Sadly more and more musicians are experiencing the pain of having their precious musical instruments stolen. Instrument insurance is a vital consideration for bands and musicians, as it can ensure owners are not left out of pocket if they fall victim to a crime.
Insure4Music recently shared some tips on how you can protect yourself from theft but now we’re going to look at a worst-case scenario: what should you do when your instrument is stolen and how do you go about trying to get it back...
Tell the police
Your first call must be to the police who will give you a crime reference number and then hopefully help you locate your instrument by putting out an appeal to the press and public. They should also offer advice on what you should do next.
Check with local second-hand shops
The sooner you can check any local resale shops the better as these will often be thieves’ first port of call if they are after quick cash. It’s remarkable how successful this tactic can be.
Think about putting together a flyer, with as much information as you can gather together such as make, colour, serial numbers and pictures, and distribute these to each shop.
Keep monitoring online retailers
A thorough search of ebay may well throw up what you’re looking for. If you find you’re instrument DO NOT take matters into your own hands by trying to purchase your instrument or recovering it on your own. Check out ebay’s stolen goods policy for more information.
Get your friends and family onside
The more people who can help you the better so talk to your friends and family and make sure they’re all keeping a look out too.
Talk to the music community
Chances are your fellow musicians will feel your pain and be pretty sympathetic so they’ll be bound to help. Try putting up flyers and posters in local practice and rehearsal rooms and see if anyone else has suffered the same misfortune. If the thieves try and sell your instrument, it might well be to one of your fellow musicians.
Get involved with music forums
Just like your fellow musicians down the practice room online forum users should be just as sympathetic about your instrument. Ask users to keep an eye out for you and you’ll be increasing massively the number of people on your side.
Of course, if you are unlucky enough not to get their instrument back using these methods perhaps it’s time to think about insuring your instrument. Our insurance policy has been designed for all types of musicians, from pianists to guitarists, to gigging musicians, including bands and groups, music teachers, DJs or singers.
Wherever your music takes you, we’ll give you the peace of mind that you and your equipment is covered. And the best bit is that with Insure4Music, you won’t pay a penny more than you need to.
Get specialist music insurance today.
Please note the information provided on this page should not be taken as advice and has been written as a matter of opinion. For more on insurance cover and policy wording, see our homepage.