plenty of people buy tools (power mostly) knowing full well they're nicked and I'm guessing those are the people the OP is calling idiots and rightly so. I dont think for a minute anyone can criticise a buyer for going on ebay and buying something at market value. And the signs to look out for are vehicles cruising small industrial estates offering tools, people in pubs offering tools etc etc . Come on, most people know when a tool is dodgy and most people know when they buy anything from certain people its likely to be dodgy..
Stolen Tools
- Thread starter Mike Jordan
- Start date
Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:
tomatwark
Established Member
Things get nicked from site, one of the guys who works for me came out of the house he was working on to see someone walking off with our workmate.
When I worked as a rep for a while one of our customers was doing a rewire and had a big genny as temporary power.
The lights go off and the apprentice is sent out to fill it up, only to see it heading off down the road hooked up the transit pickup.
When I worked as a rep for a while one of our customers was doing a rewire and had a big genny as temporary power.
The lights go off and the apprentice is sent out to fill it up, only to see it heading off down the road hooked up the transit pickup.
defsdoor
Established Member
ScaredyCat":212york1 said:
Some Fords are stealable within seconds - without setting off alarms and rendering the immobilisers pointless. They put the ODB port within arms reach of the quarterlight window. All it takes is a small broken window, a reach in and plug in to the ODB port and the entire car or van can be controlled at will - and started without keys.
And Ford are silent on the issue. They are complicit in each and every theft. In my area there have been 30 Ford SMAX stolen in a matter of months. Every Ford has a sign on the roof begging to be taken - it's such an easy steal. Stopping the theft is simple - just blank off the ODB port with enough screws to delay the theft and set the alarm off. But Ford haven't even notified owners theres an issue - all they say is that they are compliant with EU regulations (on simply having an open ODB system that third party garages can maintain)
I'm pee'd because our SMAX was taken 2 weeks ago. 7 (really 6) years old, 40k on the clock, every optional extra and absolutely no chance of getting any where near replacement value from the insurance company.
And the police didn't even come out - 20k+ stolen and all you get is a reference number. The same night a Ford van was taken a few doors down - the police came out to that....
My vans been done twice on my drive - first time I didn't even notice and just assumed someone had nicked my radio on site, second time they'd left the back door ajar so I realised. 2 makita boxes gone, and the radio I'd just replaced! Luckily the boxes were round the corner in a pub carpark with all the handtools. So someone is hopefully gutted they got my knackered drill with 2 near dead batteries. All our vans are deadlocked now - having them fitted by Ford was a condition of buying my new van - they know full well they're selling unsecured vehicles.
A pal of mine had special secure deadlocks fitted to his van. The van had a sliding door on one side which he parked against a 6 foot wall on his drive to deny access.
One morning he came down to go to work and someone had cut a hole in the other side of his van to get to his gear!
If they are determined, you've no chance. Just fit the deadlocks to stop the chancers.
One morning he came down to go to work and someone had cut a hole in the other side of his van to get to his gear!
If they are determined, you've no chance. Just fit the deadlocks to stop the chancers.
woodywoodwood
Established Member
I had the van broken into a couple months ago, at exactly 1.04am the two lads, in their stupid hats, left via the side door with 4 hilti drills, a makita saw, a makita jigsaw and cases. The neighbours CCTV got them leaving, but not arriving, with said goods. Police not bothered. I put the footage about, a DJ pal put a call out on the radio. We got a lot of responses and eventually got a result.
The fellas 10yr old nephew has been bringing his bike over for puncture repairs, so I took it very personally. His sister's neighbours agreed to let me know if he turned up, but still naught. When I catch up with him the goods of course will be gone. But I will catch up with him.
If the police had made any effort at all I would have left it to them. They don't even attend. Just a number over the phone.
You have my sympathies. I feel strongly about this.
Www
The fellas 10yr old nephew has been bringing his bike over for puncture repairs, so I took it very personally. His sister's neighbours agreed to let me know if he turned up, but still naught. When I catch up with him the goods of course will be gone. But I will catch up with him.
If the police had made any effort at all I would have left it to them. They don't even attend. Just a number over the phone.
You have my sympathies. I feel strongly about this.
Www
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
My neighbour had his 650cc Suzy stolen from his garage. He admitted the door lock wasn't very secure but he didn't expect anyone to lift the bike out over the roof of his car.
phil.p":i226n0wp said:My neighbour had his 650cc Suzy stolen from his garage. He admitted the door lock wasn't very secure but he didn't expect anyone to lift the bike out over the roof of his car.
I'm sure that if he had have expected it, he would have put safety measures in place to make sure they didn't injure themselves.
mr edd
Established Member
I had a short wheel base Renault traffic. In order to fit full sheets in i had to put them on the diagonal, the side door which was fully engaged when i left the supplies was not after i had started to unload some tools via the same door. Did not realise, went into job to chat with client ,came out and goodbye festool router, drills, bits, router bits, sander etc luckily they could not get the rest of the tools on the other side of the sheets but still lost about £3500 and all the boxes clip together with the attached wheely board so it must have been super efficient for them to load up and walk off!!
