Ebay stolen bikes and parts *for your info update*

[Johnboy]

I had an email from the Met police today telling me that they believe some carbon forks I bought on Ebay back in April were taken from a stolen bike.

Needless to say as the transaction is more than 45 days old, Ebay have told me to push off, well not entirely true, they have given me a £25 voucher, still leaves me £65 out of pocket though. They were sold by auction, so I paid the going rate in good faith.

I feel for the guy who had his bike stolen and if he wants the forks back of course he can have them or maybe we can come to an arrangement. I have cut the steerer down though

Anyone else had similar issues, and did you get any recompense off Ebay, or is it always the case that if the transaction is more than 45 days old they just don't want to know and there's no appeal?

 

[longun]

i'd ask for serial number proof imho, shame someones had their bike stolen but like you say, bought in good faith. if his bike was insured then hes been payed out so i'd rek there yours fair n square

 

[s_zigmond]

Did you pay with paypal? If so ring your bank about doing a charge back on the transaction.

 

[Magsy]

Ask for proof, reply slowly, let it take its time, hopefully it will go away. If they cannot identify them then I guess no proof either way and you keep but if they can legally you are buggered

If the insurance has paid out then they belong to the insurance company, so that doesn't work either.

 

[dyna-ti]

i'd ask for serial number proof imho, shame someones had their bike stolen but like you say, bought in good faith. if his bike was insured then hes been payed out so i'd rek there yours fair n square

Your going to ask the met for proof :? I think they could do you for receiving stolen goods,though not sure exactly on that law,wheres chopper when you need him?.

I think the bottom line is you will have to return them but email the original owner and find out if the insurance has paid out.If this is the case then its the insurance company that now owns them not the original owner.Youll have to explain to them the issue
could make it clear to the insurance that youre not happy and will fight them for the ownership,might find theyre unwilling to go to court as it involves costs :?

Tricky one indeed.I hope this is ok for you,a real shame if you have to lose out or pay more for them

Do you have a link to the seller?

 

[silverclaws]

Stolen bike parts of which we here creates a market for, perhaps we need to address this issue ?

 

[longun]

i'd ask for serial number proof imho, shame someones had their bike stolen but like you say, bought in good faith. if his bike was insured then hes been payed out so i'd rek there yours fair n square

Your going to ask the met for proof :? I think they could do you for receiving stolen goods,though not sure exactly on that law,wheres chopper when you need him?.

I think the bottom line is you will have to return them but email the original owner and find out if the insurance has paid out.If this is the case then its the insurance company that now owns them not the original owner.Youll have to explain to them the issue
could make it clear to the insurance that youre not happy and will fight them for the ownership,might find theyre unwilling to go to court as it involves costs :?

Tricky one indeed.I hope this is ok for you,a real shame if you have to lose out or pay more for them

Do you have a link to the seller?

meant proof of owners fork reciept with bar code/serial number etc

complicated area, you never ever know with ebay items, risk i rek we all take

 

[FMJ]

Re: Ebay stolen bikes and parts

I had an email from the Met police today telling me that they believe some carbon forks I bought on Ebay back in April were taken from a stolen bike.

That's what we refer to as a fishing expedition here. Throw out accusations, then wait for the sucker to admit possible culpability. Hell of a lot easier than going after the seller and mucking about with the process of actually doing the work to make a case against him. Tell the plod their belief that your forks are stolen carries the same weight as your belief that the universe was created by a giant plate of spaghetti.

 

[Johnboy]

I'm fairly sure there is no serial number on the forks. The police know the stolen frame was sold by the same guy though and that would have had a serial number, the owner had already given the police a list of parts fitted.

I'm happy (maybe 'happy' isn't the right word!) that they are the stolen forks, although it would be hard for anyone to actually prove it. I'm not trying to avoid giving them back to the owner, I'm just a little peeved that Ebay have washed their hands of it.

Oh well I'll just have to chalk it down to experience.

 

[Johnboy]

Stolen bike parts of which we here creates a market for, perhaps we need to address this issue ?

But how? We create a market for second hand parts, I have no desire to buy stolen goods, my sympathies lie entirely with the guy who had his bike stolen. if I had had any inkling that the forks were stolen I wouldn't have bid for them.