My electric brompton stolen :(

C

cwah

100 MW
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
4,256
Location
Between paris and london
Hey guys,

I just had my brompton stolen tonight... I never thought it would happen... I actually never thought it would happen this way...

The story:
There was a guy who had an electric bike battery who contacted me to help him find a new charger for his bike. So I helped him for that and managed to get him a new one and changed the connector.

When he saw my bike, he was really excited, and wanted to try it. He told me he loved it so much that he wanted a similar bike too.


We discussed for months... he was for me a friend. We were talking a lot about ebike, and he wanted me to help him make one.

He also asked me to help him repair a bike from one of his friend, the bosch sinus B3:
2013-12-29%2016.04.15.jpg


Because I'm going back to london in a few days, I decided to give him back the bike tonight and he would just pay me back the cost of the battery and the seat.

Meanwhile he asked me if he can test my Brompton:
2013-10-28%2020.08.28.jpg


So I took it and let him play along... he was so happy about it and gave me so many compliments...

Then he asked me to show him my Kona stinky and a bottle of water. I went to my flat, took the bike, and he disappeared.

His mobile is not working anymore....


I'm so shocked I can't even think properly, how can something like this happen in Paris??? We live in a developed country and people can't make living out of "(dis)trust"??? I've been stolen because I trusted someone?? how could that BE POSSIBLE??? How can someone PLAN FOR MONTHS for such petty thing?

If you ever see one of these 2 bikes, they are both STOLEN. And the brompton is so bespoke he's not going to sell it at good price.
 
Cwah sorry to hear that. It will take time to get over it. Please don't get to dark. I have two bikes stolen and know how it fills. I drank for two days both times all it did is make me sick. So don't take out on yourself. Bless you you were doing a good thing. People can be evil.
 
That really sucks. I often say, if you get your house burglarized, look real hard at friends and neighbors. They are the ones that have been in your house before, and know what you have.

It can be a tough deal, to realize the thief was your "friend". What to do? You have to sort them out, it usually takes little time to smell a rat. Shed any friends who would take from anybody else. They will take from you too, obviously.

But once in a while a smooth one still gets you. This guy was smooth. I bet he never showed you his true dishonest nature. Just try not to let it be for something big. For this reason, I had a 40 year policy to never lend a tool I wouldn't just give to the person. Same thing for a money loan. NEVER lend something you really need. Give when you feel like it, but don't loan.

It's harsh, basically you never even trust your best friends that much. But it works. Let em have little stuff, give away what you can afford to but don't lend cars, expensive tools, etc. Make em actually break into your place to get that stuff. You don't have to turn into scrooge, but just don't set your self up to be a sucker anymore.

Such a downer, I really empathize. I hope you can drown your sorrow in that Kona.
 
It is tough enough to have your bikes stolen, but what makes it worse it was someone you trusted. I hope you get your bikes back.
 
I really hope that guy gets hit by car on that thing.

This is the type of story that makes me lose faith in humanity. I really want to believe that this arsehole is just an anomaly and there aren't others like him out there. This wasn't a theft, but more like a con. He feigned friendship for a long period with real bad intentions.

Also makes me feel that if someone can get to know a person and then steal from them after trust has been built, you can't trust anyone too far.
 
aaaah... police in Paris is pointless. They told me they don't have enough people and there is very little chance for me to find back the bike. Best thing would be to have an insurance, because they at least refund people from robbery.....

Worse part of that is that it's absolutely possible to trace them via IP from the site (Leboncoin) if police wanted to... but no, not enough resources
 
I've always considered gps tracker, but they all look quite expensive. Something like 150GBP for first payment then 5GBP/month subscription.

And even with GPS tracker, I'm not convinced police would bother trying to catch them.
 
Yup, you'd have to track him down, and take action yourself. Like steal it back most likely, unless you bring some tough buddies or a cop that is simpatico.

Where you are, gps tracker on the new bike would be a good idea. Along with the advice I gave above. That theft was a pure con. VERY hard to not get taken by a real con man. Smooth bastards.

Far more common, is the obvious thief, who unlatches a window while taking a piss. I got taken once that way by a very old friend who asked me to go buy him some beer. ( he was still under 21) I knew I couldn't trust him, but thought if I took him with me it was ok. When I got home, about $2000 worth of herb was missing from the greenhouse. ($20,000 in todays prices) Never saw that f--ker again, till almost 20 years later. Even then, I really wanted to beat his ass to a bloody rag. But I decided to let it go and made peace with him. Things are tough all over, everybody was broke in the late 70's. He was clearly in bad health by the 90's, and died a few years later.

BTW, after that, the greenhouse never got left unguarded much, and we learned to harvest sooner. It paid my way through college.
 
Worse part of that is that it's absolutely possible to trace them via IP from the site (Leboncoin)
Click to expand...

Can you get a court order? Sometimes you have to force them to do the right thing. At least then you may get a name and address. The local police seem to be part of the problem in this grand theft. I am sure you will find this guy. Just a matter of time.
 
