Theft at Esquin Wine Storage in Seattle

[CFu]

@Andrew L.

These professional storage facilities don’t have insurance?

They typically don’t for wine. At least the ones I’ve stored at tell you they do not have insurance to cover loss

[Paul_Jaouen]

Sorry for the losses. This should wake people up though. If you do not have a rider on your homeowner’s than you should insure through the wine storage facility’s insurance offering.

[Jay_Winton]

Sorry to read this. I wonder if the thieves already have a buyer(s)?

[Dave_English]

@Kevin Hamilton

They did. The thieves covered the alarm sensors and spray painted the camera lenses before cutting through the back wall to gain access through a deadbolted door. They also apparently attempted to blow up the building to cover their tracks (no I’m not kidding). Very fluid situation, Chuck from Esquin is clearly upset and is attempting to gather the facts as best as he can. This is a very professional type job, not some random hoodlums that got in.

How do you cover alarm sensors without setting them off, virtually impossible if mounted up on the walls. Same goes for spray painting cameras if they are 20ft up. Sounds like an inside job.

[CFu]

@Dave English

@Kevin Hamilton

They did. The thieves covered the alarm sensors and spray painted the camera lenses before cutting through the back wall to gain access through a deadbolted door. They also apparently attempted to blow up the building to cover their tracks (no I’m not kidding). Very fluid situation, Chuck from Esquin is clearly upset and is attempting to gather the facts as best as he can. This is a very professional type job, not some random hoodlums that got in.

How do you cover alarm sensors without setting them off, virtually impossible if mounted up on the walls. Same goes for spray painting cameras if they are 20ft up. Sounds like an inside job.

Anytime I see a lot of wines stolen I think inside job. This reeks of it.

[Steve_Saxon]

Could also be someone who owns a storage locker, easy enough to get a good look around if you’re back there all the time.

[Rick.T]

I can’t find this on any news outlets, why isn’t there any coverage?

[Nick_Gangas]

Also I find interesting that only Washington state wines are listed as missing so far.

[Steve_Saxon]

@Nick Gangas

Also I find interesting that only Washington state wines are listed as missing so far.

I spoke to buddy who has a locker at Esquin, he has great old bdx, old Giacosa Red Labels and Salon right in front…his locker wasn’t touched.

[TomHill]

@Steve Saxon

@Nick Gangas

Also I find interesting that only Washington state wines are listed as missing so far.

I spoke to buddy who has a locker at Esquin, he has great old bdx, old Giacosa Red Labels and Salon right in front…his locker wasn’t touched.

Of course not…who…in their right mind…would steal Eyetalian stuff!!
Sounds like you friend lucked out. Sorry to hear about the others who were not so lucky.
It does sound like an inside job to me, though.
Tom

[Andrew_Kaufman]

Seems like a review of the adequacy of the thief prevention measures should be in order.

[Rick.T]

@TomHill

@Steve Saxon

@Nick Gangas

Also I find interesting that only Washington state wines are listed as missing so far.

I spoke to buddy who has a locker at Esquin, he has great old bdx, old Giacosa Red Labels and Salon right in front…his locker wasn’t touched.

Of course not…who…in their right mind…would steal Eyetalian stuff!!
Sounds like you friend lucked out. Sorry to hear about the others who were not so lucky.
It does sound like an inside job to me, though.
Tom

+1

Too much info not available, not on the news or internet, very strange.

[CFu]

@Andrew Kaufman

Seems like a review of the adequacy of the thief prevention measures should be in order.

The wine locker I stored at previously in Pasadena had someone steal a bunch of wine (inside job). They ended up installing finger print scanners to get into the room so you knew exactly who was coming in and out. Storquest in Anaheim Hills also does a unique 8-9 digit passcode to get in, and you have to enter it through two separate entrances to get to your locker. One place I looked at in Pasadena has a guy walk you to the elevator as he’s the only one with access and then he brings you back down, that’s pretty intense security . I applaud all places that go the extra step for security for people’s wines.

[Paul_Jaouen]

@Steve Saxon

@Nick Gangas

Also I find interesting that only Washington state wines are listed as missing so far.

I spoke to buddy who has a locker at Esquin, he has great old bdx, old Giacosa Red Labels and Salon right in front…his locker wasn’t touched.

Strange. Like someone said….has to be more to this story.

[Steve_Saxon]

@Nick Gangas

Also I find interesting that only Washington state wines are listed as missing so far.

Maybe Tom Lee did it.

[Bruce_Leiser_owitz]

@Charlie Fu

@Andrew L.

These professional storage facilities don’t have insurance?

They typically don’t for wine. At least the ones I’ve stored at tell you they do not have insurance to cover loss

I think it’s important to distinguish between the facility having insurance that “covers your wine,” and the facility having liability insurance that covers the facility for
claims due to theft of its customer’s property. The professional wine storage facilities agree to store your wine for a fee, and they understand that they have some
responsibility for the safety of the property you store with them. So if (as an example), one of their employees breaches their duty to customers by stealing (or allowing
to be stolen) the customers’ wine, then that could give rise to a claim against the facility for negligence or other claims, and that claim could be covered by their
liability insurance.

I would recommend that the customers who feel that their wine was stolen at the facility consult with a local attorney to determine their legal rights. Don’t assume that you’re
just SOL because you didn’t have your wine insured while it was being stored at the facility.

Bruce

[John_Morris]

@Andrew L.

These professional storage facilities don’t have insurance?

I’ve never heard of one insuring the customers’ wines. There’s always disclosure/disclaimer language in the storage contract telling you to get your own coverage.

[scott_davis]

@Kevin Hamilton

No insurance through Esquin, homeowners covers a little but I needed (and didn’t have) a wine rider for full coverage. So I’m basically out of luck, get your wine rider would be the lesson. No idea on total bottles taken but about $14k (cost not appreciated value) out of my shared locker. Saw at least 5-10 other lockers that were compromised (screws out of hinges, door kicked in, etc).

Kevin, just curious what portion of the loss is covered by your homeowner’s insurance. Since theft is a covered peril on a homeowner’s policy, I would think you would be able to recover your loss, less your deductible?

[dsGriswold]

It must be that East Coast bunch late to the party with no secondary market back home.

[Kevin_Hamilton]

Homeowners is saying 10% of loss due to it being stored offsite without a special rider. Still working with them though as that seems like a BS amount. Theft of a “collection” is proving much more complicated than theft of other property like car stereos or what have you.