Just found a bike on Ebay that was stolen from us a few years ago..

sallyjh

Hi all
My dh was just browsing Ebay and has just come across an old BMX bike that was stolen from a friends shed a few years back.

Dh leant the bike to a friend - he left it in his shed and whilst working away it was stolen. He knows its definately his cos of some welding he did on it and the stickers etc. The theft was never reported to the police so I dont suppose theres anything we can do - apart from bid on the bike itself.

The listing states that it was "recovered from a recent clearance" - we're not saying that the guy selling stole it - he may have bought it from someone else - just annoying to see that someone else will be profiting from our loss.

Dh thinks he has some pics somewhere of bike but otherwise nothing else to prove it was his - so I dont suppose anything can be done - does anyone have any advice or ideas or come across this before? Do Ebay have any policies on this sort of thing?

Cheers Sally

whitewing

It is annoying, but I personally would let it go.

I try to believe in karma and that the offending party will get their comeuppance, even if it's not as a direct result of action you take!

zenseeker

You cannot prove that the seller is the thief, and as you never reported it stolen there is no claim at all.

Even if they seller was the thief, they could easily claim that they bought it from you in a classified listing or carboot sale...how would you prove otherwise?

jenniewb

It gets Even worse when you see your stolen bike chained up outside a railway station 2 miles away...

I had written my name and address on it, but it had been scraped off with a knife, and covered up with odd plasticy stuff. But the rest of the bike, handle bars, saddle, frame, even dodgy gears, were all instantly recognisable. -they had changed the tires though.

I called the police, but they were unable to help me, even though I could say it was mine.

If they cannot help a bike they see in the street, I doubt very much they would be able to help anyone. You do begin to wonder, whats the point?!

zenseeker

jenniewb wrote: »

I called the police, but they were unable to help me, even though I could say it was mine.

If they cannot help a bike they see in the street, I doubt very much they would be able to help anyone. You do begin to wonder, whats the point?!

Saying it's yours and proving it are very different things.

Bowling_4_Gold

jenniewb wrote: »

It gets Even worse when you see your stolen bike chained up outside a railway station 2 miles away...

I had written my name and address on it, but it had been scraped off with a knife, and covered up with odd plasticy stuff. But the rest of the bike, handle bars, saddle, frame, even dodgy gears, were all instantly recognisable. -they had changed the tires though.

I called the police, but they were unable to help me, even though I could say it was mine.

If they cannot help a bike they see in the street, I doubt very much they would be able to help anyone. You do begin to wonder, whats the point?!

I'm Intrigued... Did you get your bike back??? If it was me, I would rush home, get the bolt cutters and get my bike back

jackieb

My son had an expensive bike stolen. He'd already been to the police station to have it security marked. A year or so later he saw someone on it. He knew it was his (he'd changed the suspensions, seat, handlebars, it also had stickers etc) The bloke left the bike outside a shop so my son took it and went to the police station to tell them (he'd reported it stolen over a year before). Despite my son having reported it stolen, and still having receipts for the bike and accessories, the police said they had no records of my son reporting the bike stolen to them, and the security marking had rubbed off so my son had to hand the bike back. My dad had taken him to the police station to report it so it definitely had been reported as stolen.

He would have been better off if he'd just taken the bike home but he thought he was doing the right thing by going to the police station to let them know. That just ended up with him having to give up the bike (by that time that bloke had turned up to the police station to report it stolen too!) He might have bought it in good faith. We don't know. But it was maddening and very unfair.

paul5046

jackieb wrote: »

My son had an expensive bike stolen. He'd already been to the police station to have it security marked. A year or so later he saw someone on it. He knew it was his (he'd changed the suspensions, seat, handlebars, it also had stickers etc) The bloke left the bike outside a shop so my son took it and went to the police station to tell them (he'd reported it stolen over a year before). Despite my son having reported it stolen, and still having receipts for the bike and accessories, the police said they had no records of my son reporting the bike stolen to them, and the security marking had rubbed off so my son had to hand the bike back. My dad had taken him to the police station to report it so it definitely had been reported as stolen.

