Merry Christmas? No not really thanks to burglers and 1car1 car hire

In my last post I was happy that Christmas was going well for Khamma, me and my family. It was probably the best Christmas I have had for a long time - until today. Last night we were burgled and quite a lot of damage has been made to the patio doors. I had my camera stolen, but not the pictures because I had downloaded everything up to yesterday. The hire car was stolen though, and throughout the day this added more distress and anger to the situation, but more about this later.

We were in the house as these low lives forced the door and then came upstairs to take the car and house keys. It is a bit mind blowing to realise people are in the house, at night, without you knowing. There are lessons to be learned and I urge you to make sure that a few common sense actions can make a difference:

1. Don't ever think 'it can't happen to me'.
2. Don't leave anything of value lying around - cameras and keys in particular.
3. Make sure you replace the faulty bulb in the security lights around your property.
4. Make sure you have security lights because not even the most stupid burglar will work in full view under bright lights.
5. Check your patio doors for security bolts and fit them - now!
6. Back up your photos regularly and keep the back up separate from your pc. (The thieves didn't take the laptop, but the external hard drive was with it!)

Simple common sense might have deterred the scum that visited last night.

Within half an I had informed the police and the car hire company and we started to come to terms with the night's events. Overall the police have been very good with a prompt visit followed by the SOCI (Scene of Crime Investigation - see how I pick up the jargon?) and a visit from the Community policewoman who was very sympathetic and reassuring.

Khamma couldn't understand why these 'people no good' could do such things, and the whole experience was new to her and a bit upsetting. This sort of thing doesn't happen in Thamuang. I felt annoyed that my country, my village, my people had done this to tarnish the image for her. It has also caused a serious change in plan to the holiday because of sorting out boarding up the door, changing the locks, phoning the insurance. Inconvenience (and costly).

But all of this has been far worse by the attitude of the car hire company 1car1. That is 1CAR1.com They have left me high and dry by refusing to provide a replacement car. They quote that company policy does not allow a customer to be provided with a replacement car if the original car has been stolen, until a full police report has been received. Is this the same with all car hire companies? So despite the fact the police spoke with the 'stolen car department' at 1car1 the un-named 'Operations Director' confirmed that a replacement car would not be provided and that I cannot take out a new hire contract with them until the police report has been received.

Where does that leave me? Well car less for a start, which is a bit inconvenient in Diggle at the best of times, but we need to get a few things sorted out like food and additional security. Their attitude is unbelievable and leaves me, the poor old customer, feeling like a suspect in the crime. I think they could have done themselves much more good if they had been sympathetic and replaced the car, after all it's down to insurance now - isn't it? Instead all that they have succeeded in doing is fobbing me off with an excuse of 'company policy' and blaming the operations director and at the same time protecting him by not allowing me to speak to him. These actions do nothing to promote the farang culture to Khamma who has for the most part of the day remained bemused and confused. I have tried to explain we are the victims of a crime but in England you are treated as the criminal.

Of course everything could be worse and we have a lot to be thankful for - meeting somebody half way down the stairs could have ended up in a serious situation. Thankfully nobody is hurt, but impressions have been made; Good ones; the police cannot be faulted, the insurance company (Nat West) has been efficient, and Bad ones; 1car1 are appalling. I do not recommend this company to anyone. They maybe cheaper but their claim that 'the price you see is what you pay' is not true. It's like everything else you do not how good anything is until it breaks. In this time of goodwill to all men, commercial survival is a premium 1car1 could have made a great name for themselves today, but instead they created a dis-satisfied customer who is doing his best to share the experience with everybody.

Time to move on.