F-ING THIEVES!!!

[alltex]

We got hit last night. Stripped our 3 trucks clean of all ballasts, transformers, power supplies, and fittings. We pull the tools every night, thank God. Really sucks when you build up your inventory so you can better serve your customers. We lost 100+ ballasts and transformers. We found 1 new ballast hanging on the fence, by its leads. They even took about 30 out of the cardboard boxes. I guess it's easier to carry by the leads. They're probably at a scrap yard by now, cashing in. They even stole our stack of bad ballasts and trans, we recycle.

I hate a thief. I'm going to end up on the nightly news. Getting a nice camera system and a silent motion sensor alarm for the yard today. I'm less than a 5 min drive from the shop. Some bastard is going to die from lead poisoning.

They didn't get everything, just got into the unlocked boxes...Yup, unlocked. They tried to get into a few of the locked bins. Got those re secured and straightened out the best we could for today.

Fixing to find out how good my insurance is...

[Signsfast]

ouch, do your bins not lock? or did they bust them open? that's one hell of a haul to make over a fence. Hope the insurance helps you out good

[imanut]

hmmm. go check that competitor of yours. strange timing.

[alltex]

Our bins lock, they just weren't...

[megavolt512]

I can't recommend CCTV systems highly enough! Have had one now 8+ years and couldn't live without it. Other than a graffiti incident, we've caught every single thief, vandal, burglar since I put it up. Maybe 4 incidents total.

It's also very prudent to protect your loss and liability from people (and employees) on your premises who may claim they slipped and fell, etc. Invest in a good system. I started out cheap and quickly realized you need quality. My system now is HD-quality, captures license plates, and can identify a car clearly speeding 60mph down the road out front... at night.

This stuff has really come down in price recently. Every business needs one IMO.

[geraldi]

When we did installs years ago, we came in one morning and all the welding leads were gone off of three trucks. Cost about 1200.00 to replace. It's a real smack in the face to working people when they steel your tools of your trade.

[eugene@signmakershc.com]

This is a problem that just keeps getting worse. I've been in my present location for over 15 years, and until this year, there had only been a couple of instances of someone stealing scrap from behind the building. I've been hit 4 times this year. They stole the 175' welding leads (4/0) off my crane in Jan., and they got scrap worth well over a thousand dollars on two occasions in Jan. Just last month I had a flatbed trailer stolen. It was locked and loaded with the crates from a previous day's job. They shoved the crates off and took the trailer. My insurance covered everything, but what a pain in the ass. My insurance company said if I didn't put in a security system they would raise my rates, so I spent $1500.00 for a good camera system that I had to spend two days installing. It's hard enough to make a decent living these days, without having someone steal what little you manage to accumulate.

[MikePro]

definitely strange timing, considering your issues with another (dirty)sign company discussed in a recent thread.

[Sign Lady]

definitely strange timing, considering your issues with another (dirty)sign company discussed in a recent thread.

I was thinking the same thing as I was reading his post!!

[teksign]

Lucky us!!! We lost one of our floats a week ago, broke into locked compound and then rammed the gates knocking them off the hinges. Pure stupidity, our floats are custom made for us with special features, its a matter of time before it is spotted. Funny thing stolen on a Sunday night, you figure some one would see them.

Dave

The rest of them are being equipped with GPS's

[matthewota]

My truck was burglarized about a month ago. The theif stole my telescope accessory box, which as zero resale value. Whoever the thief was he was petty dumb not to take my eyepiece case.

It will cost me at least $150 to preplace the lost accessories.