Rolex Stolen off my wrist in Barcelona
Discussion
mitzadoo said:
Hi, my wife was robbed on the morning of 1 may 2017 at 05:45 am in Barcelona, in the Barceloneta zone, street Carrer De Ramon, near the Opium and Catwalk club. After leaving the club and searching for a taxi, a group of 5-6 persons made a circle around us and they stold her watch from her hand. It was a Hublot Big Bang Steel with Diamonds, Reference 341.SX.130.RX.114, serial number 1107309. We also made a complaint at the police in Barcelona. I spent two nights speaking with persons that work on that area and they told me that every nigh from 04 am to 06 am this group of persons (Pakistanez, turkish and maro) steal watches, wallets from the persons that are leaving the clubs. Also, from what I can see the police is not interested in stopping them. I am willing to offer a 2500 euros reward for recovering the watch.
Thank you!
Very, very, common in Barcelona. The police must have a massive list of complaints !Thank you!
It's not just down to race/ethnicity.
Never sensible to wear anything expensive in cities like Barcelona, Rome etc
Hoofy said:
The best way to get the authorities interested is by telling people not to travel there unless you want to be mugged. When tourism dies in the area they will do something.
In the case of Barca this doesn't seem to really work. The place has had the reputation for shenanigans for as long as I have been going there (over 20 years) yet the number of tourists has increased exponentially year on year. In fact Barca has it so bad now that the locals feel like there's no room left over for them. The city has 1.6 million inhabitants and last year there were 32 million unique visitors/tourists. In fact I would say it is the oversaturation of tourists that leads to the indifference when people steal from them... "Busting the boom: why Barcelona wants to curb mass tourism"
Someone I know got mugged in a train station a few years ago in Barcelona.
Someone walking behind her pointed out there's something on the back of her jacket. She looked and sure enough her back was covered in something that looked like soup... She took her jacket off to examine it better, but in doing so had to place placed her bag at her feet - bag was gone in 2 seconds and so was the "helpful" guy.
Police weren't interested - she had to get a police report for the travel insurance to pay out, it took 2 days out of her 5 day holiday just sitting in the police station, waiting.
I've heard too many stories to ever want to visit Barcelona.
Someone walking behind her pointed out there's something on the back of her jacket. She looked and sure enough her back was covered in something that looked like soup... She took her jacket off to examine it better, but in doing so had to place placed her bag at her feet - bag was gone in 2 seconds and so was the "helpful" guy.
Police weren't interested - she had to get a police report for the travel insurance to pay out, it took 2 days out of her 5 day holiday just sitting in the police station, waiting.
I've heard too many stories to ever want to visit Barcelona.
mitzadoo said:
Hi, my wife was robbed on the morning of 1 may 2017 at 05:45 am in Barcelona, in the Barceloneta zone, street Carrer De Ramon, near the Opium and Catwalk club. After leaving the club and searching for a taxi, a group of 5-6 persons made a circle around us and they stold her watch from her hand. It was a Hublot Big Bang Steel with Diamonds, Reference 341.SX.130.RX.114, serial number 1107309. We also made a complaint at the police in Barcelona. I spent two nights speaking with persons that work on that area and they told me that every nigh from 04 am to 06 am this group of persons (Pakistanez, turkish and maro) steal watches, wallets from the persons that are leaving the clubs. Also, from what I can see the police is not interested in stopping them. I am willing to offer a 2500 euros reward for recovering the watch.
Thank you!
Are the police even been paid in spain ?. Thank you!
