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Original poster

___PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN ON HOLIDAY______WE WERE ROBBED IN BARCELONA______

51 replies

RTKangaMummy · 31/07/2007 13:12

Please be very careful when on holiday.

We were going back to the airport in the hire car and while we were in a traffic jam a motorbike rider told us that we had a flat tyre. {it was a different man to the one who robbed us cos the motorcyclist rode off through the traffic jam iyswim}

So we drove very slowly with hazzard lights flashing until we could get off the main road. {It was a 4 lane main road}

So we came off at the next junction and went into the car park of a primary school.

We had a mega flat tyre - in the car was an electric pump but that didn't make any difference.

Anyway we didn't know where we were - as the map didn't show it - and AVIS didn't provide the GPS SAT NAV system we had booked

So when this friendly man came along to help and give us directions to a garage - even though we didn't want a garage cos AVIS were coming to collect the car.

We were being very polite and listening to him and he was pointing away from the car and saying "SIGNOR" to DH to get his attention back to what he was saying iyswim

When he left we thanked him and then found that one of our hand luggage bags had been stolen from the back seat of the car. Obviously by a 2nd person.

It had our digital and video cameras and a pair of my sandals and a present DS had bought for us, and my filofax

We are most upset and angry about DS present that he bought with his own money and about the pictures and video that we have lost

We are of course pleased that we are safe and weren't hurt either by the car having an accident or by the man but we would rather have given him our wallets and all our money than the things he got

And we knew all about the warnings about distraction robberies but we were going to be late for our plane and we were very stressed cos we were lost we couldn't really speak much spanish and we were in an area that didn't speak english.

SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LEARN FROM OUR EXPERIENCE AND ALWAYS LOCK ALL THE DOORS WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO "HELP" YOU

We are all very very upset and angry about this and so wouldn't want someone else to go through anything like this on their holiday

OP posts:
Whooosh · 31/07/2007 13:14

You poor things-how horrible!

Glad you are all ok though and by posting this you may well prevent some other pooor innocents suffering the same fate.

ggglimpopo · 31/07/2007 13:15

Apparently there is the same sort of thing going on in Northern France - they tail tourists from supermarkets....

How traumatic! Poor you and what a downer on a holiday.

gogetter · 31/07/2007 13:32

Did they let down your tyres on purpose? IS that a stupid question?

themoon66 · 31/07/2007 13:35

God you have to be so careful and suspicious of everyone. What a horrible end for your holiday. I suppose they target people who are distracted by having to rush to the aiport, catch planes, etc.

Having said that, I have been to Barcelona about seven times and never had a problem. But then we never hire a car, but use public transport.

We are going again in three weeks' time.

Did your insurance pay up?

moljam · 31/07/2007 13:46

my sister had her bag nicked at barcelona airport stupidly she had phone,ipod,money,cards and other valuable items in it.she'd just taken passport out.silly girl for having it all in one bag but she was told it was regular thing there.

VeronicaMars · 31/07/2007 13:58

Not a stupid question Gogeter. The exact same thing happened to someone I work with, the person on the bike most likely slashed the tyre. Couldn't believe it when I read this because it's the exact same situation, they found out afterwards that Barcelona is known for this scam and if you get a flat on the road you pull in at the next junction and put your hazards on, do not pull into a car park or off the main road. They had passports and everything stolen.

MrsBoo · 31/07/2007 14:11

I read a couple of similar stories in the weekend papers. Have to say, I'm going to Spain in a couple of weeks, hadn't expected that sort of reception though! Are all the cars very obviously car hire?

Rosa · 31/07/2007 14:11

How terrible
I had heard of the same kind of scam but with somebody bumping the hirecar and so he driver automatically got out to check the car etc and bags were stolen.
In one incident the actual car was stolen from under the persons nose. This was in Italy by the way .

Most important is that you and your family are all ok

themoon66 · 31/07/2007 14:20

MrsBoo, we always remove any stickers that show it's a hire car. Keep em safe somewhere and stick em back on when you drop the car off at the end of your holiday.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 31/07/2007 14:39

Blimey I guess the motorcyclist could have slashed the tyre

We didn't come off straight afterwards but he still could have watched where we did come off

Also we had all the bags on view in the boot and back seat so he would have known we were going to airport

WE DID ALWAYS LOCK THE CAR DOORS WHILE WE WERE DRIVING so the bags etc were not taken at traffic lights

We had been thinking that there was a "good guy" in the whole situation but now we are thinking that we were targets from the start

We didn't stand a chance did we?

