Bike theft insurance in France: reporting and documents
France
Notify the insurer promptly and keep your correspondence. A police report or a Retrace search is not an insurance claim.
Which policy to check
Read your bike insurance policy and, depending on where the theft happened, your home insurance policy. Check covered locations, locking conditions, required locks, exclusions and excess. A bike is not automatically covered in every situation.
When to report the theft
Read the policy as soon as you discover the theft. In France, Service Public explains that a home insurance policy’s theft reporting deadline cannot be shorter than two working days. Your policy sets out the procedure.
Do not confuse this deadline with the time allowed to supply each document. Ask the insurer how to complete the file if something is missing.
What documents to prepare
- The policy reference and circumstances of the theft.
- The police report receipt or evidence requested by the insurer.
- Bike and accessory invoices, if available.
- Serial or registration numbers and old photos.
- Lock or servicing records required by your policy.
Use the theft checklist to keep these references together. Without an invoice, see other records to look for.
If the bike appears in a listing
Keep the evidence and give it to the police. Also tell your insurer about developments, especially if the bike is recovered or compensation has already been paid. Ask what to do next.
Retrace flags listings for review. It does not decide coverage, compensation or the return of the bike.
Official sources
Service Public, home insurance and theft and Ma Sécurité, online complaints. This guide concerns France. For another country, check your policy and local services.
Retrace compares your bicycle photos with listings on covered sites and alerts you to possible matches. Check coverage for your country before starting a search. Private groups and messages are not covered. Each possible match needs checking.
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