Dog walker has lost keys - who should pay?

[NuffingChora]

Posting here for quick answers if possible as dogwalker on the way!

Our dogwalker, who is otherwise reliable, trustworthy and a bit of a godsend, has lost our door keys including a fob for the alarm system. Has looked for several days now and no sign. I’m pretty uncomfortable about this as while we live in a nice area it’s known for burglaries, particularly car theft.

I’m inclined to ask her to cover the cost of having the lock barrel and alarm fob replaced - the former we will do ourselves as it’s a straightforward job, the latter may involve a call out charge and cost of the fob itself. Certainly no more than £100 I’m total I’d hope.

Do you think this is reasonable? Or should we just suck it up and cover it ourselves? She may well have insurance for key loss as part of her own cover.

I agree she should pay. Would they have insurance that covers it?

She should pay

She should pay but be warned, I got a replacement alarm fob last week and it set me back £125. Obviously yours could be a different model but I was at this price.

Has she posted on Facebook as someone may have found them?

I would expect she had insurance to cover this sort of thing?

Dog walker should pay.

Dog walker should pay.

Surely a post on Facebook would just expose you to burglary, especially if people know she dog walks for you

Absolutely the dog walker.

As others have said, their insurance should cover this.

If they were reluctant to cover the costs I’d be asking upfront if they had the correct insurances, as in their line of work it would be v irresponsible not to.

They lost them, they replace surely?

Thank you for all your responses. She’s been and gone and has agreed to cover the cost of the lock barrel and fob, it was all much more good humoured than I thought it might be! Phew!

As mentioned, I thought she might have insurance and indeed she does.

Now to get to screwfix...

fussychica you obviously don't post the details of whose keys they are. You just say keys lost and the description.

I'd make a quick call to the police just in case it's been handed in.

In addition to a quick call to the Police I would phone your local Council - a friend got her keys back having lost them in a local Park. The finder dropped them in to the Council offices and she got them back the following day.

I'm a dog walker and my insurance covers me for loss of customers keys. Also it's written into my contract when they use me that both myself and sign that if I were to lose the keys it would be my responsibility to replace them and any cost associated with them. So yes she should replace them x

I assume she has contacted the local Police Station and shops/businesses near her walking route in case they were handed in. I would also ask her to check with her other client's in case she left them there.

Personally, recovered or not, I'd change locks/barrels.

Dog walker should pay and should have insurance. If she doesn't it is fortuitous that she has realized this with - relatively - a cheap item to redress.