Caravans stolen from storage facility

Mar 5, 2009
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Last week mine and three other vans were stolen from a CaSSOA Silver award storage facility. 2 t/a's, my new Pageant Bordeaux and a smaller s/a. A number of vans and motorhomes were damaged on the site also.

Fortunately my van (Metis) and one of the t/a's (Phantom) were fitted with trackers and were recovered within 6 hours. The other t/a who's tracker was not operational was located next to mine (quel surprise) in a travellers site near Heathrow. I've not heard about the small van.

Lesson learned:

No amount of security fitted to your van can prevent a determined thief. I had Alko hitch lock, Milenco wheel clamp and steady locks and I'm sure the others did too.

Caravan door and gas locker locks are not secure.

The weak link on a solid looking gate are the hinges.

There are bolt cutters that can go through almost anything see www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3hFr8p2ck

Communications between adjoning police forces are not as good as you might expect. They have different references for the same incident and as I was able to attend the recovery of my van my mobile was used to connect the relevant parties.

Make sure your tracker is activated at all times. Mine wasn't at the time of theft but once switched on it proved its worth.

Get a solid insurance policy - they've already settled and have been very good throughout. (TowergateBakers) Wonder what my premium will be like next year though?

Possibly most of all, something you never really know until after you've purchased a van, find a dealer with a good service centre. I bought mine from Reading Caravans (was Berkshire Caravans). Matthew the service manager and team have been great since purchase but through this incident have been excellent - we're off in our van again this weekend!

Caravan thefts have been coming down apparently and this incident hasn't put me off but we need to badger manufacturers to beef up the security of their vans as the car manufacturers did some year back. It won't avoid the need for trackers or owners exercising self help and diligence.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I am always saddened when anyone reports or damage to their property, and even more so when you have taken all reasonable precautions to prevent such events, like using a CaSSOA site which is suppose to offer the best security.

It angers me when it is most likely that perpetrators will get off with a community service sentence or worse when despite a heavy fine the courts cannot recover the money because the toe rags have moved on or some other such thing.

I am livid when you place your property in the care of a CaSSOA site, and despite the fact that their security (which you have paid for) fails, and you are left to pick up the costs through your insurers. THAT IS SO WRONG AND UNFAIR.

Sue the site for the loss that you have incurred through their failure, in other words any raised premiums the insurers charge you should be passed onto the site owners who must carry responsibility for the care and protection of customers property. That is their stock in trade, and the prime reason that you use them.

If bank losses your money or valuable from a saf deposit box, the bank has to cover the loss, the same principal should apply. The site should be carrying insurance, let them take the hit for allowing these thieves onto their property. You have done nothing wrong so why should you pay for their incompetence and failure to provide security that is fit for purpose.?
 
G

Guest

John,

We have been round this one extensively. You have what is a very strong opinion, and you are entitled to it, others including myself, have differing ones. I agree with the lack of appropriate penalty imposed on the perpetrators but if someone has signed, or accepted Terms and Conditions with a business, then I suspect there is no recourse, other than to take your van elsewhere.

Fortunately, the CASSOA site I use has never had any incidents in the last 10 years, or as far as anyone can recall. I even managed to leave a plastic box containing my leads, ramps and other bits and pieces beside my van for a week, because I forgot to put it back in the car. It was still sitting there when I returned and hundreds of other van owners had walked passed it. Not everyone is a thief, although I take note of 'pitchupcyril's' comments on where one of the vans was discovered.
 
May 5, 2005
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Pitchupcyril was very fortunate that the service provider switched the tracker on.I have just had words with the people running the tracker fitted to our Indiana who told me that if i stopped my subscription they would not turn it on again under any circumstances if I changed my mind.Hating powerselling I said if it was stolen I dont think id want it back and hearing where yours was found I am furthur convinced.However I'm impressed with 6 hours only a murder round here gets that kind of service
 
May 21, 2008
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Here I can empathise with John on this subject.

Had it not of been down to the assistance from a traker, then the outcome might of been more difficult to predict.

I'm glad Cyril got his van back intact and was able to resume caravanning after repairs, and congratulations to his insurers for what seems to be a good service.

But why shouldn't he be able to expect his storage facility to cover the cost of repair and even an increase of premium for the next year? After all, you place your pride and joy in the hands of a safe keeper and pay a hansome fee for the protection.

I had an engineering buisness which was raided and the thieves stole all our stock of brass and even the finished components and the pans of work at the machines. I had to foot the bill for 6 weeks of weekend overtime to re-produce the customers orders and try to minimise the lost time delivery to the customer. Maybe I should of sat back and blamed the criminal?

I don't expect the thieves will get much of a slapping from the justice system, probably more of a tickle on the tum I guess.

Steve L.
 
Feb 16, 2009
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They won't even try and prosecute as they are travellers not worth the hassle, hit with court proceedings they will be off never to be seen again.

One Law for one, one for another.

