To think the most likely explanation is that it's been stolen?

[Wberryg]

For Christmas I got a small electrical item from my DC, something I'd specifically requested. Cost about £20.

Most of our presents were on an armchair in the living room...I normally put them away between Christmas and New Year but I didn't this year as I was working/ busy. Was planning to do it this weekend.

Today I realised the above item wasn't there. I checked the kitchen, not there either- I've looked in all the cupboards. Behind the armchair. There's nowhere else in the house it could be.

I am 99% sure I've not moved it. DP hasn't moved it and says that he remembers seeing it on Tuesday still on the armchair. DC1 hasn't moved it. DC2 is away tonight but I'm pretty certain hasn't moved it either - if they had they would only have moved it to kitcheb to use it but it's definitely not there.

The only other people who have been in our home since Christmas are tradesmen working on an existing building project. 2-3 were here yesterday. They have a key and let themselves in. The only conclusion I can come to is that one of them has taken it.

It's not about the value. It was a present and I feel bad for my DC. I also feel really fucking annoyed someone has come into my house and helped themselves. It leaves a really nasty taste.

I bet it turns up. Who would risk their job and reputation for a £20 item?

Calpol yes this is my concern. We're not talking about the business owners coming here, but people they employ / contract. It may not have been the 2-3 peopke I knew were here as the house was empty on Friday and the trades use a key safe. Anyone working for the company knows the code and could have come here.

Calpop sorry!

One otem missing...I'd say yes it may turn up. 2 items, similar size and value makes it seem more likely they have been deliberately taken

What weird things to steal. Although, maybe they wanted popcorn and then decided they'd need to brush their teeth after...

Are the workers bonded?

The person I know risked his entire reputation and young family (and lost them) for (many multiples) of that amount. Including taking that amount out of family members purses, stealing small jewellery etc. As well as from a house where he was working for the day, meaning the builder got sacked. There are some desperate/messed up/lack of morals people outside of the MN bubble.

They could also easily have been put sonewhere else in the Christmas chaos. I often move things and forget that I have done so. OP seems sure that they were left on the chair though.

To all those saying the builders wouldn’t risk it for low value items, I think they would. I would imagine a tradesman that dares to steal so boldly will know that most people will assume it has gone missing and not want to blame or confront them. They also won’t know the value, some electric toothbrushes are worth a fortune. And cctv is very easy to spot. Most people would have cctv outside, they could easily pop the box in a bag.

People like this get by on people not wanting to create a fuss or accuse anyone.

I think that as two presents have now gone missing, it’s very likely they have been stolen.

I’ve always left the tradesmen a key and never had an issue. Though I think I’ve been pretty daft really!

And I think the items are items that can be easily sold on or given to their family members for gifts. They are low enough in value and popular enough that nobody notice them flogging them.

There's bad eggs in every walk of life, and unfortunately in trades they are particularly vulnerable to it. Good businesses take on contractors/apprentices/temporary workers who then give the business a bad name. We had a small iPod disappear whilst having carpeting laid. Nothing we could do about it. I still feel angry that the person was in my home, who felt they could be so disrespectful to steal, rather than angry about the loss of the item IYSWIM. Made me lose faith in other tradesmen and now only have a select few I trust, the rest I will take days off work to be in the house whilst they work.

Once you have taken out all other possible explanations, you are left with what actually happened.
I had several examples of this when I was a claims inspector. One was 20 bottles of champagne stolen from an internal utility room in a house. Only the family had keys. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. They had bought it ahead of their 40th wedding anniversary party.
Sadly once they had worked through every possibility the answer had to be it had been stolen by someone they knew. They found it really upsetting.
In your situation these have been taken from your chair but not necessarily by the builders.seriously the world is full of people looking for unlocked doors and an opportunity.

When I worked in London I had my mobile phone stolen by the plant waterers! Turns out the regular guy brought his mate with him and he stole the phone. He wasn’t even employed by the company and the regular guy got sacked which I actually felt bad about.

Of you have thoroughly searched the house and are convinced there is no other explanation, then you need to change he locks, contact the building company and contact the police.

Are you the only person in your family that can move things?

In a house where people are coming in and out, it’s easy for someone to steal something small they think wouldn’t be missed. It happens all the time. It’s not blaming them just because they are builders. It’s who had the opportunity to take it without anyone noticing. If it’s no one in your family - and you’re sure about this - that means it must be one of the builders.

My neighbour had a set of pans taken when they were building their conservatory. They weren’t expensive pans either. Just a new set still in the box. They caught one of the builders on the other neighbours cctv leaving their house with the box.

