Experiencing a burglary is a difficult ordeal, both emotionally and administratively. Once the initial shock has passed, it is crucial to react quickly and methodically to ensure that your insurance company compensates you fully for your loss. To be reimbursed quickly and at the fair value of your belongings, you must be able to provide indisputable evidence to your insurer. Here is the complete checklist of steps to follow.
Step 1: Secure the premises and report the incident to the authorities
The first reaction upon discovering a burglary is often to want to tidy up or check what has disappeared. Do not touch anything! It is vital to preserve the scene exactly as the burglars left it. Law enforcement will need to collect fingerprints or traces of a break-in. Call the police immediately to report the offense.
File a complaint at the police station within 24 hours of discovering the theft. Do not forget to ask for a receipt of your complaint, as your insurer will require it to open your file. While waiting for the authorities to arrive, take as many photos as possible of the scene (broken doors, shattered windows, ransacked rooms).
Step 2: Notify your insurer (Legal deadlines to respect)
The law strictly regulates the deadlines for reporting a claim. Failure to comply with these deadlines can result in a forfeiture of coverage, meaning an outright refusal to compensate you. You must declare the claim to your insurance company:
- Theft or Burglary: Maximum 2 working days after discovery.
- Water damage / Fire / Storm: 5 working days.
- Natural disaster: 10 days after the publication of the official decree.
"Once these legal deadlines have passed, your insurer has the right to refuse any coverage. The speed of your declaration is just as important as the quality of your evidence. Don't wait until you have all the invoices to make the initial declaration."
Contact your insurance company by phone, then always confirm by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt or via your online customer area, to keep a time-stamped record of your declaration.
Step 3: Gather proof of ownership and value
This is the longest, most complex step, and the one that delays reimbursements the most. The fundamental principle of insurance is simple: it is up to the insured to prove not only the existence, but also the value of the missing items. For each valuable item, you should ideally provide:
- Original purchase invoices or scanned receipts, proving the date and purchase price.
- Photos of the object in its setting in your home, confirming that you did indeed own it before the incident.
- For works of art, antiques, or high-value jewelry: certificates of authenticity, recent appraisal reports, or detailed repair invoices.
- Serial numbers, bank statements, or even original boxes if available, which can serve as a presumption of proof.
If you do not have these documents, the expert appointed by the insurance company will apply a severe discount (depreciation), or simply refuse to compensate for the item.
Step 4: Use SafeInventa's Claim Mode
Searching for paper invoices in binders after a theft (where papers may have been overturned or destroyed) is a nightmare. If you have taken the time to keep your digital inventory up to date with SafeInventa, this step is resolved in a few clicks:
- Log in to your secure space from any computer or smartphone.
- Activate Claim Mode in your account settings.
- Select the home concerned and browse your inventory, simply checking the items that have been stolen or damaged.
- Choose to include your receipts and photos. SafeInventa generates a file that respects confidentiality standards (anonymized mode available).
- Validate the generation by 2FA double authentication to guarantee the security of the export.
- Download your certified PDF Claim Report.
This clear, exhaustive, and professional document lists the purchase value, calculates the estimated depreciation, and integrates all digital evidence (scanned photos and invoices). It can be sent directly to your insurance company's expert, often speeding up reimbursement by several weeks.
Step 5: The expert's visit
Depending on the estimated amount of the damage, the insurance company will appoint an independent expert. During their visit, give them a copy of the police report, the report generated by SafeInventa, as well as quotes for restoration (door repair, changing locks). Do not throw away any damaged items before their visit! Careful preparation with a complete file demonstrates your good faith and often deters the expert from excessively contesting the declared values.