Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

tob think I may have purchased stolen goods?

56 replies

Daddypigsgusset · 28/03/2014 21:21

I bought a bike on ebay recently. I went to collect and just felt, well.. .. off...
The bike is worth about £3k, it's like new and I got it for around £200. Bargain I thought.
I collected it and the family and house were not typical of one which has thousands to spend on a bike. Think Shameless.
They had a few bikes there and gave me the spiel about having too many/never used it etc.
I have just looked on their recently sold items and it's full of bikes. I feel sick that it's probably stolen but also, they have my address so know where the bike is should they wish to break into my garage and take it back along with my tools, kids toys etc.
I may of course be wrong but what do I do now?

OP posts:
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 28/03/2014 23:54

And please, think of the poor swine who's probably had their bike nicked......dp had his old one stolen a few years back (( and mine )) It devastated him, he'd saved for it for years and in between his job and helping to care for our two dcs who have SN cycling was/ is his only respite.

I'd put money on it being stolen from some poor sod who's saved for hard for that bike, and if it isn't stolen......you've bagged yourself a bargain.

Preciousbane · 29/03/2014 00:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PPaka · 29/03/2014 00:07

My brother had his bike stolen, gutted didn't come close to describing it
He worked so hard for it, did charity triathlons

AchyFox · 29/03/2014 01:20

If they had a lot of bikes, it may be a small business.

Grin
ThatBloodyWoman · 29/03/2014 01:33

But you bought it in good faith and you have nothing concrete to suggest it's stolen..

I would take it that I had got a genuine bargain tbh.

It does happen on e bay.

Perhaps someone works down the dump and brings home bikes to refurb.
Or buys and sells, hoping to make a few extra quid on their investment.

ThatOtherTime · 29/03/2014 01:33

Everyone likes a bargain but I would have to report it if it were me. It really, really sounds like it is stolen. It belongs to someone already Sad and it isn't you Confused

If I had a stolen bike like that returned I would definitely refund you the £200 and I bet most people would.

If you reported it but no one claimed it would you be able to legally keep the bike with no guilt???

trufflehunterthebadger · 29/03/2014 01:43

I know the right thing is to report my suspicions but is it worth the potential comeback on my own family?

I've been in the police 10 years and in my current job working in criminal trials for 6. I have never, ever known a case of witness intimidation/repercussions from people that don't really know each other. It really isn't like The Bill. The only occassion where I have seen proper witness intimidation (excrement thrown, "grass" painted in red on the house) was in a "gang related incident".

IME most career criminals consider being prosecuted an occupational hazard and really don't give enough of a shit to try to track you down.

trufflehunterthebadger · 29/03/2014 01:46

Can I point out that reporting something doesn't mean that innocent ebayers with a couple of dozen bikes innocently lying around will be carted off in handcuffs and deported.

The police will investigate and if something is wrong, they will do something. If nothing is wrong they won't. So why not just leave it to them to deal with ?

l12ngo · 29/03/2014 02:18

I'd be surprised if petty criminals (those stealing bikes etc) would keep a database of those they'd sold bikes to and earmark them for future thefts. Their normal clientele (if they are thieves) are likely to be a bit rough too (happy to receive stolen goods) and there is far too much risk for a petty thief stealing from someone who is likely to give them a good kicking if they put 2 + 2 together.

I'd report your concerns to the Police if I were you. That way you're covered. You can voice your concerns about being identified but the Police aren't stupid, they'll probably ignore it anyway if they don't see any realistic chance of a prosecution even if the circumstances are suspicious but at least you've done your bit.

OhMerGerd · 29/03/2014 03:42

Exact same happened to friend of ours. Bid on bike with a 'must sell due to relocation' tag to just over £1k and was surprised to win with a bid for around £300 on £3k bike.
Went 150+ miles to collect it, being a specific type bike he was after. Said he'd been surprised at the property and where it was stored but plausible story. The woman who was acting on behalf of seller 'her brother', said he still lived at the property with their mum and dad, was a keen cyclist, spent all his spare cash on bikes but his GF having baby urgently needed cash to buy baby stuff/ find a flat etc. DH friend paid cash. Said he felt suspicious but also slightly intimidated by this woman (don't think he'll ever live that bit down) and the whole set up just felt edgy.
Got it home and had one ride. DH had a ride that weekend and was going to have the saddle off it as it suited him better than it did friend.
Friend was sleeping during day after a night shift when two police arrived at door ( all the way from x town 150 miles away - which incidentally we all thought was a bit extravagant considering the bike might not have been there ... But that's another story) wanting statement and bike. It was stolen of course, because it was a good bike owner had been tracking eBay and online bike forums for sales of that type and recognised it by the saddle.
Turned out bloke selling was prolific thief. This was the crucial evidence that finally nailed him. Friend had to appear in court where chap was sentenced to a decent jail term. Friend did get his money back though as the original owner was a decent sort, he'd already been paid some insurance money and sent our friend the £300.

