Sting operation sees stolen electric bike returned to owner

[Tim]

December 10, 2009. Staff at 50cycles.com, a national electric bike retailer based in Loughborough, had a customer service dream come true when they were able to find and return a stolen electric bike to its rightful owner.

The story began several weeks ago when a customer in St Albans, Herts reported that his bike, a Kalkhoff Agattu supplied by 50cycles, had been stolen. “We went into bike recovery mode there and then”, says Lloyd Clarkson, customer service and sales manager at 50cycles.

Within a couple of weeks, someone who lived less than half a mile away from the owner of the stolen bike contacted the firm to ask which charger would fit his newly-acquired electric bike. "His explanation for why he needed an extra charger was pretty vague”, says Lloyd.

“He wasn't a customer who was known to us and didn't seem to know a lot about the bike. We keep records for all owners and soon established it was pretty suspicious. He decided to buy a charger from us and gave us a delivery address - and so the trap was set!"

50cycles contacted the bike's original owner to tell him that it was likely his bike would soon be returned to him. Lloyd and workshop manager Simon Sanderson (both pictured above) then travelled from Loughborough to deliver the charger in person.

A game of cat and mouse ensued as the gentleman seemed reluctant to produce the bike. Eventually, the 50cycles team persuaded him that they needed to check that the charger and bicycle would be compatible to avoid causing irreparable damage.

"Once I was able to see the bike and confirm the serial numbers matched up with the stolen one, we confronted him with the evidence and gave him two options: he could either explain this to the police or hand over the bike immediately”, says Lloyd. “Straight away, he conceded that the bike was not his and agreed to give it up. So we left with the bike and returned it to the very grateful owner, who lives a few streets away"

"We always knew we might be able to locate a stolen bike if we had a suspicious enquiry about a charger” explains Tim Snaith who, along with his brother Scott, owns 50cycles. “It's very satisfying that it went so smoothly in practice. Thieves need to know that our electric bikes can be traced and linked back to the owner in a number of ways.”

The plan wouldn't have worked without Lloyd's persistence in dealing with the thief. “When I explained the situation, the look on his face was priceless”, he recalls. “Do you know what the funniest thing is? He's looking for a refund for the charger we left him!"

http://twitter.com/50cycles

 

[flecc]

Well done all concerned, a pity that the thief couldn't have been prosecuted as well, but at least he's been "fined" about £125 by the charger purchase.

This also highlights an unexpected benefit from having a single national source for a brand.
.

 

[NRG]

A charming and happy tale but the Police should have been informed first.

 

[Lloyd_50cycles]

The very first thing we did was contact the police in fact, but they couldn't offer much help without a positive ID on the bike. That was the aim of going down, to confirm the frame numbers without a uniformed police officer knocking on the door.

 

[John Fleet]

A charming and happy tale but the Police should have been informed first.

I must say that I find this story and its self congratulatory tone quite extraordinary. A thief has escaped prosecution because 50 Cycles have appointed themselves above the law. Why did they simply not report the contact to the police and allow them to do their job and arrest the thief? Their customer would have still got his bike back and a criminal would have brought to justice. Not to mention the potential risk the well meaning staff placed themselves at. What might have happened if the thief instead of handing the bike over had instead turned on his accusers?

 

[eddieo]

I must say that I find this story and its self congratulatory tone quite extraordinary. A thief has escaped prosecution because 50 Cycles have appointed themselves above the law. Why did they simply not report the contact to the police and allow them to do their job and arrest the thief? Their customer would have still got his bike back and a criminal would have brought to justice. Not to mention the potential risk the well meaning staff placed themselves at. What might have happened if the thief instead of handing the bike over had instead turned on his accusers?

I kind of agree with this and also consider it a bit foolhardy.....but have you tried to get the police out or interested in anything? I would also like to know more about how it was stolen? from where? was it . secured? what with? Probably an opportunist theft.

just saw 50 cycles post.....about sums the police up

 

[bode]

A citizen's arrest, followed by a trip to the police station with the culprit?

 

[Pedalo]

Great to see the owner got their bike back.

Presumably this is the same bike:

Electric Pedelec Bike on eBay (end time 30-Nov-09 12:53:53 GMT)

Note the lack of detail or photo in the ad.

 

[tillson]

I think 50 Cycles deserve credit for taking the trouble to recover this bike for the owner. After all, they are a business and a business exists to make a profit. Travelling to St Albans to get the bike back has not made them any money at all and they didn’t have to do it. They could have sent out the charger, banked the money, said nothing and no one would have been any wiser. They might even have sold another bike to replace the stolen one. Unfortunately it is rare to find this sort of integrity, so it should be praised. OK, there has been a bit of trumpet blowing, but they are a business not a cycle recovery charity and they have to promote themselves.

However, they should have shat on the thief after he gave the bike back and reported him to the police as well.

I think eddio is right. The police would not have taken much action over a report of a battery charger being purchased under slightly suspicious circumstances. I don’t think I would want the police knocking on my door with such flimsy evidence either. If the police did investigate every incident where the initial evidence is nothing more than, “slightly odd” the police force would need to have about 17 000 000 officers. And then we would all be bleating that it is costing too much.

But, thanks to the good work by Lloyd and Simon, they have now raised the evidence to a level where the police would become involved.

Well done 50 Cycles, now get to the Police Station and do what has to be done! Screw the bastard!

