You will never find a stolen item there, right???

[dereksbicycles]

I'm very careful about where I get my bikes. I always avoid areas that have penchant for stolen items such as bikes. I get a lot of them from thrift stores. I have always thought that stolen bikes would never end up at thrift stores. Up to date, I've never ran into stolen bikes.

Try to look at it this way. Do you think someone would steal a bike, and then just donate them to Goodwill? Those that steals usually wants fast money. No one gets money donating bikes to thrift stores.

However, one of my friends made a very good point. What if a 15 years old guy stole a bike so that he can ride it?? This 15 years old guy is now 22 years old and has since matured. He does not want the bike any more. He decides to donate it to Goodwill. I buy the bike from Goodwill. I try to sell the bike. Someone notices the bike and remembers that his bike was stolen 7 years ago.

Obviously, I'm not advocating stealing and then selling, but you never know where used merchandise come from unless you are friends with the person.

To make a long story short, I get in trouble for selling stolen merchandise. It hurts my business because now people will think I sell stolen bikes and would avoid me.

Then again, what I sell are mostly lower ends. Therefore, a person who had his bike stolen may have forgotten about it after a year or so.

Again, I never had any problems over a course of 7 years, but my friend has made a very good point.

 

[jonnyghost]

If you do your best then there is nothing else you can do. You would only get in trouble for knowingly receiving stolen goods. I wouldn't worry about it. If someone claimed you had their stolen bike I'd tell them that you're willing to work with the police. I don't think it would hurt your business unless you refused to cooperate with the cops or you frequently had stolen bikes.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

I would think if you unknowingly brought a stolen bike from Goodwill and had a bill of sale you could prove you did not know it was stolen. If anyone would looks not good it should be Goodwill for not being more careful in checking out the items that take. We have a store in my city that specialize
in selling items from the 50's . It true out the owner of the store was breaking in people homes in more than one state and stealing their clothes jewelry and watches and selling it in his store. I am so glad I never went into the store to buy anything. I sure would hate to have brought something that was stolen from a person home.

 

[rockin'robin]

My sons have had many, many bikes stolen...even with good locks on them...usually, someone steals the bike, goes for a little "joy riding" and then ditches it when they are tired of it...They've found their bikes less than 3 blocks down the street once, abandoned....

I would just keep the bill of sale if I bought one at a thrift store, even the Goodwill...As for the Flea Markets....so many things selling there are "HOT"...meaning Stolen....

 

[caz12]

is it possible all bikes are marked mine was,then it can be traced back to owner..
you doing it out of goodwill dereck so no problems

 

[sonocativo]

When you buy a bike from goodwill, anyone.... Get a bill of sale, write the serial number of the bike on it and have that person sign/date it or make a copy of their ID like any reputable company would do to us.
Pawn shops do this to cover their asses.

 

[jonnyghost]

I get a signed bill of sale for anything I buy used that's more than $50. If it doesn't have a serial number I just put a quick description down. I've never had anyone get upset doing so. If they did I'd probably not want to buy from them anyway.

 

[diehardbiker]

Derek. since your in business, and if you paid bikes from goodwill, later you found out it was stolen. Best you can do is hand over cop and eat the loss, can't go to goodwill and get refund as this is not going to happen. Just be careful and make sure you get enough profit to cover future losses, and Im sure once you get business big enough, need to get liability insurance coverage so you won't get sued and being on your own.