Adventures in hotel theft

While I was away in Italy, I had one unfortunate thing happen. A pair of $100 vModa headphones and a $40 USB Flash card reader were stolen from my hotel room. I complained to the front desk, but they didn't seem terribly interested in solving the mystery. So, upon returning I wrote the hotel manager and the ensuing exchange sounds like correspondence with a Nigerian prince. Names have been removed to protect the innocent (or guilty as it may be).

First, my email:

Dear Management:

I recently spent a week in your hotel as part of the ****** group. While there I had 2 items taken from my room by someone on your staff who had access.

The first item was a pair of headphones ($100USD). I first discovered they were missing on Sunday, March 30. I found the rubber tip by the door after I came in late that night having been out all day. I thought it strange, since I hadn' t had them near the door. But when I went to put them back on the headphones, I discovered they were gone. I had left them on the night stand table beside the bed.

The second item that went missing was a USB computer device for viewing camera photos on a computer. This device costs about $40USD.

I would like to be compensated by your hotel for these items. I know that they were not lost by me, but taken from my room. Someone on your staff who has access to the rooms took them, whether with intent or not. I feel it is your responsibility to provide a room safe from theives. Please let me know how I can be compensated for this loss.

Thank you for your help on this matter. I am sure that ******'s Italy office in Milan will be happy to hear that the hotel management worked to resolve this issue in case it chooses to use the hotel again in the future.

Thanks,

Jeff Foxx

This was sent on 4/7. Over a week went by before I heard a reply. Honestly, I had assumed the email was going to be ignored.

From: *******
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:27 AM
To: Jeff Foxx
Subject: Hotel theft

Dear Mr. Foxx,

First of all I wish to apologize for the delay in this letter of mine. I was away on business when the theft occurred, then the Furniture Show started, keeping all of us exceedingly busy until late hours.
I have read your mail of April 7th and I would like to express my deepest regret for such a frustrating event. We are literally shocked by such a terrible occurrence.

At the same time I believe that one crucial piece of information must be provided you:
- the thief is not part of our staff. Our video cameras in the Hotel allowed us to recognize the criminal, who in fact had worked here for a short trial period in the past (this is the reason why he knows the premises so well), after which he was released. The videos are available for your vision, in case you desire to watch the criminal action and recognize the robber (of whom we retain I.D. for comparison)
The damage this crook has caused us is immense, because ****** is one of our Prime Clients.

All our staff, the General Manager Mr. **** ***** and myself would like to express again our most sincere distress for this regrettable occasion, and at the same time we would like to fully refund you for the loss of your headphones and USB device. It will be our private contribution, without intervention of the insurance company, in order to reduce the time gap for your total refund to the shortest possible. All that we need are your bank-account data and a copy of your purchase receipts, required to write off the cost of our contribution from our books.

I wish to thank you for your serene evaluation of this dreadful accident and I take this opportunity to remain

Very Truly yours

*********** ********
Sole Director
Hotel *******