Break in on Motorway services in France (1 Viewer)

funflair

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I have nothing worth pinching and no money so don't even think about it, spread the word please.

Martin
 

Geo

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Get a Revolut card on your phone you don't need anything else.
I'd advise sleeping on your cards and cash rather than leaving them so easily accessible
I cannot imagine mine getting taken while I'm in the van so I'm extremely sceptical
Its quite interesting to read all these why dint you and i do this do that etc BUT have you not heard of FATE?
Its real and it can and does conspire against you
I have a safe a good one I slept with cards wallet cash under the lift up bed.
BUT the very same day a Scroat decided to break into my RV in the middle of the night also a french Motorway in the company of 3 other Funster vans and 50 lorrys.
I had just popped my wallet cash and cards in the front overhead locker right next to the door
So why Me
Why my van out of 4
why on the night i didnt use my common sense
Fate, thats why and there is bugger all you can do about it So Techno and the other doubters Never say Never
At least he/she did me the honor of leaving my cards and wallet, strictly cash was taken, my theory is "Lorry Drivers" any and all Nationalities have theives
Why Lorry Drivers
1. a good reason to be there
2. always carry large amounts of cash anyway
3. can hide in less than a minuet if chased in their own cab
4 with only cash taken no evidence even if caught
If cards are taken too,the thief will almost certainly be an off site visitor and disappear offsite asap

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Geo

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That's providing they could locate the safe. Unlike in a building and behind locked doors, safes for Moho's don't need to keep masses of documentation and wedges of dosh. A small safe, very discreetly positioned is ideal plus, as we've discovered on here, quite a few Moho owners don't have safes so why would they take their time looking for something that may or may not be there. It takes me 10 minutes to access my safe and I know exactly where it is. It's placed.......
And that my freind is why on the one and only night you "Say Cant be arsed" and put your wallet in a draw
 

Geo

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Crikey 3 posts in a row lets make it 4:rofl::rofl:

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EX51SSS

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And that my freind is why on the one and only night you "Say Cant be arsed" and put your wallet in a draw
That I do understand but the safe is there for my documents and credit cards and cash in any currency. My wallet never has above equivalent of £50 at any time unless specifically needed and my wallet is always secreted.
Strangely enough, don't get the 'can't be arsed' when it comes to money, designer jewellery and my Rolex Oyster.
 

Shrimp

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We have a safe and I don't think it would be found very easily or quickly, a safe is only a 'red flag' if it can be seen and surely the idea of a safe is to hide it away somewhere where it can't be seen!
 
Feb 16, 2013
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If the op isn't coming back, could someone please tell us what western union does in this situation, do they just loan you some money, or get someone over here to wire some to you over there, or what?

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Aug 18, 2014
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I'm surprised how many people would spend tens of thousands on a MH, but nothing on a system to protect their investment, their belongings or themselves,

#NoGrowlerNoSecurity
& this is the first with an alarm to my knowledge.

I believe any banking app will give you a code to draw cash anywhere in an emergency, certainly Nat West do so I don't understand the plug for an organisation like western union
Don't think so , mine, lloyds/tsb, hsbc never used to.The spanish banks don't even like you taking your own money out let alone lend you some whilst abroad.:LOL:

Sleeping with your cards is fine so long as your ready for a tear up if the scroats are determined, if not let them have the stuff it can all be replaced
The time & expense of getting it all replaced is far more inconvenient than a fight to the death with a burglar/s who aren't expecting it. It is even worse if you have UK bank cards registered to foreign addresses as most banks will only send them to those addresses & that isn't a lot of use when you're standing in the bank in the UK. I'm fortunate in that one of mine operates a "send to branch" facility . The other s don't so I guard my cards & look upon anyone approaching me as a thief.:)
 
Aug 18, 2014
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If the op isn't coming back, could someone please tell us what western union does in this situation, do they just loan you some money, or get someone over here to wire some to you over there, or what?

It is a bank of sorts , specialising in world wide money transfer , amongst other things. You can walk in a local office or franchisee & by transferring money to them via bank transfer , cheque, credit/debit card or cash they then send it to who you want at a branch local to where they are for a commission. Cash is the usual method. There are 2 or 3 offices here in town & all are frequented by foreigners sending money homw to support family etc. They also usually have computer facilities & telephone booths for the same reason. You can also pick up & send post to different offices whilst travelling.