French administration is so slow and painful that it will take weeks or months to get that assigned, with low chance of success. Not sure I want to take that road. :(
 
Send One text and dont reply. That you will go get the bike with the police the next day or something and its nice that tracker record he have build on your bike. He will be crazy and stressed. How does he know you don't have a gps? Good thing its holiday theyll(police) go get it next thing tomorrow? Hehe :) he might do something stupied? Do you think Im stupied not to secure my bike that it CANT be found if stolen?

Hey name
Last chance. Police will come with me to get my bike next thing tomorrow. Do you think I am stupied not to secure my bike that it can't be found if stolen?



Trackers is cheap get a 1€ per month or something and also tracker 20€. I have one incoming, going to set it up etc... Think it will work. I send an sms and it gives me its cordinateds plus google link in sms back...

Good luck. My brother lost his new bike i tried to search the neigbourhood but hey the thief might live just so far away its not close so no real chance of finding it but by cheer luck.
 
What about that guys personality
Psycho hiding himself being? A trained charismatic little lier?

Job, income, clothing habits, other habits? Shoe style...


There was a guy in us, videofilmed that caught the thief of his bike eventually. Sometimes you'll find your bike sometimes not.
In most crimes 80% do know the theif or alike since its so much one must understand risks.

But they seem to be normal in the looks from outside so its hard to find thieves... Yeah... Very hard. They can steal one day every week in the same neighbourhood and nothing happends. Why dont we get some videocameras everywhere big brother style. Hehehe.... Ohh it would upset the thieves...
 
cwah said:
French administration is so slow and painful that it will take weeks or months to get that assigned, with low chance of success. Not sure I want to take that road. :(
Click to expand...

Go to all the bike shops and offer rewards for information leading to recovery. Most likely the police already know this person. You give up, he wins. Make is a new hobby finding him. Trace back to how he originally found / contacted you. He will do the same again to someone new. You may want to set up friends as decoy. Theives are normally not as smart as they think they are. Police will come around if there may be some good press for them if they help a bit. May have to go to the brass to get the attension it needs.

Took a few years of push to help with cell phone thefts here, but it is a serious system that has been developed to combat this in use now. Don't give up. Best wishes.
 
Really sorry to hear this! I sympathise with ya. My Converted Dahon Jetstream P8 was stolen 3 months ago :( Am just starting to look at replacing it now.... Bas**rds!

(Was also looking into GPS tracker the week mine was stole - Definitely getting one for next bike). There are quite a few specific bike GPS trackers available now. Have been told cat GPS locaters work too...

Anyway... Wish you the best of luck in the hunt!
 
Holy shit. I really hope that guy hurts himself on your bikes.

Check your local classifieds, and if you find him online just play along as a different person to get him to meet you (along with police).
 
sorry to hear this - "I'm so shocked I can't even think properly" i know this feeling... this is how i felt when my bike was stolen....- last year my yuba cargo bike was stolen mid bridge infront of cameras- after i chained it there (wento get a spare tire) i suspect the bridge commision thought i abandoned it
cut the chain and tossed it off the bridge where someone on the street stole it.... this all happened infront of cameras,,, when i called the cops to investigate they gave the cops video footage from a camera sitting 20km from the bridge ...the cops told me to hire a lawyer and that they cant do more to get better video... i remember the shock after getting back to the bridge and the bike was missing,,, and having the bridge commision officer drive me to the spot where it was left and it not being there(after the bike wasnt there he shut his mouth real good )..than i went back into the bridge office and they refused to let me see any footage and told me to call the cops and blamed me for leaving it there..than they changed the story saying some guy stole it off the bridge....lesson learned- trust no one and never leave ebikes out of sight if they have a good value ,,, even ebikes -ca had a cargo bike stolen ifront of their store... its crazy, it kindof makes the gps tracker idea worthwhile
 
My Dahon was stolen from work along with 10 other bikes by a gang.... from a "secure" area in work. Got them on CCTV lifting it over a 12 foot gate.... I have been told by 3 different sources where the bike is, but the police won't go these.... supposedly it's a 'no go' area in Dublin where settled travellers live... I was told to forget about the bike by the police... sigh

Came across this device... no monthly fee.... http://back2me.com/index.cfm?action=product&pid=14
 
what is GPS tracker good for if the police or yourself do not want to confront thieves?
what do you mean no go area?
what is police for?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

DogDipstick
    • Cheers
    • Like
Rest in Peace, Richard Gumfaw, AKA De-Bodgery.
Replies
7
Views
2,087
Chalo
Chalo
iampaulpease1
I have no idea which headset I need.NEW PHOTOS
Replies
15
Views
567
docw009
docw009
J
Inherited A2B metro
Replies
7
Views
320
d8veh
D
Nehmo
Bad Blinking
Replies
5
Views
619
Guerney
Guerney
S
  • Question
2017 Zero DS controller upgrade/replacement trouble - any ideas?
Replies
1
Views
518
E-HP
E-HP
Back
Top