Brand new Laptop stolen by TSA?????

[akshatp]

My wife was visiting family in Orlando for Xmas. While there, she bought a laptop from BestBuy for me as a Xmas present. She already had alot of carryon luggage, and had no choice but to pack the laptop in her luggage.

Fast forward four hours, she gets home and opens her luggage so she can wrap the UNOPENED package for me to open tomorrow. What does she find? The open laptop box, with the foam packaging and the manual, but NO LAPTOP. The best part, inside the suitcase is a TSA insert that says they inspected the bag!!!!!

Somebody STOLE the laptop and battery right out of the brand new box and had the nerve to put the empty box and a TSA insert in the bag. My wife is distraught. Cannot beleive someone would do such a thing on Xmas eve.

She bought the laptop on her AmEx card, which has a 90 day buyer protection against accidental damage or theft. Unfortunately, when she called them just now to file a claim, they dont cover loss/theft that occurs while the property is in the hands of a 3rd party succh as the TSA.

I know, she shouldn't have packed an expensive item in her luggage, but this is just sad. We are supposed to have the TSA to protect us, not steal our shit.

I know its a longshot, but anyone have any advice on any other course of action to recover the cost of the laptop?

Cliffs:
Wife on vacation bought laptop for me
Checked it in her luggage on her flight home
Laptop stolen by TSA screeners

 

[abaez]

I highly doubt you'd get anywhere going through the TSA, but its worth a shot. Hard to believe Amex doesn't cover it though.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: abaez
I highly doubt you'd get anywhere going through the TSA, but its worth a shot. Hard to believe Amex doesn't cover it though.

We will be filing a claim with the TSA also, but I also dont hold much hope here. Just read on another forum that suggested filing a claim with homeowners insurance.

 

[Tobolo]

Hard sell for homeowners. Its never even seen the home lol. Seriously though, my boss has lost 4 laptops at airports. A lot of times though it while they were going through security.

 

[TruePaige]

Could of been taken from her backseat at the gas station...you know..no third parties....0.0

 

[Passions]

Have you seen some of the TSA workers? Look like they came straight from the streets.

I've seen a group of them giggling, with half of their shirts hanging out of their cracks, talking about where the next party is at.

Sorry...but expensive items should always be carry-on.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

TSA put one of those stickers on my bag once and I was :| right away. I opened it up, they fucking destroyed a solid stick of deodorant, as in literally separated it into a million little bits, and put them ALL OVER MY CLOTHES. Lucky me, I usually put dirty clothes into plastic bags when I pack as to not make the rest of my clean clothes "dirty", and the bulk of the deodorant bits ended up on plastic bags, but they did permanently stain two or three nice t-shirts.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: abaez
I highly doubt you'd get anywhere going through the TSA, but its worth a shot. Hard to believe Amex doesn't cover it though.

We will be filing a claim with the TSA also, but I also dont hold much hope here. Just read on another forum that suggested filing a claim with homeowners insurance.

What's your deductible and how much did the laptop cost? You ought to have a high deductible, because it's generally not a good idea to use your homeowners insurance for minor things (they'll drop you).

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: TruePaige
Could of been taken from her backseat at the gas station...you know..no third parties....0.0

That would lower him to the level of the guy who stole the laptop.

 

[DainBramaged]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: TruePaige
Could of been taken from her backseat at the gas station...you know..no third parties....0.0

That would lower him to the level of the guy who stole the laptop.

Sometimes, it's necessary just to get justice served.

 

[OulOat]

Lesson for everyone, no electronics in checked bags unless you want them stolen.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: OulOat
Lesson for everyone, no electronics in checked bags unless you want them stolen.

It's unfortunate that is the case. You'd be better off just mailing them USPS or UPS back to your home. Pretty sad that's what we have to resort to when TSA is supposed to be protecting us...

 

[bsobel]

Very unlikely it was TSA, they have too many people watching them. It was probably inspected by the TSA and then later stolen by baggage handlers.

 

[dawp]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: OulOat
Lesson for everyone, no electronics in checked bags unless you want them stolen.

It's unfortunate that is the case. You'd be better off just mailing them USPS or UPS back to your home. Pretty sad that's what we have to resort to when TSA is supposed to be protecting us...

TSA protects Airlines and not us, the passengers. they could care less about the average person.

