I bought an item on eBay from a seller with 70 stars 100% feedback, paid for with PayPal.

The said item was a great price, the seller seems to be selling items way to cheap for what they are.

Its an electrical item which can be registered online if I do so this may indicate if its been stolen.

What happens if the item is stolen ? Am I covered as its an ebay buy ?

Worst case scenario am I going to be sent to Siberia for 10yrs hard labour ?

Interesting story.

Our next door neighbour while not necessarily a bad person, is potentially slightly dodgy. I suspect he’s carried out the odd small insurance fraud with a motorbike he claimed was stolen and more seriously, he’s been done for drink driving in the past.

It was still a surprise for my son to tell me that loads of police had been round looking for him on Sunday. It was even more surprising to be woken up by the police carrying out a full blown raid on his house at three in the morning, frog marching him to the police van and driving off with him.

A couple of days later he was back and he stopped to tell me it was a complete case of mistaken identity…he said. Apparently he bought a van off ebay which was stolen. Now call me cynical but the police don’t do three in the morning raids unless they think they’re after someone elusive or very dangerous. The whole story is slightly suspect but if it’s all true, *that’s* what happens when you buy stolen goods off ebay.

HTH.

@ Samuri…as I have children I’d want to know what sort of person I was living next to. Don’t suppose the police will tell u if you neighbor is a danger to you..

What happens if the item is stolen ?

AFAIK the police will return the item to it’s original owner. As long as you can prove you bought it in good faith (i.e have eBay receipt and didn’t just get it off a guy in the pub) then you will be OK. (Although bear in mind you have just started a forum thread where you admit you think the item might be stolen, and knowingly handling stolen property is of course an offence). You will not be compensated by the police though, and will have to take it up with whoever you bought it from.

As with any stolen goods, the item remains the property of the person from whom it was stolen.

I’m assuming from your post that this terrible thought has only just now occured to you as you realise that your purchase seems too good to be true. Pretty sure ebay would refund you if it was and the police would likely provide some kind of reference number. If it is someone may want it back so prob best to register and it and put your mind at rest.

Sounds very familiar Samurai.

its not arrived as yet !

having looked at completed listings the same model has sold for the same price a few times (different sellers etc)

I don’t consider someone who buys stolen goods on ebay or even commits insurance fraud to be a danger to me or my family.