Passport stolen. leaving in two hours. Help

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by Elysium

Just for clarification-someone got into the building and entered the condo through an unlocked hallway door at 6:30 AM? Pretty brazen entering with people there and probably had been (or planned to) go through the building testing doors.

I still am quite curious/disturbed about this. Did someone come into the building past "security" or from pool/garage entrance and enter your condo with you in it? Was your door unlocked? Kind of suggests they might have been working through the building testing doors and would have entered any or were you singled out?
Certainly glad all has worked out well but it seems a pretty brazen and potentially dangerous action.

[Chicago Sean]

Originally Posted by Elysium

I still am quite curious/disturbed about this. Did someone come into the building past "security" or from pool/garage entrance and enter your condo with you in it? Was your door unlocked? Kind of suggests they might have been working through the building testing doors and would have entered any or were you singled out?
Certainly glad all has worked out well but it seems a pretty brazen and potentially dangerous action.

more questions than answers... hard to figure how someone gets in a locked condo even if they get through the front gate

[gingele]

Originally Posted by rodman

Who really cares how bad your picture looks....? Only you and your vain friends...when they vacuum your body from the pool floor or the bottom of the pyramid at the ruins....that's when they look at your passport pic, to identify you....or at the bottom of the empty elevator shaft, the mis-step at the bus stop, the fall off the balcony at the ultimate hotel......be aware, be carefull....it might be vacation to you, but it is still a foriegn country...
Have a great trip!!!!!!

Originally Posted by kathy.web

WTF is this???

Exactly! WTF? rodman, you've really outdone yourself here. What a POS post.

[rob mackay]

Originally Posted by Magemay1120

I am her daughter so I will go ahead and answer this. We were actually on the third floor (very top) of the building. Mind you, this should have been a secure building as well, as they had security on duty, and they only way to get into the building, was with a key.

I truthfully belive this could have happened anywere, and under any circumstances. Unfortunately, we were the chosen ones at that time. Also, this happened at about 6:30am.

We have been in Playa more times than I can count, and have never had any problems. Unfortunately our luck ran out. Will this stop me from going to Mexico...NO WAY! Like I said, this could have happened anywere, and anytime.

My advise, check to make sure everything is locked, doors, windows, ETC. And don't take ANYTHING out of the safe until you are walking out the door, headed to the airport. Typically we keep these things of value in the safe, but because we were leaving the next morning, we pulled them out at that time. Won't be doing that again...

I will also say that the property managers at this particular condo were amazing!!! They knew a mistake was made, and went above and beyond to help out, so Kudos to them!

what was the mistake,,,how exactly did they get in...was the door unlocked to the condo,,,or did they have a key or pic the lock

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by Elysium

I still am quite curious/disturbed about this. Did someone come into the building past "security" or from pool/garage entrance and enter your condo with you in it? Was your door unlocked? Kind of suggests they might have been working through the building testing doors and would have entered any or were you singled out?
Certainly glad all has worked out well but it seems a pretty brazen and potentially dangerous action.

I am still curious about this too...was it another resident of the building, or a friend of a resident or renter, or someone who worked there....was it a break and enter while you were sleeping, or what?

[Magemay1120]

Originally Posted by Elysium

I still am quite curious/disturbed about this. Did someone come into the building past "security" or from pool/garage entrance and enter your condo with you in it? Was your door unlocked? Kind of suggests they might have been working through the building testing doors and would have entered any or were you singled out?
Certainly glad all has worked out well but it seems a pretty brazen and potentially dangerous action.

We do not know how the person entered the building. Usually the only way in is through the locked door and through a security guard. Was it an employee...maybe...was it a random person...maybe. And yes, this person entered our condo with us in it, and we were sleeping, it was about 6:30am. Were we singled out, I have no idea...I don't usually think the way theives do . I wish we had all the answers, but unfortunately, we don't. There are cameras throughout the entire complex, and the condo association was going to review them. I have no idea if we will ever know the outcome of that.

It could have certainly been a very dangerous situation, but all worked out in the end. My Mom will be home late tonight, and even though I speak for myself right now, I am sure glad she will be!

Things could have been a lot worse, but we are very lucky and thankful they were not.

[Magemay1120]

Originally Posted by rodman

Who really cares how bad your picture looks....? Only you and your vain friends...when they vacuum your body from the pool floor or the bottom of the pyramid at the ruins....that's when they look at your passport pic, to identify you....or at the bottom of the empty elevator shaft, the mis-step at the bus stop, the fall off the balcony at the ultimate hotel......be aware, be carefull....it might be vacation to you, but it is still a foriegn country...
Have a great trip!!!!!!

