<p>A friend of ours had a son whose computer, ipod, cell phone, and wallet with all IDs as well as his textbooks were in his backpack (good thing he is a big strong kid). The backpack was stolen, likely from the dorm room, although this kid would leave his head someplace if it weren't attached so anything is possible.</p>
<p>Do kids have room safes? locks? laptop locks? I suspect not, but I'd love to hear how your kids are safeguarding their valuables.</p>
<p>The best way to keep things from being stolen from the dorm room is to LOCK THE DOOR AT ALL TIMES.</p>
<p>When DD lived in the dorm, she did have a laptop lock for her computer to lock it to the desk. Her IPod and phone were with her most of the time. </p>
<p>She had NOTHING else valuable with her (no “good” jewelry"…no designer pocket books…etc). </p>
<p>DS’s only valuables were his musical instruments and those were locked up in a locker in the music building practice room area.</p>
<p>I bought D1 a safe for her jewelries and important documents (passport) when she was a freshman. The truth is she never used it. At her school, kids regularly leave their laptop at public places and it’s very rare anything gets stolen. I think it really depends on where the schools is. My daughter goes to Cornell, nothing happens in Ithaca. Last year she lived in her sorority, she left all her money and jewelries in her unlocked room, and she didn’t have any problem.</p>
<p>I am getting a laptop lock but I don’t know if I’ll even use it, perhaps in public places so that I don’t have to be QUITE as vigilant. Theft is just about the only crime concern at my school but it is a major one. Our dorm doors lock automatically so as long as it is shut it’ll be fine. I am not a big fan of leaving the door open, as many students like to do, because I was brought up with the idea that it is not wise to showcase all the items you have to steal to the general public. I am just making it a point to avoid bringing valuables if I can, and what I do bring gets stowed away so that it can’t quickly be swept up by a thief. No good jewelry is coming, but my digital camera and laptop are, so when I am not there to watch them I don’t intend to leave them sitting out where they can easily be grabbed if my roommate is dumb enough to leave the door open when she goes to use the restroom.</p>
<p>Older D had one of those lock boxes that she kept inside a dresser drawer. Then we started thinking that someone could just take the entire lock box if they wanted.</p>
<p>Younger D has a footlocker. We got the wheels and it just rolls right under her bed. She keeps her iPod, camera, extra money, etc. in the tray that comes with it. Down below she keeps gifts for unexpected birthdays, an electric blanket, iron (never used), etc. We thought it would make a great coffee table after college in her first apartment. We also thought if someone tried to leave the dorm with a large trunk, someone would see them. My sister also got one for her son. At first he said he would never use it. Now he admits it was a great idea. <a href=“Trunks - Trunks made in the USA. A great trunk for camp or college.”>Trunks - Trunks made in the USA. A great trunk for camp or college.;
<p>Theft in college almost always seems to be a crime of opportunity. The best defense is to just not leave your valuable lying around and keep your dorm door shut (and locked!).</p>
<p>My kids used a laptop lock in the room. It’s inexpensive, easy and quick to use, and makes the unlocked laptops more attractive to a casual thief who might be another student. </p>
<p>The best safeguard is to keep the door locked when not there but when there are multiple people per room who might not lock the door (unless it’s an auto-locking door) and each of them might have other students visiting and coming/going the laptop could disappear but the lock will likely discourage the person.</p>
<p>A laptop lock, and a file cabinet with a locking drawer. We also have computers, cameras and musical instruments insured.</p>
<p>My son never used his laptop lock once. Then he had a roommate who lost his key and taped the lock open for a semester. Nothing was stolen from the dorm room, but he did have his bike stolen on campus after he left it there for days while he was out of town. For son number two, we just purchased dorm/renter’s insurance covering all valuables- about $7,000.00 worth with a $25.00 deductible. That seemed easier than dealing with our homeowner’s policy which has a large deductible. Now, if something gets stolen, my son can file the police report at school and deal with the insurance company on his own.</p>
<p>My kid has used her complete faith in her dorm-mates, and (had it been needed) dorm insurance. The laptop lock never left the Office Depot blister-pack it came in. No room or way to get locking file cabinet to her school. Ah, youth…<br>
So far she’s been lucky. The only thing that has gone missing was the cell phone that was in coat pocket - did it fall out into the snow as she dashed home or did someone take it? Since she had no idea we didn’t file a police report.
