Dealing with travelers when selling things
Discussion
Downward said:
Just in case though !
Meet them, be friendly, offer them a drink. Do a deal.
Be open and treat them like normal people, chances are you haven't got what they'd risk stealing.
Get a CCTV camera from Amazon. Once they leave write down all the vehicle reg numbers etc. If they do steal from you at least you have some sort of evidence to go to the Police with, but in my experience and friendly attitude backed up with a CCTV camera will mean they won't steal from you.
Evidence to go to the police?Meet them, be friendly, offer them a drink. Do a deal.
Be open and treat them like normal people, chances are you haven't got what they'd risk stealing.
Get a CCTV camera from Amazon. Once they leave write down all the vehicle reg numbers etc. If they do steal from you at least you have some sort of evidence to go to the Police with, but in my experience and friendly attitude backed up with a CCTV camera will mean they won't steal from you.
yes that will help for sure-the police will go straight to the campsite and get your stuff back , no bother…..
Spare tyre said:
classicaholic said:
They do like Dags, They put my old labrador in the porch whilst they were robbing my house - There thats another good thing said about them!
They burgled my folks house and pinched their lurcherComplete coincidence
Stick Legs said:
I'm going to go against the grain here.
A mate of mine runs a garage, he deals with the travelling community and has done for over 20 years. My observations being around them are:
Negatives:
-They do act a bit entitled and you need to be quite sharp to sense when they are winding you up & being serious as despite all acting like hard nuts they are rather touchy and thin skinned, assume the worse, and allow them to laugh at you being wound up as the reverse is not palatable.
-The whole thing of never ever counting cash in front of them is real, but if they rip you off they'll only do it once.
-They have a habit of going everywhere mob handed, which is intimidating, but you soon realise that's just how they are.
-Never ever, EVER stare too hard or make a wise crack about their women, no matter how ridiculously they are dressed or behaving.
-Their kids are all mad. However once you know them a simple 'Billy, go & see your dad' nips it in the bud.
-If you are the sort of person who makes up for a lack of brain by backing it up with brawn steer clear.
Positives:
-Once they realise that you are not prejudiced they treat you very well.
-The power of word of mouth in that community is immense. If one has a good experience buying or selling with you they tell all their mates and you will never want for work.
-The whole thing of never ever counting cash in front of them is real, if you trust them they never ever short change you.
-Compared to normal people they actually have very realistic expectations of second hand gear and if it breaks are quite reasonable. I'd rather sell a second hand car to a Traveller than to a normal person in this regard.
-They aren't tight and will pay good money for good stuff.
-If you are the sort of person who makes up for a lack of brawn by using your brain then you'll be fine.
Meet them, be friendly, offer them a drink. Do a deal.
Be open and treat them like normal people, chances are you haven't got what they'd risk stealing.
Get a CCTV camera from Amazon. Once they leave write down all the vehicle reg numbers etc. If they do steal from you at least you have some sort of evidence to go to the Police with, but in my experience and friendly attitude backed up with a CCTV camera will mean they won't steal from you.
A chippy attitude, keeping everything around you under lock and key, acting like the crown jewels are in that shed and no they can't look in there, counting money and not budging on price means that they'd nick everything including your yard broom on principle.
this has been my experience as well, years ago i used to have a small indi garage, every year a load of them would park up nr buy, and allsorts of trouble happened, things getting nicked etc, couldn't ever leave a car outside over night .A mate of mine runs a garage, he deals with the travelling community and has done for over 20 years. My observations being around them are:
Negatives:
-They do act a bit entitled and you need to be quite sharp to sense when they are winding you up & being serious as despite all acting like hard nuts they are rather touchy and thin skinned, assume the worse, and allow them to laugh at you being wound up as the reverse is not palatable.
-The whole thing of never ever counting cash in front of them is real, but if they rip you off they'll only do it once.
-They have a habit of going everywhere mob handed, which is intimidating, but you soon realise that's just how they are.
-Never ever, EVER stare too hard or make a wise crack about their women, no matter how ridiculously they are dressed or behaving.
-Their kids are all mad. However once you know them a simple 'Billy, go & see your dad' nips it in the bud.
-If you are the sort of person who makes up for a lack of brain by backing it up with brawn steer clear.
Positives:
-Once they realise that you are not prejudiced they treat you very well.
