Posted on 05/12/2025 6:33:21 AM PDT by Phoenix8
Several of my neighbors have had theirs stolen right in their driveways.
Cops come out and there's not much they can do.
There are now businesses springing up that will lock catalytic converters in place and put serial numbers on them as well.
If your vehicle's crash bag(s) were stolen, Airbag King offered replacement crash bags for your exact vehicle requirements at a reduced price from what the dealerships were charging.
Airbag King was a fence for vehicle crash bags stolen from around the country. Over time, Airbag King had select “vendors/suppliers” they could count on for orders for various vehicles with quick order fulfillment.
Airbag King would place orders from their “suppliers” who would then go out and steal the exact product needed.
Many people who purchased from Airbag King would end up purchasing back their own crash bad(s) that was stolen.
The company was finally busted by the FIB as were their “vendor/suppliers” and the nation wide epidemic of vehicle crash bag thefts was greatly reduced to occasional occurrence.
Hey, at least they were not in the ORGAN Harvesting business!
“stealing from the poor and working class people”
No kidding. You need comprehensive coverage on your car to file a claim. Even if you have comprehensive, you have to pay your deductible (usually $250–$1,000). But lots of people forego comprehensive for lower rates.
Replacement costs range from $1,000–$3,000 (or higher for luxury vehicles or OEM parts), with averages around $2,000–$2,900 per claims data. Without comprehensive coverage, you’ll pay out of pocket, as liability-only policies don’t cover theft.
This bastard really preyed on the poor AND middle class.
I didn't know platinum was part of catalytic converters. No wonder CC's are the target of thieves.
Just imagine what it’s like if you go out to start your car and find somebody has ripped off the converter. Your car has become an instant piece of junk and if you need to go someplace, possibly to take someone to the hospital, you and your potential passenger are utterly screwed. Then you have the frightful inconvenience and expense of replacing the converter. The longer sentence this guy got the better as far as I’m concerned.
And every one of his victims really got screwed. He deserves every bit of hard time he’s going to serve and then some.
I’m so peeved with auto salvage yards.
When I started driving around the time Regan was first elected (almost) everything was based on negotiation. They would look at your car if you wanted to scrap it and say “how about 250?”. You would get a box of parts from them and they would look at it and say “how about a 20?”. (And I remember those exact prices)
NOW ?
They buy your car even if it runs for IRON scrap prices..let’s see right now is 6c a pound. Then turn around a sell you parts at roughly 40% new price. So let’s say you had a new but totaled car they might give you $240. They will get that back easily just in the tires. And everything, I mean everything from nuts to transmission is listed in a computer, you can’t bargain on anything.
almost a scam.
The tires.
That reminds me. He told me recently they got into tire recycling. They pick them up at the retailers and shred them .
Playground mulch was one of the things he mentioned that they make out of old tires.
I have a mat in my garage to wipe your feet on made from old tires.
I wonder how many car owners were shot and killed or wounded by the perp and his crew in the commission of that $38 million theft.
On top of the massive inconvenience to theft victims.
He should have gotten at least on year mandatory prison for every million dollars stolen. At least 38 years, no change for parole.
Dang right it was only $38 Million, not like he robbed a corner bodega or something.
Kindly read my entire statement next time before flinging arrows:
“I’d say he got off light as a feather…then again it is “Kalifornia” we are talking about.”
I read it entirely.
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