But like you say at least we are all safe

The insurance are kind of paying up but not the full value, even though they were named items on household insurance iyswim

PLUS we will have to pay £600 for the damage to the car

Cos we didn't pay the excess thingy on the CDW - I have no idea why we didn't cos we always have done in the past. So we are angry with ourselves for that

SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES

One of our friends' DSs had ?60 pickpocketed on Las Ramblas too last week

So please be careful

And if you hire a car work out how to change the tyre asap beforehand so you can do it quickley by yourself

We couldn't read the manual and work out how to get the spare tyre out from under the car. A VW TOURAN ?

OP posts:
MrsBoo · 31/07/2007 15:47

That's a great idea about removing any obvious hire car stickers/labels.
The company we are hiring from have an optional ?16 charge for insurance to the tyres/wheels - I thought that was for road type damages (like bad driving/parking) - but it might be safer in the long run to pay the extra ?16 for peace of mind.

LIZS · 31/07/2007 15:58

friends had a camera pick pocketed there.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 31/07/2007 15:59

Yes deffo remove stuff

Although thinking about it ours didn't have anything on it

And it was dirty ie covered in sand and dust so didn't even look clean and shiny.

BUT we are now convinced we were targeted cos they would have seen our luggage in the boot and we were on the highway going towards Barcelona Airport

Please be careful everyone

OP posts:
Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 31/07/2007 16:01

And DH had the map on his lap not open cos we were following signs BUT still on his lap

I was driving

OP posts:
LIZS · 31/07/2007 16:01

maybe the numbeb plates give it away ?

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 31/07/2007 16:10

yes maybe they do have different numberplates really stupid if that is true

I think AVIS should warn people of the tricks that are played on tourists with a noticeboard or sign etc.

You queue for long enough so you could read a notice in the airport

BTW if anyhire company tells you that you have reserved a GPS SAT NAV system DON'T believe them - we were told that and when you get there it is 1st come 1st served

We are just so about what they took

Kangaboy is very upset

OP posts:
VeronicaMars · 31/07/2007 17:34

Photo copies of passports in a seperate bag are always a good idea.

saadia · 31/07/2007 17:39

How very horrible for you, but thank you for the warning. We are going to Italy in a few weeks and will be extra careful.

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 01/08/2007 14:53

Please be careful everyone

OP posts:
Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 09/08/2007 12:58

please be careful everyone

OP posts:
mymama · 10/08/2007 01:40

Thanks for the warning RTKangaMummy. We are not travelling to Barcelona but are travelling from Australia to UK/France/Italy. I have been reading on the net about all of the scams and I am really worried to be honest.

My dh is a chatty friendly bloke and will befriend anyone. I am really worried he will be distracted chatting to someone and I will be watching the 3 dc and we will be robbed somehow.

Califrau · 10/08/2007 03:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tiredemma · 10/08/2007 07:16

Dp and his mates went on a stag do to barcelona a couple of years ago- the brides father was mugged in broad daylight in Las Ramblas.

Shitheads.

carol3 · 10/08/2007 07:38

I was visiting bristol at the weekend and had a small clutch bag, with a wrist strap. Went to pay at the first pub and realised the strap had been cut off!, luckerly it was in my hand but I didn't feel anything. My friend and I went to dublin earlier this year and she had her camera taken out of her front jean pocket, again she didn't feel a thing.
I think its just that cities are targeted as always lots of visitors so they are easy pray.

globetrotterinvietnam · 12/08/2007 12:37

My friend's mobile was stolen while she was in Barcelona. She got a new one and within 2 days, the second phone had been stolen. I've had my bag stolen twice as well, in Italy though. Please be careful while withdrawing money or exchanging it. I believe someone saw me going into a bank and followed me when I came out.

A person also stuck his hand in my coat pocket while I was in a shop. Then he realized I was blind, apologised and ran off....

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