Advice needed - Bike seized

[simpso]

HI Everyone,

I was today making my usual commute into work when three guys came upto me and grabbed my bike.
They claimed it was there's and that i had stolen it.
Obviously i did not, i have had the bike from new for 18 months now.
They produced a picture of a bike which was the same make a colour as mine as well as a rusty cash converters receipt.
The police got involved and asked me to produce proof it was mine, e.g the serial number.
As i was on my way to work i didnt have any of this to hand, so the police took my bike away.
The police also confirmed the guy who was accusing me had had a bike stolen five months before.

Spoke to Halfords and as it was an online purchase and self build they dont keep any records of the serial number.
After coming home i cant find any details of the serial number but have found, the invoice, credit card statement and a dated picture of the bike when i got it linked to my facebook account.

The dates on all of these tally together.

What i want to know has anyone been through this before and will it be enough to prove the bike is mine.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Donger]

I can understand your concern, @simpso, and no, I don't have experience of that in particular .... but I would be most surprised if the evidence you have was not enough for the police. When they got involved, you were outnumbered by people claiming it was their bike and you were unable to prove evidence to the contrary. I think the shoe should very definitely be on the other foot now, with what paperwork you have. Don't worry about the serial number, just get yourself straight down to the police station and I'm sure you'll be OK.

 

[si_c]

Just to add to the above, with the evidence you have (receipts etc) should be more than sufficient. Although it is good practice to record your serial numbers (I just take a photo), as your insurance company would want this information if it were ever stolen, as would the police. With what you have, I would say the burden of proof lay on the other side, i.e. they need to prove that the serial number of your bike matches the one that was stolen, which as you have had it from new, they cannot do.

 

[ianrauk]

If you have the invoice/receipt then away you go.

 

[jonny jeez]

HI Everyone,

I was today making my usual commute into work when three guys came upto me and grabbed my bike.
They claimed it was there's and that i had stolen it.
Obviously i did not, i have had the bike from new for 18 months now.
They produced a picture of a bike which was the same make a colour as mine as well as a rusty cash converters receipt.
The police got involved and asked me to produce proof it was mine, e.g the serial number.
As i was on my way to work i didnt have any of this to hand, so the police took my bike away.
The police also confirmed the guy who was accusing me had had a bike stolen five months before.

Spoke to Halfords and as it was an online purchase and self build they dont keep any records of the serial number.
After coming home i cant find any details of the serial number but have found, the invoice, credit card statement and a dated picture of the bike when i got it linked to my facebook account.

The dates on all of these tally together.

What i want to know has anyone been through this before and will it be enough to prove the bike is mine.

Thanks in advance.

Blimey...not sure how I would react in that situation. Perhaps we should all carry proof of purchase as this sounds like a scam to me, can you let us know how you get on...sorry if that sounds selfish.

 

[Pale Rider]

Always post a 'my new bike' thread on CycleChat.

 

[Drago]

Its up to them prove its theirs, not you to prove its yours (although if you are able to indisputably prove its yours it cuts out a lot of crap.)

How did you pay for it? Will it show up on a bank statement or credit card bill? As you bought it online I would presume that would be quite straightforward, and you've got all your documentation squared away by the sounds of it.

I dont know the ins and outs of this particular case, but seizing a bike solely for being the same make and model as one stolen 5 months ago is hard to justify as reasonable. Stolen 5 minutes ago from just around the corner then maybe, but 5 months ago and a make and model sold nationally by the nations largest cycle retailer... I just can't see how that steps over the threshold from "coincidence" into "reasonable"...

In addition , by effectively detaining you with the bike matey and his chums may have acted unlawfully. I say "may" as I wasn't present so don't know how they went about it. A copper need only reasonable grounds to suspect you're guilty of an offence, but a member of the public has to "know" that you are the one, and clearly in this case they do not.

 

[classic33]

Have CashConverters been contacted yet. They keep records of all sales, including who brought it in.

How close to what you bought do the receipts from Halfords come to what was seized. I'd be contacting Halfords for proof of what they supplied in the order to you. This will be on record, for stock purposes at the least.

 

[JMAG]

This sounds completely bonkers to me. Let's say you have a Boardman Comp or whatever. Did these lunatics march up to the first person riding a Boardman Comp and claim it as theirs? Did they provide any proof of ownership with serial number recorded?

I don't doubt they had a similar bike stolen, but without a shred of proof that the bike wasn't yours I think the police are on shakey ground by seizing your bike. Your documents will be sufficient so I wouldn't worry about that, but I would complain about having your bike seized.

The only other thought I have is are you sure the police were real? I just can't believe they would have sufficient probable cause (or whatever) to seize a mass produced bike like this.

 

[classic33]

Fake police!
Who called them?

 

[JMAG]

I don't know, just thinking out loud really. Seems unlikely if they had a picture and a receipt, but scam artists can be quite devious. Bizarre whichever way you look at it IMO

 

[raleighnut]

They would need to prove the bike was theirs by giving the frame No. If the number they give does not match then it obviously isn't theirs but you may be on dodgy ground if you cannot prove it to be yours. Did the bike not come with a label with the serial No. on it, after all just because you purchased a bike of that model (and it is yours) may well not be sufficient proof for the bike to be returned to you sadly.
Better advice could be given by one of the serving officers on here like @CopperCyclist or @Drago to name a couple (and alert them)

 

[Pale Rider]

This sounds completely bonkers to me. Let's say you have a Boardman Comp or whatever. Did these lunatics march up to the first person riding a Boardman Comp and claim it as theirs? Did they provide any proof of ownership with serial number recorded?

I don't doubt they had a similar bike stolen, but without a shred of proof that the bike wasn't yours I think the police are on shakey ground by seizing your bike. Your documents will be sufficient so I wouldn't worry about that, but I would complain about having your bike seized.

The only other thought I have is are you sure the police were real? I just can't believe they would have sufficient probable cause (or whatever) to seize a mass produced bike like this.

I suppose the coppers can't win.

We all complain when they refuse to act when a stolen bike is being sold openly on ebay, but we also complain when they do seize an allegedly stolen bike.

 

[Gez73]

No help to you sorry and I am sure you will get it sorted. Just photographed my paperwork including the serial number, thankfully. Plenty of bike pictures on phone too from time of purchase. Sounds a little harsh but hopefully you will get it sorted. A lesson for us all I guess, however unlikely it seems. Hope you get it resolved. Gez

 

[CopperCyclist]

As most have said - don't worry about the serial number. Go in with your proof of purchase that you do have and that should be enough.

As for commenting on the decision made to seize your bike - as I want there I won't! However what I would like people to consider is the fact that clearly the police thought they were doing the right thing - there is no other possible reason they would have seized the bike!