Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Well, while I was in the process of registering some Rickenbackers on the new format this morning, I have discovered something unnerving; it appears on the surface that I have bought some stolen property on ebay, the 1980 4001 LH in MG with a black 'guard and TRC.

There is actually a thread on this Forum posted by a member here about the theft, last December, of the bass I bought off of ebay.... and it described in great detail and 'on the money' IMO......I have no doubt that I have the bass in question, so what happens next..?

If anyone has any guidance on the matter, feel free to post here or PM me.....I see no reason why the member shouldn't get this bass back, and lastly no reason why I shouldn't be able to get my money back in full as well...this would be the best outcome, obviously.

Thanks to you all, as usual.

Sorry to hear that John...

It would be ideal if the original owner could get his bass back, and you get your $$$ back, but that might not be so easy....

I guess the guy you bought it from will have some explaining to do, and there may well be need for police and legal involvement.

I'll bow out to the higher authorities on that one, but before I do, will say good luck, and let me say for everyone here, it just shows what a class act you are by bringing this up.

Andy: I have e-mailed the Forum member in question about the bass, but I'm told he hasn't been active on the board since March of this year.....I would like to think all of the proper reports were filed with the law, so we'll see what happens. Thanks.

I suggest contacting ebay and asking them for their help, I am sure they don't like their service being used for "moving" stolen merchandise.
Maybe they can refund your money (did you pay with paypal?) and "backcharge" the seller while leaving you out of the picture, they have more leverage than you do and they have a long line of lawyers that work for them.

Gil, that's sounds like a plan too. I would like to have some bona-fides before contacting ebay, for I am sure they will want definitive proof that we have stolen property here, then maybe they can apply some leverage in the matter...thank you for your post.

I just want to say I admire you for coming forward with this situation. I wish you the best in the outcome.

2AM, I can't stop thinking about the poor guy who lost his Rick.
I added a "stolen" checkbox to the register, feel free to check it...

I also added a "stolen" checkbox on the search, from now on everyone who had their rick stolen will be able to mark it there so that other people who plan on buying a used Rick will be able to verify it is not listed as "stolen" (This is not 100%, but the more people register their guitars - the better are the chances it will be found).

I hope this list stays empty forever...

Gil: Good thinking. Thanks for adding this and all the other great features to the Register.

John: It is heartening to see your acknowledgement of this situation. I hope it has a happy ending.

John, I think you've done pretty much everything you can at this point. I'd continue to try to verify that the property is in fact stolen. Serial numbers are the best way to verify the theft if at all possible. Failing that, some sort of absolutely unique feature (a scratch, a dent, some writing in a cavity somewhere) would be useful.

As for getting some sort of compensation, I'm not sure that's going to happen. Maybe eBay has some sort of compensation program, but I've never seen the innocent purchaser in a stolen property case reimbursed for anything at all. It's caveat emptor, I'm afraid. Remember that, in most jurisdictions, possession of stolen property is in itself a criminal offense. If you confirm that the instrument is stolen, the best thing to do is to drop it off at a police station. I know that sounds harsh, but that's what I'd do. I'd also file a complete report with the authorities.

Cheers for doing the right thing John! It's a shame that it seems out of the ordinary these days.

My unofficial opinion would be to continue as you are and try to contact the victim of the theft. Also contact Ebay and Paypal (if Paypal was used) and see what your options are. The way it tends to work in a situation like this is that the "victim" gets the stolen item back and the unknowing new "owner" gets nothing. At least there is some good info somewhere on who you bought it from so maybe the thief could still be dealt with.

Contact your local police department, explain your situation and ask them for advice. Every department handles things a little differently. You have done anything wrong so you really have nothing to worry about as far as possessing stolen property. I'd be reluctant to accept a nice Ric (or any nice property) at my department for fear of what might happen to it in transit to or at the property unit.

John, my recommendation is to make contact the forum member and get a copy of the police report before contacting eBay. I doubt that eBay would do anything at all without some type of official documentation.

The best scenario is that the bass was stolen, then recovered, and then sold.

I have to agree with Richard here, John. Ebay will definitely want ab i\official document saying the bass is stolen.

If you do get ahold of the owner who it was stolen from, see if he had it insured. He may have been compensated for the loss. If so, he could buy the bass back from you. That way he has his bass back, and you might not be out money. Also, you might want to be sure the ebayer you bought it from was the thief, or maybe he's an innocent victim, too.

Well, Monday morning and nothing yet. On we go.

I realize that all this has taken place over the internet, which sometimes can be a difficult place to seperate facts from fiction....so yes all of the proper documents should be produced I'd think. I have more info on my end and I intend to do a little checking on my own.

This Forum member hasn't been around since March, so I'm not sure how current the info is; he did leave an e-mail address in the theft thread which is what I used......We'll see!

musicfan37 wrote:I just want to say I admire you for coming forward with this situation. I wish you the best in the outcome.

I must agree! I hope this resolves into the best scenario for you and the rightfull owner and the the thief gets his due!