Ever since Easter weekend, the nation’s attention has been firmly fixed on the drama of the Hatton Gardens raid. There have been several headline grabbing developments as the story has unfolded; yet no one will have felt these as keenly as the victims themselves.
Implications for those affected
Many of those affected are small business owners who had been storing their goods at the safety deposit box facility, uninsured; believing their jewellery was protected against the risk of theft. Unfortunately the recent incident has highlighted the fact that no security precaution is ever completely watertight and that, unless your items are fully insured, their value is not protected.
Initial prospects
The initial prospects of recovering the stolen goods seemed unlikely. Speaking at a press conference on 7 May, the president of the London Diamond Bourse described the chances of securing compensation for the uninsured victims as “very limited”.
Not all bad
Thankfully the string of recent arrests in connection with the case, and recovery of a proportion of the stolen goods, should lead to a change in fortunes for some of those affected. Yet the story still stands as a strong precautionary tale.
Be insurance wise
Contrary to most people’s expectations, not all banks or safety deposit box companies automatically provide insurance for the goods they store. Be sure to clarify this with the provider in order to establish the full extent of the protection you are receiving.
In cases where insurance isn’t provided as part of the service, Assetsure offers flexible, standalone safety deposit box cover, and we have received a recent influx of customer enquiries about this service following the Hatton Gardens incident.
As with all our policies, our safety box deposit insurance is underwritten by Lloyd’s of London and can be tailored to suit your individual requirements. Click here for more information.
