14
Jan
2013
By Calvin at 10:45 GMT, 13 years ago
LV= home insurance are being very active with their research at the moment and this time their researchers, ICM Research, questioned 2,000 parents with at least one child aged 5 or under about their experience of buggy theft. The data has revealed that one in 14 (7%) parents with small children have had a buggy stolen, with the number of thefts increasing year on year since 2009.
The increase in thefts can be attributed to the rising cost of buggies in recent years, with parents spending 20% more today than they did three years ago. The most popular buggies sell for £427 on average, with the more desirable brands costing over £1,000.
As the cost of buggies increases, many parents are now choosing to buy used models to save money. One in eight parents (12%) say their current model was purchased second-hand and over a third of these were bought through online auctions. In fact, one in 20 parents (5%) say they would turn a blind eye and buy a stolen buggy if the price was right [not so bad as the people buying nicked bicycles then – see 4th January post]. Yet by doing so parents are effectively fuelling a ‘buggy black market’ and exacerbating the problem.
Official Police data obtained by LV= reveals that buggy thefts have increased by almost a quarter since 2009 and that the problem is getting worse each year. However, 42% of parents who have had buggies stolen say they did not report the crime to the Police, therefore the number of actual thefts may be far higher than the official figures. It is estimated that nearly 340,000 parents have had a buggy stolen costing them over £70 million collectively.
Top locations for buggy theft
Just outside the home from the porch or outbuilding 24%
Public parks 18%
Cafe’s restaurants pubs 15%
From the car 9%
Whilst out shopping 9%
Also stolen with the buggy
Mobile phone 16%
Purse/ handbag 13%
MP3 player 9%
Most targeted brands
Maclaren, Graco, Silver Cross, Chicco, Bugaboo
Lots of people are not covered for buggy theft by their home insurance, so do check your policies
Full Press Release by LV=home insurance at this link http://www.lv.com/media_centre/press_releases/Baby-buggy-thefts
