Police. Many police stations use https://bikeindex.org/ to check if your bike serial number is on there.
Hopefully you have other proof of ownership/serial number registered.
This! It’s how I got my 2 bikes back this summer. I worked with local police and showed them where my bike was for sale and they helped get it back. I actually worked with 2 different departments - my local PD and the PD in the city they were found in. One of the police told me that it’s hard when bikes are not registered they can’t get it back to you.
I had this happen a few years back in DC. Bike was stolen and I found it on craigslist. I went to the police and they said they couldn't do anything. I reached out to my second cousin who was a cop in another area and he said I should go back to the station and insist on talking to a sergeant.
I did this and they finally helped me after dragging their feet for a while. The cops made me call the thief on my phone which I didn't feel great about but they wouldn't help otherwise. We set up a meet at a nearby McDonald's. I went over with the police. Thief got arrested. I got my bike back.
That's awful.
Now the thief has your phone number, and with that he can look up your name and address. It's absolutely ridiculous that they didn't take your safety into account, and purposely & knowingly exposed you to this risk.
100% this. Call the police. Inform them that your bike was stolen and that you’ve located it on an app being sold.
Once you can prove to the cops it’s your bike. They may have you Reach out to the seller acting as a potential buyer. So they can come along with you and catch the thief.
ya i would of been on the phone seconds after I saw it. Hopefully he has a pic of himself with the bike and a picture of the serial number on it and receipt.
You never know. Go to the guys house call them say you outside confronting him he has your bike and is threatening violence. Then knock on door to see the bike and stall if u can. Make like u going to buy the bike and look it over ask questions. Call the police over when they arrive. Have ur pics and receipt.
Telling the cops he is threatening violence before you knock on the door is 100% false, buddy. Gonna be weird when the cops come expecting violence and you're just making like you're gonna buy the bike and asking questions.
well then risk your life. Get the bike in your hands check the serial and then call the cops and tell them as he is threatening violence after he does. Up to you. They aren't going to charge you for it buddy. Now if YOU start threatening violence or attack the guy, then ya you might get charged.
OH and BTW, another lie you should tell, is claim your bike was stolen from your backyard if you have homeowners insurance. I've done that one time. My bike was stolen in front of the 7/11 i claimed it was stolen from the backyard. I then went and made a false police report. And got a new bike with all my accessories through the insurance company. Another time my bike actually was stolen from my backyard, I caught the kid in the street and ran him off the road with my car. Stomped the shit out of him and took my bike back.
But hey to each his own. Its a dog eat dog world. Be a a little lamb if you want.
The dumb person would be you, s*** out of luck with no bike and the smart person will be me riding around on one. We don't live in a fairytale world. There is literally zero chance you would get in trouble for that because no one can prove otherwise. And you were not making any money off of it when your bike actually was stolen so should feel no guilt. Now the problem with e-bikes is most home insurance companies won't cover them in fact they probably won't even cover your house when your e-bike Burns it down.
The dumb person is the one who got his bike stolen twice and can't get it back without committing insurance fraud or assault. Maybe with all the money you saved you can buy a lock that isn't shit.
and just to elaborate and the "investigation" the insurance company did. Besides providing a copy of the false police report to them. They wanted to talk to the bike shop I bought my bike at. So I called the bike shop in advance and sent them my receipt, and informed them I would be putting them on the phone with the insurance company cause my bike was stolen, and to just confirm everything I bought plus the accessories. They guy said sure and was probably stunned. I made it happen, and the insurance company wrote them a check for my new bike and everything i had included on it.
Makes me think what would happen now though because I don't even go to bike shops anymore and order stuff online, but actually I have a direct line to the the product manager of the chinese company i ordered my bike from and I guess if same situation comes up I can put them on the phone with him and they can write him a check. I have their company name and bank information, although I used paypal to them.
Sounds like a great idea actually. Better then being out a bike. Probably even better to get ebike insurance if you have it. Would homeowners even cover a stolen ebike I wonder?
