Sosua, how to recover stolen laptops?

gerd

Member
Jan 10, 2002
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We had a burglar last night and among other things two laptops stolen.

Any idea how they can be recovered?
Should I offer money to the police right away?
We'd surely pay more to get them back, than they would be worth in any compra venta.

Please help!
 

daddy1

Member
Feb 27, 2004
351
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16
gerd said:
We had a burglar last night and among other things two laptops stolen.

Any idea how they can be recovered?
Should I offer money to the police right away?
We'd surely pay more to get them back, than they would be worth in any compra venta.

Please help!
if you do that, not only would you lose your laptops, but your money as well!!, just come to terms that you've lost your lap - tops file a police report with the serial numbers of the computers (if you have this that is) just in case they pawn the stuff or just start saving up to buy new one's. you should know better in D.R. you can't be caught sleeping your valuable's are valuable's take this as a learning experience be very cautious, or it will happen again..see ya :pirate:
 

XanaduRanch

*** Sin Bin ***
Sep 15, 2002
2,493
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So Sorry to Hear That ...

I don't know that there's much you can do. The police really aren't any help. If I were you I'd hire someone to take me to all the compra-ventas in Sosua and Charamico. If you don't locate it, maybe spend a day in Puerto Plata as well. If you still don't find it, try again in a few days maybe.

When you get a replacement, buy some of those holographic ID stickers that can't be removed (you know, the ones that when you peel them off leave most of the label still legible behind?) and put them on all the potential theft targets. The thieves here are so dumb it may not keep them from being stolen, but it would make identifying and recovering them much easier.

I hope you get some of your things back.

Tom aka XR You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive in the DR.
 

gerd

Member
Jan 10, 2002
289
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If anyone gets offered one of them, please buy them and PM me, I'll buy them back, no questions asked.

HP Pavilion
Toshiba Satelite 2410

Thanks.
 

andy a

Bronze
Feb 23, 2002
532
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Gerd,

You must be jesting. We see in the other thread what happens to heretics that say bad things about the DR.

Seriously, good luck, even though I have no answer. Unfortunately, I'm afraid there is no hope.

------------------------------
JimB,

I would advise you NOT to take a laptop to the DR. Some Dominicans become obsessed with stealing fixed, visible targets and literally lie awake nights trying to steal them - even if the cost of doing so exceeds what they gain from it.

1. Put what you think you might need on a web site. Then go to an internet cafe in the DR to access it.

2. Alternatively, if you plan on repeat trips, take down a desktop. Whenever you go out, take the hard drive with you (or hide it). For as little as $10 you can get an adapter that plugs into the front panel (like a cd rom drive) that makes it easy.

When you're ready to return home, take the hard drive with you and store the basic computer with a friend for your next trip down.

This 2nd method is the one I use myself.
 

gerd

Member
Jan 10, 2002
289
0
16
I contacted several computershops today and found out that laptop robberys are very frequent lately. :bandit: Funny, that in most cases they were stolen without the power device (like mine too), which means that they are almost useless here, unless you order the device from the US.

Without this device, they can probably sell them for US$50-100 here.

We tried to call the cellphone they also took, several times (which was even answered, but then hung up again), and sent SMS offering US500 for bringing them back, so far no luck.

Still we have a tiny little bit of hope.
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
4,837
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Sold!

gerd said:
Without this device, they can probably sell them for US$50-100 here.

Put me down for a half-dozen. I will buy the power supplies when I get home. Who do I set these $50 laptops from?
 

gerd

Member
Jan 10, 2002
289
0
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ricktoronto said:
Put me down for a half-dozen. I will buy the power supplies when I get home. Who do I set these $50 laptops from?

Just contact the burglar before he sells it off quick to someone else. Mingle with those kind of people and you'll have an endless supply. Your life will be a lot more interesting then.
But make sure you have a good health and life insurance before you do.
 

A.J.

New member
Jan 2, 2002
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Lets see finding lap tops that were stolen - chances are uhmmm nil. Hate to break your heart, but our house was broken into and the only thing we had a of value stolen was the lap top. It would not had been stolen had we had it in the attached apartment like usual.

The good thing was that our homeowner's insurance covered it and we were able to get a new one with the insurance money - and it covered the whole price. And we got the check within 2 weeks - yes people I said 2 weeks no haggling no phone calls - beat any insurance agency I have in the states waiting 2 - 3 months for a check.

Burglary, hurricanes, earthquakes, civil unrest all good reasons to get homeowners insurance if you have anything of value.
 

Eddy

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
219
0
gerd said:
We had a burglar last night and among other things two laptops stolen.

Any idea how they can be recovered?
Should I offer money to the police right away?
We'd surely pay more to get them back, than they would be worth in any compra venta.

Please help!

Go to the police and file a complaint. Offer the guy from "Robos" a decent reward for the return of the laptop(s) in good condition. Not a penny up front. You might be surprised. Good Luck.
 

Buzzard

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2004
516
30
48
86
Costambar
Home Owners Insurance

Please be kind enough to tell me the name of your insurance company. Many of my neighbors here in Costambar have insurance policies that never seem to pay when thefts occur. I'd be happy to switch.

A.J. said:
Lets see finding lap tops that were stolen - chances are uhmmm nil. Hate to break your heart, but our house was broken into and the only thing we had a of value stolen was the lap top. It would not had been stolen had we had it in the attached apartment like usual.

