I'll keep an eye out on Craigslist for your bike . . . I've never stopped looking for mine, and it's been two years.

Quote Originally Posted by Trek420 View Post
Still hoping for a happy ending .... right after you get a replacement via insurance.
Ah, but after filing my claim my insurance company also included in the final paperwork that if the stolen bike ever turns up, that they now own a financial interest in it . . . . not sure exactly what they meant by that -- whether I would have to pay them back for the replacement bike or whether they now consider themselves owners of the stolen bike and that I would have to pay them for its appraised value.

That said, I guess that would strictly depend on me doing the right thing and letting them know if the bike ever turns up.

Other downsides to filing an insurance claim, and this will vary according to your policy, location and personal situation: 1) our premium went up, and 2) when getting quotes for insurance on our new place, one very reputable company actually turned us down because we had filed a claim in the last 5 years.

Basically there are a few things to weigh as to whether it's worth filing a claim or whether you feel your pocketbook should take the hit. i.e., if I had known we would be moving in two years and a "little" thing like a stolen property claim would be held against me, I might have made a different decision.