My wife's stolen bike's now on ebay!

simon44

Imagine my surprise when my wife's bike, stolen on her birthday (yes it was her birthday present) only last week, appears on ebay. I have passed the matter on to the Police but the ad seems to be running happily. In the meantime would appreciate a few of you sending messages asking for a bit more info about the bike...

The item number is 181145778480, the seller is emmylems123 and the link to the ad is

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 1145778480

simon44

Gotta love the description "29" WTB Cannondale Tyres" - they havent got a clue what a 29er is!

turnerjohn

well I've asked the "what size is it ?" he didn't list the obvious lol

pnev

Win with a high bid, say you'll meet to collect and pay in cash. Instead smash them in with a baseball bat and take the bike

Matt-r8

Ask if there is a buy now. I'd do it myself, but i don't have an Ebay account.

Welsh_Wizard

Just playing devils advocate here but how you know it's wifeys bike??

anthonycollett

Wouldn't it be best to win it & then attend with plod?. There is a fair chance the police will do nothing. speaking from past experience.

turnerjohn

well he answered my question with the following....

"Hiya, my parents have emigrated to Australia and left a few bits behind for me to sell. The bike is no use to me. My dad purchased this bike 6 months ago and only rode it no more than 10 times. It's a size small
- emmylems123"

over to you, though going by what others have said the Police are pretty useless by the sounds of it !
I'd bid and take it "up" with him when you go to collect....or pay paypal...get the bike then file a complaint with paypal and let them deal with it !

lc1981

Yep, put in a big bid to ensure that you win the auction, and then contact the police.

bowden769

How do you know its your wife's bike

simon44

Thanks for your help everyone. TurnerJohn, many thanks - the classic Australia line! £1000 bike just sold for £360...its only 2 weeks old and ridden once! There are a couple of unique things added to it which you can see in the images and which I have informed the Police about. The Police have completed the ebay form with the crime number but still it was allowed to sell. And I've informed the insurance company and they didn't seem that interested either...am confused...

simon44

Have now spoken to Paypal to let me know that there will be a fraudalent transaction and they have given me a number that the Police can call them on - 0208 605 3028 - may be helpful for others in my situation...

lc1981

I'm confused. Did you win the auction?

simon44

No, because of the close proximity of the seller I didnt feel safe to have any contact with them. A friend emailed an offer of £600 a few days ago which they accepted but they wouldnt give away their address or any meet up point.

hugehero

I would have still placed a bid, won then paid the scumbag a visit. Having had my bike stolen then recovered recently I have nothing but sympathy. Had my rockhopper been a small I would have given it to your wife for next to nothing.

lee1972

should have put a big bid on and made sure you won it

if I had read this earlier would have done it for you
even if you didn't pay or go for it they would have had to relist giving you more time to sort stuff out or think about what to do , as they probably don't have it now so proving it was yours will be hard

I saw 1 of mine on there 6 months ago and even though ebay gave the police the buyers address and as the sellers address I was told they had no luck as the buyer had already sold it on

Thom yorkes pyjamas

I found one of my bikes on Craigslist before and the guy did not want to give his address so I arranged to meet up at a Train Station. The Police were pretty usesless then as well, they offered to send a uniformed officer with me to meet the guy but I insisted it would scare him off if they did. I was right as I saw him circle the Station car park twice on the bike before ringing me telling me he will be there in about 5 mins. He turned up and I grabbed the bike of him telling him it is my bike he stole. He seemed more eager to get out of there than argue. Which is proof enough for me that he is the one that sole it.

So yeah next time make a big offer and arrange a meet up in a public place, it seems less suspicious to the thieves.

simon44

So, in summary, I have informed:

- Police
- ebay
- paypal
- the insurance company

...and noone seems that interested. Meanwhile the bike has sold. It just seems so easy to sell stolen bikes and get away with it!

junglist_matty

simon44 wrote:

...and noone seems that interested. Meanwhile the bike has sold. It just seems so easy to sell stolen bikes and get away with it!

Yup, go steal one for yourself! ....I've had three bikes piked off me over the last 15 years totalling about £3000, nothing happened with any, got insurance money through each time, but had to pay a £250 excess for each one!

simon44

Ebayer i100ld has bought my wife's stolen Cannondale 29er. He's delighted at his purchase - £360 for a brand new £1000 bike. I informed him that it is stolen and now the property of M&S Insurance. I had no response. I've passed on i100ld details to the Police.

Does anyone know ebayer i100ld on this forum? He really needs to report to the Police.

simon44

Does anyone know ebayer i100ld? He has bought my wife's stolen Cannondale 29er on ebay. I have passed his details over to ebay, paypal and the Police

Dicky101

Try this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ebayadvsearch?_sofindtype=9

lee197213

that wont work unless you have brought or sold from this seller
have you contacted the buyer and told him
and how do you know its yours?
should have won it yourself
I presume this is the one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cannondale-Tr ... 7675.l2557

STEFANOS4784

Here's their items for sale page
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i100ld/m.html ... ksid=p3686

Just keep checking until they sell something, ask to pick up and voila you have their address.

lee197213

should have bidded and won it
don't get why you didn't

no good blaming the buyer now
he didn't know
tell him he needs to return it to seller as stolen
and open a dispute

if you told ebay I would be going mad at them for still allowing it to be sold
and not taking it off

its the one who sold it you should be contacting not the buyer

rillyroy

If there is reason to believe you may be buying stolen goods (i.e. price too good to be true) then you are guilty of handling.
..............just sayin'

lc1981

rillyroy wrote:

If there is reason to believe you may be buying stolen goods (i.e. price too good to be true) then you are guilty of handling.
..............just sayin'

That's true if it's selling for a set price, but in an auction it doesn't really make sense. Things like the item description demonstrating that the seller doesn't really know what they're selling is often a giveaway though.

rillyroy

As the purchaser has picked up £1000 worth of bike for £360 he should have asked questions, insist on having the police interview him (you can do this, I did) and take it from there

lc1981

The price in an auction is determined by whether other people bid. If you don't, you get the item cheap. There's nothing suspicious about that, unless the reason other people didn't bid is that it is obvious the item was stolen. The price itself is not the suspicious thing.

rillyroy

Simply if you pay too little (as the buyer did) then you are more than aware that it is stolen. Regardless of any other arguments you have a responsibility to establish that it isn't. The fact that there was no reserve also points to stolen goods.

Believe me there is a solid case for handling here

rillyroy

I know this as I have recovered 3 stolen bikes in this way so far. Obviously it's up to you whether you want to recover your bike or not.

If you buy a car and it turns out to be stolen you will lose it.......... simples! - that's why buyers should HPi check cars.
You must insist that the police investigate and impound it while you prove it is yours (the shop should have recorded the frame no.)