Advice on whether to report a theft from a Main Dealer site.
Discussion
Muzzer79 said:
singlecoil said:
Escy said:
I agree but life is too short to concern yourself over £3.
Purely as a matter of interest, what is the sum at which you would concern yourself? We've established that in your case £3 is insufficient. £30? £300? Every time I go there, they ask me to confirm any valuables that are in the car.
If they took something I hadn't declared as valuable, I wouldn't go to Police, etc.
I'd have a word with the Service Manager, explain what had happened, but with the fact I have no concrete evidence, and simply not use that dealer again.
So the thread has never been about how to prevent theft of cash from cars and it surprising how many posters don't seem to be able to grasp that.
Escy said:
I missed the bit where this happened, I thought we are talking about a couple of quid, planted with the expectation it was going to get stolen.
I also didn't say it's OK, just that I wouldn't waste my time fretting over it.
So what wouldn't be ok and would make you take action?I also didn't say it's OK, just that I wouldn't waste my time fretting over it.
Edited by Escy on Friday 21st February 13:14
Last year, when the family Volvo was serviced by the main dealer, I left an old iPod in the centre console connected to the stereo. A week or two later I noticed it wasn’t there any more and I assumed my wife had taken it out before the dealer’s driver picked it up.
My wife said she hadn’t so I called the dealer and asked if they had seen one lying around the workshop - perhaps it had been taken out as they valeted it afterwards. They said they hadn’t, so I said that it seemed likely that one of their staff had stolen it. They refused to engage with that comment and I couldn’t be bothered persisting for the sake of an old iPod that I barely used anymore and was probably only worth £20.
Hopefully the dealer was at least alert to any more accusations from customers that they had a thief, although I’m not convinced they were. My main problem now is that the car is due another service, they are the only dealer that is convenient, and there are perks to a main dealer service which make it worthwhile (e.g. free European breakdown cover until the next service is due) but this isn’t the first issue I have had with them. I probably will still use them but be extra careful to remove anything of even trivial value before they take it.
My wife said she hadn’t so I called the dealer and asked if they had seen one lying around the workshop - perhaps it had been taken out as they valeted it afterwards. They said they hadn’t, so I said that it seemed likely that one of their staff had stolen it. They refused to engage with that comment and I couldn’t be bothered persisting for the sake of an old iPod that I barely used anymore and was probably only worth £20.
Hopefully the dealer was at least alert to any more accusations from customers that they had a thief, although I’m not convinced they were. My main problem now is that the car is due another service, they are the only dealer that is convenient, and there are perks to a main dealer service which make it worthwhile (e.g. free European breakdown cover until the next service is due) but this isn’t the first issue I have had with them. I probably will still use them but be extra careful to remove anything of even trivial value before they take it.
I personally would rather inconvenience myself than potentially enable further thefts like that and even worse (IMO) management that don't take action / take it seriously.
If they're being dishonest about this, how can you even be sure they switched that oil or pollen filter they said they did and charged you for?
If they're being dishonest about this, how can you even be sure they switched that oil or pollen filter they said they did and charged you for?
Digby said:
Escy said:
I missed the bit where this happened, I thought we are talking about a couple of quid, planted with the expectation it was going to get stolen.
I also didn't say it's OK, just that I wouldn't waste my time fretting over it.
So what wouldn't be ok and would make you take action?I also didn't say it's OK, just that I wouldn't waste my time fretting over it.
Edited by Escy on Friday 21st February 13:14
Escy said:
Sntiches get stitches
Tell the dealer and say you will place it on google and all review sites¬!Police think your mad calling about a few quid.
You need channel 6 news>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Avcby9HVsU
Hmmm, have I got this right:
Your car was in for warranty work and you only left a £3 tip for the mechanic in the ashtray? That could be seen to be slightly mean of you.
Complain all you like but I'm not sure you can expect the same level of service as customers who leave the technician £5 or £10.
Your car was in for warranty work and you only left a £3 tip for the mechanic in the ashtray? That could be seen to be slightly mean of you.
Complain all you like but I'm not sure you can expect the same level of service as customers who leave the technician £5 or £10.
Escy said:
elanfan said:
Someone should be getting sacked over this!
I'm such a snowflake, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I got someone sacked over £3 going missing, especially when it was left there as a plant in the first place. hman said:
The local car wash was notorious for hoovering up any spare change you happened to leave in the centre console or wherever.
I figured it was their way of earning tips, I certainly didn't tip them when they did it to me.
A mate of mine took his car to our local car wash for an in and out clean. He waited in the cafe opposite the car wash watching the guys smoking his cigarettes which had been left in his car.I figured it was their way of earning tips, I certainly didn't tip them when they did it to me.
berlintaxi said:
McGee_22 said:
We're fortunate that £3 is nether here nor there to us at this time but someone is perhaps stealing anywhere between maybe a few hundred or close to a thousand pounds a month from customers cars.
Only if people are stupid enough to leave cash in their cars.Why should we spend money on police and a justice system when it's much easier and cheaper to just call the victims stupid and move on?
I'm with OP on this one.
The amount isn't the issue here, it's the principle of theft. £5 to someone has different value depending on personal circumstances.
