Advice on whether to report a theft from a Main Dealer site.
Discussion
Just after advice on whether to report a theft while our car was at a Main Dealer today.
The background is that our car was being serviced at a Main Dealer last week and my was fairly sure, but not certain, that a £2 coin had been taken from the ashtray where she keeps car-parking change. We couldn't say anything as we had no way of being absolutely sure but it just so happens they identified a piece of warranty work that required doing so it went back in today, so we counted each coin that was in the ashtray/cupholder.
On getting the car back three £1 coins were absent. We asked to speak to the Dealer Principle but he had gone home so his P.A. asked us to speak to the Service Manager. We reported the theft calmly and soberly, no kicking off or shouting and screaming, and he assured us he would be taking it seriously and speaking to the Principle/Business Manager tomorrow before addressing the staff together.
My question is, should I report it to the Police and register it to enable a crime number to be generated and perhaps flag it up if other customers have had the same experience?
I know it's only £3 but £3 a car, say 10 a day, five days a week is £600 a month someone is taking home, and how long before he gets greedy?
The background is that our car was being serviced at a Main Dealer last week and my was fairly sure, but not certain, that a £2 coin had been taken from the ashtray where she keeps car-parking change. We couldn't say anything as we had no way of being absolutely sure but it just so happens they identified a piece of warranty work that required doing so it went back in today, so we counted each coin that was in the ashtray/cupholder.
On getting the car back three £1 coins were absent. We asked to speak to the Dealer Principle but he had gone home so his P.A. asked us to speak to the Service Manager. We reported the theft calmly and soberly, no kicking off or shouting and screaming, and he assured us he would be taking it seriously and speaking to the Principle/Business Manager tomorrow before addressing the staff together.
My question is, should I report it to the Police and register it to enable a crime number to be generated and perhaps flag it up if other customers have had the same experience?
I know it's only £3 but £3 a car, say 10 a day, five days a week is £600 a month someone is taking home, and how long before he gets greedy?
At the risk of sounding like a grown up, it's the principle of the theft.
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.
All I was asking is whether to make the Police aware in case someone else has reported something more major or many people have had similar minor, even tiny thefts.
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.
All I was asking is whether to make the Police aware in case someone else has reported something more major or many people have had similar minor, even tiny thefts.
I'm not expecting anything at all to be done about our tiny loss but should there have been lots of other people reporting similar, or someone experiencing a major item go missing then perhaps someone might have a word with the Dealership.
To be honest, even after reporting to the Service Manager I'm not even expecting to hear from the Dealership again, even a letter to say sorry; but if everyone does nothing and no-one informs either the Dealership or perhaps the Police then the thefts will continue, perhaps not pennies but anything that is easy to pocket, nice sunglasses, nice pen and thieves become emboldened and make off with something of a higher value.
To be honest, even after reporting to the Service Manager I'm not even expecting to hear from the Dealership again, even a letter to say sorry; but if everyone does nothing and no-one informs either the Dealership or perhaps the Police then the thefts will continue, perhaps not pennies but anything that is easy to pocket, nice sunglasses, nice pen and thieves become emboldened and make off with something of a higher value.
I'm not expecting anything at all to be done about our tiny loss but should there have been lots of other people reporting similar, or someone experiencing a major item go missing then perhaps someone might have a word with the Dealership.
To be honest, even after reporting to the Service Manager I'm not even expecting to hear from the Dealership again, even a letter to say sorry; but if everyone does nothing and no-one informs either the Dealership or perhaps the Police then the thefts will continue, perhaps not pennies but anything that is easy to pocket, nice sunglasses, nice pen and thieves become emboldened and make off with something of a higher value.
To be honest, even after reporting to the Service Manager I'm not even expecting to hear from the Dealership again, even a letter to say sorry; but if everyone does nothing and no-one informs either the Dealership or perhaps the Police then the thefts will continue, perhaps not pennies but anything that is easy to pocket, nice sunglasses, nice pen and thieves become emboldened and make off with something of a higher value.
Thank you to the posters who like me see the principle of the theft; I think I'll hold off and see if the head honcho gets in touch then think again about it.
For information, the Service Manager was almost immediately talking about rigging a car with cameras so perhaps it is the case that others have reported thefts and he realises it's time to do something as it's perhaps getting out of hand.
As to someone getting sacked, I doubt anyone will or could get caught unless they were caught by someone over their shoulder or by a camera set-up.
It does seem some posters are perfectly happy with petty crime, perhaps even with bigger thefts too...
For information, the Service Manager was almost immediately talking about rigging a car with cameras so perhaps it is the case that others have reported thefts and he realises it's time to do something as it's perhaps getting out of hand.
As to someone getting sacked, I doubt anyone will or could get caught unless they were caught by someone over their shoulder or by a camera set-up.
