Theft

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yep, about 30 years ago. I was repairing some recepticals for a guy that had already sold the house (in his contract to be repaired). The new owners had a cheap radio that they were listening to while they repainted. I saw it while I was there. They had all the windows open to let the paint air out. So I figure the local kids got it after I left. The new owner called me and raised hell about me stealing his radio and tearing up one of his window screens. Go figure, I had a key, which I returned to the guy that hired me as soon as I left, so why would I tear up a screen to get in and steal a $5 radio???????
 
77401 said:
Have you or any of your employees ever been accused of theft by a customer.
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Nope, but I got investigated for it once. :)

It involved a really elderly lady that had been my customer for a while. One day she called me over, said her basement dehumidifier stopped working. I walked down to the basement with her, checked the circuit, told her she needed to replace her ancient dehumidifier, played with her dog for a few minutes and left.

Several months later I got a visit from a police investigator. Apparently stuff had been disappearing from her basement gradually, and one of her sons called the police. They asked her who had been in her basement in recent history. My name came up, and apparently that was enough for the son to ask the police to check me out. The investigator asked me all sorts of questions about stuff in the basement, how long I was there, how much stuff I touched, etc. After I gave all the correct answers and he found out that I ran the boy scout troop down the street from her house, he thanked me and left.

A short while later I ran into the lady's home health aide at the grocery store, and asked about the situation. Apparently it was her son, the very one who had called the police, who had been doing the stealing. Go figure.
 
Yeah, we upgraded a panel and added circuits to make a unoccupied house total electric. Most everything was done on Friday. He gave us a key to come back on Monday to finish. When my guys arrived the Plumbing / Heating boys were already there. My guys finished and left pretty quickly.

Customer gave us 1/2 down and 1/2 was due after inspection, which was Tuesday. Thursday, I contacted HO for the other 1/2 and he said that we had stole his CATV box over the weekend. (The house had very little furniture in it and a few cardboard boxes and a TV). He said that when he went over on Wednesday night, the CATV box was gone and that we were the only ones with a key. He said that the skinny kid with the baggy pants looks like a crook and must have took it.

Facts.
  1. I had the key all weekend in the ashtray of my van.
  2. I gave the key to the short round guy on Monday and he gave it back Monday afternoon.
  3. The skinny kid rides with the round guy.
  4. The skinny kid already has cable.
  5. I already have cable.
  6. The cable box uses a GPS or something to program it to the cable company.
  7. You signed a contract and you better pay.
He paid and nothing else was ever said. :D
 
I've never been accused of theft. When I used to work as a furniture mover, several of my co-workers were ex-cons, and they would occasionally steal things. This is just one more reason I'm a one-man show.
 
Minuteman said:
Thursday, I contacted HO for the other 1/2 and he said that we had stole his CATV box over the weekend. (The house had very little furniture in it and a few cardboard boxes and a TV). He said that when he went over on Wednesday night, the CATV box was gone and that we were the only ones with a key. He said that the skinny kid with the baggy pants looks like a crook and must have took it.

Facts.
  1. I had the key all weekend in the ashtray of my van.
  2. I gave the key to the short round guy on Monday and he gave it back Monday afternoon.
  3. The skinny kid rides with the round guy.
  4. The skinny kid already has cable.
  5. I already have cable.
  6. The cable box uses a GPS or something to program it to the cable company.
  7. You signed a contract and you better pay.
He paid and nothing else was ever said. :D
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What about the short round guy? I bet he has cable now... :D
 
We have never been accused of stealing. If we ever were I would straighten it out immediately !!!............wait, I did have one guy who told me a man accused him of stealing his wife. He told they guy he didn't plan to keep her, he was just was borrowing her.
 
WE were accused of switching off the main power at a beach house once.

We had replaced all the outside main breakers on a condo project during the week. Well, come the weekend, one of the owners shows up and discovers his breaker was "off" ---

Well, they called us and said we did it, nada, nada, nada, we owed them for all the spoiled food in the fridge, and freezer, etc.

The problem here is anyone could literally walk up off the street and access those outside disconnect panels.

While I believe we left those outside main breakers on, we ended up paying a few hundred dollars replacing the spoiled food. Not enough to claim insurance or fight over, IMO.
 
I worked with a guy who I swear would steal his grandma's fridge one day and sell it back to her the next if he could make $20 doing it. I have never met such a thief. While the guy who worked with him was on vacation he sold me his 12V dewalt driver drill. I had only been working there about 6 months and was looking for a used one. when the guy gets back from vacation he wonders why I am using his drill (it had no markings) the other guy confesses and our boss made him buy the other guy a new drill and I kept the old one. that guy is still working there and am sure he has stolen plenty from the boss but he does good work and makes the boss money. I don't understand it myself.
 
satcom said:
I had to ask, do any of you, that accept a customers key, have key insurance?
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After that key incident, I bought 2 real estate type lock boxes. I put their key in and give them the combo as well. I tell them to take the key out when we are finished.

I guess I ought to ask our insurance carrier about that kind of coverage.
 
We've never been accused, but.......

We hired a temporary laborer for setting up and cleaning up jobs. He was so stupid that he stole Viagra samples from a doctor's office, AND bragged to my guys about it! My guys call me, I call the cops, end of story. Young guy about 22 or so, said he could sell them for $10 apeice. My doctor, to boot. I've never been so mad in my entire life.
 
kbsparky said:
WE were accused of switching off the main power at a beach house once.

The problem here is anyone could literally walk up off the street and access those outside disconnect panels.

You're right, anyone could have done it.
If I install a outside disconnect, I always recommend that the owner purchase a lock and key for the cover. If anyone (fire dept, POCO) ) really needs to get into it in a hurry they can cut the lock.
steve
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hillbilly said:
kbsparky said:
I always recommend that the owner purchase a lock and key for the cover. If anyone (fire dept, POCO) ) really needs to get into it in a hurry they can cut the lock.
steve
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One story of a customer of mine. Her panel was on fire & smoking.
UPS driver saw it, stoped, opened panel & turned off the main breaker, then called FD.
IMHO locks dont belong on a panel
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j_erickson said:
We've never been accused, but.......

We hired a temporary laborer for setting up and cleaning up jobs. He was so stupid that he stole Viagra samples from a doctor's office, AND bragged to my guys about it! My guys call me, I call the cops, end of story. Young guy about 22 or so, said he could sell them for $10 apeice. My doctor, to boot. I've never been so mad in my entire life.
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Wow !!, sounds like that guy was really hard up for some cash !!!
 
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