Skip theft is nothing new, nor is the age old debate of ‘Is it theft to take from a skip?’ But, that’s for another day and another blog. Today we’re talking about having the actual skip you’ve hired nicked.
Believe it or not, opportunist thieves are not your biggest enemy here. We have heard time and time again of skips actually being stolen by… the skip company themselves!
You heard us right
One story of skip theft that came to our attention went like this:
There were two different skip companies (but actually they were the same, just under different names). We’ll call them Company A and Company B.
A local tradesperson rents a skip from Company A for a month. During the night, Company B steals the skip from the yard of this tradesperson.
The following day, Company A send a huge bill to the tradesperson for the stolen skip. Meanwhile, Company B has resprayed the skip and it’s now back out on the road and up for rent.
The customer pays the massive bill whilst the skip is being rented out yet again. And Company A and B – the same people, remember – are laughing as they line their pockets.
This appears to be a well-known scam.
Skip theft story part 2
We won’t keep boring you with these horror stories (although it is almost Halloween). We also don’t want to put you off ever hiring a skip again.
But, another story we’ve heard from customers is along the lines as the one above.
This time, the problem is with rival companies. They have been known to steal the skips of their competitors in the night. Whilst their vendetta is with the company, it’s usually the person who was renting the skip at the time that faces the fine. Which is unfair, to say the least!
As a business owner, it will cost you about £250 a week to hire a medium sized skip. You don’t then want to be hit with an expensive bill because the skip has disappeared in the night.
Skip theft and COVID
During 2020 when COVID had caused us all into lockdown, skip theft went through the roof. This is because there was an increased demand for skips because local recycling centres were closed.
At £2-3,000 each, it’s no wonder skips were being stolen. If the demand is there and people want to rent them out, then there will also be thieves who are willing to meet that supply.
So, how can you prevent skip theft?
A lock is a pretty good place to start. Skip locks come in all shapes and sizes. Not to mention for the different types of skips or containers out there.
The Lincmaster SkipLok is for Multilift and Hooklift type skips. Simple yet effective, the SkipLok works to prevent theft and unauthorized removal.
How does the SkipLok work?
It completely encloses the lifting bar on the skip. By doing so, it prevents any unwanted attention or theft.
We designed this with our customers in mind. People came to us – potential and actual customers – speaking about how they needed a solution to skip theft. Theft was on the up and they were feeling the strain of it.
Our designers and engineers came up with this low-cost system to prevent theft. It not only does that but it:
- Eliminates the stress that comes with having your rented skip stolen
- Saves you money as you won’t have huge bills to pay to the skip companies
- Gives you peace of mind that you can go to work the next day and the skip will still be there
- Reassures you that you’re protected against the never ending, confusing and potentially dubious terms and conditions set by skip hirers.
All sounds pretty good doesn’t it?
How much does the SkipLok cost?
The Lincmaster SkipLok is just £90 +VAT.
We’ve had a browse around at the terms and conditions of skip hire companies. This is to find out how much it might cost in fines/bills should a skip be stolen in your care. This one sums the uncertainty up nicely:
“It is your responsibility to look after the skip whilst it has been delivered to you and you are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement should it be lost, stolen or damaged (including by internal fires).”
All of a sudden, £90 doesn’t seem that much!
For more information on the SkipLok
Get in touch with the team and we’ll talk you through the Lincmaster SkipLok.
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