New computer stolen by builder

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.

MT62

Jaxjacky

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

What’s with the rat Jj ?

👃 of.

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.

Sorry JJ I don’t know what that means.

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.

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.

Smelling a rat MT62

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.

Jaxjacky

Smelling a rat MT62

Oh I am thick 🤣Jj

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.

& 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 😩

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.

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.

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.

MawsRosie

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.

some grans/pensioners seem to be better off than others eg me if they can write off a new laptop

My newer Acer was under £200.

I couldn't bear to perhaps upset my builder. I believe I'd want to be done with the roofer as soon as possible, with no police involved.

We all spend our excess differently, I eat at home and buy cheap computers - my budget is very tight, my ability to take on stress is zero.

MT62

& 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 😩

I don’t know what a ginel is but it sounds untrustworthy 😁
Did you realise OP that the builders were going to leave your door open all day, even when working at the back of the house?
Have you asked them now to keep it locked? If not what else will go missing? Must say you don’t seem all that bothered about what happened.

Oreo A ginel is a back alley. Nothing sinister
As is a giger in Liverpool and a giger rat is a cat not sure how to spell giger !

Ta Gwyllt you’re a fountain of knowledge, I had never heard of it before.😃

Barmcake
I’m of the same mind as you. Providing it’s only money that is lost and I’m not going to go hungry I won’t give the issue anymore head space.

I’m sorry but why didn’t you take your laptop or desktop to where you’re staying . Plus your password book . Who puts passwords in a book ??? There are secure apps for passwords. Unfortunately if you have builders in your house , you are vulnerable. Especially if you aren’t living there .

Gwyllt

Oreo A ginel is a back alley. Nothing sinister
As is a giger in Liverpool and a giger rat is a cat not sure how to spell giger !

In other areas described as a twitchen or alley. I am sure there are other local names for these littles lanes, rural and urban.

We call our back alleys, openings 😉

I think the fact that you were not there with the builders and your door was open all day says it all.

My newer Acer was under £200
I couldn't bear to perhaps upset my builder. I believe I'd want to be done with the roofer as soon as possible, with no police involved
We all spend our excess differently, I eat at home and buy cheap computers - my budget is very tight, my ability to take on stress is zero
Words fail!
Are you saying you are prepared to turn a blind eye to theft, preying on a vulnerable older person, dishonesty, abuse of trust - all of these to keep your builder sweet ?
That’s an interesting moral standpoint.
And if a builder can only be «kept sweet» by what is collusion in crime by a sort of bribery, what price professional standards or reputation ?
How do you sleep?

This whole story stinks.