It does seem some posters are perfectly happy with petty crime, perhaps even with bigger thefts too...
Wooda80 said:
I'd like to ask the OP this:
Imagine that I come to your workplace, whether as a customer or a visitor. Whilst I'm there I take off my coat and leave it unattended ( on the back of a chair, on a coat peg, wherever ) . When I come to leave I notice that there is £3 missing from one of my coat pockets. If I reported this to your office or site manager, what could I expect to happen?
If you are concerned about the missing money ( i appreciate that it's the principle rather than the amount ) then by all means mention it, but I wouldn't expect a full scale investigation and a report of the outcome and I certainly wouldn't regard it as a police matter.
I've been quietly watching the morality quiz the thread has become as well as some of the side stepping of direct questions asked of those who have expressed ''peculiar' views, but I'm happy to answer your question with reference to the last workplace/site I worked at. Imagine that I come to your workplace, whether as a customer or a visitor. Whilst I'm there I take off my coat and leave it unattended ( on the back of a chair, on a coat peg, wherever ) . When I come to leave I notice that there is £3 missing from one of my coat pockets. If I reported this to your office or site manager, what could I expect to happen?
If you are concerned about the missing money ( i appreciate that it's the principle rather than the amount ) then by all means mention it, but I wouldn't expect a full scale investigation and a report of the outcome and I certainly wouldn't regard it as a police matter.
I was a Paramedic in the NHS and if/when a theft was reported either from an ambulance the crew were immediately taken off-duty, the ambulance and the crew personally searched by a senior manager, all pockets and boxes and every crevice of the vehicle searched to ensure the person who felt there had been a theft was assured the matter was being taken with utmost sincerity and seriousness. Regardless of whether items were found the crew would have found themselves on a warning for being careless enough to be accused of theft. How's that?
When there was a theft from within a Station, the entire staff would be made to attend a dressing down and warning about theft and trust by the Station Manager and Area Manager. There inevitably followed a lengthy unpleasant period of distrust and unquiet amongst the staff as individual accusations followed and ill-feeling pervaded. In short, it was enough to make people transfer to another station.
Before that I was in the Armed Services where similar, if not more serious, measures were undertaken to ensure thefts and thieves were stamped out immediately.
I hope that answers your question. Given some of the reactions to my post I suspect those answers would surprise many who have posted who believe that nothing whatsoever should be left should people be tempted, or nothing should be expected to be done as the value is so small, and those for whom £3 being taken is too small to be worried about but then like to repeatedly side step the question about how much is enough to be worried about...
As others have said, theft is theft, and in many cases the first circumstance that is detected may be the latest in a long, long line and perhaps the smallest in value.
To answer another point, the money was not 'planted', it was simply there the first time and visually looked as though some was missing and therefore counted the second time to accurately assess whether any had been taken.
As I mentioned earlier, the Service Manager was very quick to suggest rigging a car with cameras so I imagine I am not the first to complain.
I have not heard from the Business Manager as yet but I will post if anything does happen.
Escy said:
largelunchbox said:
So what’s the amount you start to get concerned £10 £20 £50?
I guess when you're laying bait down expecting it to be stolen you set the amount you're happy to have stolen.I just think the whole thing is a bit pathetic. If you think the mechanic has stolen loose change off you, next time take it out. Or you could leave more money then busy yourself writing forum posts, contacting management and maybe the police.
So you accidentally leave your wallet in the car when you leave your car for a service, and on returning an amount is missing; what amount is enough for you to report it?
Just answer the question that several people have directly asked you about your original point that £3 was not enough to worry about; no more excuses about laying bait, a trap, I wouldn't leave my wallet, I think it's pathetic, I wouldn't write about it, I wouldn't keep replying to threads about it, I wouldn't take my car for a service ever, the sun was in my eyes, etc; you have accidentally left your wallet in the car when you leave your car for a service, and on returning an amount is missing; what amount is enough for you to report it?
It seems several of those who have replied with 'throwaway' posts are now tying themselves in knots avoiding direct questions about the comments they made; there are very simple questions being asked of them but which now have become seemingly unanswerable as their initial posts are showing them how unpalatable their own morality is, or how stupid their posts were?
Edited by McGee_22 on Sunday 23 February 05:29
ging84 said:
McGee_22 said:
ging84 said:
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
Ging84, this is what you said about thieving from another person; I've put it in bold for you.Are you trying to implying that is condoning because it isn't, it is simply putting yourself in someone else's shoes and thinking maybe I would, I would certainly be very tempted.
I think most people that think they would not even consider taking it are probably just being less empathetic rather than more honest.
Theft is theft, even three pounds as you agreed in another post, yet you said you're pretty sure you might take it. This is actually beyond condoning theft, this is saying you might thieve yourself.
