Stolen bike on Ebay

Felsham Jon

I had my bike stolen in September. A new carbon job worth about £2 K. Well it's appeared online now on Ebay. So I told the local police and they said basically they have better things to do than try and get it back for me!
The bike is being sold in London so I suggested they tell the met police but was told they would likely do nothing as there is no "threat to public safety involved" his phrase not mine.
So my bike is for sale for all to see but does anyone have any suggestions about what I could do to get it back. I live about 100 miles from London.

LukeTC

If it's pick up only, contact the guy, say you'd like to have a look at the bike before buying, arrange a viewing, go to his place with a bunch of your boys and rob it back, giving them a swift hiding while you're at it

But in all seriousness don't take no for an answer, perhaps try contacting the police again and speak to someone a bit higher up while complaining about the officer who shunned you in the first place

davesnothere

Buy it, say you can only pay cash on collection and go down with a couple of burly mates to reclaim it

Ring the old bill just before you go in there and tell them what you're doing. I bet they'd be interested then

cooldad

Better be sure it's actually yours before you beat the crap out of somebody.

fenix

Did you get an insurance pay out for the bike ?

And it might not be the thief that's selling the bike on. You don't know how many people have bought and sold the bike since ?

SME

The last 3 above, and...
Do you have any photographic evidence that it's your bike? I normally take pictures of frame numbers etc. The .jpeg images are then time stamped so you know how long ago you had the bike.

Even if the guys who's selling it isn't the actual thief, isn't it still against the law to receive stolen goods?

fenix

I think - "If the individual did not know the goods were stolen, then the goods are returned to the owner and the individual is not prosecuted."

It may be that the owner is the insurance company if the OP had cover.

Felsham Jon

Yes it is my bike. I changed the stem and you can see the sticker on it from the shop I bought it from. I have the frame number, if it's still visible but I could also identify it by a couple of chips of paint which I did when riding it.
Trouble is I can't get to London.
I suspect it is not being sold by the original thief, but bought at a local market maybe?

davesnothere

For a £2,000 bike, I'd find a way of getting to London!

Regardless of how the seller got hold of it, if it's your bike then you're perfectly entitled to go and collect it

fat daddy

you need evidence its yours ...... I could claim I recognise all the bikes on Ebay and they must be returned to me .... but that's not going to happen unless I could actually prove it.

do you have physical evidence, ie frame numbers photographs showing those chips ??

Felsham Jon

Got original receipt with frame number on. Also registered with builder in my name with the frame number. The chips could be described to an officer before they went to look at it, but I need to persuade them to do it first.

veronese68

I got my bike back in similar circumstances by pestering the local police like hell. I was told by a friend in the met that unfortunately as they are so busy you have to make a lot of noise. The police got the seller to take the bike to the station and I had to go and prove it was mine. I gave him a list of marks and non standard items, refitted my lights to the brackets that were still on the bike and produced the invoice with frame number on it. The policeman replied that whilst he would check it there was clearly no need as the bike was obviously mine. I got to take my bike home and the seller was disappointed. He wasn't prosecuted as he claimed he had bought the bike at a market. The fact that he was selling 4 bikes under different names using the same mobile number didn't seem to count against him. My insurers had already paid out so I rang them and told them I had the bike did they want it as they were the legal owners. They were very surprised, but didn't know what to do about it.
So, try to get the name of someone at the police station. Try to get them to take an interest. You will have to get to London if they get hold of the bike. You could try the Metropolitan Police bicycle task force, they may show more interest as they are tasked with cycle crimes. Assuming they haven't been disbanded due to cut backs.
Good luck.

fenix

Was it insured?