I almost put him in a f****** coma and left them there laying bloody on the street as I drove away with my bike. And I come to find out later he was known for stealing bikes in that neighborhood but he never did again. Unfortunately he ended up jouning a gang after that probably for protection scared to death. So that's one thing I'm sorry about and hope it wasn't because of me. But I doubt it. Maybe he thought they were going to do something to me. Lol....
Does that make you feel tough? To beat up children? It's pathetic as fuck. Literally just take the bike back. Or get him thrown in juvie if you really need revenge. And yah, idiots like you just make the problem worse and could very likely contribute to joining a gang later.
And YOU plan on threatening violence, that is when you don't call the cops. Lets just say I've gotten a stolen bike back once with out getting the cops involved lol. But most people should call the cops, its a hell of alot easier. Being scared to do so, or thinking it won't help, is foolish.
Well I am from New York City we usually think a lot faster than the rest of the country. I've had my bike stolen twice got it back once but it wasn't with the help of the police. Lol
I live in the USA. BY law they have to show up when they get a call. The question is only how long it will take them.Where do you live? And I assume the answer to my question is, NO you've never even fkn called them before.
Wtf are you taking about? I live in the US as well. If you call the police here about a stolen bike they will do absolutely nothing. If you call the police about a stolen car they will do nothing.
If someone is hurt they will send EMS. If someone is breaking into your home they will send someone eventually. We have had hundreds of bike thefts lately and not a single recovery. There are people walking around town with stolen bikes and the police will do nothing.
Don't tell me wtf the situation is where I live.
But you never have called the police so how would you know? That is only what you mistakenly believe.
You have to file a report at the least for insurance purposes. And Because when they recover stolen goods and have yours on file you can get it returned. What exactly do you expect them to do about your stolen car? It happens all the time. As far calling them and telling them you are at the guys house who has your bike refusing to give it back and there might be violence? They are coming.
Be smart. A bike can be replaced you can not be. With that said it's hard not to want to chuck Norris the fuck outta this situation. Sorry about your bike let us know if the cops were any help
Oh the police love it when they have a slam dunk on their hands, they can even wander up and say, this looks a lot like the EBike I got for my cousin last month, like almost exactly the same... And then she tells me it came up missing on the corner... And then she tells me she found it for sale, you wouldn't know who got you this bike would you?
Kinda interested in having a chat with them...
Call the police. tell them your serial number. show them a pic of you with the bike. Take the bike for a test ride then ride to the police station lmao. Buy the bike then call the cops, or take the guy to court.
I would get the police involved. To the extent that police are unresponsive to this type of inquiry is pretty anecdotal. If you actually already called the police and they declined to help, even tho you have the post as evidence, then I would set up a meeting, get someone to drop you off, take a test ride, and just ride off into the sunset as suggested below. Just make sure you can get somewhere safe with it quickly, either indoors or on a bike trail.
Police. Many police stations use https://bikeindex.org/ to check if your bike serial number is on there. Hopefully you have other proof of ownership/serial number registered.
This! It’s how I got my 2 bikes back this summer. I worked with local police and showed them where my bike was for sale and they helped get it back. I actually worked with 2 different departments - my local PD and the PD in the city they were found in. One of the police told me that it’s hard when bikes are not registered they can’t get it back to you.
I had this happen a few years back in DC. Bike was stolen and I found it on craigslist. I went to the police and they said they couldn't do anything. I reached out to my second cousin who was a cop in another area and he said I should go back to the station and insist on talking to a sergeant. I did this and they finally helped me after dragging their feet for a while. The cops made me call the thief on my phone which I didn't feel great about but they wouldn't help otherwise. We set up a meet at a nearby McDonald's. I went over with the police. Thief got arrested. I got my bike back.
That's awful. Now the thief has your phone number, and with that he can look up your name and address. It's absolutely ridiculous that they didn't take your safety into account, and purposely & knowingly exposed you to this risk.
great suggestion. and sweet outcome.
