Power Sellers Unite

psunite · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 6206 Location: Columbus OH

Yesterday I got a call from my store and was told that it was robbed at gun point. A guy was browsing the store for about 15 minutes then showed my clerk his gun. He didn't believe that is was real so he showed him the clip with bullets. The clerk gave him the money and a Sony PSP then the robber put him in the bathroom in the back and left. I was just glad that no one was hurt.

We gave the cops our surveillance tape and they put it on the 11 o'clock local news. A good thing that did come out of it was that it was on the local news on 4 of the major networks here. So free publicity!

One good thing about selling online is that you can't get robbed at gun point.

Does anyone here have a B&M store to go along with their auctions if so what methods do you use to prevent thef. Christmas is coming and that means an increase in thef.

Roundabout926 · Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 2832

Holy smokes PSU, glad everyone's ok! Great that you have a camera though, good luck on catching the thief!.

Pipphoe · Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:46 pm Post subject: Re: My B&M store was robbed

I am soo sorry to hear of this. I don't have B&M except for the warehouse, but in the early days of Phoenix Address - the direct mail processor that my son's father has here -- it was robbed one night when we were located in Bohemia, New York. Bad, bad. Left the monitors but took all of the CPUs with all of the databases. Early days, like I said, not much backed up, nothing insured either. Devastating at the time.

We do sometimes keep things locked when we're here during the day because people sometimes wander around in the industrial area here and businesses have been robbed, just not at gunpoint. You never know and with the possible fuel prices we're trying to figure out if we should put at least a fake outdoor surveillance unit on outside. We did have oil siphoned once out of the tanks last year! That was extremely financially painful. So the price we ended up paying at home in the spring was a week without gas and electricity.

Don't you love it when people say oh, you have your own business, isn't that terrific, is you must really be doing well :lol: :lol: It's nice and it's ambitious, yes, and very, very tough, and sometimes it's the only way you might be able to stay employed at all :shock:

Ditto that thank God no one was hurt at your shop! I really wish you the best of luck for this upcoming holiday season!

Dep-T-Dawg · Joined: 12 Feb 2005 Posts: 6273

Admin.. so sincerely sorry that this happened
to you..and very grateful that your employee was
not harmed! (I KNOW they/& YOU are now TERRIFIED)
it is such a feeling of violation!
When Lana & I had our B&M stores we were in heavy
traffic areas and usually there was too many folks around
for the "average" theif..(if you know what I mean)..
However, If it was the WINTER months here in the mountains
and our towns (2 separate) looked empty of business, Lana
& I both would keep ALL the lights on and listen for the door
bells..Our regular folks would know why we were locked up inside
and would just wait for us to open. MOSTLY during the very cold
months we did just inventory, cleaning, & etc.(waiting for Spring)

Once again, we are indeed saddened to hear this for you, and hope
you are able to get all back on track ASAP..

JB

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 16923 Location: Texas

Thank Heavens no one was injured!...
I too operate among the live public yet I have no store--I merely sell at live events with other licensed vendors...
It seldom happens, but we've had problems with shoplifters...Vendors protect one another like Mother bears would and usually chase the scum down and beat them a bit before the law arrives...
I've only seen it happen a couple of times in the 4 years I've been in this particular business...

It's a good thing you had video and hopefully the law will catch the criminals who robbed your store!

Good luck psunite!!

elgato

LFRYARTGUY · Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Posts: 568 Location: San Antonio, Texas

Sorry to hear about the robbery, like the other responses, just thankful no one got hurt....

I've have a warehouse manufacturing operation since the mid-80's...in '91 I had some "would be thiefs" break in thru the overhead exhaust fans..at that time I had 10,000sq ft warehouse, so the fans were large enough for them to break & unlatch & fit thru, they got down into the warehouse & discovered that everything that was of value was to large or heavy to push back thru the exhaust....soo...the decided to trash the place instead...did a lot of damage, & took weeks to recover & get back into production....
It's rough owning a structured business & there are always issues that need to be addressed...as in securitity & employees....
I thought that going online with a store front @ Ebay would relieve some of the issues of getting Robbed...but found out that there are other ways of getting ripped off...Ebay is a good example...there are thiefs everywhere..
Know your surroundings / be prepared
-

LurkeyLou · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 11:32 am Post subject: Re: My B&M store was robbed

While I don't have a B&M store, I can suggest a couple of things that retailers in rural areas do. It involves more presence, one temporary and/or permenant.

There's a chance that the robber would not have robbed the store if there were 2 people in it. Even if you can only do it for the season, hiring a second person might help. Training that second person to stay at the back, behind a customer(s) can reduce a crook's control and confidence.

Hiring a security guard for the season is an option, too.

Something that deters criminals is canine. If you have a large dog in the store, a crook does not know how it will react to a weapon. I had 2 German Shepherds that were extraordinarily well behaved unless a voice, hand, or weapon were raised toward me - then they became the 8 legs of death. One large dog gives a clerk leverage...can't point a gun two places at once.

Canine are not an immediate solution since they must be properly trained, and many people do not want the long term commitment.

It's good that you had the security equipment running...too many stores don't, they're turned off for one reason or another.

I hope that the financial loss was not substantial, and like everyone else, am glad that your employee is alright.

Dep-T-Dawg · Joined: 12 Feb 2005 Posts: 6273

Lurkey..lol..you just reminded me of that..
Lana always had our cocker spaniel (EXTREMELY
protective to family) and the dog would go WILD
every time her (store) door bells would chime.
I also should have said that the OPEN sign was
ON..When people came in Miss would quiet down
as she could see they were nice. Occasionally if
a man came in alone, she would remain VERY
alert and watchful, EVEN if she knew them. Just
more "thoughts"..
We DID have (each) a employee in July & August
and "leaf season" Oct.-Nov., but could not afford them
all year.

screwbay · Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 51

here's an idea, post the security video on the internet :twisted: