Petition: make serial numbers mandatory in Ebay listings

We all know how many dodgy bikes turn up on Ebay. This would make it extra-easy for theft victims and the police to check auctions, and might encourage more people to record their serial numbers too.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ebay-uk-help-us-tackle-bicycle-theft-make-frame-numbers-mandatory-on-listings

I blogged about the issues with Ebay a while back; this won’t solve the problem of bike theft overnight but it’s a step in the right direction. At present, stolen property fences have a huge low-risk marketplace at their disposal which even goes out of their way to make them look respectable. It’s time something was done.

What’s to stop someone just making up a serial number?

Petition signed.

I would go one step further and say all listing should have a photo of the serial number – and any bikes with no serial number / photo can’t be listed at all.

Ebay is a complete joke for the volume of stolen property being sold and are in some ways abetted by the police who don’t see it as a priority and effectively give a “green light” for people to sell stolen goods with little or no change of any consequences.

What’s to stop someone just making up a serial number?

In the listing? Nothing. Be pretty obvious once you’d taken receipt of the bike though, so as long as the serial number rule was tied very tightly into paypal disputes. i.e money returned without question if the serial number is not as stated then it could be a good thing.

Can’t see that it can have any detrimental affect on genuine sales, so why not.

Distributors, shops, manufacturers and forum geeks would be able to check serial numbers and see if they were legit.

It would also enable people to establish ownership more easily, in cases where bikes had been bought in dubious but not screamingly dodgy circumstances.

EDIT: and as the man above says, if you took delivery of the bike and the serial number didn’t match, you’d know you had something dodgy.

How many folk here actually have documented the serial number of anything…

Sounds like a good idea to me. Anything that can help prevent bike theft is a good thing. Signed 🙂

abetted by the police who don’t see it as a priority and effectively give a “green light” for people to sell stolen goods with little or no change of any consequences.

The police do have teams which work on eBay but there are apparently a couple of problems: getting Ebay to give up the seller’s details when a fishy auction is spotted (which might be easier if there was an indisputable link to an existing theft report) and matching with stolen property (which would again be easier if they could just do this via a number, rather than having to deal with the multiple ways a bike can be described, spelling errors, etc.)

It might also encourage people to keep a note of the numbers. I run a blog which people can use to report bike theft (linked above) and I’d guesstimate that only 1 in 10 theft victims have a serial number.

Excellent idea which would also help raise awareness generally of the importance of serial numbers.

Have signed and will share.

the importance of serial numbers

Damn straight.

One of the LVIS guys just got his bike back because he had a note of the serial number.

If you’ve got a stock bike from a major manufacturer like Boardman or Spesh, if it gets nicked and you’ve not taken a note of the serial, you’re not going to get it back.

Good idea. Signed and sent link to friends.

signed

signed

Surely this would just lead to more bike thieves stripping the bike for parts and selling those on ebay instead – much harder to identify a stolen rear mech than if the morons try to sell the bike as a whole.

qtip – it would make life a lot harder for the toerags though

and make nicking bikes with expensive frames much less profitable

It’s already unwise to assume that thieves will try and sell the bike as a whole – apparently parts changing and breaking up bikes is increasing dramatically. It’s more effort and the frame is usually the highest value component. It would be even better if this was for suspension forks too.

And yes there would still be other auction or classifieds sites, but few of them have the reach or veneer of respectability that eBay has.

Wouldn’t it just give those so inclined a source of legit numbers to teap on to dodgy gear? LIke cloning a reg number on a car.

Yes. Its dumb to publish your s/n on a public website, and on that basis I’m oot. Not signed.

It’d be a lot of effort for less reward than cloning a VIN.

signed, 16 more needed, Tweeted too.

Great idea, all for it (especially the photo of serial num also)

Signed 🙂

Signed, good idea

While I can see where you’re coming from, you are effectively saying I am not allowed to sell my Chinese frame or my Cargo bike on ebay because they don’t have frame numbers!
While a good idea for some, its a stupid idea for others.

Just get a set of letter punches and punch whatever you like on there.

It’s not exactly a major problem, is it? I’m sure sellers of kit cars, etc, have their own hoops to jump through.

