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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU To Take Back Something That's Been Stolen From Us

70 replies

whatsbehindthegreendoor · 03/06/2015 17:22

Basically, my 20-year-old son's bike was stolen in March - we ended up buying him a new one as he cycles 7 miles each way to work every day and he needed it. The bike had new tyres and, because he had recently had a fall, there was masking take on the handle bars because some of the fabric had come loose.
Anyway, this morning my husband was catching the bus and the very same bike has been locked up at the bus stop which is very near our home. The bike was stolen in the centre of town which is 3 miles from here.
It would be the very biggest of coincidences if the bike was not his, the tyres being different to the original ones because we had replaced them and also the fact that the masking tape is still on there.
We didn't report the bike stolen because, to be honest, where we live, bikes are stolen all the time, it didn't seem as if there was much point.
My husband wants to go and break the lock and get the bike if it is still there when he gets home from work.
I'm worried, that even though we have a receipt for the bike, we'd be doing wrong.
So, I'm opening this up to you good people. Would it be unreasonable to take back what is ours?

OP posts:
bluedecember · 03/06/2015 17:47

There's no way I wouldn't take it back.

Original poster
whatsbehindthegreendoor · 03/06/2015 17:47

That's what I've just said to him Violet - I would rather he called the police - at least he can wait with the bike then - I've got a feeling we may have taken a picture of the bike after my son's accident in February, but I can't be sure - I'll check when my husband gets home

OP posts:
MirandaGoshawk · 03/06/2015 17:47

Noooo don't give up! I think you should defo involve the police. Keep us posted!

diddl · 03/06/2015 17:47

My son's bike was stolen & as luck would have it my husband spotted it a couple of hours later just a few metres from where son had left it.

It was chained to a post, presumably for someone to come by with a van & collect it.

Husband stayed with it & I took him something to cut the chain with & son rode it home.

Never occurred to us not to.

Bilberry · 03/06/2015 17:48

If it is stolen then a new owner can't have bought it legitimately, they might have thought they had but they didn't.

I would take a photo of any other bikes you have in case they get stolen too as that would help prove ownership of them. Phone the police about this one. A receipt and statements from you will go a long way to proving ownership. In future report all thefts even if the police do nothing more than give you a crime number.

mileend2bermondsey · 03/06/2015 17:51

Mileend - We do have a receipt from Amazon, but, you know, it was over a year ago we bought the bike - so, basically, we should just accept that somebody's riding around on it, parking it near our home, and that because we don't have a receipt, they should just be allowed to have it?

Err what? I already said I would steal it back. What I was saying in my last post was that there is no point going to the police like other posters have suggested if you dont have any proof that its yours?

Original poster
whatsbehindthegreendoor · 03/06/2015 17:51

Not giving up, just going to wait until husband gets home to get him to call the police first. Even if the bike has now been removed, the chances are they'll be parking it there again tomorrow morning - my guess is they left it there to get a bus into town. I'l let you all know what happens later or tomorrow - thanks for all of your input - it is appreciated! Sometimes, it's good to get another viewpoint on something :)

OP posts:
abigamarone · 03/06/2015 17:54

If you bought it on amazon you'll still have a record of purchase on your account.

Original poster
whatsbehindthegreendoor · 03/06/2015 17:57

Sorry, Mileend, my computer is lagging seriously today! we have an amazon receipt, so I'm going to dig that out and at least it's something, I've told my husband to call the police when he gets home anyway, because even if it's gone tonight, it'd be good to know what to do tomorrow if it turns up again.

OP posts:
MissMooMoo · 03/06/2015 18:01

op why don't you call the police?
I think whoever rode the bike and locked it up probably has gotten a bus to wherever, likely they will do the same again tomorrow morning.

Starlingsintheslipstream · 03/06/2015 18:13

This happened to my brother. His was stolen from his back garden (he hadn't locked it up Hmm) and he spotted it outside the uni where he works. Again was a very distinctive (and expensive) bike. He put a second lock on it and waited to confront the person who returned. It was a teen who tried to blag it saying he'd bought it so db said he'd call the police and let them decide. The kid got all abusive but basically backed down. It had been stripped of a few new parts but he was happy to get it back. He locks it up now Grin.

WaywardOn3 · 03/06/2015 18:13

Report it as stolen provide pics ect get an incident/crime number.

Then a month later when the police phone you to ask if you've found it yet you can say yes and tell them exactly where it is.

A few weeks later they'll ring you again to ask if you've retrieved it yet. We had to fetch out own quad from the lad who stole it :-/

After all that hassle we learned just to report the theft get the incident numbers and if we know where it is go fetch it as the police will do F all.

Or you can wait for them to fetch it. you might get a call or see an advertisement 3 years later stating that the police have had a massive haul of stolen bikes (or horse riding gear as was our case) and some of it may be yours.

AlternativeTentacles · 03/06/2015 18:14

Why can't you call the police? Ooh - Do you have one of those new fangled phones that need a penis to dial out?

Sconejamcream · 03/06/2015 18:18

What phone needs a penis to dial out Alternative Tentacles???!! N

AlternativeTentacles · 03/06/2015 18:19

Ones that need husbands to come home and use, obviously!

Sconejamcream · 03/06/2015 18:19

Now I am picturing men in suits walking round the city holding their phones to their crutches??

And j think the OP should get the bike back!

AlternativeTentacles · 03/06/2015 18:20

That would work Wink

Original poster
whatsbehindthegreendoor · 03/06/2015 18:20

AlternativeTentacles - there's no need to be rude, I was simply going to let my husband phone them because he's seen where the bike is and he's better at dealing with this kind of situation that I am. I get flustered very easily and that's no fun for anybody, believe me.
Also, our home phone is so flaky, it'll probably die while I was on it - he can use his minutes on his mobile.

OP posts:
londonrach · 03/06/2015 18:22

Call the police as I bet owner bought it via gumtree fb. Let police deal with it.if no lock and 100% sure yours id take it back but with the lock id let police deal with it x

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 03/06/2015 18:23

Just take it back. It's yours after all.

AuntOlive · 03/06/2015 18:24

NO the law would support you if you have proof it is yours!

Orange6358 · 03/06/2015 18:25

Have you an old photo of the bike with your son which would act as evidence?

Orange6358 · 03/06/2015 18:26

Go get it!

PickledOnionSoup · 03/06/2015 18:32

I agree with the posters who said it's best to report to the Police as the person who currently has it may have legitimately bought it (so they think). I feel your pain OP, my son's £80 scooter was stolen and then weeks later the thief offered to sell it back to my mum, not realising that she was DS's Grandma!!

Original poster
whatsbehindthegreendoor · 03/06/2015 18:37

Well, husband just checked and it's not at the bus stop anymore. He doesn't start work until 10am tomorrow, so he's going to go down to the bus stop at 8 and see if he can catch the person there. If they've bought it on Gumtree, they're just going to have to talk to the police with my husband there and explain that - there are several ways we can prove that it is my son's, the lights were fitted in place with a cable tie (to be extra certain they stayed on), the pedals were replaced with Halfords ones after his accident and the masking tape, to name but a few. I've found the Amazon receipt, so hopefully, that'll help to.
If the bike isn't there, we're going to phone and report the theft anyway, just to get a crime number.
PickledOnionSoup - I bet your mum was furious when the thief tried to sell the scooter to her - I hope she gave him what for?! If there's one thing that annoys me it's people thinking that they have some right to just take what they want for their own benefit when they haven't paid for it!

OP posts: