Stolen ebay bikes?

[mattomal]

From what I hear it's pretty pointless reporting suspected stolen items to ebay as they don't really care.

Just browsing ebay and the second link I come upon is this one with barely any details and a shady past making me assume it's stolen.

So what do we do with these types of listings?

[pedalsheep]

A friend of mine had a beautiful titanium bike stolen which appeared on ebay a few days later. He contacted the police who obtained the sellers details from ebay, visited him, and returned the bike to its rightful owner. The seller wasn't charged as he claimed to have bought the bike at a car boot sale which couldn't be proved one way or the other and he had no police record. My friend was delighted to be reunited with his pride and joy.

[GrahamNR17]

Been discussed at length previously with no real conclusion, other than to avoid buying, really. Always the same MO, sparse listing with not much detail, and a relatively new ebay account. Unless Ebay start to give a damn, and they won't until organisations like CTC etc start making a very loud and public fuss about them, then it'll continue. As for the police, well, that's a whole different matter. While they will acknowledge it's a problem, they need to put their dwindling resources into areas where they get more "bangs for the buck" as it were.

Difficult one really.

[johncharles]

The bike on the OPs post looks suspiciously like the Sport 10 model which the EdinburghBicycleCooperative sell and it is a £500.00 bike not a £900.00 one.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwGetI ... geName=%5F

[thelawnet]

Stolen:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/cycle-/290466424783

[wirral_cyclist]

Stolen:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/cycle-/290466424783

I have just asked them for more details 'as otherwise it looks like a stolen bike' do you think they'll reply?

[GrahamNR17]

Interestingly, I've just discovered ebay ignores messages about stolen goods sent to them via the "Report item" link. You basically get an automated email back saying they will only investigate it if reported to them by the police, and we know how much time the police are prepared to spend on stolen bikes. So yet another example of ebay paying lip service to crime on their site.

[pete75]

Interestingly, I've just discovered ebay ignores messages about stolen goods sent to them via the "Report item" link. You basically get an automated email back saying they will only investigate it if reported to them by the police, and we know how much time the police are prepared to spend on stolen bikes. So yet another example of ebay paying lip service to crime on their site.

You may suspect something is stolen but based on what - a feeling? What evidence do you have? Ebay , like any commercial organisation, will be loath to accuse one of their customers of theft without real evidence of the same.

No doubt the Police take a similar view to ebay.
You think that bike on ebay is stolen sir?
Yes.
HAve you had a bike like that stolen?
No
Do you know anyone who's had a bike like that stolen?
No
Then why do you think it's stolen.
Just a feeling I've got from the wording of the advert and the seller hasn't got much feedback.
Sarge we've got another nutter in........

[Ash28]

Haven't looked for a while but there used to be someone in this area selling loads of bikes from the same address on ebay. Photos taken from same location etc. Most often low quality bikes with the same vague description. After a while when the negative feedback started to roll in they would dissapear and someone very simmilar with a change of name would appear. I don't think they were stolen bikes (well not all there was too many.). I think it was a "Tatter" (a major growth industry in these parts) selling bikes that had been collected on the rounds.

[reohn2]

I've bought on Ebay and find the best thing to do is ask as many awkward and searching questions as possible.When and if I'm satisfied by the response(s) I then will bid and not before.
We bought our Cannondale tandem off ebay,when I phoned the chap selling,(unusually his mobile number was on the listing) when I phoned him I was put at ease as he answered all my questions,and importantantly for me had all documentation.
I once enquired as to whether a pair of almost new looking STI's were double or triple the sellers response was "sorry mate don't know" obviously not as white as driven snow,needless to say i didn't bid those.
I believe There is significant minority of thieves and vagabonds on Ebay as in any walk of life, Ebay is more anonimous than other forms of buying and selling and so suits the criminal,other than report ones suspicions and ask searching questions,or don't use Ebay, I can't think what else can be done.

[matt2matt2002]

May I say straight away that all bike thieves should be towed for 5 miles behind a lorry

However on the subject of fleabay and the issue of stolen bike sales, I must say that the level of crime in UK makes the whole issue of recovery and prosecution a no win situation
I'm not saying we / the police should give up but the state of play is such that the good ol' days of leaving your bike leaning against the railings, has long gone.
And a whole section of a generation or 2 , makes their living from thieving.
Sad but true

[Lawrie9]

That ones does looks a bit dodgy with the amateurish photo, poor description and very few feedbacks. Always a case of buyer beware. I am watching a Rossin Frame in Cornwall. These are beautiful handbuilt Italian frames in Columbus lightweight steel and it is at £35 so far and very genuine . I saw a Mercian go for nearly £1000 the other week. When your buying anything you have to use your own judgement like you would be advised to buy a car at the roadside or something offered cheap down the pub. I have an ebay shop myself and 99.9% are very reputable retailers. There are something like 25,000 full time ebayers in Britain and a few are millionaires.. sadly not me yet. The last thing I bought were some carbon brushes for my workshop dust extractor for £6.00 a pair.

[GrahamNR17]

Interestingly, I've just discovered ebay ignores messages about stolen goods sent to them via the "Report item" link. You basically get an automated email back saying they will only investigate it if reported to them by the police, and we know how much time the police are prepared to spend on stolen bikes. So yet another example of ebay paying lip service to crime on their site.

You may suspect something is stolen but based on what - a feeling? What evidence do you have? Ebay , like any commercial organisation, will be loath to accuse one of their customers of theft without real evidence of the same.

No doubt the Police take a similar view to ebay.
You think that bike on ebay is stolen sir?
Yes.
HAve you had a bike like that stolen?
No
Do you know anyone who's had a bike like that stolen?
No
Then why do you think it's stolen.
Just a feeling I've got from the wording of the advert and the seller hasn't got much feedback.
Sarge we've got another nutter in........

I appreciate what you're saying, but educating the public on the basic tell-tales of certain types of crime has proved very successful for police forces in the past, and has provided them with good information that they can then look at. By applying their greater knowledge of said crime type, they are able to target the ones that stand out to them. Drug dealing is an example I have personal experience of. A decade or so ago Thames Valley Police took the time to tell members of the public a few basic tell-tales of drug dealer activity which resulted in them being able to target and put out of business a large number. Doubtless that lead them back to a few organised gangs importing and distributing the stuff.