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Geo

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Gay ?????????

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Gorse Hill

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The time & expense of getting it all replaced is far more inconvenient than a fight to the death with a burglar/s who aren't expecting it.
Not as inconvenient as getting weighed in and spending time in the hospital or worse still the cemetery, personally am ready for the tear up or at least my CS gas is (y)
 
Feb 9, 2008
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Sorry to hear of that, and thanks for the tip

We have a floor safe that is under the vinyl (given to us by the dealer after we bought the van at a show) and also a carpet over that.

.......and a dog

....if anyone defeats the strikeback alarm

@reckless - this section is sponsored by vanbitz....
LOL you've just told everybody about your security arrangements !!!

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Minxy

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We've had quite a few MHs and have never had a safe in any of them however there were places in all of them that were hidden and a good location for valuables etc including laptops!
 

Minxy

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Hi all,
We were parked up at a motorhome service station south of Montpellier in France.
They broke in to our motorhome while we were asleep and stole cash and cards.
We have since beefed up our security.
The point I want to make is:
We were stranded without any funds (no cash, no cards) and the banks didn't help us at all.
We discovered that we could obtain funds through Western Union (whom we had never used before).
They were great.
So if you find yourself in a similar situation and have got online banking plus access to the net, then you can register on their website and set up a transfer from you online banking and get cash immediately.
This certainly saved us.
Hope this helps.
I'm sorry to hear of your break in and hope you are both okay ... it's not nice when things like this happen.

Also thanks for posting the info about Western Union coming to your rescue, it is something to keep in mind for the future.

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Aug 18, 2011
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Hi all,
We were parked up at a motorhome service station south of Montpellier in France.
They broke in to our motorhome while we were asleep and stole cash and cards.
We have since beefed up our security.
The point I want to make is:
We were stranded without any funds (no cash, no cards) and the banks didn't help us at all.
We discovered that we could obtain funds through Western Union (whom we had never used before).
They were great.
So if you find yourself in a similar situation and have got online banking plus access to the net, then you can register on their website and set up a transfer from you online banking and get cash immediately.
This certainly saved us.
Hope this helps.

We always split cards and cash and always have a few bob and a spare card hidden away in the depths of a bed locker just in case,,whats the old saying,,don't put all your eggs in one basket,,Sorry to hear of your loss,,BUSBY,
 
Aug 18, 2011
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Regarding safes - they`re a bit of a red flag directing thieves to where the valuables are kept and I speak from experience (domestic situation) Unless you spend serious money safes are easily opened or crowbarred out.
I replaced the safe and put a not too polite message inside to any scroat who may thieve it in the future.
Valuable are now hidden in a suitable place that a thief will not find, hopefully.
I can see the attraction of a safe in a moho but I think the same applies.
I have a hiding place in the moho for cash, cards and passports etc, very unlikely to be found, especially with us in it (n)

Only trouble with hiding places is fire,,,,BUSBY,,,and of course remembering where it is,,,
 

Bart

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Only trouble with hiding places is fire,,,,BUSBY,,,and of course remembering where it is,,,
If you can not remember where it is then the thieves will not be able to beat the location out of you either :D

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Aug 18, 2011
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If you can not remember where it is then the thieves will not be able to beat the location out of you either :D

I would never give up the location of my I Pad,I Phone Rolex or £2000 in cash that i always carry..BUSBY:):)
 
Aug 18, 2014
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Not as inconvenient as getting weighed in and spending time in the hospital or worse still the cemetery, personally am ready for the tear up or at least my CS gas is (y)
If you're in the Uk with it you might as well get a gun. Offence is the same.(y)

If you can not remember where it is then the thieves will not be able to beat the location out of you either :D

that's what I told my wife when she used to ask where the second safe was:LOL::LOL:

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Jan 28, 2008
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i would assume they were able to do an online bank transfer to western union who would then pay out cash at a local office
 
Feb 22, 2011
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I believe there is a system in operation that all banks use to get you emergency cash from an ATM, I don`t understand why WU were suggested by the OP`s bank.
 

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