Stolen Festool Directory

[Matthew Schenker]

Everyone,
I've received a number of messages from people who have had their Festool tools stolen from job sites or from their homes or automobiles.  Often, these stolen tools end up on eBay or other selling venues.  The subsequent buyer often has suspicions, but no way to confirm that the tools are stolen.

We can only do so much about this, but I want to use the power of this forum to at least help.  So I am planning to form a "Stolen Festool Directory."  If your tools are stolen, you can submit the serial number, a description of any identifying marks, and the place where the theft took place.  People who bought Festool tools from eBay or other "questionable sources" can check the directory to confirm if the tools are stolen.  That might also help the original owner track down the tools.

If word gets out, this directory might even prevent theft in the first place!

Before I open the directory, I want to hear suggestions from members about how to collect and display the information, and where it should be placed in the forum.

Hopefully, this will be the least-used area of the forum!  But if it's needed, I think it can help with a frustrating problem.

Stay in touch,
Matthew

 

[Toolpig]

Perhaps some folks should engrave their names on the tools with a Dremmel or similar tool.

TP

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Toolpig,
Yes, that would be an example of an "identifying mark" that could help recover stolen tools.
Matthew

 

[ejantny]

Another thing to do maybe something that will identify the tool in a picture. Something like a paint or nail polish ring around a certain place on the power cord. This way the tool could be identified in a picture.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Another suggestion: Place your address and other contact information on a label under the systainer insert. 

 

[Brice Burrell]

"Identifying marks" are great, but they really hurt resell value. Catch 22, oh well.

Shane, I do that on all my tools.

 

[Mirko]

A cop once told me to put your "SIN" number on your belongings, that way the items are traceable back to you.

Mirko

 

[mastercabman]

mirko  what do you mean by "sin"?

 

[Mirko]

Social Insurance Number

Mirko

 

[Daviddubya]

I am having a hard time understanding how a Stolen Festool Directory would help anyone.  If the thief is selling the stolen tool, that thief would certainly not include the serial number in the advertisement to sell the stolen tool.  If a person buys a stolen tool, where is the incentive to return the tool to its rightful owner?  The buyer spent money to buy the tool.  If the buyer were to return the tool to its rightful owner, the buyer is out the money spent to buy the tool.  Would the rightful owner buy the stolen tool back?  I doubt it.  So who will benefit from this Stolen Festool Directory???

 

[Dan Lyke]

If I know that there's an easily accessible repository for serial numbers, then before I buy anything I'll certainly say "great, but let me run the serial numbers first".

Some of us are very willing to do due diligence as a part of the purchasing process, and if that fails we're not yet out the cash.

 

[mysterium]

Mirko,

I this age it identity theft with social security numbers selling for upwards of a $1,000....  I don't think I want to and more value to my collection of "green & black" tools...

I suspect your friend gave you this advice backward in time before these thieves started pedaling social security numbers all over the world on the internet.

jim

 

[Mirko]

Jim,
About 15 years ago to be exact, and he said to only engrave the number? but yeah I guess your right about the identity theft. I have never used the SIN number on anything.

Mirko

 

[mastercabman]

giving out ssn,or sin, is not very smart. having a stolen directory might help,some people care and some don't.i got ripped off twice,years ago,(prefestool) i lost a lots of tools. IT HURTS! you really feel empty on the inside.the worst feeling!  just watch your tools and keep your truck/shop lock up.i have a list of all my tools with s/n.just in case.

 

[ejantny]

The stolen directory would be good as a place for stolen festool serial number to be listed. Information on the theft like date and location may be helpful.

A person buying on ebay could ask the seller for the items serial number and then check it against the directory list.

If a thief knows about the list it may be a deterrent for it to be sold publicly.

 

[Matthew Schenker]

I am having a hard time understanding how a Stolen Festool Directory would help anyone.  If the thief is selling the stolen tool, that thief would certainly not include the serial number in the advertisement to sell the stolen tool.  If a person buys a stolen tool, where is the incentive to return the tool to its rightful owner?  The buyer spent money to buy the tool.  If the buyer were to return the tool to its rightful owner, the buyer is out the money spent to buy the tool.  Would the rightful owner buy the stolen tool back?  I doubt it.  So who will benefit from this Stolen Festool Directory???

This may not be a cure-all for stolen tools.  But I feel a need to do my part to help.  I'm positive that this would catch some instances of theft, which is an improvement.  Further, it would be a deterrent to thieves if word gets out that buyers can trace serial numbers.  The person who innocently buys a stolen tool can report the seller here or on eBay.  That seller would then be banned from eBay (which means a lot these days) and potentially face criminal charges.  The buyer can feel he or she did the right thing by reporting the seller.  The seller would not only be caught, but he or she would also be responsible for refunding the money to the buyer.  But the larger picture for me is to use this forum for the greatest good possible.  I see this as a potential way to have a certain image around Festool tools: that Festool owners have a tight network of communication that makes theft a lot more risky.

If I know that there's an easily accessible repository for serial numbers, then before I buy anything I'll certainly say "great, but let me run the serial numbers first".

Some of us are very willing to do due diligence as a part of the purchasing process, and if that fails we're not yet out the cash.

This is part of my thinking!

Please keep the comments, suggestions, and criticism coming!

Thanks,
Matthew

 

[Dan Lyke]

Two more notes on this:

• A year ago I bought a bicycle off of eBay and did as much as I could to verify that it wasn't stolen. I was considering a few off of Craigslist, but for various reasons, some of which being a matter of verifying provenance, didn't. Might not have caught any crooks, but maybe I lowered the value of the stolen property a little bit. But it's still a concern, especially since on bicycles you can mix and match components and actually have a legitimate frame and stolen components on it.
• Right now I'm reluctant to buy any Festools used, so they have a lower resale value. If I have a better idea that the seller is legitimate, the tools have a higher resale value, therefore that "new car premium" is less and your tools are worth more.

 

[jimwho]

I think its a great idea to have the serial numbers here but I also think Festool should have a list. I think it is strange that we do not register the tools ourselves on the Festool website. This is a pretty common practice today in other consumer product areas and considering the price of these tools versus "like" tools Festool should take a lead.

Only an opinion.

 

[CharlesWilson]

Years ago, (almost 30, to be exact), I was advised by the State Police in Connecticut to use my Connecticut drivers license ID on any valuables. Even back then, they did not recommend the use of SSN's for identifying personal property.

The Connecticut drivers license ID is also 9 digits, so it probably coincides with someones SSN, but that isn't my problem.

Charles Wilson

 

[Dave Ronyak]

When i was young, I used to run a trapline, and nealy every year someone would come along and steal some or all of my traps.  My partial solution was to stamp an 8 digit number on them which matched the serial number on my trumpet.  40 years later, I still remember that number, and can use it.

Here's a variation on some others' ideas.  Engrave the Festool assigned serial number (or your own unique alpha-numeric ID) somewhere that is inconspicuous, so you could identify them to law enforcement when needed.  Another possibility is to engrave the Festool assigned numbers on multiple components/surfaces of the tools - like the automotive industry did to discourage chop shops.  My father was a professional mechanic and lots of his tools would "walk" around the garages he worked in.  He created a unique stamp that he embossed into each of them and used that to recover many of his tools from "borrowers."

Dave R.