YoDiggity · 29/03/2014 03:55

If this bloke is regularly stealing bikes and selling them on then you are just one of any number of possible people who could have alerted the police. There will be no reason for them to need to tell him specifically that they are calling concerning your bike.

My son had his bike stolen two years ago and reported it. Out of the blue a few months ago the police knocked on the door and said they though they may have found it, in the garden of a house exactly like you described - full of stolen bikes being sold at boot fairs etc.

It turned out when we checked the serial number on our receipt that it wasn't his bike, just the same model/colour, but the police obviously do cross reference these things.

Phone them and ask them to run the serial number through their system - it can't hurt.

If they decide to pay this chap a visit they can just tell him they were made suspicious by his ebay trading patterns - it needn't involve mentioning you at all.

steff13 · 29/03/2014 04:34

TBH you're probably going to get stopped by the police anyways.......they actually stop riders of expensive bikes here, dps bike is worth over 3k and he regularly gets stopped and has it checked for codes, asked where he bought it etc.

Wow, are they allowed to do that? Without probable cause?

MinnieMouse5678 · 29/03/2014 05:57

YABU and Why is everyone assuming it is stolen? And that you 'do the right thing'?

These are suspicions based on the state of someones house! They might be keen (ex?) cyclists, they might pick bikes up from the tip or scrap yard to do up etc etc etc...
Many a reasonable explanation!

Surely regular bike thieves wouldn't set up an eBay page to flog stolen bikes to then be picked up in the area they may have been stolen from?!

Put it to the back of your mind, you did buy it in good faith and ignore all the do gooders! Wink

Imnotmadeofeyes · 29/03/2014 07:49

Surely regular bike thieves wouldn't set up an eBay page to flog stolen bikes to then be picked up in the area they may have been stolen from?!

Actually, yes they do.

My housemate has his bike stolen from a rack in the town centre and got it back a couple of months later because he kept an eye out on eBay/gumtree. Fortunately the bike had a very distinctive scratch that was easily spotted on a photo,

If there is a reasonable explanation then the police can hear it, if I was selling lots of refurbished bikes legitimately I don't think I would be too surprised to be asked about it at some point. Bikes get stolen a lot, to be selling them in huge numbers is suspicious on the face of it.

borisgudanov · 29/03/2014 07:54

MinnieMouse - if it all checks out then the police will go on their merry way and no harm will have been done. If people turn a blid eye to suspicious stuff on the other hand then theft will carry on and nothing will be done about it. "All that is needed for evil to flourish is that good men do nothing" - Edmund Burke.

kungfupannda · 29/03/2014 08:05

In my experience (criminal lawyer) stolen bikes tend to change hands pretty quickly - in our area, anyway. I've often had cases where a bike is stolen and then sold on within an hour.

If these sellers are using ebay and have a large stash of bikes, I'd hazard a guess at them buying from bike thieves, rather than being the thieves themselves.

Still wrong, obviously.

Sallyingforth · 29/03/2014 09:39

To those who say just keep quiet, wait until it's your turn to have your bike stolen or your house burgled because the thief has a ready market. Then we'll see if you still think it's OK to turn a blind eye to criminals.

areyoutheregoditsmemargaret · 29/03/2014 10:04

Report it, as others say, you won't be fingered. The police know not to land you in it. To those saying turn a blind eye, shame on you.

mayorquimby · 29/03/2014 10:44

"But you bought it in good faith and you have nothing concrete to suggest it's stolen..

I would take it that I had got a genuine bargain tbh.

It does happen on e bay."

But the mens reas for handling stolen goods or possession of stolen goods is recklessness. Which at this point the op if ,it in the unlikely scenario that it came to police attention, would satisfy.
She's recognised that there's a risk the bike is stolen but is disregarding it.

"Surely regular bike thieves wouldn't set up an eBay page to flog stolen bikes to then be picked up in the area they may have been stolen from?!"

That's how most of them get caught tbh by selling on gumtree, eBay donedeal etc
Ditto mobile phone thieves

BertieBotts · 29/03/2014 10:50

The bike sellers won't know it's you who have reported them, it could have been anybody.

helenthemadex · 29/03/2014 11:23

I would get in touch with the police for my own peace of mind, you can get great bargains on ebay but I would be very suspicious of someone selling loads of bikes which are easily stolen

ThatBloodyWoman · 29/03/2014 18:42

There is always a risk that a reasonably high value object is stolen if you buy it second hand mayor.

TeaAndALemonTart · 29/03/2014 18:47

I would be wary of contacting the po po, they have your address and will know it's you. Especially as they would be asked about your bike if it turns out to be nicked.

Hmmm, but you can't keep it either. I think I would keep an eye on their eBay and see if the other bikes appear stolen too.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 29/03/2014 18:51

LPP

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 29/03/2014 18:54

Sorry^

The other consideration is that the original owner of the bike may see you out and about on it, and you might end up with the police at your door.

At least if you go to the police now you might get your money back through PayPal.

And if the bike is really worth 3k and you got it for £200 it is defintely stolen, this is corroborated by the other details you have told us.