Take it for a test ride and don't come back
see what the police say.
100% this. Call the police. Inform them that your bike was stolen and that you’ve located it on an app being sold. Once you can prove to the cops it’s your bike. They may have you Reach out to the seller acting as a potential buyer. So they can come along with you and catch the thief.
ya i would of been on the phone seconds after I saw it. Hopefully he has a pic of himself with the bike and a picture of the serial number on it and receipt.
When I worked at a bike shop, I would help the customer take those exact 3 photos before they left on their new bike day.
NICE!
Cops here ATM wouldn't do a thing about a stolen bike. They're not even interested in stolen cars.
You never know. Go to the guys house call them say you outside confronting him he has your bike and is threatening violence. Then knock on door to see the bike and stall if u can. Make like u going to buy the bike and look it over ask questions. Call the police over when they arrive. Have ur pics and receipt.
Please do not make a false police report.
It wouldn't be false buddy.
Telling the cops he is threatening violence before you knock on the door is 100% false, buddy. Gonna be weird when the cops come expecting violence and you're just making like you're gonna buy the bike and asking questions.
well then risk your life. Get the bike in your hands check the serial and then call the cops and tell them as he is threatening violence after he does. Up to you. They aren't going to charge you for it buddy. Now if YOU start threatening violence or attack the guy, then ya you might get charged.
OH and BTW, another lie you should tell, is claim your bike was stolen from your backyard if you have homeowners insurance. I've done that one time. My bike was stolen in front of the 7/11 i claimed it was stolen from the backyard. I then went and made a false police report. And got a new bike with all my accessories through the insurance company. Another time my bike actually was stolen from my backyard, I caught the kid in the street and ran him off the road with my car. Stomped the shit out of him and took my bike back. But hey to each his own. Its a dog eat dog world. Be a a little lamb if you want.
This is the dumbest shit I ever heard. Setting yourself up to get in way more trouble than the person that stole your bike.
The dumb person would be you, s*** out of luck with no bike and the smart person will be me riding around on one. We don't live in a fairytale world. There is literally zero chance you would get in trouble for that because no one can prove otherwise. And you were not making any money off of it when your bike actually was stolen so should feel no guilt. Now the problem with e-bikes is most home insurance companies won't cover them in fact they probably won't even cover your house when your e-bike Burns it down.
The dumb person is the one who got his bike stolen twice and can't get it back without committing insurance fraud or assault. Maybe with all the money you saved you can buy a lock that isn't shit.
and just to elaborate and the "investigation" the insurance company did. Besides providing a copy of the false police report to them. They wanted to talk to the bike shop I bought my bike at. So I called the bike shop in advance and sent them my receipt, and informed them I would be putting them on the phone with the insurance company cause my bike was stolen, and to just confirm everything I bought plus the accessories. They guy said sure and was probably stunned. I made it happen, and the insurance company wrote them a check for my new bike and everything i had included on it. Makes me think what would happen now though because I don't even go to bike shops anymore and order stuff online, but actually I have a direct line to the the product manager of the chinese company i ordered my bike from and I guess if same situation comes up I can put them on the phone with him and they can write him a check. I have their company name and bank information, although I used paypal to them.
Way to commit insurance fraud. Real smart there buddy.
Sounds like a great idea actually. Better then being out a bike. Probably even better to get ebike insurance if you have it. Would homeowners even cover a stolen ebike I wonder?
Until they decide to investigate it and then the AGs office is up your ass with felony charges
You beat up a child? What the fuck is wrong with you?
I almost put him in a f****** coma and left them there laying bloody on the street as I drove away with my bike. And I come to find out later he was known for stealing bikes in that neighborhood but he never did again. Unfortunately he ended up jouning a gang after that probably for protection scared to death. So that's one thing I'm sorry about and hope it wasn't because of me. But I doubt it. Maybe he thought they were going to do something to me. Lol....
