Stolen machine

[Vendition Ltd]

Having a terrible time at the moment with people stealing my machines

Had a pub last week close down and the holding company who come in and have a clear out took my machine even though it has my name and contact number on the back - they must be desperate to steal other people's property

Another one in a church which has been turned into a community centre for local activities, on help for heroes someone walked in and stole it - what scares me is how could someone stoop so low to steal a charity fundraising machine?? They must be very very sick people and it gets me down as it almost makes you lose faith in the goodness of people.

Those two are not even the half of it, I am having the worst theft rate in 6 years of vending at in the summer period!!!! Makes no sense????

Ross

[Coin Operated Group]

Can you not contact the holding company?

[Vendition Ltd]

Already tried that and they said they didn't take it!!! I have no proof so nothing I can do about it mate. Just part of this game isn't it Matt - I lose 10% off my business each year to theft! So I have to continually keep buying machines and siting them to stay alive. If I didn't 10 years from now I wouldn't have one machine as an asset.

Ross

[popp665]

I had one nicked the other day and got a phine call from police and got it back still with 125 quid in. Not often that happens, police caught him and prosecuting him told me to claim for full loss of full machine to! Remains to be seen what happens

[Coin Operated Group]

If you know them and theor address then report to police telling them where you believe the machine is? If you can get then to crime it as theft they may send someone round to have a look. Definitely worth a try as I'm sure they would 'find' it if paid a visit.

[Ade]

dont know bout police in your areas but in midlands they are not intrested, everytime i get told its a civil matter and not a police matter

Ade

[Coin Operated Group]

I think that's what they are told to say to stop the crime figures going up. Just gotta be persistant mate

[Mark@YorVend]

Luckily I haven't had any machines go missing yet. (finger crossed) But I have bought machines from operators in less affluent areas of Yorkshire (ie south), and all of them have had problems with machines being nicked. The last lot of machines I bought from Sheffield all had chains attached to the stands!
I was thinking of converting a soldering iron with some kind of metal stamp and melting a code into the back of my machines.
Has anyone got any tips or ideas? Or has anyone tried the machine insurance?

[Coin Operated Group]

Machine insurance is a no go. Not worth it. Solder iron markings is however a very good idea just a number on the base or somewhere as most people wouldn't know what it means but operators if they bought anything would know straight away.

[part-time-operator]

gotta be careful labelling machines. 2 operators i know of have sold machines/had machines stolen that have then appeared in my sites. the lovely people who "bought" them didnt bother to put their own details on so when i called up the original owners were very confused and annoyed, as was I because I didn't know who was behind the machines! one guy said he got a call from a site 300 miles away asking him to remove his machine lol...