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The Call you never want to get..


Billnuts

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Posted

I have a location in Mexican town in Detroit

 

I have 7 machines in this little Mexican ice cream place

 

7 Way Rack

1 Wowie Zowie

1 Play more win more pinball 

1 Bling king crane

1 Challenger  candy crane

1 Coin pusher

1 Sammy Sports Arena

1 small coin changer

 

Averages $1k a month summer,   winter $300.00

 

Now for the call today...

 

I just did a pull-and-fill on Saturday  

 

130am  someone breaks in the front door

Wearing a mask,  sweatshirt, and gloves

 

Pours what looks like a 2 liter bottle of Liquid on the counter and floor..

 

And lights it on fire..

 

There was family's living upstairs and they got out ok. 

fire department put the fire out

 

Owners have him on video but no leads

 

Top and front damage to  Sports Arena   topper is shot..  some prizes melted  covered in soot.

 

wowie zowie is melted  all Plexiglas  will need to be changed,  all product is unsellable

 

7 head rack is  full of soot..  back sides are melted

 

Bling king crane  top Plexiglas signs are melted,  plush is full of soot..   control panel is melted some

 

Play more win more....    TANK... its fine  just soot

 

Challenger candy crane  top sign is warped    all candy is a loss  due to soot

 

Pusher seems ok,   the side T molding need replaced it heat-shrunk  

 

changer... gone..

 

The Fire blew out the windows,     the owners do not have insurance and are trying to rebuild

 

I am going to have to clean these machines top to bottom and modify the melted ones or scrap them.

 

 

Debating on putting machines back in again  

it was arson  and I am not sure if they will try again...

but the location makes a lot of money to just abandon..

 

ill attach pictures from the gallery

 

http://vendiscuss.net/index.php?/gallery/album/132-firearson/

 

 

 

bill

 

Posted

That sucks.  The pictures look better than expected I suppose.  Putting equipment back would depend on if they can find out who did it and why.  If it seems like it could happen again I would be hesitant.

Posted

Dollars to donuts they burned it for the insurance or they didn't pay protection to organized crime,but id bet they burned their own place

Posted

Sorry Bill, that sucks super hard :( :( :(

 

Just throwing this idea out there, no idea if it's good or not.

 

But since it's such a good location, maybe put your machines back in, but make sure to get insurance (with a small deductible) to cover your machines.  Even if you only carry the insurance for 6-12 months until the criminal is caught, or enough time has passed so you think it's unlikely to get hit again by the same "angy?" guy.  That way you don't lose the account, and if the arsonists comes right back, you're covered.

 

I had a rental property get Molotov cock tailed last year....it SUCKS getting that phone call :(

Posted

That's no fun. We have had to clean soot and smoke damage from cranes and racks twice before, and the absolutely best cleanser to use is good old Dawn dish detergent. 

 

When you can see your own equipment on the local evening news, its rarely a good situation.

Posted

Try having an ATM stolen with about 10k in cash in it. Been there, done that. and no insurance either, since cash is uninsurable.

You should be able to get some sort of insurance. When I was in another business I had cash deposits insured

Posted

Sorry Bill that stinks

I lost a machine last year to a pizza place fire, picked it up all water logged and sooty.

Only a triple head though, cant imagine how you feel.

He rebuilt and I replaced it and its now one of my top 5 locs.

 

hang in there!

Posted

dude this sucks! sorry for you loss..

 

I know it doesn't make you feel better but Ive been there too..

 

I had pinnacle lease company force insurance on me one time on equipment financed.  I only have liability and they forced me to have full coverage and charged me 42 bucks a month on 60K note originally .  I had a place get broke into and they trashed about 6 pcs of equipment  but didn't touch about 9 pcs of equip i had in front room, those in front room where the ones insured!!  i said that is just my luck cause they would have been covered.

 

thought several times before that lease was done to claim they where destroyed in fires or thefts on other locations that where burnt or broke into.. Never did, didn't want to get in trouble for insurance fraud, but while those machines where covered during my lease(paid off now) none of them where ever vandalized or anything,just pissed 42 bucks a month away.

 

ron

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