July 31, 2008.
(Travel Insurance Company) Inc.
73 Queen Street
Shebrooke, QC J1M 0C9
To Whom It May Concern at Global Excel Management Inc,
This letter is to certify the loss of the following items:
1. 1 purse. Purchased in January in Toronto at the approximate price of $70.00
2. 1 Canon powershot A590 camera. Purchased in Toronto on February 29, 2008 priced at $189.99 before tax.
3. 4 rechargeable AA batteries
4. 1 camera pouch
5. 1 Sandisk ultra II 1GB SD card (Memory card for camera). Purchased in Toronto on February 29, 2008 priced at $28.49.
6. 1 pair of suede and leather semi-professional flamenco shoes. Purchased in Toronto in December 2007 at the approximate price of $120.00.
7. 1 iPod Nano purchased in Newmarket in December 2007 for $199.00.
8. 1 Canadian passport
9. 80.00 Euros in cash
10. Canadian driver’s license, OHIP card, RBC bank and credit cards, International Council of Museums card and other less memorable cards.
11. Smaller items including a deck of Spanish cards, pens, notebook and Spanish phrasebook.
I am claiming only the items that I can provide proof of purchase for and understand that the claim limit for items is $300 CAD. I would like to claim $300.00 in items, $200.00 in document replacement and $100.00 for cash replacement.
Details of loss:
On July 9th 2008 I went to Peter Pan’s Café on Calle Atocha in Madrid at approximately 9:30 am. I was accompanied by three friends and the four of us purchased our items separately and then sat down at a four person table. The table was situated so that two people could sit against the wall facing the café and the entry way and two people could sit facing the wall. I was sitting facing the wall. I was aware of the risk of purse snatching, and so placed my purse (too large to put on my lap with flamenco shoes and a camera in it) on top of my feet under the table. I was sitting at the table for approximately 10 minutes. When I got up to leave my purse was gone. No one at my table saw anything. I am not sure how the person who stole it was able to avoid being noticed reaching under the table and lifting my purse off of its resting place on my feet, but I do admire them for their skill. I did not sense anyone being too close to me. It was just gone. No one in the café saw anything.
I walked back to the Hostel I was staying at, cancelled my Visa and bank cards and reported my passport stolen. My friend searched all of the garbage cans in the area to try and recover what she could but didn’t find anything. I spent the next two days at the Canadian Embassy and the Comisaria de Policia.
The man who runs the Hostel yelled at me for not holding my purse on my lap. I was stunned that I was so ill-equipped to predict the level of sophistication of theft in Madrid. I thought that I had taken the proper measures to avoid that type of adventure and was proven wrong. When I thought about it afterwards, there was an elderly lady who was waiting to get into the table beside us, but didn’t have any food. (At this café you would get your food at the counter and then sit down.) She was not accompanied by anyone else, so it was strange that she was just sitting there. But she did not have my purse. I think she may have handed it to the man who was exiting the table she was waiting for.
I have included receipts for the substantial replacement items. The iPod Nano lost was a gift, and so the original receipt is with my parents. If the original is required, please contact me before processing my claim. For items that must still be replaced I have included a current internet listing of their retail value. I am not in a position to calculate depreciation value, but testify that all items lost were in like-new condition. All equipment was kept in pouches—shoes, camera and ipod. The camera pouch was sold to me at the cost of $0.01 as a deal for buying the camera. The replacement cost will be substantially more I am sure. Similarly, the rechargeable batteries were part of a deal for buying the battery re-charger, which I am still in possession of, so I have just included a listing of their current retail value.
All items, documents and cash that have been replaced in EURO currency have been calculated to the Canadian dollar at the rate charged to me. I have included my Visa bill and highlighted the items of interest as proof of that.
If you have any questions regarding this claim, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at (numbernumberemail).
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
