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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not get why it's bad to post about a vacant house on Facebook?

29 replies

CurlyRover · 10/03/2018 19:35

Yes I know, it's a Facebook one and I should just leave well alone.

But... lots of people I know say it's a bad idea to post you have a vacant house on Facebook (e.g. holiday or moving house) but why?

What kind of friends and / or privacy settings do people have where they are at risk of being burgled or have otherwise unpleasant things happen to their house if they say they're out of the house for a bit?

I would like to think everyone on my Facebook are my friends or family and chances are they'd already know we're away anyway so what is the harm in posting about things related to our absence? Am I just missing something here?

OP posts:

monkeysox · 10/03/2018 19:37

Some people are twats. Hth
Also your insurance would be invalid

alpineibex · 10/03/2018 19:37

Lots of people have friends that aren't close friends and are just people they knew from school etc or friends of friends they've only met once.

alpineibex · 10/03/2018 19:38

By friends I meant Facebook-friends

Whatshallidonowpeople · 10/03/2018 19:38

Because some people don't have their settings private but mostly because people are idiots who think everyone is put to do them harm

Emmageddon · 10/03/2018 19:38

Friends of friends may also be able to see your posts, and those friends of friends may have friends of friends who have dodgy morals and will jump at the chance of robbing your house while you are on holiday.

YouWereRight · 10/03/2018 19:40

Our house was broken into when a local dick head heard over heard some friends discussing me having a DC and being kept in hospital for a few days. They figured dp would be at the hospital with D's and I and took the opportunity.

Not a FB advertising your house as empty, but a way that dick heads will use any chance they get.

AnguaResurgam · 10/03/2018 19:41

Because someone who has seen the post will wrongly assume that you are happy for dates the house is empty to be public knowledge, and mention it themselves in ways that are too-readily discoverable.

If you think your FB friends would never do that, then crack on

Elzee · 10/03/2018 19:43

I seriously cannot believe you are even ASKING this question.

LanguidLobster · 10/03/2018 19:44

Social media was dangerous for John Terry...!

InfiniteSheldon · 10/03/2018 19:45

I was burgled after I mentioned at work I was going away the husband of a work friend was later prosecuted she was mortified .......didn't get my grandmother's jewellery back but I learnt a very valuable lesson.

BarbaraOcumbungles · 10/03/2018 19:45

Only someone who’s never been burgled would need to ask

ConstantReminder · 10/03/2018 19:46

I’d never post info about my home on Facebook. People talk and others listen, it’s human nature. I’m amazed what people feel the need to put on a site that has many people reading it.

LanguidLobster · 10/03/2018 19:50

Infinite that's really horrible

sodabreadjam · 10/03/2018 19:50

Numerous media article saying that insurance sompanies expect you to take "reasonable care". Here is one:

www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/insta-bragging-could-soon-invalidate-insurance/

As well as people bring robbed while on holiday, I have heard of people being burgled when they checked in online at hospital with a sick DC or mentioned they were going to a funeral.

InfiniteSheldon · 10/03/2018 19:54

Isn't it just Languid. I am so careful now if I get a takeaway delivered on my own I call out to an imaginary DH that it's here, if we get a cab to the airport/ night our we leave a light on and shout bye to our empty house. I am really careful.

Mumminmum · 10/03/2018 20:00

Many years ago my SIL dated a guy who had friends who burgled houses. She suspected but never mentioned it to us (even though she suspected her BF might go along with it sometimes). We helped SIL and her boyfriend move and one of those "interesting" friends asked first me then my DH what kind of sound system we had. Luckily, it made alarm bells ring for both of us, so we both lied and said it was some old discount crap. When we told SIL she told us about her suspicions (which were later confirmed). If FB had been around back then announcing that we went on vacation could have caused a burglary. SIL later became engaged to that BF, but luckily she broke up with him when it became clear he didn't feel that an engagement had to lead to marriage.

Jenasaurus · 10/03/2018 20:25

we were burgled when we went to a wedding that had been very much discussed by my DC (teens at the time) it was an unusual wedding (someone famous) so they excitedly told their friends. two of the kids in my eldest year decided this was an opportunity to burgle our home!

PoppyCherry · 10/03/2018 20:32

Because it’s not about your friends and privacy settings

It’s about the friends and privacy settings of anyone who likes or comments on anything you post.

GabsAlot · 10/03/2018 21:57

because peoples settings arent locked down and fb are known to even change them to a default setting

and friends of friends setting basically means any bugger can see it

Talkingfrog · 10/03/2018 22:50

Holiday/day trip pictures are only posted when we are back home to say what a nice time we had when we were there.

I hardly ever check in on Facebook.

You never quite know how far things will reach. My mother in law tags herself in a number of my pictures, so she can see and find them as hers. I know some, but not all of her friends or how trustworthy they are.

I am amazed at how many friends check in at airports and post pics while they are still on holiday.

brizzledrizzle · 10/03/2018 22:53

It isn't worth the risk, I never post anything on FB about going anywhere.
The other thing is how FB posts your location with your posts unless you have turned it off. I have as I don't want people knowing whether I am in Bristol or Bognor Regis.

FrabjousDay · 10/03/2018 23:04

Say, your friend likes your post that you are going away

Then their friend sees it on their news feed (do you even know all the friends of all your FB friends?)

Hey presto your business is everyone's and you are advertising your empty home to burglars

If you don't realise this where the heck have you been?

Look at your banner pic on your own page. Click the three grey dots next to 'View Activity Log'.
Click on 'view as'. The screen will change and this message will appear at the top of your banner: "This is what your profile looks like to:"
Now there are 2 options, Public or View as Specific Person
Click on 'Public' - what you see is what any person in the world can see of your private page.
Anything that is visible on there is probably a public post or group.

Hippee · 10/03/2018 23:09

Not Facebook, but my friend's house was burgled after an ambulance collected her DP after an accident. Also, it is not unheard of for houses to be burgled during funerals (advertised in the local paper).

Original poster

CurlyRover · 11/03/2018 08:38

But why on earth have people got their settings set to "friends of friends"? I haven't and never would as it doesn't make any sense. I don't know all of my friends of friends so would only ever have my settings set to friends.

If it's a case of worrying about people talking, doesn't that mean you should never mention these things to your friends, work colleagues, family etc?

OP posts:

Original poster

CurlyRover · 11/03/2018 08:40

*Say, your friend likes your post that you are going away

Then their friend sees it on their news feed*

^^ but I thought that would not occur if you have only got your privacy settings set to just Friends?

OP posts:

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