When I was a kid I had my bike stolen from in front of the theater. The police found it a couple weeks later in the bushes someplace and got it back. My sons 96 Acura was stolen in Minneapolis one night. Got it back in a week though. We did put a kill switch in it after that along with the useless alarm system. Just lost his CDs and tool box but didn’t break anything except the steering lock.
It does make you feel violated though so I have my sympathy for someone that goes off the deep end and shoots someone after repeated thefts.
I once biked up from Watertown NY to Montreal on my 15-y.o. Nishiki Cascade, u-locked it overnight…and had it stolen!
Now, the thing is, the bike was a “big-box sporting goods store” bike. Granted the higher end of the department store bike line, but still…next to zero retail value as a 15y.o. used bike. Cannot fathom what puny profit the thief netted…it was just a big PITA, being as it happened in a foreign country, and it was my means back!
I think what with battery technology allowing for high-powered cordless tools, bike theft will only get worse.
Now I recall, at work once we had an inside dock and thats where the pick up truck was parked for deliveries etc. The guys always left the keys in it because it was inside and used by several. Came out to the dock and the truck was gone. No one knew what happened. Well the day kid janitor was gone too, no where to be found. So went out driving and found it a couple miles away with the distributor smashed. The kid had just gotten out of jail and needed a ride from Minneapolis to St. Paul and back so took the opportunity. He at least had the decency to smash the distributor so it wouldn’t get stolen again. The cleaning contractor was a little red faced and have no idea what happened to the kid. Never heard from again. He just needed a ride though and in his twisted logic, thought stealing a truck was a reasonable way to go. We would have just given him a ride if he would have asked. It was with some pleasure though we could report back to the unconcerned police to nevermind, we found it ourselves, no need for fingerpints or anything, we know who did it. They had more important things to worry about I guess.
“how many of you have never known anybody who has had a car stolen?”
I had to really give this some thought, and I have come to the conclusion that I have only known one person in my entire life whose car was stolen. It was a very nice-looking '65 Buick Skylark coupe, it was stolen from in front of his house, and was never recovered. I believe that this took place in 1969.
I honestly can’t recall the theft of a car from anyone else whom I know.
Somebody tried to steal my wife’s convertible a couple of years ago. Broke the door lock while pushing the lock rod off with a screwdriver after prying the door handle assembly out a bit. Broke the ignition lock and the light up halo thing around it using a pipe wrench to try to turn it. They only couldn’t steal it because the battery was dead. Got a new ignition switch and locks, but the steering lock doesn’t work anymore.
I think it depends where you live. When I drove a truck, the company I drove for considered South Florida a high crime area, so we weren’t allowed to leave our trucks unattended there. I’ve never had a car stolen, but I am diligent about locking my car and locking the steering wheel, and I’ve seen other people around me who are less diligent have their cars stolen. When I grew up in Buffalo, our cars were frequently broken into and sometimes stolen. When I lived in Miami, my brother’s pickup truck was stolen from the parking lot of the apartment complex where I lived.
Having grown up in Buffalo, NY, and having had several bicycles stolen as a child, I am diligent about security with my car and my home, and I attribute that as a reason I have not been a victim of theft while those around me are often victimized. Just a few weeks ago, my girlfriend left her purse on the passenger seat of her car while she went into a convenience store. Someone broke her passenger window and took off with her purse. Just last week she got a call from a detective three counties away saying they found her credit cards and ID. It turns out the people who stole her purse had been driving around the state and stealing credit cards. I never leave anything of value in plain site in my car. Anything of value either gets locked in the trunk or placed on the floor and covered.
When I move into a new apartment or a new house, the first thing I do is secure the windows and entryways with additional locks. I replace the short screws in the door locks with three or four inch screws, I add additional screw-down locks to the windows, and I add sawed-off broom handles or dowels and screw down locks to sliding glass doors. I know it won’t stop a real professional thief, but I figure it might be enough of a deterrent to make a thief move on to the next house or apartment to find an easier target.
macfisto I’m surprised the would be thief(s) went thru all that trouble instead of cutting the top. Maybe they were the typical mentally challenged criminal. About 15 years ago my oldest Son had a mid 1980s Honda Accord “beater”. It was so undesirable he just ensured that nothing of value was left in it and didn’t bother locking the doors. One morning he was treated to a shattered window and a missing factory radio that didn’t even work! I couldn’t believe the dumbest criminal would not try the door handle! I have never locked the doors on any convertible I have owned. I leased a 1996 Miata and after 3 years I did not know if the door locks even worked.
I think what the OP was upset about and what is one of my pet peeves is someone not taking the blame for their mistakes but instead trying to pass the buck.
My impression from the original post is that he was upset about the shop leaving the car keys in his unlocked car where anybody could easily steal it. The fact that the lady inadvertently drove away with his key just highlighted how dumb this practice is. It would be very, very easy for someone to jump in a car the same as theirs, take the key from the cupholder, and drive away with the wrong car. And it would make really easy pickings for thieves.
