Greek coin dealer robbed in London Hilton

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by calcol, Sep 28, 2021.

  1. Evan Saltis

    Evan Saltis OWNER - EBS Numis LLC Supporter

    Pretty sad. Read it last night. Based on the article, it seems Mr. Pouloglou is worried they will be melted for bullion value.

    The pictures show some PCGS certified coins, gold shield included. So I feel it would be kind of dumb to crack them out and just melt them, unless the thieves are as stupid as this guy.

    Thief drops stolen coin collection into Coinstar machine
     
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  3. OldSilverDollar

    OldSilverDollar Unknown Member

    Stories like that are very upsetting & sad. sometimes you do everything you can for your family in this day & age but whatever the excuse was "drugs?" and I do mean just an excuse your family at that point just becomes nothing but strangers deserving little exception in punishment of the crime.

    I've pointed out a few times regarding coins that it is money in the eyes of others, talking about your collection can be seen by others as bragging creating envy & jealousy unless your surrounded by the right company of people. I think most are here but it can be good practice to keep somethings less spoken about in conversation outside the household in these trying times.
     
    calcol likes this.
  4. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    Most if not all hotels will state upfront (possibly in the small print) that they are NOT responsible for valuables left unattended in the rooms. When you sign the registration you release them from liability. So Hilton is not legally responsible. You could probably hold the maid personally responsible since she sholdn't have let them in, but I doubt you will be able to recover much.

    Even if he was insured many policies have clauses voiding coverage if the loss was due to negligence on the part of the insured. Leaving $500K+ in valuables unsecured and unattended in a hotel room, where you have released the hotel from liability could be construed as negligence. Especially since theft of coins from dealers hotel rooms is a known problem in the industry.
     
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  5. Jeffjay

    Jeffjay Well-Known Member

    I wouldn't leave $500 worth of coins in a hotel room. Don't most hotels have safes you can leave valuables in?
     
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  6. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    Seriously, $500,000 worth of coins unsecured in a hotel room? Even if it was not an inside job. The guy was/is an absolute moron.
     
  7. calcol

    calcol Supporter! Supporter

    Agree completely. If I have coins with me at a show, they stay with me or get locked up. If they are to be sold, consigned or graded, that is my first priority at the show. The London Hilton has safes even in their cheapest rooms (which aren't cheap!). However, many in-room hotel safes aren't that sturdy. I've encountered ones that weren't even fastened down and could be carried by one person! The hotel probably has a bigger, stronger safe behind the service desk. Mr. Pouloglou was attending an international show, as a dealer I think, so there may have been safe storage options there. Yes, he was foolish and paid for it.

    Cal
     
  8. Jim Dale

    Jim Dale Well-Known Member

    Most quality hotels/motels have very sturdy large safes. I liked one hotel that had a room built specifically to hold items for its customers. It's door to the safe has a key that the manager or person in charge has a key. Inside are Safety Deposit Box-like safes that the manager has a key and the patron is given a key. I use to travel a lot with my job, and at times I had cash and other precious items that had to be secured. I asked if they ever had a loss. They said "Yes, but only one. Then we put in our "safe" about 10 years earlier and have had no losses since."
    On a family vacation, I usually carried a few hundred dollars in cash. (This was about 35 years ago.) I had 3 $100 bills. When we went to swim, I left the bills hidden (I thought.) in our clothes. When I came back to the room, I checked, and found the bills missing. I reported it to the Manager of the motel and then the police. You wouldn't believe what the police and the manager did. They had forensics check for fingerprints. It seems that this motel had fingerprints on file for all their employees. The police matched their fingerprints with the ones on file with the motel. It turned out that it was one of the maids. I was surprised at the actions taken by the motel and the police. That was in Charlotte.
    Just be careful carrying valuable things. I have a concealed gun permit and I carry a Glock 9mm. At home I have a Rottweiler, a Pit Bull, and an Australian Shepherd in and out of the house, along with a Wire Terrier and two Cheweenies in the house.
    I live about 20 miles from any city/town, so police/deputies are useless.
    I guess what I am saying, any loss you sustain, is your own fault for not taken steps to secure your home. A friend of mine had a German Shepherd and he thought his dog would protect his home. The only thing stolen was the dog.
     
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  9. kountryken

    kountryken Well-Known Member

    I totally agree. The coins were "secured", they couldn't break in, so they had the maid let them in. She is a Hilton employee, she represents the Hilton, and there is no way, in my thinking, that the Hilton shouldn't have to pay. Their employee is responsible for the theft, either knowingly or unknowingly, so the Hilton should have to pay.
     
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  10. cplradar

    cplradar Talmud Chuchum


    what are you talking about - who travels without substantial amount of cash et al. 500 bucks is nothing
     
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  11. cplradar

    cplradar Talmud Chuchum


    No - it is not. It is theft and he is the victim.
     
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  12. Jeffjay

    Jeffjay Well-Known Member

    Maybe nothing to you but I couldn't afford to lose it. To some people 50,000 is nothing.
     
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  13. john65999

    john65999 Well-Known Member

    if you have a million dollars (or more, have no idea what a pound is in real money) why oh why no insurance??
     
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  14. john65999

    john65999 Well-Known Member

    article said he was not insured
     
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  15. OldSilverDollar

    OldSilverDollar Unknown Member

    It's possible he was drugged with a light sedative that made him subject to be very subjective to suggestion and lack of thinking clarity this happens often when men bring strange women of the night into the place they are staying. not saying its the case but could be a fact left out for obvious marital reasons. {not saying it's facts or true just a guess by me IMO}

    Hotel+Rich Man+Working Girl?= Jackpot!?!
     
  16. john65999

    john65999 Well-Known Member

    except he was at dinner with his wife, unless she likes to sport as well?
     
  17. OldSilverDollar

    OldSilverDollar Unknown Member

    Ok it is possible she showed up after he did? maybe the day after?
    just trying to point out possibilities that might not have made it into the news or omitted by the dealer.:)
     
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  18. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    This is where I smell a rat. Who, in their right mind, leaves that kind of value out of their sight? If I were carrying that much value with me, I'd be sweating bullets every step of my journey, and I surely wouldn't let risk leaving it unattended.
     
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  19. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

     
  20. charley

    charley Well-Known Member

    He is a practitioner of Kardashianism.
     
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  21. Darren Edwards

    Darren Edwards Well-Known Member

    This kind of thing is very common in London, I didn’t bother reading the story but if they have cctv of the suspects they will know weather it was organized crime or some chancers trying their luck after an employee or lookout tip-off. Either way it’s a sad situation that no one would want to be in with a loss of that magnitude.
     
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