ARE YOU A VICTIM OF BIKE THEFT? DON’T DESPAIR. HERE ARE 10 THINGS YOU CAN DO NOW TO GET YOUR BIKE BACK!
File a police report as soon as possible
You can file a police report here. If you have the serial number of the bike…
List your bike as stolen
on BikeShepherd.org, the global bike registration and recovery…
on BikeShepherd.org, the global bike registration and recovery. It’s free to register, list a stolen bike and Stolen Bike Alerts will be sent out to the owner, followers on Facebook and Twitter, local authorities, bike clubs, and bike shops.
Contact your insurance company
Check to see if your bike was insured, your insurance company needs to be informed immediately …
Check to see if your bike was insured, your insurance company needs to be informed immediately. Give them all the details as you would the police.Check to see if your bike was insured, your insurance company needs to be informed immediately. Give them all the details as you would the police.
Kryptonite lock users
If you were using a specialist lock, such as a Kryptonite lock and your bike was stolen, …
If you were using a specialist lock, such as a Kryptonite lock and your bike was stolen, you may be eligible for the Kryptonite Anti-Theft Protection Offer. You will need to mail your notice of theft within 7 days to Kryptonite so don’t delay. For more information go to www.kryptonitelock.com and click on Customer Service.
Get alerts from eBay on bikes that match your bike
If you don’t already have one, sign up for an eBay account and create a saved search on …
If you don’t already have one, sign up for an eBay account and create a saved search on the make and model of the bike (example: Cannondale, Six) which will provide you with automatic daily emails for any new bikes posted that match your make/model (Cannondale, Six). That way you can keep an eye on eBay. If you see your bike on eBay, report this to the police.
Get alerts from Gumtree
Gumtree sells lots of bikes. Some are stolen. They have operations in the US, Australia, Canada …
Gumtree sells lots of bikes. Some are stolen. They have operations in the US, Australia, Canada and lots of other places. Wherever you are, set up an email alert for new listings of bikes being sold. Use the make and model to create a more select search. For instance, in the UK you can set up this alert: http://www.gumtree.com/cgi-bin/subscribe.pl?show=UK Or in Sydney it’s http://sydney.gumtree.com.au/
If you’ve seen your bike on Gumtree report it to the police immediately so they can contact Gumtree to retrieve seller information and trace the bike. Gumtree may even use your bike listing as a trap to catch the bike thief.
Use Craigslist auto-search tools
For users in the US, Craiglist has a number of auto-search tools – one in particular is a …
For users in the US, Craiglist has a number of auto-search tools – one in particular is a mobile alerts site, www.4info.com/browse/craigslist/. Sign up for an account and create a craigslist alert, listing the make/model of the bike you had stolen to be searched. When new items are posted in the For Sale > Bikes category, any matches to your bike will be sent to your phone. At this point you should contact the police and ask for their help in getting your bike back. If you can prove ownership they will be more receptive to helping you. Don’t accuse the seller of stealing your bike. He’ll just get rid of it.
In Canada: Try the online classified site Kijiji
In Singapore: Singapore Expats classifieds.singaporeexpats.com/ or Singapore Classified Online www.singaporeclassifiedonline.com
Alert your friends on Facebook and Twitter
Go to My Stolen Bike and find your stolen bike…
Go to My Stolen Bike and find your stolen bike details using the search, then click on the Twitter and Facebook icons. Your friends will automatically be alerted with all details of the bike and where it was stolen. Make sure you upload a picture.
Spread the word
Call on local bike shops with a picture and details of your bike. They are happy to help …
Call on local bike shops with a picture and details of your bike. They are happy to help. If you’re bike is unique, like a time-trial, single speed, tri-bike, cross bike or racing bike, list it with specific bike clubs websites and forums. A specialist tri-bike was found this way, after only 20 minutes of posting on a tri-athlete forum!