We've had four sets of trades here since August and the stuff that has grown legs and walked from here is breathtaking!
Not all tradesmen are wrong 'uns obviously but ridiculous stuff has been nicked from here.

I think you need to change your locks, tell the building company why and inform the police. It may not have been the builders you are working with. It may have been a mate of theirs who has obtained a copy of a key. Or a passer by who saw the door open for a couple of minutes. But it does sound like someone saw an opportunity and grabbed at something that looked potentially valuable.

I've no idea how you would lose a popcorn maker, frankly - they aren't small or light enough to gather up in rubbish.

We had something stolen from a church, in broad daylight, during an Easter Sunday service. It was taken by a complete stranger from the church hall when someone left the door open for just a few minutes. Opportunist theft happens fast and quietly and leaves a horrible taste in the mouth.

I would absolutely tell the owner of the business that stuff has gone missing. If the person in charge is a reputable and honest trader, they ought to appreciate knowing that they may have a light-fingered contractor or supplier on their hands. And if they are not reputable and honest, they will know you are on to them.

We lost stuff over the course of a few weeks to a cleaner - for the first couple of weeks it was small stuff that I assumed I'd just put elsewhere or thrown away by mistake (a new tub of moisturiser, a fidget spinner I'd bought for the kids etc.).

Culminated in my ipad, and when I turned the house upside down looking for it, also a watch, and various other, more expensive bits and pieces.

We know it was her, because the ipad was tracked, and went out of our network at the same time as she left. Reported to cleaning company, to police, but of course we never got anything back.

As a result I'm much more suspicious now - much less trusting.

I'm amazed that people on here are calling OP unpleasant for thinking it might have been stolen. We have had lots and lots of tradesmen around for the last couple of years (renovating house) and have tradespeople as friends and family. Most are completely honest and lovely people...of course some aren't, like in any occupation! In my experience OP it certainly could have been, we had a few things go missing whilst our kitchen was being done, just low value things too. Unfortunately it's almost impossible to prove and we just had to chalk it up to bad luck.

The people that were here were from 2 different companies, it's all part of an ongoing insurance claim. I will notify my insurers and see abput changing the locks.

I have been around most of the time when trades have been here but I wasn't on Friday. That's also the first time anyone was here since Christmas.

I was laughed at by the claims handler at my insurers for previously saying I wanted to be around when people were working in the house...turns out I was right to be concerned.

on the other hand, I recently left a plumbing company in my house alone at multiple times over a few days and nothing went missing. All were employed by the company directly though, which I think is a key difference.

Last January I bought a Christmas tree in the sales. It was a pre lit one and cost around £50. Dh put it in the loft the day it was purchased. I planned to use it in the kitchen.

When we went to put up the decorations first week of december I was excited to see it but it had disappeared. Our loft isn't huge, it couldn't be hiding anywhere.

The only person who has been up there apart from me and dh was an electrician who came to fix the extractor fan back in march - when we had all the snow. I was here on the day and he would have had to be quite brazen to bring it out of the loft without being seen.

I can't 100% say it was him, but it's the only plausible explanation. It's made me really paranoid with having people in the house now and I'll be watching much more carefully in future.

DP said it's actually more likely someone would take a modest value item than a high value games console or similar

He’s studied this extensively has he? You really think they will risk their reputation and further business for an electric bloody toothbrush?

If you are so certain, contact the company and tell them the builders have stolen your toothbrush. And call the police and report it. Make the case directly to them and see what happens.

At least then you can be self satisfied that the claims handled who apparently laughed at you was wrong, eh?

He’s studied this extensively has he? You really think they will risk their reputation and further business for an electric bloody toothbrush?

Yes. If you steal to make a bit of money on the side then smaller items are much easier to take and sell. Also, It may not be their business to risk! Tradespeople often work for other people! And it would be difficult to prove which tradesperson took it so it’s very easy.

Yes. If you steal to make a bit of money on the side then smaller items are much easier to take and sell.

Studied this extensively have you? Have a word with yourself. A builder will steal a 20 quid electric toothbrush to make “money on the side?” Doesn’t matter if it is their business or not. They still are responsible for the reputation, and in that case also risk being fired for stealing and would never work in the industry again, it’s a very small world

Far more likely one of her kids broke it, binned it and won’t own up.

But hey, let’s blame the tradesman. Because if you perceive them as poor (never met a poor tradesman) they are very likely to be thieves.

No one is saying that tradespeople are poor or more likely to be thieves.

People from every walk of life, every occupation and every pay grade steal.

It’s not that they were tradesmen or that they were ‘poor’ but that they were people the op doesn’t know who were in the house.