I recently had my garage cleared out while I was on vacation, and they took some significant tools, including a 10" table saw, a planer, and a miter saw, mostly from DeWalt but also a few non-DeWalt tools like my Makita track saw and Bosch router. I filed a police report, but I have low expectations for getting everything back or getting full reimbursement from my insurance. It's frustrating to think about the thief potentially selling my tools. I'm wondering if anyone has ever had luck tracking down stolen tools or if you have any tips on what steps I should take next.
5 Answers
If you create a DeWalt account, you can register your tools and keep track of all your serial numbers and receipts. It won't help you now, but it's good to do for the future! I had a tool bag stolen a few years back, and not having serials made it tough. Now I make it a habit to register everything I buy.
I hear you, it really sucks when you don't have serial numbers. I had a similar experience and actually saw my stolen tools being sold on Facebook, but without serials, I was stuck. One thing I learned is that you can register your tool serials in a stolen tool database; pawn shops are required to check against it, but I don't know how effective that really is. Still worth looking into!
It sounds like someone might have been watching you, which is really suspicious. Thieves often use social media to find targets, picking up information about what people have and when they're away on vacation. It's way too easy for them to figure out when you're not home and hit your place at the right time, especially if they saw you working in the garage before you left.
Totally agree. Sometimes thieves are just lurking around, waiting for a moment of opportunity to strike.
Exactly! I remember when it was common for people to stick stickers of their stereos on their cars, and guess what? Those cars often got broken into. Sometimes, leaving a garage door open for even a moment can attract unwanted attention.
Just a tip: Homeowners insurance can be better than auto insurance when it comes to coverage for stolen items. Usually, they’ll cover the cost to replace your tools rather than depreciating their value. But be careful—filing a claim can risk you getting dropped by your provider, especially with the current market. If you can afford to replace the tools out of pocket, it might be better to do that instead of risking your premiums going up.
Exactly! It's even been suggested to only file claims for major losses. Most people end up paying more in premiums later if they do.
I hope you manage to track down your stolen tools! This really serves as a reminder to all tool owners: take some time to log your serial numbers and take photos. It makes a huge difference in recovering lost items or insurance claims in the future.
That’s true about the pawn shops! One time I found out they had a 30-day waiting period before they could check serials. So keep your eyes peeled for anything that matches your tools.