The good thing was that our homeowner's insurance covered it and we were able to get a new one with the insurance money - and it covered the whole price. And we got the check within 2 weeks - yes people I said 2 weeks no haggling no phone calls - beat any insurance agency I have in the states waiting 2 - 3 months for a check.

Burglary, hurricanes, earthquakes, civil unrest all good reasons to get homeowners insurance if you have anything of value.
 

A.J.

New member
Jan 2, 2002
444
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My house is in costambar - The agent is out of Santiago. I know of three people in Costambar who use him for their car and house insurance.

Here is his info:
GAMAL NAZER DABAS & ASOCS.
Calle Benito Ju?rez Esq. C/ 5. 2da. Planta ,Villa Olga, Santiago, R. D.
Tel?fono: 971-7330 / 583-3280
Fax: 583-3279
Email: ganada@tricom.net
 

Mark1

New member
Mar 17, 2004
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Hi, not trying to be a smart @ss here, did you have a alarm system in your apartment/house?

I'll have to bring my laptops, if I'll ever decide to move to DR, so I was wondering what I can do to protect my stuff .

People who get robbed, never mention whether they had a good alarm sys .

Is this because they don't work there? ( I mean, they know how to disable them , people don't give a s%%% when they hear the sound etc.), or is it the same mistake una muchedumbre of people make? (buying a alarm only after being "visited")

Thanx and hope gerd will find his laptops :angry:
 

gerd

Member
Jan 10, 2002
289
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Eddy said:
Go to the police and file a complaint. Offer the guy from "Robos" a decent reward for the return of the laptop(s) in good condition. Not a penny up front. You might be surprised. Good Luck.

This is what we've done, and after twenty minutes of yawning, sticking a key into nose, ears and holes in the desk, the guy suddenly moved!

Btw we have no proof, but we suspect a painter (or his buddies) from La Cienaga/Cabarete who was doing some work on the building two weeks ago and had to cross our apartment several times.

I'll probably check this area out first, as well as the close by crooks nest "Callejon de la Loma" with someone who's familiar with those neighbourhoods.

For those who asked:
No insurance
No alarm equipment
No theft tracking advice activated :surprised

Living here for eight years without any incident makes you a little careless, one might think. On the other hand I somehow felt, that it was going to be our turn, since robbery etc has increased so much lately, statisticly we were overdue long ago :classic: . You just think some things never happen to yourself.

Besides, living with children and cats makes you not too suspicious about any noises at night.We even had our sleeping-room door open, the fellow probably saw us snoozing there.
 

A.J.

New member
Jan 2, 2002
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Yep our alarm system was all of 4 cats at the time, scared one so bad her hair now permantely stands on end. We previously had a dog but the dog was poisoned.

All they took with them was the lap top some clothes and some cash. They tried to steal the car but my 86 toyota corolla "baby blue" did not want to work for them so they just got away with what they could carry.

I have had friends in santiago, puerto plata and costambar who even with a security system they have been broken into and have had alot more stolen.

The one positive thing I have to say about being robbed in the D.R. is that all they did was steal property and eat all the lasagna, unlike in the US where being robbed meant stealing what they could breakng the rest and defecating all over.
 

timelessdreams

New member
Apr 5, 2004
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A.J. said:
Yep our alarm system was all of 4 cats at the time, scared one so bad her hair now permantely stands on end. We previously had a dog but the dog was poisoned.

All they took with them was the lap top some clothes and some cash. They tried to steal the car but my 86 toyota corolla "baby blue" did not want to work for them so they just got away with what they could carry.

I have had friends in santiago, puerto plata and costambar who even with a security system they have been broken into and have had alot more stolen.

The one positive thing I have to say about being robbed in the D.R. is that all they did was steal property and eat all the lasagna, unlike in the US where being robbed meant stealing what they could breakng the rest and defecating all over.

Do these robberies generally take place while you're home, as the poster mentioned, "snoozing" while they were robbed?
 

Buzzard

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2004
516
30
48
86
Costambar
Insurance

Thanks, A.J. I've emailed Gamal re house insurance.

A.J. said:
My house is in costambar - The agent is out of Santiago. I know of three people in Costambar who use him for their car and house insurance.

Here is his info:
GAMAL NAZER DABAS & ASOCS.
Calle Benito Ju?rez Esq. C/ 5. 2da. Planta ,Villa Olga, Santiago, R. D.
Tel?fono: 971-7330 / 583-3280
Fax: 583-3279
Email: ganada@tricom.net
 

allanM

New member
Aug 13, 2004
4
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Beat the computer thieves

I suggest computer theft could be drastically reduced if we all put a password on them. And I don't mean the useless Microsoft password. Rather, you should go into the bias and do it. Your computer manual should tell you how.

If thieves found their stolen computers useless, they may think twice about stealing others. Not having a password is a little like leaving your car unlocked - you are inviting theft, and unauthorised use.

With a desktop they could still pull the machine apart, and sell the bits, but let's be realistic, most thieves want laptops, which equate to quick money. Having bios passwords on my expensive Fujitsu laptops doesn't guarantee they won't get stolen, but it would sure spoil the day of any thief when he turned them on.
 

AlaninDR

Mr. Chunky Skin
Dec 17, 2002
702
135
63
Many laptops have dipswitches that can be changed to clear the password. Or, in some cases you can remove the CMOS battery and that will clear it.
 

bochinche

Bronze
Jun 19, 2003
747
10
0
i missed this one when it originally opened.

- you people will really hate me now.
i bought my laptop from a (dominican) policeman - bargain!