thieves at LAX... beware
 

this is the letter i had to fax to american airlines since they don't accept calls or emails if the reservation was on one of their "alliance" carriers... even when the bag was in their possession at the time of the theft. if you are carrying any electronic items of value, DO NOT PUT THEM IN CHECKED BAGGAGE. they can and do steal electronic equipment and you have no recourse... NONE. just a helpful warning to other webmasters who travel internationally.... after cashing in my miles, i'll be changing the airlines i use :mad:

sucks big time

weve had that too LONG ago, once a stolen lens once an idiot who tried to tax us for importing into the EU while it was bought there.

So: EVERYtime our photographer travels with his equipment he keeps copies of the receipts and pics of the equipment.

Its the hard way to learn, I hope they do cover something.

I hate to read stories like this one. Very sad to think that this is what it has become, I bet this happens all the time every.

Also make sure you got the proper tax exempt forms, we had some serious shit with that too. And you dont wanna pay EU taxes on something that youre gonna take along for the holidays.

You shouldn't have said "i trusted you and this is how you do loyal customers? "

because the grammmmar ain't right,boss.

all grammatical and spelling errors were included in the post... sorry, i didn't spell/grammar check before contacting them about their theft of my 5,000 DOLLAR CAMERA. :disgust .... why is there always some grammar/spelling nazi on gfy?

Damn Q'On...really sorry to hear that man. Worst I ever had was someone stealing a VHS porno outta my bag (they left my PS2..cause I guess they figured I'd report that).

A couple of years ago we got a million dollar world wide insurance policy for our photostudio. It runs about $400 a month, but it sure as shit is worth it for the piece of mind. Especially since we've been starting to travel abroad more often. Good luck with everything. I hope it all works out.

Well the point is, they spot poor grammar and they think 'this guy's a scammer or an idiot' and they don't do anything to help you. If you'd put on the high and mighty businessman act then they might pay more attention. That's all. It's highly unlikely you'll ever see your stuff again, though. It sucks. I'm sorry for ya. :upsidedow

honestly it doesn't matter how "proper" the language... i could speak in tongues and i still wouldn't get my shit back. the fact that i bought my ticket for 1300US and have done so thru my travel agent many times on their airline pretty much eliminates the possibility that i'm an idiot or a scammer. i doubt they'll be changing their policy cuz i used perfect english in my complaint letter.... but thanks for the well wishes.

thats fucked...

fucked up and it sucks for you

Sorry to hear it man. I have something spare if you need to shoot right away :)

Good luck with finding the ass holes, but unfortunately the odds are slim.

I fly them all the time...usually I never check items that I can not loose, but thanks for the info

sorry for your situation

Mr. Romance

DAMN.. Thieves suck

Pretty much standard policy on all US carriers these days.

which is y i absolutely HATE flying US carriers.... they are the shame of the fucking world. u fly on a foreign carrier and u feel like you've been warped into some dimension where airlines actually realize that they are in business because of their customers. am i the only one that feels like us carriers have a "we're doing you a favor by serving you water, orange juice & selling u 'snack packs' for 5 bucks" :disgust

that's what equipment insurance is for

Damn Q?on, that really sucks. I HATE thieves!! :disgust Can?t you carry that stuff on board with you? I never leave anything of value with luggage I check in.

you've really got to just fly into burbank. whatever it takes. whatever the expense. It's a much healthier experience.

Rule #1... don't check cameras. You are permitted to take camera equipment as carry on. If you can afford a 1D, you can afford a decent travel bag for it.

My Canon XL1 video camera is all in a case that is 100% carry on legal, fits in an overhead bin, and isn't an issue.

Never check a camera, never check a laptop, and never check anything of value that can easily be seen on an X-ray scan (because all bags get scanned).

yeah, the travel bag is nice but is big cuz it carries both my canons... the GL2 and the 1D. i had become so accustomed to not having problems, i made this very costly error... insurance and a more compact travel bag will be on order and in use for the next trip. thanks for all the condolences.... i now just hope no one else has to feel how i felt when i opened my bag and saw my shit gone :(

Sorry to hear about that.

I wonder if it is possible to include a tracking device with expensive electronic equipment...maybe something like this:

http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/h4100.html

I feel for you. I've had problems with TSA, in the past. Nothing like you've had though. Below, is an excerpt from a gov't site and at the bottom, I've included the link for TSA forms. Hope this helps.

Pilfered/Damaged Bags -- In addition to playing a role in some baggage delays, security screening can also contribute to damaged or pilfered baggage. Claims allegedly resulting from incidents that occur at a passenger screening checkpoint (about 15 percent of all claims received by TSA) are handled exclusively by TSA. However, claims related to checked baggage (about 85 percent of claims received by TSA) could be the fault of either TSA, the air carrier, or other third parties. Therefore, a passenger whose checked baggage has been damaged or pilfered must file two claims, one with TSA and one with the airline. Claims filed with TSA are resolved in accordance with the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), while claims filed with an air carrier are resolved in accordance with that carrier's "Contract of Carriage."