Seriously dude??? SO not cool! Regardless of if you are trying to be funny, this is my MOM you are speaking of! Not funny, not funny at all!!!

[Chicago Sean]

Originally Posted by Magemay1120

We do not know how the person entered the building. Usually the only way in is through the locked door and through a security guard. Was it an employee...maybe...was it a random person...maybe. And yes, this person entered our condo with us in it, and we were sleeping, it was about 6:30am. Were we singled out, I have no idea...I don't usually think the way theives do . I wish we had all the answers, but unfortunately, we don't. There are cameras throughout the entire complex, and the condo association was going to review them. I have no idea if we will ever know the outcome of that.

It could have certainly been a very dangerous situation, but all worked out in the end. My Mom will be home late tonight, and even though I speak for myself right now, I am sure glad she will be!

Things could have been a lot worse, but we are very lucky and thankful they were not.

we know that but we don't know how they entered the condo. were the doors unlocked? was the door opened with a key? was the door opened with force? did the thief enter the condo through a window or deck?

[Chicago Sean]

Originally Posted by Magemay1120

Seriously dude??? SO not cool! Regardless of if you are trying to be funny, this is my MOM you are speaking of! Not funny, not funny at all!!!

this guy is a tool. don't give it a second thought

[Magemay1120]

Originally Posted by Chicago Sean

we know that but we don't know how they entered the condo. were the doors unlocked? was the door opened with a key? was the door opened with force? did the thief enter the condo through a window or deck?

Not sure, as I said...we were sleeping. Did we forget to lock the door to our condo, sure, it's possible, did they enter with force, it didn't look like it. Did they enter with a key, that's possible as well. We did not know he was in there until my Mom woke up, and he was standing in her bedroom. It is unlikely that they entered through a window or deck, as we were on the third floor, but that I don't know either. I sure wish I knew...

[Chicago Sean]

Originally Posted by Magemay1120

Not sure, as I said...we were sleeping. Did we forget to lock the door to our condo, sure, it's possible, did they enter with force, it didn't look like it. Did they enter with a key, that's possible as well. We did not know he was in there until my Mom woke up, and he was standing in her bedroom. It is unlikely that they entered through a window or deck, as we were on the third floor, but that I don't know either. I sure wish I knew...

thanks and wow - that's creepy.

i hate to say it but it sounds like an inside job. at the very least the building management let you down with an open gate and a security guard that was less than vigilant.

[equinenut]

Originally Posted by Brent & Kim

What good is a copied passport or credit card? What am I missing here?

Not a lot of value based on my experience. The only thing having a copied PP did for me was get the # and issue date. Both of those fields are requested on the emergency form. The consular told me I didn't really need that but having it helped. CC's do have 1-800 numbers on the back but I found those easily enough on line. It's not a bad idea to have those copies somewhere but it's not going to totally eliminate the steps I had to complete and short of all other ID would not have got me on a plane anyway.

Originally Posted by prbst

Rodman, that really is one of the rudesness messages I've seen on here. If you feel that way about foreign countries, why are you on this thread, or site?

I knew there'd be one. Pfft. Mini lesson: given half a chance, there are a-holes that'll take a cheap shot at your belongings or you on either side of the boarder.

[stinker]

I'm sooooo glad everything worked out for you to get home! It sounds like people really helped you get through the process as painless as possible.

I think I know where you were staying, and I've stayed there a couple times. I can see how someone could get past security. I'm not frightened of someone checking handles as that happens so often where I live. Just curious if that's how they got in i.e. if your door was the first one they came to that was unlocked. It would be helpful for others to know simple "just in case" precautions.

[stinker]

ah ok! good to know! Won't keep me from staying there (unless you find out they did have a key but that's totally unknown).

[equinenut]

Originally Posted by Chicago Sean

thanks and wow - that's creepy.

i hate to say it but it sounds like an inside job. at the very least the building management let you down with an open gate and a security guard that was less than vigilant.

Yes and no. I think you're right, security was not tight enough. The security supervisor was called as well and I'm pretty sure based on tone of voice, there will be some changes made.

Management on the other hand could not have been more helpful and genuinely mortified. It was Laura the bldg manager that took me to the police station, translated for me and finally got me my certified police report. No way could I have done this alone!! She was a doll and one of many people I'm grateful to.