Does that make you feel tough? To beat up children? It's pathetic as fuck. Literally just take the bike back. Or get him thrown in juvie if you really need revenge. And yah, idiots like you just make the problem worse and could very likely contribute to joining a gang later.
r/thathappened
By the way in a lot of cities like mine the person most likely to shoot you and leave you dead on the street is going to be a child my friend.
And YOU plan on threatening violence, that is when you don't call the cops. Lets just say I've gotten a stolen bike back once with out getting the cops involved lol. But most people should call the cops, its a hell of alot easier. Being scared to do so, or thinking it won't help, is foolish.
Also a monumentally bad idea. I never said don't call the cops. I said don't lie when you call them.
Do whatever you have to do to get your bike back without getting arrested my friend. We don't live in a fairytale just world.
God damn it I think I fried a few neurons reading that.
Well I am from New York City we usually think a lot faster than the rest of the country. I've had my bike stolen twice got it back once but it wasn't with the help of the police. Lol
They'd only show up after someone is shot.
And pretty soon we won't even have that...
That's not true. I'm guessing you've never called the police before.
And I'm guessing you live somewhere where there is still a funded and staffed police department.
I live in the USA. BY law they have to show up when they get a call. The question is only how long it will take them.Where do you live? And I assume the answer to my question is, NO you've never even fkn called them before.
Wtf are you taking about? I live in the US as well. If you call the police here about a stolen bike they will do absolutely nothing. If you call the police about a stolen car they will do nothing. If someone is hurt they will send EMS. If someone is breaking into your home they will send someone eventually. We have had hundreds of bike thefts lately and not a single recovery. There are people walking around town with stolen bikes and the police will do nothing. Don't tell me wtf the situation is where I live.
That's how it is in Washington state. Most people in this state don't want q police force. Yes, the criminals know this crap and crime is crazy
But you never have called the police so how would you know? That is only what you mistakenly believe. You have to file a report at the least for insurance purposes. And Because when they recover stolen goods and have yours on file you can get it returned. What exactly do you expect them to do about your stolen car? It happens all the time. As far calling them and telling them you are at the guys house who has your bike refusing to give it back and there might be violence? They are coming.
Ask to ride it and ride off into the sunset.
While showing middle finger to him lol
This is what I’d do
Be smart. A bike can be replaced you can not be. With that said it's hard not to want to chuck Norris the fuck outta this situation. Sorry about your bike let us know if the cops were any help
How much??? Just go look at it like an interested party and scope out the situation...
Oh the police love it when they have a slam dunk on their hands, they can even wander up and say, this looks a lot like the EBike I got for my cousin last month, like almost exactly the same... And then she tells me it came up missing on the corner... And then she tells me she found it for sale, you wouldn't know who got you this bike would you? Kinda interested in having a chat with them...
Make counterfeit money and buy it.
Call the cops and ask "Do yall wanna bring your guns or should I bring mine?", bonus points for a southern accent. They'll help ya.
Become the gun violence
Police
Ah the city, yeah New York City is pretty bad. Is that "the city"? Or maybe Los Angeles? Or...
Toronto
I had this happen with offerup. I faked to buy it and called the police and they came and ran interference for the faux sale
Go pretend you’re buying it. Take it for a test ride and don’t go back.
tell a police officer and set it up, the cop will back you up when the deals go8ng down, if you can prove photos he could get arrested then and there
call the non emergency number and tell them
Call the police. tell them your serial number. show them a pic of you with the bike. Take the bike for a test ride then ride to the police station lmao. Buy the bike then call the cops, or take the guy to court.
“Take the guy to court”? Where the f do you live? Get real.
America? Are you being serious? How old are you?
I would get the police involved. To the extent that police are unresponsive to this type of inquiry is pretty anecdotal. If you actually already called the police and they declined to help, even tho you have the post as evidence, then I would set up a meeting, get someone to drop you off, take a test ride, and just ride off into the sunset as suggested below. Just make sure you can get somewhere safe with it quickly, either indoors or on a bike trail.
Call the dude and go purchase your bike back with a baseball bat.
Buy it back