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Tools stolen does gleaming cover it?

ECLM
WCF

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I had a different business years ago, basically on the high street. There was a good few instances when competitors caused damage to my shop (front windows had a brick put through them in the night) and some even went as far as sending people inside the shop to cause damage to equipment. 

The windows going in happened a few times and I didnt see much change out of 500 quid for new glass to be inserted each time.

 
Sometimes I think get a big van and keep all the equipment in it, but when this happens it makes me think stay with the smaller van and although its a hassle loading and unloading different kit for different jobs it reduces the risk of losing it all if I get targeted.

 
I rang up today for a quote for cover, £291 for the year. Accidental damage, fire damage, vandalism & theft. That’s with Alexander swan.

 
Apart from carpet carpet grippers any suggestions how to keep vans safe already use at night steering lock and a foldable post in 3 foot of concrete and back doors tight against garage doors .

Bloke over road went away in caravan and his alarm went off at 3am on a Sunday morning his alarm never has gone off on false alarm rang police who just said " we will makea note of it". some scum bag had tried to open his garage door.

 
I am curious about the placement of carpet gripper on the side door, in our little development with our shared courtyard between us and our neighbours we have 3 security lights and 4 quality security cameras, security cameras are very much becoming the norm these days 

 
Hi Guys thanks for all the replies been a busy week sorting everything out!! Went back to Sainsbury's the next day and looked at the cctv footage my van is just out of shot but can see the bonnet a van comes directly in the car park pulls up to the space next door then drives around the back out of sight. He enters the car park at 8.13pm and leaves and 8.15pm it had to be a van as you coudlnt get that equipment into a car and this was the only van which leaves during the time i was there. I track the van to another car park where it meets another van and transfers the goods. This is clearly a targeted attack. Oh suprise suprise no regs clear enough to see. From what I can see they have taken a numatic gutter vac in blue hose to go with and 4 carbon fibre gutter vac poles and attachments. They have taken 2 22ft gardiner slx poles. A 22ft slx which i use a a bird poo scraper so will have a scraoer attachment on it. Around 8 Gardiner brush heads. A water genie back pack! My wfp reel with blue 8mm hose. A bucket containing literally everything from o clips to spanners goosenecks and loads of spares!!! All my trad gear so a moreman bucket 18" 12" 10" all moreman plus 18" and 12" mops. I carnt see what else as I carnt remember untill i go to use it!! Im waiting to hear back off gleaming insurance but they said as I was at the gym insurance may be void!! I've managed to buy back the basics just to be able to get me back to work at a cost of £650 plus a days wage! A good friend of mine has set up a go fund me page and we have raised £350 which is so kind also a customer has given me £100. I'll never get it all back but least I'm back working! I'll put up a post later about how they broke into my van so maybe it will help out you guys who have a similar van! I think now wfp is so popular we will see more of these targeted attacks so please guys make sure your insured and have extra security!! 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
GSS Window Cleaning said:
Hi Guys thanks for all the replies been a busy week sorting everything out!! Went back to Sainsbury's the next day and looked at the cctv footage my van is just out of shot but can see the bonnet a van comes directly in the car park pulls up to the space next door then drives around the back out of sight. He enters the car park at 8.13pm and leaves and 8.15pm it had to be a van as you coudlnt get that equipment into a car and this was the only van which leaves during the time i was there. I track the van to another car park where it meets another van and transfers the goods. This is clearly a targeted attack. Oh suprise suprise no regs clear enough to see. From what I can see they have taken a numatic gutter vac in blue hose to go with and 4 carbon fibre gutter vac poles and attachments. They have taken 2 22ft gardiner slx poles. A 22ft slx which i use a a bird poo scraper so will have a scraoer attachment on it. Around 8 Gardiner brush heads. A water genie back pack! My wfp reel with blue 8mm hose. A bucket containing literally everything from o clips to spanners goosenecks and loads of spares!!! All my trad gear so a moreman bucket 18" 12" 10" all moreman plus 18" and 12" mops. I carnt see what else as I carnt remember untill i go to use it!! Im waiting to hear back off gleaming insurance but they said as I was at the gym insurance may be void!! I've managed to buy back the basics just to be able to get me back to work at a cost of £650 plus a days wage! A good friend of mine has set up a go fund me page and we have raised £350 which is so kind also a customer has given me £100. I'll never get it all back but least I'm back working! I'll put up a post later about how they broke into my van so maybe it will help out you guys who have a similar van! I think now wfp is so popular we will see more of these targeted attacks so please guys make sure your insured and have extra security!! 
Click to expand...
Cheers for telling you. Glad you’re slowly up & running again. Was gutted for you reading it. There’s some scum out there 

 
Right if any members on here have a citreon dispatch or simlar please please please remove this(circle) on the side door. All you have to do is unclip the connections behind it it takes 2 mins. This will at least stop thieves from popping the side door open. 

20190604_103132.jpg

 
We went away recently to a foreign land (i was "taken" as i'm skint lol). Anyway we have a dodgy house of multiple occupancy a few doors away and one of the cretins there in the past has previously tried to get into our garage for my tools.

So.. I sabotaged EVERYTHING before going. Chained the garage door to a big warehouse trolley that has a 2.5L engine sat on it (and auto box) with the brakes applied, steel pins in the side of the garage door, chained the trolley to some metal shelves, all my window cleaning gear was broken up into seperate pieces and stashed in different places, same for computer back up drives...

If stuff is sabotaged it's useless to people. Doesn't quite work in a van mind but around the house..

Gleaming saying insurance might be invalid? That's just nasty. IF they do that I'm going to ring up and ask questions about my own cover - and how i might get out of it. Other windys should consider doing the same - we should stand united against the insurers if only for this case.

 
Think they say its Vivaro/Traffic with the Nissan version being the best.

If you Google van theft and look at images. If they want to get in they will. Theres pics off Van's where they have smashed a hole through the van panels basically tore a hole to steal equipment.

Probably best prevention is where you park the van ideally. 

 
I'm having some deadocks fitted on both side doors and back doors didn't think I'd have to go down this route just to protect window cleaning gear but if they wipe you out like they have me look at how much it comes too to replace. It could be the end for some of us on tight budgets 

 
Yeh I’m strongly considering it too. I have one on the back doors already, brutish gas fit then standard on their vans.

But for both side doors & cab doors I’m guessing will be over £500 ? 

 
Must say having googled van theft last night and seen the peel n steal technique that is going on I wonder if stronger bolts will even make any difference?

I reckon you'd have better luck with PIR triggered flame throwers / sleeping gas canisters if i'm honest. 

 

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