When TSA receives a claim, it is assigned to a claims examiner. The examiner does all the research and makes a recommendation on the claim. Then a TSA Delegated Authority Official reviews the claim and the research provided and either approves or denies the claim.

It is often difficult to tell whether TSA or the airline is to blame for damaged or stolen items. If TSA is unable to determine whether TSA or the airline is at fault, TSA usually pays half of the amount claimed. TSA pays some amount of compensation on approximately 47 percent of claims received. In FY 2005, TSA paid $2.3 million to settle claims.

If the preponderance of the evidence shows that the airline or the passenger was at fault, TSA denies the claim. Under the FTCA, there is a redress procedure under which the passenger can request reconsideration of a denied claim. Approximately 30 percent of denied claims request reconsideration. When that happens, the claim goes to a different Delegated Authority Official at TSA for review and reconsideration.

The number of claims filed with TSA has declined. From 2002 through 2005, approximately 2,000 baggage claims were filed each month. Currently, about 1,700 baggage claims are filed per month. TSA attributes this in part to better education of travelers about not packing valuable or fragile items in checked baggage.

TSA Form

while i feel for your situation im kinda suprised that your suprised in any way..

You checked a 5k camera with AA with no insurance ??

Where have you been that last 10 years ? :) they show videos all the time of airline employees stealing shit.. not sure why you ever trusted them to begin with..

ok now how to get your money back.. someone mentioned the grammar in your fax and you downplayed it , but i gotta say he has a point.. I have a few other tips for you as well. Consider your fax as a $5000 fax so its really important its done well.. Companies dont care about you , they care about $$$ thats it.. they dont care about your loyalty etc.. So get down to brass tacks, and make them see how much $$ they will lose if they ignore you..

example.

" Dear AA , My name is John Smith and i am the owner of a hollywood film production company. My employees all fly AA business class , totalling over 100 flights a year Recently i flew on flight xxx from xxx to xxx and photography itmes were stolen from my baggage by AA employees.


Included in this letter are receipts and costs to replace the items stolen. If the items are not replaced i will be forced to cancel our business flights and switch them to a more trustworthy airline.

Below are receipts for my flight and reports i filed with the police regarding the stolen items.


John Smith CEO fpb Entertainment.

Ouch. That sucks Qon.

I always carry my gear on. You've seen that bag I have with my gear... it's just the max limit for carry on.

I absolutely hate American Airlines with a passion. I'd rather fly on an aircraft with Bin Laden and take my chances against the US Air Force than fly American.
WG

Sorry to hear about your problem man...that really sucks. Hope you get it all worked out with the airline but I doubt that they'll step up to the plate and take responsibility for your camera. Most airlines are shit and will actually go out of their way to keep from reimbursing you for something that was stolen while under their control. Sad but true :Oh crap

Yeah, I know... sucks ass and I feel for ya... but don't let the airlines bully you into anything... Carry it on. If you have a bunch of stuff, and you are travelling with a friend, have them take one on for you.

Anything to avoid checking it.

FUCKIN COCK-SMOKERS....Those airlines hire such fuckin pricks!

Excellent idea, Smokey. I'd have to agree with you, there.

i am with you on this!
foreign carrier serve much better food too!

It's important to remember that more people than just AA employees handle your checked items.

I won't even put my $150 point and shoot camera in checked luggage...fuck that.

at LAX last year, they opened up my case and ripped off my camera.

sucks ass man, hope you get your shit back

Absolutely right, my cameras and laptop always travel with me as carry on's.
Back in September I flew martin Air out of Amsterdam and the check in girl said to me, you camera bag is overweight, you will have to check it.
I refused told her there wont be anything left in it by the time I got home. I came over on the same airline and there was not a problem with it being on board.
I offered to pay extra for the difference in weight, but it was a no go. So finally after the superviser also backed her, they told me well ok take it and put it in 2 bags instead, they gave me shitty plastic bag to put a camera and 2 flashes into. GGGGRRRRRRRR.
So much for my pro bag that keeps the equipment from being damaged. To make matter worse, the shit box planes overhead compartment were not large enough to hold the bag anyways. so it was under the front seat so I couldnt strch my legs out properly.
Guess who's NOT flying Martin Air again:321GFY
Sorry to hear about your loss :(

very good point actually.... i'll keep this in mind as i move forward. at this point though, i don't have much recourse as the cam was in great condition but it was over 3 years old and the receipt was misplaced a long time ago... again, thanks for all the advice... i won't be making the same stupid mistake again.. that's assuming i can afford to get a camera like that again :Oh crap

Exactly.
I would never thinking about checking a Camera.

I also always book with my Amex to get their insurance on my checked and carry on items.


For your sake I hope you get some kind of claim.

My stuff is with me or UPS'ed to my destination.