Stolen part (1 Viewer)

[GTSSportCoupe]

Hey Guys. Well, I finally broke down and bought a brand new alternator/vacuum pump upgrade to take me from 55A to 70A. Had my original rebuilt a couple times and was having some bad luck with it. Anyhow, I decided to risk letting DHL drop the new one off at my front door without a signature. BAD call. Someone stole it today between noon and 3:30pm. Never had a problem. This is the first time we've had a package stolen. Unfortunetely instead of cheap amazon crap it had to be my new alternator. $450 after shipping and taxes.

Anyhow, why am I rambling on? Please keep your eye out for any suspiciously new looking alternators with a vacuum pump on the front for sale out there. Although more than likely some meth head is picking away at it in the bushes right now trying to figure out what it is and how to get it apart.

Not a nice way to start the weekend.

Looks like this:

 

[cruisedeisel]

I love small towns, though junkies are starting to move in around here too. Surveillance can help but I doupt the cops are going to do anything about petty thieves. Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

I love small towns, though junkies are starting to move in around here too. Surveillance can help but I doupt the cops are going to do anything about petty thieves. Sorry to hear about your loss.

Thanks man.

Yeah, I think I'm going to put up one of those little 'nest' cameras or something. There would at least have been some satisfaction seeing it on my doorstep for a bit.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Phone the courier company. Have them ask the driver if any suspicious cars were following them.
See if you can have the same driver phone you. Try to talk to the guy. That’s the primary way they operate
in the US. They follow and pick up. Known MO. But at the least make a claim. Sometimes the shipping company
will have insurance from their end. At the least might offer a discount on replacement.
Sorry man, bummer...

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Phone the courier company. Have them ask the driver if any suspicious cars were following them.
See if you can have the same driver phone you. Try to talk to the guy. That’s the primary way they operate
in the US. They follow and pick up. Known MO. But at the least make a claim. Sometimes the shipping company
will have insurance from their end. At the least might offer a discount on replacement.
Sorry man, bummer...

Hey Jon, thanks for the tips. Yeah, I have been trying to contact them. I do strongly suspect it was either someone who lives down my road (we've got a few sketchy rentals around), or more likely a addict/homeless person. They've started moving out of the downtown core and are camping out in a lot of less noticeable spots like the nature sanctuary across from me. I really should have known better than to have the package dropped off with no signature. Oh well; live and learn. Once bitten twice shy.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Yeah, better off to pick up at depot. Makes for a long day but at least never get stolen.
It’s probably not a homeless person, it’s some low rent middle class white couple in an
Acura following courier trucks. I’ve seen literally dozens of these videos from home security cameras
on the news daily while in the US

 

[cruiserpilot]

BTW, what’s the brand and part number? Got a shot of the ID tag? Just so something to look for if I see one

 

[bikersmurf]

Sh!tty.

I usually have things delivered to my wife’s office to avoid any problems. I’ll watch for it on adds. We’ve never had a problem... but were a little freaked out the day we had 4 new All-in-one computers left on the front doorstep, in marked boxes to boot.

 

[seapotato]

Aw man that sucks. I get deliveries all the time too.

HD actually dropped a freaking central vac on my front porch last year. I was so paranoid I had a friend move it to the shop for me. Giant box that was clearly a $$ new vacuum.

I've often wondered how to do a lock box on the porch. Even if it had the lid open, then drivers put parcel inside and close lid. I have a pretty long ****off driveway and my porch has a half wall that hides things, but still.

Ideally amazon would create something that had an electronic lock for drivers, because it sounds like stealing amazon packages is a full time job for some people.

Drivers would probably still set stuff right beside it tho, and half the time amazon s*** comes in gigantic boxes. Maybe once it's all delivery drones they can drop it on an upper balcony or down a chimney...

 

[Toshi38]

ah @GTSSportCoupe you have some spare time at work to build something don't you?

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

BTW, what’s the brand and part number? Got a shot of the ID tag? Just so something to look for if I see one

This is the one I bought. So what's here is all I know about it. ALTERNATOR (70 amp) for TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 2.4L Diesel - 5 door - 1/1990 to 5/1993

I am going to go for a bike ride today to see if a homeless guy pitched it on the side of a biking trail or something once he figured out what it was. But you could very well be right about someone following the DHL truck.

Sh!tty.

I usually have things delivered to my wife’s office to avoid any problems. I’ll watch for it on adds. We’ve never had a problem... but were a little freaked out the day we had 4 new All-in-one computers left on the front doorstep, in marked boxes to boot.

Yeah, I might start getting stuff delivered to work. In the past I've had issues with this because the address at UVic is so long. Stuff has ended up at different departments etc. But it eventually makes it to me, so better than theft in front of my house.

Aw man that sucks. I get deliveries all the time too.