Not sure what to say, but I thought that Barcelona is a very nice and civilised city, BUT this is totally wrong. After 10 minutes she was robbed, I stopped a police car at 200m from the place she was robbed and the police officers told us that they cannot help us, we need to go to the police station. At the police station we waited 2 hours for someone to speak english because nobody spoke english. We live in Bucharest, Roumania, this is far down than Barcelona off course, but here if someone steal you a 15.000 eur watch from your hand on a street with 8-10 surveillance cameras, a street full of clubs and tourists that spends money every night, the thief is caught in maximum 24 hours! BUT I don't think someone is crazy enough to try and steal in this manner. Anyway, my advice is to avoid Barcelona and don't wear expensive watches, cash money and so on.....
mitzadoo said:
Not sure what to say, but I thought that Barcelona is a very nice and civilised city, BUT this is totally wrong. After 10 minutes she was robbed, I stopped a police car at 200m from the place she was robbed and the police officers told us that they cannot help us, we need to go to the police station. At the police station we waited 2 hours for someone to speak english because nobody spoke english. We live in Bucharest, Roumania, this is far down than Barcelona off course, but here if someone steal you a 15.000 eur watch from your hand on a street with 8-10 surveillance cameras, a street full of clubs and tourists that spends money every night, the thief is caught in maximum 24 hours! BUT I don't think someone is crazy enough to try and steal in this manner. Anyway, my advice is to avoid Barcelona and don't wear expensive watches, cash money and so on.....
Really sorry to hear about this, Barcelona is an over-rated s
t hole (IMO).A pal of mine had his wallet nicked in Barca going back to 1994, its been going on for years in Las Ramblas.
He was on mid tour leave from Ops in NI. He and another pal from the Regiment in Germany chased and caught said scrote.
He fell down some steps before he was handed over to the police for some reason....
He was on mid tour leave from Ops in NI. He and another pal from the Regiment in Germany chased and caught said scrote.
He fell down some steps before he was handed over to the police for some reason....
ellroy said:
A pal of mine had his wallet nicked in Barca going back to 1994, its been going on for years in Las Ramblas.
He was on mid tour leave from Ops in NI. He and another pal from the Regiment in Germany chased and caught said scrote.
He fell down some steps before he was handed over to the police for some reason....
He was on mid tour leave from Ops in NI. He and another pal from the Regiment in Germany chased and caught said scrote.
He fell down some steps before he was handed over to the police for some reason....
mitzadoo said:
Not sure what to say, but I thought that Barcelona is a very nice and civilised city, BUT this is totally wrong. After 10 minutes she was robbed, I stopped a police car at 200m from the place she was robbed and the police officers told us that they cannot help us, we need to go to the police station. At the police station we waited 2 hours for someone to speak english because nobody spoke english. We live in Bucharest, Roumania, this is far down than Barcelona off course, but here if someone steal you a 15.000 eur watch from your hand on a street with 8-10 surveillance cameras, a street full of clubs and tourists that spends money every night, the thief is caught in maximum 24 hours! BUT I don't think someone is crazy enough to try and steal in this manner. Anyway, my advice is to avoid Barcelona and don't wear expensive watches, cash money and so on.....
I'm sorry this happened to you and your wife but it's hard to imagine how anyone could not know what Barcelona is like. I would also say that while I think people should be able to have nice things, wearing a €15K watch in a place you're not familiar with seems foolhardy not just in terms of having the watch taken, but also in terms of personal safety.
Sheepshanks said:
I would also say that while I think people should be able to have nice things, wearing a €15K watch in a place you're not familiar with seems foolhardy not just in terms of having the watch taken, but also in terms of personal safety.
Reminds me of when I was in Mexico a few years ago and decided to explore. I hired a VW Jetta and went for a drive through the countryside. After a while driving in the middle of nowhere and passing hundreds of tiny brick shacks no bigger than a cupboard (no windows, some had no roofs, each had about 10 hammocks strung up inside)... It then clicked... I hadn't seen another car for at least an hour. Nobody knew my exact location. There was no phone signal. I could have "disappeared" without a trace so easily... And the car I was driving (as well as my phone/cash/etc) was worth more money than most of the locals would see in a lifetime.Made a very hasty exit back to civilisation, really glad that I had enough fuel and didn't break down. I'm not normally that stupid, but it's easy to make mistakes when you haven't been stung before...
Happened me twice over the years. I have travelled a huge amount and should know better.