 

[Sphexi]

What's truly stupid is they have those TSA approved locks, that they can open with their keys, so they don't have to cut them off. That way after inspecting your luggage they can close it and lock it again. They never do though, they put the locks on it and leave it there, unlocked. Whenever I fly (which I hardly do) I only put clothes in my suitcase, and I carry everything else on with me. I don't trust a single idiot working at any of these airlines.

 

[Passions]

Originally posted by: dawp

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: OulOat
Lesson for everyone, no electronics in checked bags unless you want them stolen.

It's unfortunate that is the case. You'd be better off just mailing them USPS or UPS back to your home. Pretty sad that's what we have to resort to when TSA is supposed to be protecting us...

TSA protects Airlines and not us, the passengers. they could care less about the average person.

TSA protects something???

That was a pretty good one. Thanks.

 

[Saga]

To be completely honest, those buyers protection plans are some of the biggest scams out there due simply to all their restrictions. In all technicalities, the thief stealing your laptop if they straight up MUGGED you would have been considered "in the hands of a third party".

You'd have been better off saying it was stolen while at a store, ect. Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[fire400]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: OulOat
Lesson for everyone, no electronics in checked bags unless you want them stolen.

It's unfortunate that is the case. You'd be better off just mailing them USPS or UPS back to your home. Pretty sad that's what we have to resort to when TSA is supposed to be protecting us...

..what the hell. man, next time I'm going on vacation, I'm bringin' squat.. I'd rather enjoy my vacs without electronics anyway given the fact I've been engaged with this sh!t throughout high school and college years... freaker.

life in the country is understandable, but even that I probably couldn't handle forever.

..they prolly don't get paid enough, that's why?

but I mean, dang dude, a laptop? how do you... MAKE SURE your crap ain't stolen 'till you get there, do an overnight shipping to your destination? good hell..

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Izusaga
To be completely honest, those buyers protection plans are some of the biggest scams out there due simply to all their restrictions. In all technicalities, the thief stealing your laptop if they straight up MUGGED you would have been considered "in the hands of a third party".

You'd have been better off saying it was stolen while at a store, ect. Sorry to hear about your loss.

I agree. That'd probably be a better idea. It's not like they could differentiate a difference either way.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Question: Was your luggage locked wtih the TSA approved locks?

Edit: At least that way you can conclude it was TSA personnell who jacked it.

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: bsobel
Very unlikely it was TSA, they have too many people watching them. It was probably inspected by the TSA and then later stolen by baggage handlers.

Yep!

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: Sphexi
What's truly stupid is they have those TSA approved locks, that they can open with their keys, so they don't have to cut them off. That way after inspecting your luggage they can close it and lock it again. They never do though, they put the locks on it and leave it there, unlocked. Whenever I fly (which I hardly do) I only put clothes in my suitcase, and I carry everything else on with me. I don't trust a single idiot working at any of these airlines.

I was so pissed the first time I was told I had to take my lock off and buy a stupid TSA lock.

What the hell is the purpose of all those x-ray machines they have in the back? Arent they supposed to be checking ALL bags with them? Not just the carry-ons?

I only had checked baggage for one flight after Sept 11th, and that was a Navy flight heading to my next duty station. You'd be suprised but a seabag wont fit underneath the seat.
After that one annoying trip I made a vow to only do carry-on.

 

[jpeyton]

She already had alot of carryon luggage, and had no choice but to pack the laptop in her luggage.

You've learned an important life lesson.

Laptop >> your wife's other carry-ons.

Always escort valuables through your flight.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

She already had alot of carryon luggage, and had no choice but to pack the laptop in her luggage.

You've learned an important life lesson.

Laptop >> your wife's other carry-ons.

Always escort valuables through your flight.

I thought that this would have been common sense, no?

 

[wwswimming]

http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/index.html

they have a "submit a news story" menu there.

i wonder if Mr. O' Reilly could help you get your laptop back.
would the OS software, when it "checks in with the mother
ship" (Microsoft), for an update, wouldn't MS see an IP
address that might be helpful tracking the laptop down ?

is there a way to track stuff like this ? if whoever stole
it re-loads the OS, and uses XP or Vista, would it track
a network card ID ? would the manufacturer be able to
tell you the network card ID ?

where's Columbo when you need him ?