Done

Well, fast forward a few days and they’re up to nearly 3,500 signatures. Not bad going.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ebay-uk-ebay-uk-help-stopbiketheft-make-frame-numbers-mandatory-on-listings

My old Carrera doesn’t have a serial number- it did once upon a time but rust and repaints have put paid to that. Some frames never had one in the first place. Bad idea IMO.

I can’t see why people are objecting

If it has no frame number then fine list it as no frame number. But the buyer will have right of return if it turns out it does have a frame number

Why would you not want the frame number on ebay? particulalry as you are selling the bike

2 sugestions

Shouldn’t his be a uk goverment pertition

shouldn’t it cover any consumer item with a serial number. I’m thinking cameras and lense etc. Not only better theft protection but more people to lobby in favour

(Actually the serial number doesn’t need to be public. If its entered then it could just be compared to a list of stolen items. The number only needs to be seen by the winner)

But I’d rather have the number in the auction

signed.

Signed.

ampthill – Member

I can’t see why people are objecting

If it has no frame number then fine list it as no frame number. But the buyer will have right of return if it turns out it does have a frame number

It doesn’t mention that anywhere- they want frame numbers to be mandatory. It’s not a terrible idea but it needs work.

My Cotic Soul had its frame number obscured by overspayed paint

Neither the shop or Cotic kept any records of frame numbers either to help me guess what it might have been

eBay serial numbers a good idea but as the above shows meaningless if manufacturers don’t always put the number on in a legible manner

Having just had my pride and joy stolen I totally agree, I know all the components will have been stripped but if they are unable to sell the frame it makes the risk of stealing the bike less appealing. To get my bike they had to go through a neighbours yard, crowbar three padlocks off a shed and then break a shelving unit to get the locked bike. would you do this if you couldn’t then sell the frame?

And yes I do have the serial number and it is with the police, unfortunately the case was closed within two and a half hours due to lack of evidence. A Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC50 2008 in a rare olive grey colourway, incase anyone sees one on ebay, oh and it has a scratch on the left side of the downtube.

How many folk here actually have documented the serial number of anything…

It’s on the warranty registration forms I’ve completed online.

In theory not a bad idea. But I’ve seen things from the other side with 2nd hand guitars and fraudulent insurance claims. Serial number is posted up with photos, any rogue can then claim that it was stolen and here’s the photo of the serial number to prove it Mr Poluceman / Insurance-man. You’re then having to prove you’re the rightful owner and not the toe rag who is on the fiddle.

The only downside is that the serial number is private to you. So if a bike turned up on Ebay that you thought was yours you could use that private knowledge to prove it.

If sellers list the number and you don’t have it in some pre recorded data it would be useless?

Not a bad idea as such but as said it needs work

Out of my 4 bikes, only 1 has a usable serial number – a Trek
2 carbon road frames don’t have them and a Titus has an illegible one

Anything to catch bike thief or prevent them stealing bikes, im all IN…. But this one im afraid gonna open up a can of worms.. I mean, how many bikers catch the thief simply because the thieves are stupid enough to post/advertised their stolen bikes online as a whole?… And how many catch a thief because they spotted a part of their stolen bike adverstised online? I think anyone can do the math .. .. The thieves just gonna break our bike and will sell it as spare parts which is a hundred times more difficult for us or the police who monitor this thing. ..

Anything that can help prevent bike theft is a good thing

Its not though is it? Its just closing down a route the scum might use to shift them and theres always other means – classifieds such as on here, gumtree etc.

And what about genuine people like some have mentioned who have frames with no/unreadable serial numbers? What do we do? My old frame was re-powdercoated twice in my ownership and the serial number wasn’t readable when I got it new.

And where do you stop? Serial numbers on all electronic equipment as well?

Hearts in the right place but getting people to secure their bikes properly in the first place might be a better place to focus your efforts instead of getting people to note the serial numbers of their bikes down only to get them nicked from a £100 garden shed the following night.

Oh so bike theft is the fault of the people who own the bikes not securing them properly!!!

Well thats helpful

Yes I think serial numbers off electronic goods is a good idea