An equipment rental operator in Jacksonville, Florida (@StanleyEquipmentCo) is out $40,000 and missing a machine after a man contacted him on Facebook about renting a Bobcat MT100 mini track loader.
What is the Bobcat MT100 Mini Track Loader?
The MT100 is Bobcat’s flagship mini track loader. It is a compact, upright machine designed to reach tight spots that larger equipment simply cannot access. The units are only 35.6 inches wide, feature standard tracks, are rated to operate at 1,000 pounds, have an 80.9-inch lift height and short hydraulic cycle times.
How did Florida man’s Bobcat MT100 disappear?
The TikToker began: “I just had a $40,000 piece of equipment stolen from our fleet and I’m going to tell you exactly how it happened and what I plan to do in the future so it doesn’t happen again.”
This story warns you what to do if you’re renting out heavy equipment.
“Like anything, it starts out like a normal lease,” he said. “Someone contacted me on Facebook and wanted to rent my Bobcat MT100 and grapple for a few days. So, I went ahead and plugged them all into my software, got all his information, and then arranged a rental for him that started last Monday.”
Then he admitted a key point: “When I dropped the car off, there was nothing unusual or crazy about it. I didn’t meet the guy in person. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Now, that’s going to be one of my policies. If this is my first time renting to you, I have to meet you and see you in person.”
He went on to say that he placed it in a location where the tenant was allegedly doing work. He was supposed to pick up the order on Wednesday, January 28, but was told it would be ready by noon.
“So, I went back around 8pm tonight,” he continued. “Then the machine was gone. Around noon he texted me saying it was in the driveway and ready to go.”
inflection point
He immediately realized something was wrong and even spoke to a neighbor to confirm his suspicions. They told him someone had picked up the Bobcat that morning.
“I called him two or three times and it went to voicemail,” he said. “[I messaged] He found him on Facebook and tried to contact him there. I sent him several text messages. No response to anything. Then, within about five minutes, he blocked my number. His Facebook page and account [have] Gone. “
At this point, he realized the bobcat had been stolen. He also checked its GPS tracker and found it had been deactivated. He filed a police report and said he would go back and talk to the neighbors to see if they had any security footage, perhaps from a doorbell camera.
Alas, some neighbors did have video. In a follow-up video, he shows the bobcat moving from the driveway to the side of the house. He said he received confirmation from several neighbors that a truck with a trailer had loaded the bobcat and removed it.
In another follow-up, he said his insurance company had taken care of him because he hadn’t been able to find the machine.
Peanut Gallery cracks down on Bobcat MT100 theft case
One commenter said, “Need to put a GPS or Airtag on it.” The poster responded, “I had one in there and they ripped it off.”
Another thought it would be a lost cause anyway: “File an insurance claim and replace it. You won’t want it back. They’ll destroy the line looking for trackers.”
Another commenter said they had experienced similar thefts, responding: “This seems to be pretty common on these mini skateboards.”
‘stop! thief! ‘
Clearly, what happened to this man was no novel. First, the suspects exploited a loophole in the landlord’s rent verification process. The owner did not complete a complete identity check via Facebook-only contact information.
The type of theft performed here is a textbook example of what the National Equipment Registry calls conversion theft. Here, equipment (often used in construction) is acquired through what appears to be a legitimate lease transaction and is never returned.
National Equipment Register (NER) statistics show rental machinery theft has almost doubled compared to the same period last year, according to a 2023 report. Furthermore, as in this case, the chances of recovery are slim: according to one study, recovery rates are estimated to be less than 7% of all building theft targets.
However, for this owner/operator, having a rental inventory confirming key information and actually meeting with the tenants may save him a lot of trouble. The tenant can either provide this information or cancel the false rent.
AllHipHop contacted TikToker via email and Doosan Bobcat via email. We will update this story if either party responds.
@stanleyequipmentco A machine in my rental fleet was stolen! #equipment #rental #business #bluecollar #entrepreneur ♬ Original Sound – StanleyEquipmentCo
