Quote:
Originally Posted by davey
OK here's another one. How To Steal A Trailer. My trailer was parked with two good locks through the hitch and a wheel clamp. Just before I was going to tow the trailer to Wales I noticed that the injection pump on my antique Rangie was dripping. Pump off, up to Exeter, pump fixed but now NO TRAILER! Reported the theft to the police and got a crime number. Put front page "Reward £1000" advertisements in the local paper, also a photo ad in Free Ads. Put a "Wanted Stolen Trailer Reward Poster" on eBay (poster for sale at 2p to satisfy eBay rules). This listing was repeated several times although my first attempt was taken down by eBay "because I had nothing to sell". The trailer must have been as hot as hell and maybe it was the thief complaining to eBay that caused the trouble. (eBay wouldn't say who'd complained owing to the "Thief Protection Act" as I call it). Months went by and I didn't hear a thing so assumed that the trailer must have been taken to Ireland or Europe.
Almost three years later I had a whinging phone call from a friend. His metric spanners didn't fit his Petter Mini-6; well they wouldn't would they? I set off to Wadebridge where there is a good shop that sells second-hand Imperial tools. (This is a direction that I seldom travel). On the way I spotted a trailer, MY TRAILER! so I phoned the police. A private car arrived whilst the police officer was taking a statement from me. "Whats up" said the driver. "You've got my trailer" I replied. The officer then asked the man (1) if he had a receipt, (2) if he knew the person he bought the trailer from, and (3) if he knew where this person lived. Answers were all affirmative. I did get my trailer back eventually although since being stolen it had been converted from a 32 roller trailer to a 16 roller trailer (about £1000 worth of parts missing) The keepers receipt was bogus and he seemed to develop amnesia because later he told the police he only "sort of" knew the person he allegedly bought it from. The loss of that trailer forced me to employ a boat transportation company to move my "project boat" from North Wales so that was another £500 down the pan. Looks like going boating in my retirement isn't going to happen.
So all you tea-leaves it looks as if you can steal what the hell you like and providing you write yourself a bogus receipt with your left hand and stick to your story you cannot be touched. Great country innit?
Nice people out there, please write to your MP to try to get this bogus receipt defence overturned if you think that the law as it stands is an ass.
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Oh by the way when I bought the trailer I paid by PayPal funded by an A & L credit card in order to get "insurance". (I still have an old A & L pamphlett that states "Free 90 day worldwide protection on purchases"). Unfortunately life is never simple and the A & L credit card operation is no longer run by Alliance & Leicester. In fact the credit card operation has changed hands several times and the "benefits" have been watered down. Now run by MBNA and when I claimed I was just sent a booklet of exclusions. From memory the following are excluded:- Motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, their engines and accessories. (not much left already!). Tickets and money, food, drink, perishables, work done by tradesmen. Basically MBNA credit card insurance is virtually worthless.
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