Adult toy unmanned vending: How to prevent vandalism & theft?

This is a crucial concern for all owners of unmanned vending stores. However, no matter how well you prepare, thieves will always try to steal and vandalize, and there's no foolproof way to prevent it!

Instances of theft and robbery in stores are not guaranteed to happen 100% of the time. So, don't give up just because you feel uncertain about the future. Many store owners have operated for years without any incidents because most people won't take such risks and break the law!

Let's analyze the reasons behind theft and robbery in stores and how to mitigate the risks:

1. Provoking competition with fellow store owners in the same market:

This situation may occur when someone maliciously tries to harass your store. To minimize this risk, try to establish some distance between your store and others. If there's already one store in a particular area, it's less likely that another one will open nearby due to competition.

2. Intentional damage caused by customers:

If customers intentionally cause damage, try to identify the reasons. It could be due to machine malfunctions or issues with refunds. Here are some suggestions:

- Establish a 24-hour customer service hotline to allow customers to contact you promptly.

- Display a clear policy for returns, malfunctions, or other issues (preferably in written form, such as on an A4 paper).

In such situations, you can guide customers through the following steps:

- Ask customers to wait briefly in the store, and a staff member will arrive to resolve the issue. The waiting time should not exceed 20 minutes.

- If it's not possible to arrive quickly, facilitate returns and refunds by providing a contact number. After verification the following day, process the refund.

3. Opportunistic thieves:

This is perhaps the most concerning point because, in the first case, fellow store owners would only try to intimidate, not extensively damage your store, and in the second case, customers are unintentional culprits due to their reasons. However, opportunistic thieves don't hesitate to take risks and resort to any means necessary for money. They may break into cabinets, damage machines, simply for the sake of money. Besides calling the police, shouting for help won't be effective.

However, many sex toys store owners who report theft might face difficulties due to low amounts of stolen money, making it challenging for the case to be properly filed. This is a realistic problem, so the only suggestion is for store owners to enhance their awareness of theft prevention. When facing significant financial losses and having absolute evidence, surveillance footage, it's possible to directly report the case to local authorities to assist in the investigation and combat theft.

The above points cover the main reasons for vandalism, robbery, and theft, but they don't represent all cases. However, they do provide some practical advice.

Nevertheless, before any incidents occur in your store, it's necessary to be proactive and take preventive measures. Here are a few methods for your reference:

1. Installation of a surveillance system:

When opening a store, make sure to install both surveillance cameras and Wi-Fi. It's primarily for peace of mind.

- Enable real-time notifications for customer entry, where users receive push notifications on their phones. Additionally, these notifications can be bound to phone messages, allowing immediate attention to the surveillance feed through an app.

- Share the surveillance footage with family members to ensure multiple people can view it on their phones, enhancing surveillance.

- Enable cloud-based monitoring to upload real-time data from the store to the cloud. This ensures that even if the cameras are damaged, the data remains preserved.

2. Use signage and warning messages:

The purpose is to inform users to be cautious and emphasize the 360-degree surveillance coverage.

3. Encourage online app payments:

Having minimal cash in the machine reduces potential losses. Additionally, advocating for online payments lets potential thieves know that there isn't much money inside the machine.

4. Configure machine alarm settings:

Adjust the sensitivity of the machine's alarm system so that it triggers an alarm when the machine is subjected to forceful impacts. This setting can effectively deter thieves and make them nervous, temporarily halting their theft attempts. Moreover, the alarm sound can attract attention from neighboring stores or passersby. Therefore, it's essential for store owners to enable this basic alarm functionality.