VARS Technology reaches one million milestone

Blackpool-based VARS Technology, which provides protection to petrol station forecourts from the threat of fuel theft and anti-social behaviour, has reached the landmark figure of one million events of blacklisted vehicles being recorded on sites by their industry-leading ANPR solution.

VARS uses automatic number plate recognition to prevent fuel thefts before they happen, providing visual and audio warnings to staff when a vehicle that has previously been reported for committing a drive-off enters their forecourt.

The system also allows staff to instantly see the make, model and colour of the vehicle a given number plate is registered to, helping them to spot vehicles that are potentially using fake plates.

Across a customer base of more than 1,300 sites, including hundreds protected by the full VARS ANPR system, more than 72,000 vehicles have been added to the blacklist.

With more than one million incidents of blacklisted vehicles being detected at sites protected by VARS, the system has safeguarded retailers from millions in potential fuel theft.

For drive-offs that have already happened, VARS provides a full debt recovery service, allowing for debts linked to both ‘no means of payment’ and deliberate drive offs to be pursued.

VARS provides a quick and simple reporting tool for forecourts and offers the highest recovery rates in the industry, typically in as little as two weeks.

John Garnett, director of VARS Technology, said: “Fuel theft is a growing problem for forecourt retailers, so we are very proud of the fact that our customers are increasingly bucking that trend and protecting themselves from Drive-Off incidents.

“As our database of vehicles that have previously committed a Drive-Off continues to grow, forecourts ranging from independent retailers to large chains have a growing additional layer of protection against fuel loss.

"With many Drive-Offs coming from repeat offenders that target sites where they experience little or no repercussions, they are quickly learning theft from sites protected by VARS results in rapid and effective debt recovery.”