Had a car stolen off the lot today
 

Wichita is plagued with a very large family of gypsies, Romanian decent. I have had a few encounters over the years, but they were always small time crooks in my mind. Stealing silverware out of restaurants, swapping price tags on clothing, test driving new cars and stealing the full size spare, etc. I thought them more of a public nuisance, until now. They own the scrap metal recycling center and a small car lot. Through the car business, I encounter some of their family often.

I was slammed at work, juggling 4 customers at once and was there all by myself for the second Saturday in a row. I share the location with another dealer, who was taking his second Saturday off in a row, and I give my assistant Fridays and Saturdays off so I can have somewhat of a life and take most of Sunday off.

I was right in the middle of a conversation with a customer outside by a car when the man interrupted us by rudely stepping in between and getting too close to me for comfort. He asked to look at the car. I excused myself from the other couple who needed to have a private chat anyway, and he walked with me while I got the keys. He asked if I knew who his family was (Marx) and I played dumb a bit, stating no. He reminded me about the car lot. I didn't recognize him. He said they were looking for this particular car for someone, and wanted to know what my bottom dollar was. I handed him the keys and said look it over but we are firm on the price, and I needed to finish with the other customers. I've done this many many times when I'm busy so the customer isn't sitting around tapping their feet or waiting inside the office while I'm outside and can't see them. Never did I think someone would have the balls to steal a car like this.

I was busy juggling as the other 2 test drives arrived simultaneously along with the BMW folks, so I did not see him drive off. He didn't have permission or a dealer plate, and I didn't get his license. This has happened to me a few times, but given this family's notorious background I was worried.

An hour goes by and I think, OH $hit!, 2 hours and I call the police. I file a stolen car report. Family is well known by dispatch and the police. They cause trouble daily, and police didn't act like this was much out of character. Before the officer stopped by the lot, he stopped by a few known addresses they congregate, but no luck. He didn't act like this was very unusual, said they will drive them on out of state temporary tags or out of state tags they have and eventually dump them somewhere. Hopefully in our case it will be sooner rather than later.

Would have been a fantastic day without this.

You need to tighten up security a bit. Cams?

That is horrible, a thing like that to happen to an honest small businessman and good guy

And it's proof once AGAIN why often times racial and ethnic stereotypes are true.
Problems with them are especially endemic in Western Europe especially with them. The problem persists to a degree that they are pretty much despised and distrusted, and even the little children they have are trained to steal, it is like learnt sociopathy at a very young age.

Gypsies often are often despised and discriminated against because of what they do. Out here on the coast one of the scams for which they are notorious is unlicensed Contractor scams.

A typical ploy is to go to the homes of elderly folks alone and tell them their driveway needs to be resurfaced, then they cot it with slick oil, which lasts until the first rains come and wash it away.

I hope the car is recovered quickly and returned undamaged to you. I hope insurance covers the loss as there may be a chance you may never see the car again.

As a hardworking honest young family it's probably a safe bet your trust level towards them won't increase now, and you'll be naturally less trusting of them.

Many folks come here for a better lifge but a few take advantage of the trust given them in this country by businessmen and all consumers and businesses large and small, have to suffer.

Just think if you were in the inner city.

Sorry to hear that. Do you have insurance?

I share the space with another dealer, this was his car. 2 Saturdays in a row he's left me by myself during the busiest time of year. Neither partner is angry at me in the slightest; they would have done the exact same thing.

If it were my car, I would be out a $1000 deductable and only get compensated for the cost of the car and reconditioning/repairs... not the retail value.

If they did retail value, there would be way too much insurance fraud given the cailber of people attracted to this business. ;)

How'd them Gypsie SOB's come to Kansas?

Maybe in a Mercedes-Benz stolen from NJ?

Interesting that the guy would identify himself, then go about stealing the car. I wonder if its another scumbag who has an axe to grind with the marx family.

It was asked earlier, but i assuming you have a lot camera system that the cops could identify him on?

Sorry to hear this Tyler. Non Gypsy Romanians here in FL tend to be doctors or other highly successful members of society. Good looking and smart. Wish I had married one... :D

Romanis is the correct term for Roma (Gypsies).

I think people from Romania (Romanians) might be a bit miffed if called Gypsies.

I'm not Romanian but I slept in a Holiday inn recently.;)

Sadly, theft is part of the cost of doing business. I’ve endured it several times. Always sorry to hear about it as no matter how cautious; it is all but impossible to stop it from happening.

Lesson learned, move on.
 

I am not condoning the theft. It is your lapse of judgment. I would not be able to test drive a car in a dealer's lot without an ID and a copy is made. Gypsies do a lot of shady deal but do not paint them with a broad brush. It is the same for all race and ethnicity.

I did not authorize the test drive. The car was locked up and he wanted to look inside. I gave him the keys so he could open it up and look. Done it a hundred times.

different story, same song....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86S-c-hV8uc