-The power of word of mouth in that community is immense. If one has a good experience buying or selling with you they tell all their mates and you will never want for work.
-The whole thing of never ever counting cash in front of them is real, if you trust them they never ever short change you.
-Compared to normal people they actually have very realistic expectations of second hand gear and if it breaks are quite reasonable. I'd rather sell a second hand car to a Traveller than to a normal person in this regard.
-They aren't tight and will pay good money for good stuff.
-If you are the sort of person who makes up for a lack of brawn by using your brain then you'll be fine.
Meet them, be friendly, offer them a drink. Do a deal.
Be open and treat them like normal people, chances are you haven't got what they'd risk stealing.
Get a CCTV camera from Amazon. Once they leave write down all the vehicle reg numbers etc. If they do steal from you at least you have some sort of evidence to go to the Police with, but in my experience and friendly attitude backed up with a CCTV camera will mean they won't steal from you.
A chippy attitude, keeping everything around you under lock and key, acting like the crown jewels are in that shed and no they can't look in there, counting money and not budging on price means that they'd nick everything including your yard broom on principle.
On day i was driving my sign written van, and one of them in a transit at the side of the road, i was going to drive past, but stopped , the guy had run out of fuel, and his mate had gone to get some, i had a can in the van so got him going.
thought nothing of it, but the next day the guy came to my garage and gave me a £20 note, probably cost me about a fiver to help him, i then used to get alot of work of them after that, and never had any problems with theft or damage ever again while they were around.
over the years i did well out of them, always fair with me and always paid .
Was selling a cheap off roader once. Loveable rogues turned up, four of them took it for "test drive" without asking. It came back wrecked and full of corn. (I assume they ragged it round a corn field.)
They dumped it in my driveway and went. I wasn't burgled or beaten up. So that was a win.
They dumped it in my driveway and went. I wasn't burgled or beaten up. So that was a win.
richhead said:
this has been my experience as well, years ago i used to have a small indi garage, every year a load of them would park up nr buy, and allsorts of trouble happened, things getting nicked etc, couldn't ever leave a car outside over night .
On day i was driving my sign written van, and one of them in a transit at the side of the road, i was going to drive past, but stopped , the guy had run out of fuel, and his mate had gone to get some, i had a can in the van so got him going.
thought nothing of it, but the next day the guy came to my garage and gave me a £20 note, probably cost me about a fiver to help him, i then used to get alot of work of them after that, and never had any problems with theft or damage ever again while they were around.
over the years i did well out of them, always fair with me and always paid .
Funnily enough they are always running out of fuel,and asking me if I’d sell them some diesel from my lorry..I wouldn’t give them the steam off my piss.On day i was driving my sign written van, and one of them in a transit at the side of the road, i was going to drive past, but stopped , the guy had run out of fuel, and his mate had gone to get some, i had a can in the van so got him going.
thought nothing of it, but the next day the guy came to my garage and gave me a £20 note, probably cost me about a fiver to help him, i then used to get alot of work of them after that, and never had any problems with theft or damage ever again while they were around.
over the years i did well out of them, always fair with me and always paid .
+1 for what stick legs and richhead have been saying.
Many years ago I did a bit of seasonal labouring and by far the hardest workers were some young traveller lads and they were having to drive halfway across the country each day for the work too. Good relationship with the farmer, worked like Trojans.
There are quite a few traveller families round our way leading different degrees of nomadic life. One's semi-permanently set up in a van in a sort-of layby just outside of town doing tree surgery, wood carving, hedge laying, etc. Another's a local fireman. Some have got kids at the local school. They're part of an identifiable group and they're part of the community too, just like there's a farming community here, a Welsh speaking community here, a bunch of English in-comers (including me) and loads of aging hippies. A happy melting pot.
Many years ago I did a bit of seasonal labouring and by far the hardest workers were some young traveller lads and they were having to drive halfway across the country each day for the work too. Good relationship with the farmer, worked like Trojans.
There are quite a few traveller families round our way leading different degrees of nomadic life. One's semi-permanently set up in a van in a sort-of layby just outside of town doing tree surgery, wood carving, hedge laying, etc. Another's a local fireman. Some have got kids at the local school. They're part of an identifiable group and they're part of the community too, just like there's a farming community here, a Welsh speaking community here, a bunch of English in-comers (including me) and loads of aging hippies. A happy melting pot.
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