[wcoetsee]

Yip believe it or not......

Our car was broken into in our secure basement parking under our apartment in Auckland City. It's a secure carpark which requires an access card ect.

My international drivers license, exspensve sunglasses, surfing equipment and other valuables where stolen. Car's window was smashed and the dor badly damaged as they tried to break open the door. My car was not the only one in the car park there are about 20 others.

And i thought we moved to the second safest country in the world. This has never even happened to us in our home country, unsave SA.......!!!!!!!! and SA is supposed to be 99th safest country in the world.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-30-2007/0004598231&EDATE=

:( :( :( :(

[willsken]

So sorry to hear this has happened to you. Yup, NZ is a very safe country in comparison to many but it's by no means perfect. I still take the same precautions as I did in the UK. Again my sympathy to you. :(

[wcoetsee]

I agree but it's not like we left our car in the street, it was in our secure parking inside the building behind a security gate and we never leave valuables visisbly in the car.

[mclarity]

We were burgled after two months of being in Wellington (Lower Hutt). My wife caught them in the act but they fled on foot. It was a daylight burglary They managed to steal small stuff like a digital camera, watches, laptop etc.

Two nights later someone broke in and stole my leather jacket from the front porch. We were then warned by neighbours that there are some dubious characters who prowl the back gardens of houses in the neighbourhood late at night. Not so great but at least the robberies seem to be executed with significantly less violence than in SA. The police later caught the offenders.

[wcoetsee]

Not so great but at least the robberies seem to be executed with significantly less violence than in SA. The police later caught the offenders.

Suppose this is true, we have also only being here for 2 months and we are struggling with OH work permit ect so she has being sitting at home bored for 2 months now, driving us mad and now this as well.

Makes you wonder, grass not always greener hey.

[willsken]

Keep at it wcoetsee. Sometimes things get thrown at you and get you down to the point you begin to question things. It will work out for you in the end....you've made it this far. :yes

[Chiba]

Hey, my car had the roof slashed and my stuff got nicked in Japan too. The stats may say it's unlikely, but there are lowlife scum everywhere. Sorry, I mean "members of the larcenist community". One mustn't sound discriminatory. :wah

[dharder]

Hey, my car had the roof slashed and my stuff got nicked in Japan too. The stats may say it's unlikely, but there are lowlife scum everywhere.

My OH, from Auckland, has been a 'victim of crime' over there much more than here in London (mainly burglaries). I had more things stolen from me over the years in the smallish town in the North of Germany where I lived than here in East London, go figure.

In this hotbed of crime (East London), we've had a bike stolen and our front gate (no less!), that was it. Never had any serious issues at all, and that in spite of having left car unlocked overnight, left phone and wallet in car overnight, and my particular favourite, left sliding door of van totally and wide open for most of night.

I guess sh*t can happen wherever you are, hang in there :)

Daniela

[zardell]

we have also only being here for 2 months and we are struggling with OH work permit ect so she has being sitting at home bored for 2 months now, driving us mad and now this as well.

Makes you wonder, grass not always greener hey.



Sorry to read about your robbery. What an awful thing to happen. When you are out of your comfort zone, unsettled and then something like this happens on top, well it's enough to tip you over the edge isn't it.

Try not to let it get the better of you - it's happened, there's nothing you can do about it - put it in the past where it belongs and look towards the future.

Thinking of you,

Julie

xx

[movefromus]

I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to you. We had the same thing happen to us when I was a teen in NZ. We were taking a friend to the airport and decided to stop for lunch. My mother told him to take his passport and tickets with us just in case. Thankfully he did because while we were gone someone broke into the car and stole his briefcase! The moral of the story is to never leave anything that you consider important in the car. Also, never leave a bag in the car or any thing that might lead a person to think there might be something of value in there.
I believe NZ has more petty theft than a lot of 1st world countries.

PS - Maybe your other half could get a hobby...maybe one that gets him/her out of the house. I know how hard it can be being at home a lot. Art classes....volunteer work....martial arts :-)......book club....?

[kanatakiwi]

I agree but it's not like we left our car in the street, it was in our secure parking inside the building behind a security gate and we never leave valuables visisbly in the car.

We had our van stolen from our secure underground parking lot in safe little Victoria BC Canada! bit of a joke because insurance was less because of secure parking. Turns out plymouth voyager vans are about the easiest cars in the world to hotwire, so they crowbared the handle of the drivers door, hotwired it, and drove it about six blocked and stripped it of every thing not nailed down, floor mats, removeable seats, jack, phone charges , you name it. So yes it can happen anywhere.
Sorry to hear it happened to you though

[swissmissdesigner]

Afwul, and I feel sorry for you too.
I would wondering who wrote the statistic about that NZ ii the 2nd safest country in the world? It muss be a old statistic.

