A TOURIST has revealed the big mistake he made after his bag got stolen in Spain – which contained more than $30,000 (£25,631) of personal items.
Patrick Biller was on holiday in Ibiza when he stopped at a cafe while waiting for a ferry.
He wrote on Architectural Photography Almanac: "While I waited to board the ferry, I sat down at an outdoor cafe to have a coffee with my suitcase and camera bag next to me.
"I turned to the right to admire Ibiza Town, pulled out my phone to take a quick snap of the boats, and when I turned back, my camera bag was gone.
"It took me a few moments to realize what had happened before I quickly got up, asking everyone around me if they saw someone take my bag.
"Nobody seemed interested in helping me but one man said that moments earlier there was a man sitting next to me having a drink and now he was gone."
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He said the thief had cut the bag straps and taken his camera bag – which had $30,000 (£25,631) of gear in it, including photography equipment, headphones, passport and €500 (£434) in cash.
Despite cancelling his credit and debit cards, he said they had already used the card in a taxi after stealing his things.
Not only that, but he realised his insurance didn't cover him.
Patrick continued: "I learned that my policy only covered hotel/motel break-ins with proof of forced entry up to $2,500 (£2,136).
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"This came as a total shock. I called them and they confirmed that this type of theft was not covered."
He added that the police were "very sympathetic" when he reported his stolen goods, and he miraculously got his passport back after a British tourist found it in a rental car 45 minutes away.
However, Patrick said the "most important lesson" he learned was to always check how much you are covered by travel insurance.
He finished by saying: "Learning that none of my gear was covered under my current plan was devastating.
"Take the time to get insurance if you don’t already have it, read the fine print, and ensure your policy is up to date and covers all of your current needs and gear."
Not only that, but to have notes of everything in your bag, including receipts and serial numbers, as this can be needed for insurance.
A young woman was left in £99,000 of debt after catching pneumonia on holiday and didn't have travel insurance.
Amanda Sesio, from New Zealand, was on holiday in the US when she fell ill, and was diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia which led to hypoxemic respiratory failure, several blood infections and fluid in the lungs.
After weeks in hospital, she was eventually discharged and returned to New Zealand after a month – but was left with a huge bill.
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