(1) Chicago: was staying in a very good hotel. Coming up to my room at about midnight after dinner. A very obvious hooker got on from a floor on the way up and propositioned me. I said no so she came over to hug me and tell me about the good time. I pushed her away and she left at another floor swearing . Only when I got to my room did I realize that my wallet was gone.
(2) Berlin
Waking on the street at lunchtime. Approached to sign a petition. He pushed it at me. I said no. iPhone gone and i did not feel it.
Both cases of classic misdirection. I do have good watches but not wear them for travel and leave most of my cards etc in hotel safe. I just take what I will be actually using.
(1) Chicago: was staying in a very good hotel. Coming up to my room at about midnight after dinner. A very obvious hooker got on from a floor on the way up and propositioned me. I said no so she came over to hug me and tell me about the good time. I pushed her away and she left at another floor swearing . Only when I got to my room did I realize that my wallet was gone.
(2) Berlin
Waking on the street at lunchtime. Approached to sign a petition. He pushed it at me. I said no. iPhone gone and i did not feel it.
Both cases of classic misdirection. I do have good watches but not wear them for travel and leave most of my cards etc in hotel safe. I just take what I will be actually using.
mitzadoo said:
Hi, my wife was robbed on the morning of 1 may 2017 at 05:45 am in Barcelona, in the Barceloneta zone, street Carrer De Ramon, near the Opium and Catwalk club. After leaving the club and searching for a taxi, a group of 5-6 persons made a circle around us and they stold her watch from her hand. It was a Hublot Big Bang Steel with Diamonds, Reference 341.SX.130.RX.114, serial number 1107309. We also made a complaint at the police in Barcelona. I spent two nights speaking with persons that work on that area and they told me that every nigh from 04 am to 06 am this group of persons (Pakistanez, turkish and maro) steal watches, wallets from the persons that are leaving the clubs. Also, from what I can see the police is not interested in stopping them. I am willing to offer a 2500 euros reward for recovering the watch.
Thank you!
Sure it wasn't the style police?Thank you!
My gf went to Benidorm on a hen do, she had her bag on the table as they'd only just arrived. someone nicked her bag which had in it passport, travel money, cards, wallet, phone.
It was never seen again.
She had to get an emergency passport & was due to fly home a day later than everyone else by the time it was processed, some of the group she was with left them her bank cards (so she could get a meal & in case of an emergency), which she locked in the hotel safe, whilst she went across the road for some food.
She came back 30 minutes later & the safe had been opened and all the cards were gone. (Hotel doors were locked, so must of been staff).
Suddenly, the reception couldn't speak a word of English.
It was never seen again.
She had to get an emergency passport & was due to fly home a day later than everyone else by the time it was processed, some of the group she was with left them her bank cards (so she could get a meal & in case of an emergency), which she locked in the hotel safe, whilst she went across the road for some food.
She came back 30 minutes later & the safe had been opened and all the cards were gone. (Hotel doors were locked, so must of been staff).
Suddenly, the reception couldn't speak a word of English.
Barcelona is well known for pick pockets, sadly. Someone tried to pick pocket the girl I was seeing out there a couple of months back; luckily he wasn't very good at it but I can only imagine how much stuff gets taken down Las Ramblas and on the beaches when it is rammed with tourists in the Summer.
Lovely city to visit though, back on Tuesday and will be rocking the £7.99 combat casio and leaving the PO at home.
Lovely city to visit though, back on Tuesday and will be rocking the £7.99 combat casio and leaving the PO at home.
swerni said:
brianashley said:
swerni said:
Nope, not quite seeing the comparison.
Care to elaborate?
people think its a cool place .then the reality kicks in . Care to elaborate?
You?
swerni said:
brianashley said:
swerni said:
Nope, not quite seeing the comparison.
Care to elaborate?
people think its a cool place .then the reality kicks in . Care to elaborate?
You?
On the other hand, Bri is a bit of a "wag".
Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff