
posted
Hire your own adjuster. Hire your own adjuster, and Hire your own adjuster.
Can't say enough about the difference having an adjuster who WASN'T being paid by the insurance company made.
Still gonna be a rouigh road.
And we started making it a habit 5 or 6 years ago, to copy EVERY program and clip art disc, and they are all in a 2 hour fire safe in a store room in the shop.
I have no info or advice on the insurance aspect, but just a thought on recovering the CD’s. The perpetrators may be local. And may travel by your shop from time to time. Offer a no questions asked reward for the CD’s and possibly the hardware keys. And make the reward sizeable. Your artwork files have to be worth months in redesign time alone. Make up a big banner and display it on your building.
Just a thought....
Good luck, Joe
-------------------- Joe Abner Talisman Signs Middleboro, MA
"We are limited only by our perception of our abilities." Posts: 445 | From: Middleboro, Ma USA | Registered: Dec 2000
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posted
And my wife thinks I'm a freek for always carrying my laptop around with my security keys. I also have a duplicate of all my files on my laptop so if this does happen some day, I can at least access all my files the next day.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I don't have any advice for you. Just wanted to let you know that I'm extrememly sorry for your loss. I just can't imagine having to start from scratch everytime a customer phones with "can you make me another sign like you made me before?" What a nightmare!
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I want to thank all of you that have replied to this post and I will be taking them all to heart. The only thing I was able to get accomplished today was talk to the insurance company once and the lady was really nice but all she had to say was that she was sorry about what had happened and that she would be assigning an adjuster and that I would hear from him today, but he never called. Imagine that!
Does anyone have any advice on how to get in touch with a personal adjuster? I like the idea but I worry that it will make the insurance company mad and not want to be cooperative with me.
UPDATE: When I got to the shop this morning I searched everywhere for any cd's that might have not been stolen and to my suprise I realized that I had two containers of CD's that the blanks come in when you buy them, and apparently during one of my recent searches I had pulled out about 50 or so of my CD's and put them in the containers instead of putting them back in the CD cases. So hey anything at this point is better than nothing. Alot of them were CD's customers had brought in and some were just new blanks but about 20 if them were files from casmate and inspire and a couple of them were my Gerber Edge files. I will prob. make about 100 copies of each now and spread them all over the place.
On another topic my wife informed me this morning after searching for our 2001-2002 receipts that one of our employees told her that another employee had thrown away 3 boxes about a week before we fired him 2-3 months ago, guess what those boxes were! Our receipts.... my week seem to just get better and better. I did manage to find my original receipts for the edge and the omega software and my newest digital camera and the upgrade reciept for inspire to flexi 7.
I will definately be purchasing a fire safe and a safe deposit box and getting specific insurance for all of our artwork and a banner to hang on the side of the shop with a reward for the CD's.
My ex-partner and brother-in-law asked me today if he were to offer me 50k for all those CD's a week ago would I have taken it and I would have to say the answer would be no!
I dont know that if you can put a price on artwork (job files) that you have spent 12 years accumalating.
Thank you all so much, I will keep you posted on the outcome of all this.
Mike McLeod Sign World Macon, Georgia
-------------------- Mike McLeod Sign World 1051 College St. Macon, GA 31201 Posts: 32 | From: Macon, Georgia | Registered: Dec 1998
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Looks like you're getting excellent replays and advice (too little too late though). I think it was Dave mentioning about making a backup of everything important and keeping in another place other than your shop or home. Can't tell you how invaluable that advice is!
Think about this, even if you have backups in a 2 hour rated safe, (which is a great idea for theft),how secure will these be if your "office was to catch fire? I believe the 2 hour rating refers to a complete breach of the casing. Imagine the amount a heat the contents would be exposed to up to that point??
Now on the other hand, if you backed up your files even MONTHLY, stored them in a different location, how much you'd save even if everything else was a total loss???
Gotta run, I think I need to back up stuff now!! Practice what I preach....
-------------------- Mark Neurohr "Ernest" Paintin' Place 141 Sunnyside Road Kittanning, PA 16201
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opposite scenerio' always cooperate with the police when they have accused you of a crime, and let them supply you with a court appointed attorney. This way your chances of justice are minimized and everyone but you are happy.
Not having your own insurance adjuster is the same thing as going to court with a court appointed attorney, everyones happy with the outcome but you. Not having all your reciepts in a safe place is pure stupidity and not realizing your computers have been stolen til the end of the day fits in a catagory I have never been involved with. I would have to be blinded and my eyes poked out with piping hot irons not to have noticed if a pencil was removed from my desk.
When you rely on an insurance company to give you a fair deal, you might as well walk backwards, and bent over abit with your drawers down!
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
quote:The worst of it all was not noticed until we were closing up tonight. I had all of my CD's from the last 12 years in two CD cases and I guess they thought they were music CD's and took them both!!
Joey, I thought that's what he meant too but if you read this, he means (I believe) that he didn't notice that the DISCS were missing until the end of the day not the computers.
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3723 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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