I got Stolen in Argentina

The Disappearing Lens

It was supposed to be a seamless journey—Mendoza to Buenos Aires, then onward to Puerto Iguazú, all in one day. I’d packed my trusty trekking backpack with everything I needed for the trip, including my prized Canon RF 100-400mm lens, snug in its protective case with a €300 filter shielding the glass. I didn’t think twice about checking it in. After all, I’d done this before. But this time, luck wasn’t on my side.

The Discovery

When I unzipped my backpack in Puerto Iguazú, the pockets were gaping open. My stomach dropped. The lens was gone. Just like that. No forced entry, no obvious signs of tampering—just an empty space where my gear should’ve been. The estimated loss? Around $1,600. Not exactly pocket change.

The Paper Trail

Panic set in. Did I have the original invoice? Of course not—because why would I? After scrambling through old emails, I managed to dig up a duplicate PDF. Not ideal, but better than nothing. Then came the sinking realization: my N26 Business Standard card had no purchase protection, and I hadn’t bothered with travel insurance. The airline’s liability? A joke. Flybondi’s response was a polite shrug—they wanted a police report I hadn’t filed and cited their “fragile/badly packed” disclaimer, which, conveniently, didn’t cover theft. I knew chasing them for compensation would be a waste of time.

The Hunt

So, I switched gears. I called lost-and-found desks at every airport—MDZ, AEP, IGR—reciting my bag tags like a mantra. I set up alerts on Mercado Libre, hoping the thief would be dumb enough to list it. I registered the serial number on Lenstag and StolenCameraFinder, then reached out to Canon service centers in Chile and Argentina to flag it as stolen. A long shot, but worth trying.

Lessons Learned

Next time? No expensive gear in checked luggage. Ever. I’ll zip-tie my bag shut, drop an AirTag inside, and maybe even spring for proper insurance. Or at least use a credit card that actually covers theft. Hindsight’s a bitter teacher, but at least I won’t make the same mistake twice.

For now, though, all I can do is wait—and hope someone, somewhere, slips up.