I am going to get my tools stolen

[chris day]

Hello Guys

Its not if its when i get my tools stolen as there will be one night or day an unforeseen lapse in preventative measures will occur and i except that.

The van has dead locks, and an alarm however what is the best way to insure (i.e good insurance firm) my tools and has anyone had a positive turn around from having their gear stolen in terms of an insurance pay back?

 

[telectrix]

take all tools and valuable gear off van at night. my PL insurance covers tools to £2000, but not had the misfortune to make a claim as yet. the problem is not getting your money from insurers ( which could take months ) but being without , so as you can't work. i'm lucky in that i live in a low crime rate area, and the van is parked less than 20 yards from my bedroom window. 2 pieces of 20mm black pvc conduit, taped together sticking out the window would deter any scally.

 

[The Ghost]

Yeah a pain in the butt but tools on and off each day. I do have a storage cupboard I rent which helps, in a secure place. But there is no way I would leave valuables in Van or Car overnight it is an invitation to steal my stuff.

 

[ruston]

As above two posts.
It's a pain , but the best way.

 

[Flanders]

As others have said always take tools out of van at night, but i have had tools stolen when loading up a van in a town center in between going back and forward, so if you have to leave your tools on a van get a van volt, and ingrave all your tools with your post code

 

[Zdb]

Security cameras pointing at your van might be a good enough deterrent.

 

[Specialist]

Security cameras pointing at your van might be a good enough deterrent.

Probably not, that's what they invented hoodies for . If your worried about it when it's on your own property, good & correctly placed security lighting is always a good first line of defense. Little scroats love the dark, don't give it to them.

 

[The Ghost]

There was a guy or two in fact that had their van emptied. Some thief going around with a master key for fords. Incredibly the same thief advertised on facebook the ill gotten gains. A few guys went round to see him........ouch!

 

[Specialist]

There was a guy or two in fact that had their van emptied. Some thief going around with a master key for fords. Incredibly the same thief advertised on facebook the ill gotten gains. A few guys went round to see him........ouch!

Think he might have had a sudden change of occupation .

 

[Toneyz]

The issue with tool insurance is that they have so many conditions, your tools are not insured on site.If you make a claim you only get what the tool is worth at the date it gets stolen you also in most cases lose at least a day not being able to work.
The best thing is making it hard as possible to get stolen

 

[Phil Thompson]

It was £73 a year extra for £5000 tool cover, no need for additional locks etc, only stipulation was needed to be behind a gate or in garage at home.

 

[Rpa07]

Wouldn't be so bad if you had a second of everything ready to go in the unlikely event of the theft. Let's face it you wouldn't be back on the road by lunchtime the same day or the next if you had to get new tools.
Only thing to do is make it as difficult as possible in the first place.

 

[hightower]

Unload on a night, takes two minutes and also helps me keep van tidy. Then van gets backed tight to the garage doors. CCTV pointed at it too.

 

[Marti]

Currently running around in a people carrier. An open invite to theft but that's what apprenticeship money will fund. This means four load-ups / unloads per day. Hours wasted but it appears only a brick garage has any chance of keeping kit safe; even in a good van. Plastic boxes and crates help. Low value stuff in clear boxes left in the vehicle reduces some of the time lost and, as said above, it does keep the vehicle tidy. Fer gawd's sake; plaster's vans get done and they only have a few bits so sparky vans must be the crown jewels. Pity the ol' bill aren't interested.

 

[Sparkysoldman]

Had ours broken into while doing a 5 min job we were a bit lax on the security van was locked but no dead locks or van safe.

When we phoned insurance we couldnt see how they got in

Found out the next day they cut the wiring loom between passenger door and wing

Phoned assessor to advise just before he was about to phone us and reject claim as no sign of break in !!! LESSON MAKE SURE THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE VAN OR THEY WILL REJECT ANY CLAIMS SAYING VAN WASNT LOCKED
If it ever happens again there will be signs of a break in if you get my drift

apart from that the claim was straightforward,as we lost more than the coverage we just gave them copies of invoices up to value of coverage and they paid.

We also claimed on PL insurance and in fairness as we had lost a lot more than the covererage they even waived the £100 excess

That said the 2 claims didn't get close to the actual loss so still ended up out of pocket.

Note if you claim on both you have to tell both you are claiming on both they won't allow you to make a profit from double insurance which is fair enough

Security now.

1 Dead locks on all doors.
2 vansafe for high value items
3 Van emptied overnight and weekends
4 parked on drive with cameras (with audible warning) to phone
5 Van backed up to wall and cars parked around it so doors can't be opened
5 floodlights all round property
6 if I had my way dog would sleep in van but Mrs won't have that I would love to see the result of the scumbags being on the sharp end of him


As for the police complete waste of time !!

I'm resigned to the fact it will happen again but what can you do!! The world we live in is full of thieving scumbags who have no respect for other peoples property

 

[DPG]

Had ours broken into while doing a 5 min job we were a bit lax on the security van was locked but no dead locks or van safe.