I still contend that this is extremely negligent by the dealer, and extremely poor practice, and there’s absolutely no excuse for it. A dealer should be responsible for keeping their customers’ cars secure while in their possession, and this dealership clearly is not taking that responsibility seriously. I’d raise holy heck loud enough for everyone in the showroom if any dealer did this to me.
If the dealer makes a habit of this then the OP should politely but firmly tell them they will not be back for any future service due to lack of security. Keys should never be left in any car.
If this was an isolated incident then the blame (based on the method of operation I’ve worked under in the past) could lie on the service writer. Even if the mechanic inadvertently left the keys in the car the service writers process the paperwork and are usually the last ones to have the keys before sending paper to the cashier.
If an isolated incident and seeing as how they’re making nice about it I would suggest calming down a bit and giving them a bit of leeway on what could have been a single mistake.
When I worked at the Buick dealership they had a very effective system. When the customer showed up for their appointment they were greeted by a service writer who filled out the customer’s request on a work order on a clip board. When the customer had verified the work order the key(s) were attached. The clip board was turned over to one of the lot boys who then drove the vehicle from the front door through the service area to the secure parking area in back (fenced with 12’ chain link, topped with barbed wire). The lot boy (I’m sure there is now a P.C. gender neutral designation) delivered the clip board with work order and keys to the appropriate mechanic. When the mechanic completed the service/repair the vehicle with the clipboard and keys was dropped off with the lot boys who then completed a wash/dry and vacuum. They returned the vehicle to the secure parking area and delivered the clip board and keys to the cashier. When the customer came to claim their vehicle the keys were given to a lot boy who retrieved the vehicle while the customer was paying their bill, drove it out front and gave the keys to a service writer who gave the customer the keys, opened their door, and thanked them. I can’t think of anything more they could have done.
Hi, all. We’re about a week out from the “key incident,” and while I have had some time to chill out (as suggested by quite a few), I still feel pretty strongly that a) mechanics should not leave keys in unlocked cars (unless maybe they ask you and you tell them it’s okay) and b) the service advisor should have taken more responsibility for what happened, and not kept blaming the lady who took the key for being “confused.”
I got no response from the service manager after I emailed him last week. So, encouraged by that, I very honestly completed the handy dandy Nissan customer service questionnaire that showed up in my inbox last night. I don’t really expect anything to come from that either.
I guess it’s up to me to decide if I want to give that dealership any more of my business. I suppose I can wag my finger at them every time I go in and demand that they take better care of my key/car, but, really, why should I have to do that? And do I want to?
So, I’ll certainly let you know if anything changes, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
@Honeyb46, one thing I like to keep in mind is that when I complain about something, I’m doing the business a favor. By going through the trouble of complaining instead of simply not going back, I’m giving them a chance to fix what is wrong so they can keep my repeat business. Of course, in order for this to work, I have to be claim when I complain.
When a business indicates they aren’t interested in taking my feedback seriously, I just move on and don’t go back. No fuss, no muss. It’s really not worth getting worked up in order to fight to work things out. I’m not going to go out of my way to try to do them a favor, and they’re not interested, there is no reason to force the issue. There are plenty of alternatives out there for professional vehicle maintenance. That particular Nissan dealership (which isn’t owned or operated by Nissan, by the way), isn’t the only place you can go for maintenance and repairs. As a matter of fact, you might be a lot happier with a good independent mechanic. Your independent mechanic might send you to a Nissan dealership for warranty work, for a recall, or for a specialized repair, but you could always choose a different Nissan dealership.
There is no reason to go back to a Nissan dealership that clearly isn’t interested in doing what it takes to make you happy.
No harm was done this particular time. So it’s probably not worth making too much of it. Everyone does make mistakes now and then. If this particular dealer seems to make a lot of mistakes, or is ambivalent when caught in a screw up, it might be time to look for another that’s more conscientious. It’s not worth your breath and raised blood pressure to try and make them change their ways if they’re not listening.
I’ve gotten a lot of good perspective from the messages on this board. So, thanks again.
Just to be clear…I’m not angry at the dealership for making one small, honest mistake. I’m upset because they have a policy of leaving keys in unlocked cars. This is how they manage their business. While I am sure what happened to me is really unusual, and probably not likely to happen again any time soon, it was not a one-time “mistake.” I’m making a big deal out of it because what happened to me wouldn’t have happened if they were more careful with the keys, and it shouldn’t happen to anyone else.
BTW…I got a call from some woman at the dealership today. It turns out someone at corporate does read the customer service questionnaires (in case you were wondering). She asked me to explain what happened yet again. So I did. It really did feel like a waste of time, as expected. I asked her why they leave the keys in the cars, and she said, and I quote, “Because we were losing more keys when we took them out of the cars.” Wow. That explains a lot.
