Hybrid owners beware: Thieves taking stickers

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IAO @ Apr 12 2007, 03:32 PM) [snapback]422149[/snapback]</div>

You don't even need that.. Some of those little butane torches are available with a "hot air" tip, which is basically a little combustion chamber filled with ceramic fibre- this causes a "flameless" burn and the hot exhaust is blown out the tip and is easily varied from a blistering heat to a gentle heat, and some of these torches are so small that they can be hidden in the palm of youir hand (once cooled, of course, otherwise you'd get some nasty burns)..

 

Who are stealing the Car Pool stickers, Prius Owners?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(c4 @ Apr 16 2007, 10:03 AM) [snapback]423941[/snapback]</div>

now that is cool.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(iiwi @ Apr 16 2007, 07:57 AM) [snapback]423981[/snapback]</div>

Meh, I'm sure some idiot is doing it and selling them to anyone who has the money. It's not his concern on what kind of car they're gonna get stuck on.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(YodaddyAlex @ Apr 15 2007, 10:48 PM) [snapback]423886[/snapback]</div>

eh. Like a cop is ever gonna check. Besides, keep the extra new ones and the ones you ripped off in an envelope with the car as proof you're not committing fraud and you're good.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zaxinc @ Apr 14 2007, 01:26 AM) [snapback]423172[/snapback]</div>

I found the guy who DID steal a sticker from my prius and from a neighbors prius to put on his BRAND NEW PRIUS . He lived 4 streets away!

He got both stickers off our cars and put them on his car. They did say "void" in faint little red letters on them after being taken off, and my friend's sticker came apart in 2 pieces. He just stuck them on his brand new prius anyway.

So, they ARE being stolen, they CAN come off in 1 piece ( a little harder maybe?). You DO have to send in a copy of the police report (I am going thro that now) and my car IS worth less now. If I had to sell w/o the stickers it IS worth less and now I CAN get fined for driving in the carpool lane w/o all 4 stickers. What a pain!!

Plus the DMV wants you to send in ALL the stickers before they send replacements...if you trust the DMV to get you replacements...ck out the other posts about that!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kb1963 @ Sep 9 2007, 11:27 AM) [snapback]509554[/snapback]</div>

I've only got three on my car because I had my front bumper replaced. I did receive my replacements but haven't put them on yet. Am going to replace the back bumper first. I didn't have to send in them in to get the replacements, but that was back in February and I assume there is some report with the DMV about my accident.

Now...what happened to the guy who stole them? They only cost $8.00 BUT you had the police involved. Did he get a ticket or a fine or something? It was theft but was it a misdemeanor? And have you and your neighbor decided on any appropriate action reguard this un-neighborly new Prius owner. Did either of you confront him about his theft?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 9 2007, 12:02 PM) [snapback]509595[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 9 2007, 12:02 PM) [snapback]509595[/snapback]</div>

 

Well, here is the interesting thing. We called the police when I found our stickers on his car. When the police came, my friend and I explained the situation about the "value" being more than an 8 dollar sticker b/c you can't get them anymore and you cant reattach them etc.

Before they went to the door to confront the guy, the police asked us what we wanted to do. They said it was a felony and they could arrest them right then and there. My friend and I told the police that we just wanted to scare them because we thought it was teenagers, and did not want them to have a record etc. But come to find out, when the dad answered the door, he lied to the police straight away and told them they were his stickers. He said he took them off his old prius, and put them on the new one. Obviously,he was was not telling the truth as his serial numbers did not match and they matched our cars. He was busted and the police told him he better stop talking as he was incriminating himself. (No ticket, no fine).

At that point, he said he was covering for his kid (good parenting skills at work) and he thought his 14 yr old son stole them for his older sister, b/c she drives the car. (Car is brand new, no plates yet....what 20yr old can afford that w/o dad buying it?). The police then talked to the family, (the parents went to look for their son for about an hour, while the police waited at the house) and the kid came back and did say he took them for his older sister who drives the car...who knows the real truth.

We both want to confront the dad, (what good will it do now) but I think we are going to have our attorney write a nice letter telling him that thus far we have not had any luck getting replacement stickers and he can expect to hear from in the future regarding this issue if we cant get replacements..yada yada....reminding him it was a felony...

As for now, I am reluctant to send in all of the remaining stickers. I dont want to drive around w/o any stickers and wait 4 mos...(previous posts?) I guess I will send in the 1 damaged one with the police report and see what happens. If I cant get my replacements, and my friend can't either, I dont know what we will do?! I am just irritated to have to go through this. The sticker stealer, never apologized or anything...ugh. I am sure I can deal with it as a civil case, loss of value on the car etc. Or small claims court. The dealers and websites say the value is $4000-$5000 for a used prius with stickers vs one w/o.