You have tried to get out of this and your other statement regarding the percentage of thefts in the workplace but quite simply you are condoning theft from an individual and going still further saying you might well do it yourself.
Escy said:
There is no acceptable level of thieving but we've all got a level where you can't be bothered to go anything about it.
If my wheels get stolen, I'd call the Police, if my dust caps got stolen I wouldn't (sounds like a few of you would).
I feel the same for a couple of quid out of the ash tray, not worth chasing it up. And it's not about how much money you've got either, the less money you've got, the less time you're likely to spend on frivolous bulls
t like chasing around over £3 you wouldn't get back anyway.
More pathetic side stepping of the question of how much. If my wheels get stolen, I'd call the Police, if my dust caps got stolen I wouldn't (sounds like a few of you would).
I feel the same for a couple of quid out of the ash tray, not worth chasing it up. And it's not about how much money you've got either, the less money you've got, the less time you're likely to spend on frivolous bulls
t like chasing around over £3 you wouldn't get back anyway. Rewe said:
Rather than obsessing about Escy’s moral compass, why don't you just decide what feels like the right thing for you and just do that?
You don't have to justify your stance and neither does he.
FWIW my view is:
Yes, any form of theft or dishonesty is wrong
Yes, you seem to be a bit petty minded
The two aren't mutually exclusive.
Rather than reading just the last post perhaps you should you read the thread. You don't have to justify your stance and neither does he.
FWIW my view is:
Yes, any form of theft or dishonesty is wrong
Yes, you seem to be a bit petty minded
The two aren't mutually exclusive.
Ecsy made the point that £3 was too little for him to do anything about and started berating me for doing so; multiple posters have continued to ask of him how much is the amount he would report and he has continued to obfuscate about the answer; he then started to address my initial report of the theft as pathetic which I have quite rightly also labelled his continued attempts to avoid answering a point he raised.
Like ging84 who first of all condoned theft and then also admitted he was pretty sure he might steal as well, Ecsy has made what he thought was a clever statement but ultimately when asked to explain himself has found he has cornered himself.
I hope this explains mine, and other posters responses, to Ecsy as you seem to be a person who as well as resorting to 'petty' name calling, doesn't seem to be able to concentrate long enough to read the entire thread.
Escy said:
Sorry if it comes across as berating you, I don't really care about this situation and I genuinely thought it was a wind up when I initially read it.
I've got a theory, by the fact you left money in your car half expecting it to be stolen only to get yourself upset about it when it happened and want to invest time and effort into reporting it to the garage and then the Police, i'm going to assume you are retired and just looking for things to do to pass the time.
To address your points in reverse order; your theory is way off the mark, I'm hard working and every penny counts, and the money is/was always in the car and curiosity over whether money was taken the first time led us count and recount it the second time.I've got a theory, by the fact you left money in your car half expecting it to be stolen only to get yourself upset about it when it happened and want to invest time and effort into reporting it to the garage and then the Police, i'm going to assume you are retired and just looking for things to do to pass the time.
As to whether you care or not about this situation, how come you have posted on this thread more times than I have?
Rewe said:
Does it go something like this?
No.RB Will said:
Forgotten theOP so sorry if this has been covered but was this at a main dealer sort of place where your car gets washed on every visit?
If so I’d say it was likely one of the car cleaners than a mechanic. Easy to say oops accidentally hoovered it up. They will be earning half or less than the mechanics and have much less worry about being sacked. Mechanics in an area tend to know each other so if you were known to be sacked for stealing good luck getting a job in the same area.
At the last dealership I was working at there could be up to about 6 people who had been in or worked on the car so unless you have them on cam hard to know who did it.
The DP should probably offer you a free oil change or valet and then do a briefing with everyone at the dealership saying that it is known people are stealing from cars, next person caught will be made an example of
Spot on. Big dealership, lots of mechanics as well as externally contracted cleaners/valeters, and probably a few hangers on who move cars around too.If so I’d say it was likely one of the car cleaners than a mechanic. Easy to say oops accidentally hoovered it up. They will be earning half or less than the mechanics and have much less worry about being sacked. Mechanics in an area tend to know each other so if you were known to be sacked for stealing good luck getting a job in the same area.
At the last dealership I was working at there could be up to about 6 people who had been in or worked on the car so unless you have them on cam hard to know who did it.
The DP should probably offer you a free oil change or valet and then do a briefing with everyone at the dealership saying that it is known people are stealing from cars, next person caught will be made an example of
It's all supposition but I would expect those who have more to lose by being found out as a thief would be less likely to do it so quite possibly not a mechanic with perhaps a pension or career ahead of them. The Service Manager did allude to this during our brief conversation with him.
Edited by McGee_22 on Sunday 23 February 18:46
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