I'm resigned to the fact it will happen again but what can you do!! The world we live in is full of thieving scumbags who have no respect for other peoples property

And that is exactly the problem.

And to be fair, when the police do catch people, there is usually some well-paid defence laywer who will say that they had had a bad upbrining or some such excuse which will mean they only get a suspended sentence. Makes me mad.

 

[WillWX]

I know this post isn't too recent but I had all of my kit taken earlier this year, our apprentice had all his taken in the same manor.

I have since adopted the "take it out" attitude, yes it's a pain, but it gives me massive peace of mind. I have two decent sized Makita bags, one of which has all my "daily" power tools in, the other which contains my power tools that I don't use as often. Both bags have shoulder straps, which makes it easier. Each night I carry in both bags, fluke tester box and makita radio, I can do this all in one trip now after getting the technique right. Then on certain days when I take 240v SDS or something similar, obviously it requires a second trip. But hey, I know I won't have to splash out again and replace it all!

Unfortunately the apprentice didn't adopt this attitude, despite being advised. Two weeks ago, dejavu took place and his van was empty again one morning.

 

[Rpa07]

'Like' button given but really intended - 'sorry for all the trouble but glad that you are changing the way that you look after your precious tools' - but there isn't a button for that yet @WillWX

 

[WillWX]

'Like' button given but really intended - 'sorry for all the trouble but glad that you are changing the way that you look after your precious tools' - but there isn't a button for that yet @WillWX

Ha, thank you. They really need a button for that!

 

[static zap]

'Like' button given but really intended -...... - but there isn't a button for that yet @WillWX

Lightening symbol ( from God ) needed to clutter up forum =Entropy.

 

[gazdkw82]

Not had tools stolen out a vehicle but I have had thousands of pounds worth of musical gear stolen before. Police weren't interested and wanted to just give me a crime number over the phone. They only came out and did some finger printing when I kicked up a fuss. Anyway, did my own investigating and it paid off, the 2 culprits were spotted red handed by the police trying to sell all my gear at a local music shop. They got away with a slapped hand because it was their first offence and they were minors. Utter tosh.

I won't ever leave anything in a vehicle overnight again. If I ever have my own van with tools I'll just empty it. I'd rather spend 30 minutes a night emptying it then have to try and claim it back from insurance. Oh yeh that was the other thing, when all my music gear was stolen the insurance company wouldn't pay out! They said i hadn't rang them to confirm by phone that I wanted to continue my policy, but they still took the money!

Be careful.

 

[static zap]

......the other thing, when all my music gear was stolen the insurance company wouldn't pay out! ..............

Be careful.

The insurance industry has fallen on hard times ( Less profitable )
.... society is changing ..... + Litigation ideas from over the pond .
( The police prefer to park in CCTV areas ! )

 

[martin mcguinness]

no matter how carefull you are the little sh^%s will do anything i had 1 when i unlocked my van and went in the back to find something a thieving git went in the front and nicked the sat nav
one of the other guys i work with had somone grab his cordless drill from him while he was loading the van and he gave chase. when he got back the thiefs mates had raided his van
unfortunately they can be resorcefull

 

[DPG]

Scrotes.

 

[Mutley8979]

Hi Chris

Having been on receiving end twice I now don't leave tools in van overnight or at weekends (which is a pain). Van now has lock blanks on all doors except driver's door that new has Hykee lock. rear doors have wiring protection to stop cutting of wires. Separate internal alarms in cab and rear. All doors except drivers internally chained with ship anchor chain and padlocks. Plus separate steering wheel lock. May all seem a bit OTT but I'm damned if I am going to be done again and this just makes it all the more difficult that they will try elsewhere. SHAME Ford don't design adequate security in the first place considering how much they charge in the first place!

Wasn't insured first time but had £7,500 for second theft that paid out fairly quickly and that was with AXA van insurance.

 

[ED17]

We've had several sign written vans done. Not bothered having the latest ones sign written and so far, so good.

 

[Toneyz]

Hi Chris

Having been on receiving end twice I now don't leave tools in van overnight or at weekends (which is a pain). Van now has lock blanks on all doors except driver's door that new has Hykee lock. rear doors have wiring protection to stop cutting of wires. Separate internal alarms in cab and rear. All doors except drivers internally chained with ship anchor chain and padlocks. Plus separate steering wheel lock. May all seem a bit OTT but I'm damned if I am going to be done again and this just makes it all the more difficult that they will try elsewhere. SHAME Ford don't design adequate security in the first place considering how much they charge in the first place!

Wasn't insured first time but had £7,500 for second theft that paid out fairly quickly and that was with AXA van insurance.

I bet that was for repair of the van also bet you didn't get cost of new though.

 

[7029 dave]

Get them off.!

 

[DPG]

Get them off.!

Stop stealing my best chat up line