 

They look pretty ugly after they have been stolen too. lol

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kb1963 @ Sep 9 2007, 05:28 PM) [snapback]509728[/snapback]</div>

Contact your nearest California DMV Investigations Office:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/fo/fotocinv.htm

The DMV has their own "police" force, and they'll know what to do in this case. Just have the license plate or VIN number of the offending Prius handy.

Good luck...

 

As per your post above, you suspected it was kids and just wanted to scare them, but in talking to the dad it became apparent he was in on the operation. At that point, and surely after waiting an hour for the family to brainwash the kid to take the fall for the dad, I would have changed my mind and had the dad arrested. Although I would not have said it to the police, my reasoning would have been he is a poor parent model and seeing daddy go to jail would have demonstrated to the whole family that poor parenting skills SHOULD be cause for punishment. Furthermore, I'd gang up with the other ripped-off neighbor and each of you separately sue the guy in small claims court. Even if I am wrong and the kid did actually do it, once the dad saw the stickers on the car he as a good parent should have insisted the kids remove and return the stickers to the proper owners while he sat in the car and watched his kid do the mea culpa to the neighbors. Either way, dad is culpable and should be 'encouraged' to make amends.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(siliconhybrid @ Sep 17 2007, 12:09 PM) [snapback]513764[/snapback]</div>

 

I sent in for the replacements a few days after the sticker was stolen. The dmv sent the application back to me, asking for the police report and wanted me to fill out yet another form that they did not tell me to fill out the first time! They wanted me to also send in all remaining stickers. I sent those forms in, with the 1 sticker that will not reattach to my car, and I will just wait and see.

I read a few other posts on here that said they were waiting 4 months for the replacement stickers! No way do I want to take off all of my stickers and then wait to see how long the dmv takes? So, I will just have to wait now and see what happens. If I have more trouble with this, I want to take the guy to small claims court! It is just a hassle.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(siliconhybrid @ Sep 17 2007, 12:09 PM) [snapback]513764[/snapback]</div>

DMV recently began requesting additional documentation to reduce fraudulent HOV sticker replacement claims. I'd be angry at having to pay $8.00 because some punk kids stole my stickers. (I wonder if you could also sue for lost time as a result of not being able to use the HOV lanes in a stickerless Prius pending replacement of the stickers from DMV? Hmmm...)

 

Well, if you still have a sticker or two on the car you could probably still use the HOV lanes. You have the certificate. And if you also have a copy of the police report, you can always tell any officer that pulls you over that they were stolen and you've sent for replacements and they haven't arrived yet.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(siliconhybrid @ Sep 17 2007, 12:09 PM) [snapback]513764[/snapback]</div>

When was that?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 23 2007, 10:59 PM) [snapback]516738[/snapback]</div>

Of course, this is true. I did get a copy of the police report, and keep it in the glove compartment, with a color copy off the "void " sticker I sent in to the dmv. I did send in only 1 damaged sticker, (even tho the dmv wanted all 4) and waiting to see if I get replacements. If so, story over.

However, if I wanted to sell the car tomorrow (in theory) I would probably get more for it with all 4 stickers. The car has less of a resale value w/o the stickers...at least here in Orange County, that is what the local car dealers are telling me. (4-5k more).

It is the principal of the matter that bothers me the most. Plus, b/c the dmv wants me to send in all 4 stickers to get replacements, I will probably never do that. That is a chance I dont want to take........waiting, red tape etc. Annoyed at the lack of moral compass with the family that did it in the first place!

 

My used Prius didn't come with any "certificate" just the bumper stickers... guess I'll take a close-up photo of the stickers and one wide angle to inlcude license plate in case of theft.

But what's the deal. Once 2010 rolls around no Prius in diamond lanes? I did no know that. My stickers are only (or already as is) good until then?

Each of my stickers are dog eared. It looks like it would take no razor blade to pull them right off. Now I'm a bit worried. So glad there is this forum.

P.S. Even today I speak with people who were under the impression that, sticker or not, Hybrids were welcome in the diamond lanes. Just 3 months ago I thought something was underway that would make the new 2007 I bought car pool lane legal. Guess that's never gonna happen.

Should we form a union, lobby, fight for our right???

 

How stupid, having the sticker on the outside of the car.