Delaware home security customers: If you are the victim of robbery and you believe your electronics, jewelry or tools were taken to a pawn shop, do you have any chance of getting your property back? Possibly, but only if you are proactive in pursuing your goal. So, the first order of business is this: File a police report within 24 hours of the robbery. This is important because a police report with a list of stolen items can be matched up with the transaction copy from the pawn shop.
But your work doesn’t end there. If you have serial numbers for the stolen items, they provide the best chance you have of getting those items back. Of course, that means that you should create a record of serial numbers now, before anything gets stolen. It may feel like overkill, but trust us: If you are ever robbed, you’ll be glad you have those numbers with you. It’s unfortunate, but some pawn shops won’t give you the time of day unless you have serial numbers on you.
Then, you’ll also want to have receipts. Granted, you may not have the receipts for your personal electronics or jewelry, especially if they were purchased years ago. But you can keep the receipts from your holiday purchases this year; if a robbery occurs (an increasingly common occurrence during the gifting season), you’ll be glad you have those tiny pieces of paper to prove you purchased those items.
Truthfully, there is no guarantee that you can recover your stolen property from a pawn shop. But if you are proactive, persistent and have all the necessary documentation, your chances of ever seeing your items again are greatly increased. Hopefully, none of our Delaware home security customers will need to use these tips; but if the worst case scenario happens, you can be prepared.