Big hug!

Anna

[stu70]

Unfortunately you can not undo the damage. What about the insurance claim? Can you recoup what you lost? I am glad you and your family weren't hurt in the process(sometimes the criminals show very little regard for human life); your physical safety is the most important thing, articles stolen can be replaced to a large extent. Hope your insurance co looks after you. Cheers

[xanctus]

Damn thieves...pardon my lingo here. But I had experience with this b4.
Yeah, Auckland is not the safest place indeed...wonder where you live in AKLD area here...(you don't have to answer this). Sometimes, we can feel safer with secure gated area, but once a thieve want to steal...he will do it.

Again, sorry what happened.

[Ana&Steve]

I'm so sorry this happened; I know the feeling, the disbelief and vulnerability take a few days to go away.:(

The last time our car got broken into, there was nothing in it to steal, (us having learned from previous break-ins:rolleyes:) so the poor would-be thieves made themselves feel better by breaking things in the car. Ah well, It could have been worse, they could have peed in it or something!:roll

Ana

[jen]

I'm very sorry to hear your story!! It reminded me of one I read about here in Welly not too long ago where some tourists (forget where from) specifically made sure to park in a public garage with security cameras since they were leaving video cameras etc in the car trunk- it was still broken into and the supposed security didn't cover their area of the garage so they had no clues as to the thieves' identity.

We never leave anything in our car either & if I know I'm going to be parked somewhere and have to leave anything in the trunk, I put it in the trunk BEFORE I get there just in case somebody is watching - doesn't do any good to hide something from view if a potential thief sees you do it. OTOH sometimes nothing helps; our neighbor is in construction and has had his truck broken into several times while parked on our street because people think there might be tools in it. :no

[marcia]

So sorry to hear about your theft. Don't let one thing like this cloud your judgement of NZ though, remember, and its been said on here many times before that where there are people there will be crime, there no getting away from it anywhere in the world, (unless you go and find a cave miles from anywhere and anybody)

At least nobody was hurt, which is the most important thing, and material possessions can be replaced. Having said that i know it is still upsetting, so heres a

{{{{{{BIG HUG}}}}}}

to try and help you feel better!

[Brad77]

major problem with Saffers coming to NZ is that we think there is NO crime. There are loads of P addicts running round looking to steal something to buy their next fix. At least crime here is not violent, few rapes, no racial hatredt factor ("we will kill you you white bitch" etc).

Would you leave anything valuable in a secure car park in SA? I wouldnt.....

I have taken a few chances in NZ...like leaving my laptop on the front seat while I run into the shop...I know its stupid....

[xanctus]

major problem with Saffers coming to NZ is that we think there is NO crime. There are loads of P addicts running round looking to steal something to buy their next fix. At least crime here is not violent, few rapes, no racial hatredt factor ("we will kill you you white bitch" etc).


I thought rape case was quite significant here in NZ. I dunno, I heard it quite a lot in the past years. Well, maybe the fact that rape is one of the crime that I curse BIG TIME. Therefore, I notice it quite fast.

Racial problems? well it's an abstract situation really about racial matters. I might not happens to certain people, but definitely can be felt for certain people with certain background.

[StevieD]

Yup, it is the luck (or lack) of the draw wherever you are in the world.

Sorry to hear about it, seems to me if it in a secure underground park that it is either

a. one of the other residents
b. "security or inside job"
c. someone careless and lost their security card!

Any CCTV in there that can shed any light on the matter?

Good luck

Steve

[suzer]

Well, as for those 2nd safest countries in the world ratings, they're all relative. Last I'd heard, it was N'ern Ireland.

Sorry to hear about this though. Hope you can get your DL sorted easily:/

[Lion]

My Brother had there car brocken into as they went into the doctors for a few min. They cam out found his car bussted into and his laptop and things where stolen, Broud daylight. This was in Auckland.

My Parents also had there cars brocken into (Papakura) also in the day. Both cars door where forced open with the locks smashed, They tried to hotwire the car but where not succesfull. The cars where behind thier 8 foot wall in their yard.
Of course they now have CCV camera's up and alarms. (just like SA, lol),
But yes ok. It is not as bad as in SA where they would come into your house while you there. maybe shoot you then just take the car keys and rive of with your car full of you belongings from the house to.

I think we must Show NZ how to Protect hour Houses like we did in SA.

Cheers
Terry

[Sparks]

Sorry To Hear Whats Happened,my Last Visit To This Site Was August Last Year Before Coming Over To New Zealand,i've Been Hear A Year Now And I Find It Great,best Place In The World,hang In There,theft Is One Thing,rape And Murder Another,kiwis Have A Saying,she'll Be Right-believe It