As a side note
Not long after i took the same van to the garage for a new clutch, gear box (it was worth it as the van was a good one) full service and new discs and pads all the way round. Someone ran into the back of me so add bumper replacement into the bargain. Quite a few days without a van so missed a bit of work. The very day i got it back i'm parked up outside a job on a quiet residential road enjoying a cup of tea before i started and bang.
Some twit ran into the back of me punting the van up on to the pavement and me into the foot well. I admit i was quite annoyed, i spilt my tea.
Rear ended twice in 10 days.
Oh and the van was a write off, the insurance payment only just covered the cost of the repairs i had just had done. i could not get a vehicle within a million miles of the one i had just lost with the insurance payout even after turning down their first offer.
Another month without transport to work,
Got a long wheel base now.
As a side note
Not long after i took the same van to the garage for a new clutch, gear box (it was worth it as the van was a good one) full service and new discs and pads all the way round. Someone ran into the back of me so add bumper replacement into the bargain. Quite a few days without a van so missed a bit of work. The very day i got it back i'm parked up outside a job on a quiet residential road enjoying a cup of tea before i started and bang.
Some twit ran into the back of me punting the van up on to the pavement and me into the foot well. I admit i was quite annoyed, i spilt my tea.
Rear ended twice in 10 days.
Oh and the van was a write off, the insurance payment only just covered the cost of the repairs i had just had done. i could not get a vehicle within a million miles of the one i had just lost with the insurance payout even after turning down their first offer.
Another month without transport to work,
Got a long wheel base now.
mr edd
Established Member
you have to laugh!!!! (homer)
mr edd
Established Member
Brandlin- oh that was quick!!!! i like it!!!! :lol:
OscarG":3pexzua4 said:
Ask.
It's amazing how easy it is to tell if something is amiss.
"where did you buy it, and when?"
"why is this so cheap?"
"whats the best thing about using this?"
Even by phone you can often tell if someone has a genuine story to tell or is just wanting to move it on quick and doesn't have any detailed information.
I did once pull out of an ebay sale after winning a Trend T11. He insisted on cash, wouldn't accept paypal even though it never said that in listing.
I thought he was simply being an awkward arse, but looking back now maybe it was nicked...hhmmm
I thought he was simply being an awkward arse, but looking back now maybe it was nicked...hhmmm
transatlantic
Boom!
Brandlin":1dayvo3f said:
If I was selling something, I'd be a little confused if people were asking these kinds of questions.
ScaredyCat
Established Member
OscarG":3p2a88cc said:
There are so many scams by buyers that he probably didn't want to get ripped off. I'd never sell on ebay myself basically because the likelyhood of being ripped off as a seller it extremely high and there's nothing you can do about it. ebay don't care and wont help.
ScaredyCat":29p327eu said:
Define extremely high i've bought nd sold on ebay for 15 years, 1600 transactions. I've had a total of 3 problems, and all 3 of those ebay resolved and took up the issue with the other party.
I don't find the hyperbole and use of like 'extremely high', 'nothing you can do', 'don't care' helpful in any way. Its just negative rhetoric. You say you'd never sell there... so do you have any experience of the thing you are slagging off?
You're a lot more protected buying and selling on ebay than you are in a local market, or say from something advertised in the small ads in the back of a paper.
RogerP
Established Member
I've also had the same sort of experience. Sold thousands of items since 2000 and had 3 or 4 minor problems which were sorted by eBay.
I know someone who was scammed on ebay, this is what happened...
He sold an ipad on ebay, buyer paid via paypal. Item was due to be shipped but buyer said "hello mate, I'm in the area, ok if I swing by and collect?". He did and my friend perhaps naively didn't ask him to sign anything to say he collected. A week later buyer is like "where is my item?", buyer opened a support ticket to ebay. My friend was constantly asked by ebay "where's your proof of postage?" They wouldn't listen to reason. They took money from his bank (as he had previously withdrawn the paypal payment) then froze his paypal.
It was a right old mess, lost his item and the money. Eventually he got the police involved and the buyer got arrested, but it took an appearance on Radio 4 (talking about scams) before paypal unfroze his account!
Moral of story, always get proof of collection!!
He sold an ipad on ebay, buyer paid via paypal. Item was due to be shipped but buyer said "hello mate, I'm in the area, ok if I swing by and collect?". He did and my friend perhaps naively didn't ask him to sign anything to say he collected. A week later buyer is like "where is my item?", buyer opened a support ticket to ebay. My friend was constantly asked by ebay "where's your proof of postage?" They wouldn't listen to reason. They took money from his bank (as he had previously withdrawn the paypal payment) then froze his paypal.
It was a right old mess, lost his item and the money. Eventually he got the police involved and the buyer got arrested, but it took an appearance on Radio 4 (talking about scams) before paypal unfroze his account!
Moral of story, always get proof of collection!!