My advice, get a low deductable policy for kid’s dorm goods. Most cover damage also, so if glasses get stepped on or computer falls out while biking to class they are covered and your home-owner’s insurance isn’t involved. We use a company called CSI. Since we have never tried to collect I hesitate to actually recommend them…</p>
<p>Can someone tell me more about the insurance options here? My dad said he was thinking about putting a rider on our homeowners insurance (I don’t know anything about insurance to know what that means), is that really the best way to do it or are there other options?</p>
<p>This is what we have purchased
[CSI</a> College Student Insurance Home](<a href=“http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/]CSI”>http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/)</p>
<p>It may be cheaper than a rider on your homeowner’s insurance. Since we have never (knock wood) had to file a claim I have zero knowledge of how good they are.</p>
<p>If you start a thread with their name in the title you might flush out some people who have tried to collect and if they could…</p>
<p>We went with NSSI ([National</a> Student Sevices](<a href=“http://www.nssi.com/]National”>http://www.nssi.com/)). I also made sure the cable lock was on the laptop before we left. It’s a 17" monster (doubles as a TV) and he’s not going to be hauling it around campus.</p>
<p>The dorm room doors don’t lock automatically. For a school that touts its honor code, it was a bit unnerving to see signs around campus about several stolen laptops.</p>
<p>My daughter uses the “Lock the door when you leave the room” method.</p>
<p>From my observation of the crime reports on DD’s campus - we get the student newspaper that publishes the report, most of the thefts occur in the other buildings or from cars. Not as many in the dorms at her school. Constant reminders for the students not to leave anything anywhere to “just go to the bathroom” or “just go look for another book” or get a cup of coffee. Don’t leave anything in the car. And DD has learned form an early age - don’t put anything into the trunk after you park the car. Into the trunk before you park or move the car. </p>
<p>It is the public areas that are open to the public not necessary associated with the school and to students not known to yours that are the greatest risk. In the dorm, sensible precautions.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids have laptop locks. They both try to keep their valuables out of sight and keep the door locked on their dorm/apartment. </p>
<p>My S’s experience with theft was when he left his wallet and cell phone on the bench at the U’s gym & went to use the bathroom–he was surprised & irked to find it stolen! D also had her bike lock & chain stolen but they weren’t interested in her bike (too ugly?)</p>
<p>S2 “lost” the laptop lock he had but never used. Actually he left it somewhere in his first dorm room when he changed rooms 2nd semester. This was the lock he inherited from S1 who never used it his 4 years in college. We just encourage our kids to lock the door when they leave & strongly urge roommates to do the same. As far as they can tell, nothing has ever been stolen from their rooms.
We do have the student insurance through CSI just in case.</p>
<p>D uses her laptop lock all the time. She also has the footlocker under the bed for other valuables - got that idea from MidwestParent last year. I have a personal articles rider on my homeowner’s policy that covers everything - including my laptop. I think either that or one of the other policies mentioned is fine - just get whichever is the cheaper of the two.</p>
<p>I think it’s time schools provide each student in the dorms a safe or other highly secure storage spot. Kids have too many valuables plus the threat of idenity theft, etc. I’m thinking something like you find in hotels but a little larger to hold a laptop, etc.</p>
<p>dragonmom and others here will be glad to learn that CSI has paid out twice on my daughter’s policy - which cost us about $185 per year for $8000 worth of coverage. During her freshman year they paid over $300 to replace her broken camera and this summer (it is a 12 month policy) they paid over $1000 to repair her broken laptop. I was absolutely astounded and delighted that they made the process very simple and straightforward and paid within a couple of weeks. I recommend CSI very, very highly.</p>
<p>The one note I’d like to add is that you need your original receipts to file claims so do keep those. In the case of her computer, it was purchased from Apple and we were able to find the receipt online in her Apple account and also in an old email.</p>
<p>As oldfort pointed out, there are schools where students and staff are more inclined to return lost valuables than to steal them. If your S/D attends a different type of school, put the vauables in a locked drawer and then LOCK THE DOOR.</p>