 

[Cyclezee]

I think 50 Cycles deserve credit for taking the trouble to recover this bike for the owner. After all, they are a business and a business exists to make a profit. Travelling to St Albans to get the bike back has not made them any money at all and they didn’t have to do it. They could have sent out the charger, banked the money, said nothing and no one would have been any wiser. They might even have sold another bike to replace the stolen one. Unfortunately it is rare to find this sort of integrity, so it should be praised. OK, there has been a bit of trumpet blowing, but they are a business not a cycle recovery charity and they have to promote themselves.

However, they should have shat on the thief after he gave the bike back and reported him to the police as well.

I think eddio is right. The police would not have taken much action over a report of a battery charger being purchased under slightly suspicious circumstances. I don’t think I would want the police knocking on my door with such flimsy evidence either. If the police did investigate every incident where the initial evidence is nothing more than, “slightly odd” the police force would need to have about 17 000 000 officers. And then we would all be bleating that it is costing too much.

But, thanks to the good work by Lloyd and Simon, they have now raised the evidence to a level where the police would become involved.

Well done 50 Cycles, now get to the Police Station and do what has to be done! Screw the bastard!

More or less my sentiments, top marks go to Lloyd and Simon, how many companies offer that kind of after care service? None that I can think of

J hn

 

[lemmy]

Well done 50 Cycles, now get to the Police Station and do what has to be done! Screw the bastard!

Absolutely. Because he'll simply do it again otherwise.

Be careful of the police, though. They are just as likely to nick 50Cycles' Tim and Lloyd for fraud for selling the thief a charger they knew he would not need

 

[voodoo100]

Sanctimoni

I must say that I find this story and its self congratulatory tone quite extraordinary. A thief has escaped prosecution because 50 Cycles have appointed themselves above the law. Why did they simply not report the contact to the police and allow them to do their job and arrest the thief? Their customer would have still got his bike back and a criminal would have brought to justice. Not to mention the potential risk the well meaning staff placed themselves at. What might have happened if the thief instead of handing the bike over had instead turned on his accusers?

The Police were asked what they would do - little - not their fault. It was the victim's decision to call the Police, or not. This was done in our own time and our own effort. Sorry if we upset some members of the community by not adhering to the rules - scumbags don't either, but the thief will carry on regardless and frankly, we did good. A man got his uninsured bike back, with no violence and no need for 6 months of court (with probably no result). A criminal record means nothing to a criminal.

 

[voodoo100]

Absolutely. Because he'll simply do it again otherwise.

Be careful of the police, though. They are just as likely to nick 50Cycles' Tim and Lloyd for fraud for selling the thief a charger they knew he would not need

He didn't want the charger, funnily enough

 

[Alex728]

Contrary to popular misconception there are many precedents in law that its acceptable to commit a lesser "crime" to stop a larger one happening.

Even contentious issues such as self defence or "DIY investigation" can be done perfectly legally if people are reasonable (as 50 cycles were in their investigation), or there would be no bouncers or private detectives or computer forensic services or rentaguards.. Anti-war protestors have even been let off smashing up a military aircraft as it was going to be sold to some dodgy foreign nation with a bad human rights record!

Given that there appears to be a fair bit of intelligence its worth 50 cycles passing over what info they have to both their local constabulary and Hertspol anyway, especially as it involves Ebay as well.. as well as being not overly paranoid but more aware of their own and their businesses personal safety, as criminals don't like being thwarted and made to look like fools.....

 

[Pedalo]

eBay connection was just speculation on my part but the ad I linked to did look suspicious.

 

[HarryB]

I must say that I find this story and its self congratulatory tone quite extraordinary. A thief has escaped prosecution because 50 Cycles have appointed themselves above the law. Why did they simply not report the contact to the police and allow them to do their job and arrest the thief? Their customer would have still got his bike back and a criminal would have brought to justice. Not to mention the potential risk the well meaning staff placed themselves at. What might have happened if the thief instead of handing the bike over had instead turned on his accusers?

I am sorry but I think you have a very rosey picture of the police. They simply are not interested in bike theft - and I know this will come as a surprise to you. In London there are countless tales of people telling the police that they have found their bike in a shop or on the internet, they get no response. These are not just tales as I know of it happening to two friends of mine - one with a stolen £1400 bike found in a shop. The police couldn't "spare the resources" and eventually my friend dragged a policeman off the street to the shop to recover the bike. Of course there was no prosecution or even caution for handling stolen goods. Another case I know ended without him recovering the bike. There is a thriving market in London for stolen bikes, there are open markets for them, they are all over the internet, but the police turn a blind eye.

 

[eddieo]

50 cycles are really milking this for all its worth! lol just got an email from them regards this .....Would still like to know how it was stolen

 

[flecc]

I am sorry but I think you have a very rosey picture of the police.

I concur, John seems live in a different world of efficient police and impartial magistrates, judging by the tenor of his posts which differ so much from the real life experiences of many.
.

 

[HarryB]

I concur, John seems live in a different world of efficient police and impartial magistrates, judging by the tenor of his posts which differ so much from the real life experiences of many.
.

Very impressive to have the internet in 1950's Britain though

 

[lemmy]

Whatever, it's nice for the thief that he's free to do it again, safe in the knowledge that even if he's caught out there is no consequence.

As Burke said, all that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing. But then, is a bike thief evil? We shouldn't be judgemental. Haven't we all stolen a bike at some time in our lives?