Our Top Tips To Help Keep You and Your Gifts Safe This Festive Season
The festive season is well and truly underway, with people up and down the country hitting the shops to buy gifts for loved ones. It’s also the time of year when crime becomes a problem, as bad people prey on distracted shoppers, who potentially without knowing, make it much too easy for these kind of criminals to get away with it!
Follow our top 6 safety tips this festive season, to make sure your loved one’s gifts don’t end up in the hands of criminals!
A rise in crime often occurs around the holidays, as shoppers go from store to store, walking backwards and forwards to their car without ever thinking that a criminal could be watching them, waiting for their best opportunity to strike.
An opportunist thief is always on the lookout for easy prey, where they can snatch, grab and be on their way before you even realise what has happened. Therefore, we advise all shoppers stay vigilant this festive season by taking a few simple precautions to help ensure that you stay out of danger and the gifts you buy from the shops end up safely at your home, ready to be wrapped and handed out to your loved ones on Christmas Day.
When you’ve worked hard all year and are looking forward to spending precious time with friends and family over the festive period, there’d be nothing worse than having some petty criminal spoiling all your plans.
Hopefully, our top 6 tips will help you stay safe whilst out Christmas shopping this year and ensure your gifts end up in the hands of your loved ones and not some nasty thief instead.
Our Top 6 Tips For Safe Christmas Shopping:
1. Watch Where You Park – try and park as close to the shops you’re going to and under a light if it’s dark. Avoid parking next to large vehicles such as vans, as this can give thieves more privacy.
To help you remember where you’ve parked, try and memorise a nearby sign or some other landmark to make your car easier to find.
If you park in a multi-storey car park, try and find a space on the ground floor and close to the exit. If you have to park on another level, park close to the stairs or lift and remain vigilant. It might be best to shop with a friend or family member if you have to use a multi-storey car park.
2. Lock Your Car – this might sound obvious but a number of thefts are carried out on unlocked cars, so please double check you’ve locked all the doors before walking away. Make sure all the windows are closed, sunroof and the boot.
3. Out Of Sight – never leave anything valuable in your car and any gifts that you purchase should be locked in the boot out of sight from prying eyes. Use a cover over them if they can be seen through the windows. Even leaving a mobile phone charger could be an invitation to bad people, so hide things out of the way.
4. Move Around – if you come back to your car to drop off purchases, stay alert as you load the boot and move to another space further away if you intend to shop for longer. Criminals could be watching you and will know you’re going to be gone for a while.
5. Stay Alert – remain vigilant as you walk to and from your car. Don’t talk on your phone and walk with purpose. Have your car keys ready before getting to your vehicle and load your goods inside as quickly as possible, get in and lock the doors behind you.
6. At Home – when you get home with your packages, park as close as you can to the entrance. If you have a driveway, back up and take your packages in and out of your home, remembering to lock the car door in between each trip. Close your house door behind you as you bring them in and check outside before going back out. NEVER leave your car door or boot open as you go in and out – an opportunist thief could be watching and strike at any time.
💚 Safe and Happy Christmas Shopping This Festive Season from The Flexed Team! ❤️
Please click here to find out more about our car leasing services and fantastic offers for both Business and Personal use, or give us a call TODAY on 0800 311 8290.
Drop us a quick email to talk@flexed.co.uk or chat with a member of our team NOW using our online ‘We Are Here!’ service – we’ll gladly answer any leasing questions you may have.