The Vegas Voice 3-21

Cars & Pets
By: BJ Killeen / Down the Road
While I want to participate in this month’s
themed edition, my wonderful kitty Rusty
passed away a year ago, so as of right now, I’m
pet free because I travel too much.
There is a puppy or kitty in my future
(probably both), but not right now.
However, that doesn’t mean I can’t
talk about pets, and how a great
car company, Subaru, has done
a tremendous job of making sure
animals are a top priority.
Subaru, makers of the venerable
Outback, Forester, and other full-time all-wheel-drive vehicles, has
been involved with animals through it’s popular and ongoing Subaru
Loves Pets initiative as part of its corporate Love Promise. While the
Promise makes a lot of donations and does a lot of good for a variety of
charities, one of the biggest is its commitment to help all animals, free
and in shelters, stay safe and healthy.
Since 2015, Subaru retailers have partnered with local animal
welfare organizations to impact over 230,000 animals in need across
the country. It has donated almost $30 million over the years to helping
animals, and Subaru even brings pets into its booth at auto shows for
people to adopt.
It features animals in its ads, and celebrates national Make a Dog
Day, which focuses on hard-to-adopt dogs. Subaru also encourages its
retailers to hold pet adoption days at their dealerships.
Every December, Subaru participates in its Share the Love event;
when you buy a Subaru in December,
they will make a donation to one of
a handful of select charities, and
the ASPCA is one of the chosen.
Through this program, Subaru has
donated nearly $22 million to the
ASPCA, helped support over 1,500
animal welfare-related events, and
significantly impacted the rescue, transport, and adoption of more
than 64,000 animals nationwide.
That’s true love.
While it’s easy to bash big automotive manufacturers for a lot of
reasons, please remember to appreciate and support those who are
going above and beyond to help those wonderful, less-fortunate fur
babies. For more information on the Subaru Love Promise, visit the
website at Subaru.com.
BJ Killeen has been an automotive journalist for over 30 years.
She welcomes all questions and inquiries, and can be reached at
bjkdtr@gmail.com
By: Jim Valkenburg / Insurance Insight
We all know about “porch pirates” who
steal our packages. So how do we keep
our packages safe and are these stolen goods
covered under your home or renter’s insurance
policy? First, to combat these thieves:
1. Install a BoxLock. These are smart padlocks. The delivery person
scans the package, and if the bar code matches, the box opens so they
can leave it inside.
2. Install security camera. This might deter thieves if they think you
are watching. With some devices, you can see the thief and talk or yell
at them.
3. Track your packages by signing up for alerts. FedEx, UPS and
USPS all offer text, e-mail and app alerts so you know when a delivery
will be made.
4. Require a signature. This is a sure way to receive your package.
5. Use Amazon Key or Locker – investigate these if you are comfortable
letting an Amazon courier inside your home.
6. If you are still working, plan to be away, etc. you can have the
packages sent to your work or to your grown children or a neighbor.
How can the loss of your packages relate to your insurance? If you
have a homeowners, condo owners or a renter’s policy, you have theft
coverage. The theft coverage is consistent from company to company
and may be worded exactly the same by many companies.
28
Stolen Packages Not Restricted To Holidays
March 2021
Once the package is delivered, it is now your responsibility. The
good news is that it is covered under
your policy. The “bad” news is that your
deductible applies first.
Most people have a $500 or $1000
deductible. That means that the value
of the theft has to be higher than your
deductible.
If you ordered a complete dining set
from Wayfair for $2,000, it’s covered
after your deductible. If you order a
$200 birthday present for someone, don’t
bother to call your insurance company
because it’s lower than your deductible.
This was Ginger,
who we lost several
years ago. She was a
member of the family
and is still missed.
Jim Valkenburg is a retired military officer and insurance executive.
He and his wife owned and operated their own insurance agency for
over 16 years. His primary purpose is to give out real information
that can be used to make intelligent insurance decisions.