If I got caught at work stealing a £5 iphone charger cable from our stock cupboard without asking for permission 1st to take it, not only would I get sacked, but I'd probably never be able to work in the industry either (Law) because of the new stars regulations in place.
The amount isn't the issue here, it's the principle of theft. £5 to someone has different value depending on personal circumstances.
If I got caught at work stealing a £5 iphone charger cable from our stock cupboard without asking for permission 1st to take it, not only would I get sacked, but I'd probably never be able to work in the industry either (Law) because of the new stars regulations in place.
oyster said:
Escy said:
elanfan said:
Someone should be getting sacked over this!
I'm such a snowflake, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I got someone sacked over £3 going missing, especially when it was left there as a plant in the first place. Red 4 said:
The op is, perhaps unsurprisingly on here, getting a bit of stick from some posters.
However - it is dishonest and it is theft. It is irrelevsnt how much has gone missing.
I'd be pissed off too.
I'd hold off reporting to the police at the moment. See how you get on with the dealer. Take it from there.
And if he does not call you then call him.
Whoever stole the money needs sacking. No ifs and no buts. Whether the offender can be identified is another matter.
This is my stance on it. Sure its only a bit of change it how many cars go through there and how many other minor bits and bobs get taken from other customer vehicles. The dealer needs to identify who's doing it and deal with them. However - it is dishonest and it is theft. It is irrelevsnt how much has gone missing.
I'd be pissed off too.
I'd hold off reporting to the police at the moment. See how you get on with the dealer. Take it from there.
And if he does not call you then call him.
Whoever stole the money needs sacking. No ifs and no buts. Whether the offender can be identified is another matter.
I keep a few quid in the car for trolleys etc, I'd be a bit miffed if someone decided they could help themselves to it.
Edited by Greendubber on Friday 21st February 17:49
I think the OP has done the right thing. I wouldn't report it to the police at this stage but let the dealer look into it and take any appropriate action.
They might have suspicians anyway and could quite easily set up a 'sting' much like the OP to trap the offender. At that stage they may want to report to the police to justify and back up their decision to sack the offender.
Any self respecting manager wouldn't want a thief working for them, no matter how small the amount is. If he is stealing from one car he is stealing from others, if he is stealing from the cars he is probably stealing from the dealership.
Getting sacked for theft is probably a much stiffer sentence than you would get from a court for a theft offence I would think.
It's a morals thing, the amount isn't particularly relevant IMO.
They might have suspicians anyway and could quite easily set up a 'sting' much like the OP to trap the offender. At that stage they may want to report to the police to justify and back up their decision to sack the offender.
Any self respecting manager wouldn't want a thief working for them, no matter how small the amount is. If he is stealing from one car he is stealing from others, if he is stealing from the cars he is probably stealing from the dealership.
Getting sacked for theft is probably a much stiffer sentence than you would get from a court for a theft offence I would think.
It's a morals thing, the amount isn't particularly relevant IMO.
Enut said:
I think the OP has done the right thing. I wouldn't report it to the police at this stage but let the dealer look into it and take any appropriate action.
They might have suspicians anyway and could quite easily set up a 'sting' much like the OP to trap the offender. At that stage they may want to report to the police to justify and back up their decision to sack the offender.
Any self respecting manager wouldn't want a thief working for them, no matter how small the amount is. If he is stealing from one car he is stealing from others, if he is stealing from the cars he is probably stealing from the dealership.
Getting sacked for theft is probably a much stiffer sentence than you would get from a court for a theft offence I would think.
It's a morals thing, the amount isn't particularly relevant IMO.
^^^^^^^. This They might have suspicians anyway and could quite easily set up a 'sting' much like the OP to trap the offender. At that stage they may want to report to the police to justify and back up their decision to sack the offender.
Any self respecting manager wouldn't want a thief working for them, no matter how small the amount is. If he is stealing from one car he is stealing from others, if he is stealing from the cars he is probably stealing from the dealership.
Getting sacked for theft is probably a much stiffer sentence than you would get from a court for a theft offence I would think.
It's a morals thing, the amount isn't particularly relevant IMO.
Mechanics really don't earn a lot i'm really not surprised some take a bit of loose change, i'm pretty sure I might
What I certainly would never do is try and bate someone by deliberately leaving loose change laying around. That to me seem like the sort of thing only someone with an over inflated self of self importance would do.
I would love to hear that this got reported and the police turned around and said it is not for the tax payer to fund the policing of your social experiments, although then they'd be wasting tax money paying for the inevitable argument so i image recording and then ignoring it would be the best solution.
What I certainly would never do is try and bate someone by deliberately leaving loose change laying around. That to me seem like the sort of thing only someone with an over inflated self of self importance would do.
I would love to hear that this got reported and the police turned around and said it is not for the tax payer to fund the policing of your social experiments, although then they'd be wasting tax money paying for the inevitable argument so i image recording and then ignoring it would be the best solution.
caziques said:
Are you serious?, steal some loose change because you have some twisted sense of entitlement. Grow up.
There is NO excuse for theft.
Pretty simplistic world view.There is NO excuse for theft.
Am I the one with a twisted sense of entitlement because I say I might take something that doesn't belong to me from someone who seems to care little about it.
Or is it you, who expects to be able to have society protect your property no matter how little effort you are willing to put into protecting it yourself.
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