HD actually dropped a freaking central vac on my front porch last year. I was so paranoid I had a friend move it to the shop for me. Giant box that was clearly a $$ new vacuum.

I've often wondered how to do a lock box on the porch. Even if it had the lid open, then drivers put parcel inside and close lid. I have a pretty long f***off driveway and my porch has a half wall that hides things, but still.

Ideally amazon would create something that had an electronic lock for drivers, because it sounds like stealing amazon packages is a full time job for some people.

Drivers would probably still set stuff right beside it tho, and half the time amazon s*** comes in gigantic boxes. Maybe once it's all delivery drones they can drop it on an upper balcony or down a chimney...

I was totally thinking of some sort of lock box too after this happened. An old donations bin with the mail box style thing at the top....

ah @GTSSportCoupe you have some spare time at work to build something don't you?

Haha, I've also been thinking along those lines as well.

Might just put a dummy shipping box out with some weight in it and a note in it offering a 'reward' for my alternator back with 'no questions asked'.

Anyhow, thinking of breaking down and putting up a camera of some sort at the very least.

 

[cruiserpilot]

I don’t know if they have it in Canada. But in the US Amazon has what they call ‘Lockers’, located within
a community in a central location. I had a camera delivered to a Locker in Austin Tx, it was located in
behind a bank. First, security cameras all over, second easy access and you’re not looking over your shoulder when you
get out of your car. They email you a code and locker - just drive up and follow instructions.
I had no idea these existed, don’t know if they exist here. Certainly worth an ask.
We have parcels left here all the time but I think the dogs keep people away even with open gate. So far so good

 

[cruiserpilot]

Quick search. I hope this helps everyone! Apparently only Vancouver and Toronto. Should start a
Petition for Lockers - Victoria
Amazon product ASIN

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

I don’t know if they have it in Canada. But in the US Amazon has what they call ‘Lockers’, located within
a community in a central location. I had a camera delivered to a Locker in Austin Tx, it was located in
behind a bank. First, security cameras all over, second easy access and you’re not looking over your shoulder when you
get out of your car. They email you a code and locker - just drive up and follow instructions.
I had no idea these existed, don’t know if they exist here. Certainly worth an ask.
We have parcels left here all the time but I think the dogs keep people away even with open gate. So far so good

This is basically a post office though? Milner Offroad is in the UK. I wish they'd just sent it Royal Mail (goes to Canada Post) instead of DHL. I could have picked it up at my local secure post office.

Went for a 10k bike ride and peered down into areas the homeless people hide out. There's just too many spots they could have dumped it tho. No luck. Ordered another one. My current one is sounding worse everyday, so hoping the new one arrives in time.

 

[cruiserpilot]

This is basically a post office though?

No. It’s a huge steel locker right on the street, think giant vending machine with computer
Buttons.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

No. It’s a huge steel locker right on the street, think giant vending machine with computer
Buttons.

Ahhh...gotcha. That's probably where Canada Post is going too...haha.

 

[cruiserpilot]

I hope not, like getting my mail delivered. I think even something as simple as a fence might help
slow the thieves down, sort of makes them feel locked in. Even in Victoria have you thought of security
cameras? I don’t like wireless systems that can be hacked, but a closed hardwired system would be
good. Most will connect motion sensors to smartphone app. At least then you get real time observations.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Yup, going to get a camera for sure. Just was too busy over the weekend. Sometime this week.

 

[bcsteel]

Fence and a large dog...sorry to hear about that. Sucks.

 

[stevebradford]

Aw man that sucks. I get deliveries all the time too.

HD actually dropped a freaking central vac on my front porch last year. I was so paranoid I had a friend move it to the shop for me. Giant box that was clearly a $$ new vacuum.

I've often wondered how to do a lock box on the porch. Even if it had the lid open, then drivers put parcel inside and close lid. I have a pretty long f***off driveway and my porch has a half wall that hides things, but still.

Ideally amazon would create something that had an electronic lock for drivers, because it sounds like stealing amazon packages is a full time job for some people.

Drivers would probably still set stuff right beside it tho, and half the time amazon s*** comes in gigantic boxes. Maybe once it's all delivery drones they can drop it on an upper balcony or down a chimney...

Huh. I would have thought you’d be allowed to shoot porch pirates in cedar.

Funny how these days the bleeding hearts might give you hell for cussing them out too bad and hurting their feelings even though they are stealing your s***.

I unfortunately not by choice work in a lot of shelter buildings. One in particular the police call The Thunder Dome (844 Johnson) has mountains of stolen s*** hauled away every month. They fill a parkade stall every month with stolen bike parts. Here’s some stolen house strong boxes with chisel marks I seen last week.

That green rental bike company must suffer a lot this is one week of stolen vandaled bikes. A guy from the company comes every week to pick up the pieces.

Also found these ID’s

This building just opened a free pharmacy where they administer free opioids to people like methadone.

The further I am away from downtown the better.