Robberies

[anonymous]

Coming from a carwash with a vacuum vault for all but vending the thought of emptying 100 coin boxes in a little much.

What has been your experience with being robbed?

What is your experience with vandalism of coin boxes and/or stringing?

[Howard]

First, I LOVE to collect from all those little boxes. I can't think of anything you can do dressed that is more fun.
They also spread the risk of robbery because of the time consumed in breaking into one and the difficulty to get into them.

I have been robbbed twice (both gents caught). They went for the soda and video games after trying to pry open one cash box on a dryer (using a crowbar).

[anonymous]

I agree with Howard. It would be very difficult to break into all of those boxes. I have talked with many owners and heard many X's 2 views about collecting. Some like to collect while they are locked in their store with no customers present others like to collect with many customers present. Even if a robber took your coin collection bucket they would not be able to run very fast or far with all the weight of those coins.

[vohraajay]

the best robbery I heard about few years back was in california. This guy came at night, cut the electricity to walk in through the front door, came with torch and tanks on his back, cut every lock in the store, got out in 30 minutes.

ajay

[Howard]

I had a laundromat in Atascadero, California several years ago. It was attended. The attendant opened it at 0700. She then went to get a coffee and when she came back (at approximately 0715), the changemaker had been torched open.

The good news is that they caught the two guys about a month later in Southern California, doing the same thing. The could be worse news is that they burned up all the cash and left the coins.

Since then, I have always had a smoke alarm in my changemakers.

The robbers used an acetylene torch and tank. I would have to guess they learned how to avoid burning the money before they were caught (red-handed, in the process of torching a changemaker, according to a coin-laundry magazine report).

[Kitty]

Well the quick thieves are smart eh? How about the theft we had this fall. When Dave build the mat 15 years ago he contemplated not adding an air vent to the office and was going to add a window unit. Thus the block was set with an opening for said window unit. Changed his mind in mid stream and opted to put air through to the office. The opening was never blocked in besides the brink on the outside of th building. The fall theifs hammered the brick out and climbed through into the office, of which there was no security in the room. Took off with about 800 in quarters and nabbed the attendants cash drawer in the back for another 200 bucks. Ruined the safe, ruined the desk and of course th brick and block on the wall. All in all a loss of around 1500bucks, great insurance got all the funds back and all is well in this part of laundryland........

[Goldy]

Howard, I own one of those So Cal laundromats that was torched by these two individuals. The worse news is that they are both now out on parole; free to use their spare time as they see fit !!!