This past June my golf cart was stolen. I bought this cart new 8 years ago and took very good care of it. I was sick about it. After being hassled for a week by my insurance company, I was paid about 2 grand less than what I paid for it.
Fast forward to last Saturday. I was at work and checked Craigslist like I've been doing faithfully for four months. Finally, there it was! It had been modified in order to disguise it but I recognized it right away. I immediately texted the guy and set up a meeting time. I posed as a buyer of course.
I get over there (less than 5 miles from work) and sure enough it's my cart. I look it over and tell the guy that I am going to go and get my wife. I leave and call the Kent county sheriff. After a grueling hour and a half wait the Walker police show up and we go to the guys house. The officers look for the serial number and I inform them that it had been removed. Oh, well, without the numbers you can't prove its yours. Uh, I can have three witnesses here in a half hour that will vouch for me. No good.
Dang, what the heck do I do? I quickly Google EZGO golf carts on my phone. I call the first dealer I find and he tells me there are three different spots where the number is put. Sweet!
The first, and obvious spot, is missing. I go to check for the second, gone too. But thank heavens the third is hidden and the scumbags hadn't removed it. Bam! Gotcha sucker. The guy comes up with a bullcrap receipt and is now under investigation from the MSP.
Because it's technically the insurance companies cart, it was impounded and I am in the process of buying it back from them.
But the reason I'm telling this story is because if I'd just engraved my name/initials and the serial number somewhere that wasn't easily found I wouldn't have had to rely on EZGO having so many serial number postings.
So please, learn from my mistake and get an engraver and put a positive i.d. on your boat, outboard, trailer, truck, lawnmower etc. etc. I'm actually going to put i.d.'s in two different spots on my stuff from here on out.
Congratulations for your diligence! I hate thieves. There was a time in this nation when we would execute horse thieves. While execution may be a bit extreme, it was pretty effective.
sterilization seems like a nice compromise.
Quote from: thedude on October 28, 2013, 02:04:04 PM
sterilization seems like a nice compromise.
When you finally decide to run for office...I would like to be your campaign manager!
I wouldn't call it extreme. In fact I would call it just about right.
I ended up paying my insurance company back a little less than half of what they gave me for my claim. I got to pick up my cart at the impound lot two days ago. It was a great feeling.
And sterilization would only be part of my sentence for a thief. I'm thinking a random finger off of each hand also.
The trooper told me that I will likely be subpoenaed. I told him that I would be happy to. Whatever it takes.
Very glad you stuck with it and got it back! I have been told by my insurance company and other smart people to engrave some type of ID on valuables for years. I have done so on a few things but it really helps to have a live, first-person reminder to do so! Thanks, and good luck nailing the loser!!!