He would have been better off if he'd just taken the bike home but he thought he was doing the right thing by going to the police station to let them know. That just ended up with him having to give up the bike (by that time that bloke had turned up to the police station to report it stolen too!) He might have bought it in good faith. We don't know. But it was maddening and very unfair.

Very maddening i bet.

TIP.
Photograph everything you own, and save it in a few places. Very easy with a digi camera, and handy in cases like those above.

jenniewb

Bowling_4_Gold wrote: »

I'm Intrigued... Did you get your bike back??? If it was me, I would rush home, get the bolt cutters and get my bike back

I actually had to rush off to a job interview! I had my dad wait with the bike until the police came. They explained to my dad (who had actually bought the bike for my 18th, 5 years earlier) that there was no real evidence it was my bike..etc etc. My dad doesn't have a mobile and had to go to his part time job, leaving the bike.

I called my dad when he got in and I was just leaving work later that day, he explained the whole thing to me. I did rush back to the station to see if the bike was there- I would have gladly kicked off any chains with sheer anger, but the bike was gone. It never did return to that station- I know as I have a look when I walk past and have been doing so for the past 4 and a half years. Gutted I missed the chance of getting it back- its of no use to anyone- properly wrecked when it was stolen, not much better when I saw it, sentimental value. But no bike, not any more. And no money to replace it.

I did have it locked up in the first place BTW- 2 separate big (and heavy!) D-locks bought from Evans. Properly locked. But what I didn't know was it was locked to a scam cycle rack. I only noticed when I went back to pick up the bike, the entire reack had moved 2 feet sideways. I think someone had swiped the entire rack from the ground and driven off with it to steal the bikes.

No one should lock their bike at Lewisham station- the police did nothing to prevent this when I reported what I found, and also did ntohing to help find or return the bike to me. If I could have found the .... who stole the bike from me, I seriously doubt he would still be walking, let alone riding with my bike.

jenniewb

Wolu wrote: »

To prevent same thing happen in the future. I would recommend to use really thick lock to the lamp post. Thieves can cut off the lock but if its really think, it makes them has to use bolt cutter at home (which they cant use in public).

In addition, never chain to fences and they kick off the spokes and take the bikes away and cut it at home using their free spare time.

They also twist the bike over to get rid of the lock if the post u hung the bike to is not tall enough (Aim to chain at tall lamp post)

Lastly, buy a cheap rubbish bike then no one would steal it lol

My bike was all of those- cheap (costed £200 and also was 5 years old when stolen, never had been updated I took it to a bike shop to find out what was wrong with it -breaks were failing, I was told they were worn out, when I was offered a price, I said I couldn't pay, they were very worried about letting me have the bike back- made me very aware the breaks would only worked when I was going slow- as I was already aware). Gears were shot too. I was then warned a second time by a policeman as my tires were so worn they had no grip anymore- trust me, it was a wreak, but it was my wreak!

I also had 2x D locks to lock it up. Big ones from Evans, heavy too so whoever undid them knew what they were doing. I didn't stand a chance. And it had been locked to what looked like a bike rack. Only it was a scam. It was a bike rack that got moved every now and then, possibly with bikes in toe.

StaffsSW

After spending 7 years working in the bike trade, there is only one or two locks that are actually worth buying, both by Kyrptonite.
I could/(still can!!) open every other lock without fail, within a minute or half, and making little or no noise whatsoever, and most of them using a piece of equipment that could easily fit in a sleeve of any jacket.

When I raced mountain bikes, I didn't bother with a lock - I simply took the bike in to shops with me! If I was going somewhere I needed to leave a bike unattended, I had a £20 rat-bike with no brakes, one gear and covered in rust.

Until it was nicked from outside the university nightclub.