Stolen Chippers being recovered for fees.

Hello. I just thought give you guys the heads up, because in the space of 1 week, we’ve seen 3 stolen chippers being recovered… not by the Police, but by the owners of the Chippers. There seems to be a new technique being used whereby if you put on Social Media or perhaps make enquiries with other Tree Surgeons saying that your Chipper has been stolen, someone will say that they can find the Chipper for a fee. You then pay the fee (of between £1000 and £2500) and get your chipper back. Although this saves the insurer from paying out on a claim, it’s a worrying trend because the more success people get from doing this, the more that thefts will occur. We recommend getting the Police involved before money is exchanged.