NigelH
 
Jan 5, 2008
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The question is: having had your caravan stolen would you really want it back. I appreciate that some may keep what could be considered sentimental items within the van but other than those everything else can be replaced. I certainly wouldn't want mine back after some scrote has had use of it for a while. The same applies to a car as well. I have no experience of such a theft but I would imagine that the matter could be reasonably resolved if with a reputable insurance company. None of this is to condone the theft - I would be quite happy to see offender's hands cut off (really).
 
G

Guest

Steve L,

I would expect that neither Party here picks up the bill as it will be paid by the insurance Company. The question we were discussing (ok, arguing over) was who should pay the insurance cover, the owner who loses his NCB, or the site owner. John L feels strongly it should be the site owners as they are entering into a Contract with van owners. I feel that would be impractical as each outfit would have to valued separately, and all items held within. This would then all be totalled and added to the annual site costs. In addition if a van was damaged or stolen then all owners would pay an increased fee to cover the loss, whereas with individual insurance Policies, only the van owner in question takes the 'hit'. I also suspect, but have no way of proving, that any Insurance Company asked to cover a complete storage site would enhance the premiums significantly to cover all the options.

It will remain an unresolved topic until the situation changes.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Hello Scothc lad,

I have stong views yes, But they are not drawn from any personal expetrience, as I have not had a storage yard loss.

But there is ditinct inequity when as you say a contract has agreed to store a caravan, but the stoge site owner seeks to evade any liability if they fail to maintain security.

There are plenty of industries where an organisation has to store customers property whilst they work on it. These organisations all have insurance to cover the potential for the loss or deterioration of customers property. These organisations are not selling security, yet they cover it.

It is totaly unreasonable that caravan storage yards that make secuirty a major element of their trades descriptions and marketing strategy are able to walk away from any liabilty when they fail to probvide what they are selling.

Caravan owners should be pursuing these companies when they fail to supply what they have contracted for.

If these sites cannot gurantee security or cover thier custsonmers in the event of a loss, they shold not use the concept of security in thier advertising or implied terms.
 
May 5, 2005
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John L is spot on,as a gasfitter I have goods in transit insurance so if I pick up a boiler for a customer and I damage/have it stolen ,it is covered.Storage isnt cheap and the more stars they have the more they charge.

Are there any figures on which caravans are stolen each year so we could see which brands/models are better secured,be a lot more use in buying than most caravan tests
 
G

Guest

As mentioned we have been round the houses on this one, so it is pointless to go through it all again. Nobody forces anyone to use any storage facility and therefore it is their choice whether or not to accept the Terms and Conditions. I also am damm sure owners who have no problems would be unhappy to see their prices increase to cover someone who has.

Bluntly, I insure my van for a 12 month period wherever it is. I cannot have 2 Policies covering the same item at the same time, so what should I do? Tell my insurers I do not need cover for 4 months because it is covered by someone else. You really think the reduction in premium would be significant? Also assuming I got away with that one, if by any chance the Company with the storage facility was dodgy and did not pay the insurance when required, then I am left having to try and recover costs from some organisation that has probably 'disappeared'.

Bluntly, the 'can of worms' is not worth the hassle for 4 months premiums.

As they say 'principles' are wonderful things but they rarely pay the rent.
 
Mar 5, 2009
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As mentioned we have been round the houses on this one, so it is pointless to go through it all again. Nobody forces anyone to use any storage facility and therefore it is their choice whether or not to accept the Terms and Conditions. I also am damm sure owners who have no problems would be unhappy to see their prices increase to cover someone who has.

Bluntly, I insure my van for a 12 month period wherever it is. I cannot have 2 Policies covering the same item at the same time, so what should I do? Tell my insurers I do not need cover for 4 months because it is covered by someone else. You really think the reduction in premium would be significant? Also assuming I got away with that one, if by any chance the Company with the storage facility was dodgy and did not pay the insurance when required, then I am left having to try and recover costs from some organisation that has probably 'disappeared'.

Bluntly, the 'can of worms' is not worth the hassle for 4 months premiums.

As they say 'principles' are wonderful things but they rarely pay the rent.
I've tapped into a sensitive vein here and rightly so too. I paid over
 
Jul 31, 2009
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As mentioned we have been round the houses on this one, so it is pointless to go through it all again. Nobody forces anyone to use any storage facility and therefore it is their choice whether or not to accept the Terms and Conditions. I also am damm sure owners who have no problems would be unhappy to see their prices increase to cover someone who has.

Bluntly, I insure my van for a 12 month period wherever it is. I cannot have 2 Policies covering the same item at the same time, so what should I do? Tell my insurers I do not need cover for 4 months because it is covered by someone else. You really think the reduction in premium would be significant? Also assuming I got away with that one, if by any chance the Company with the storage facility was dodgy and did not pay the insurance when required, then I am left having to try and recover costs from some organisation that has probably 'disappeared'.

Bluntly, the 'can of worms' is not worth the hassle for 4 months premiums.

As they say 'principles' are wonderful things but they rarely pay the rent.
You can have as many insurance policies as you want on the same item, claiming from more than one is when it's illegal. e.g. your household insurance probably covers some of the stuff covered by your caravan insurance.
 

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