A friend's stolen camera on eBay - anything he can do? (update on page 3)

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garfep

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So a friend of a good friend (a photographer) had some things stolen on Saturday, including his camera. To give you an idea of how devastating that is, here's an excerpt from his blog about it:

Last night I was working at Factory in Pomona trying to make some extra cash to fund my graduate art show coming up on 10-25. This show has drained every last penny from my wallet and is the culmination of 2.5 years of dedication to creating my vision of the indie club scene. Anyway, after I loaded all of my equipment into my car I returned inside the club for about 5 minutes and that was enough time for some people (who obviously watched me put all the stuff into my car from the parking lot because they got in and went straight for it and left other things that could have been discovered had they looked around).

I pretty much just lost my life. This isn't just a stolen camera, the total amount of items taken amount to between 7-8 thousand dollars (8-9 thousand when they were purchased). Not only that, but they indirectly stabbed me in my heart by taking my cards for my upcoming show that I had not sent out to ANYONE yet. I spent another 160 on the cards alone to make sure they were really nice and made a lasting impression on someone who viewed them. Ironically, my justification for spending so much on 500 cards was, "What the hell, I only graduate once." Reprinting the cards is an option still (without some of the extras that I had on the originals) but they will come so late that it is almost not worth ordering them.

I just feel crippled, like someone stole my arm or a part of my being. My camera wasn't an object, it was a part of every aspect of my life. Almost every waking moment was spent either taking pictures, conceptualizing pictures to take in the future or editing pictures I've already taken.
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Since then he's been checking eBay, and he found what he's almost positive is his stolen camera (based on the timing of the auction, the location, the appearance, etc.). [auction link removed]

Is there anything he can do in terms of contacting police and/or eBay to attempt to get it back? Or is it a lost cause without any concrete proof? There's a serial number both in the firmware of the camera and on the bottom (if it hasn't been scratched off), but can the police force the seller to show the serial number if asked, or will they not go that far without any proof beyond "I think that's mine"?

He registered the body of the camera with Canon, filled out the warranty card, and saved the receipt, so if the seller can somehow be forced to show the serial & it matches, he can definitely prove that it's his.

Any help would be very much appreciated, or if anyone has any experience with something like this, I'd love to get your input. Getting this camera back for him would be absolutely incredible, but nobody's really sure how to proceed beyond this point, or how much power eBay and/or the police would even have in a situation like this.

Thanks guys, and I'll try to provide as much info as I can if anyone thinks it can help.
 
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I had this happen w/ a GPS. I even set up a meet w/ the guy in a public place, a detective was going to be with me the whole time (this is in Mass.) Then I found out the worst the guy could get was a misdemeanor and a $250 fine because SELLING stolen goods isn't nearly as bad as actually stealing them.

The only suggestion I can give is, ask the seller for the LAST two digits of the serial #, tell him "that series of camera had a better production run and faster shutter times with serial numbers ending in XX" If those two numbers match, it's good odds it's his.

The other thing to do is report it as stolen to Canon. If it ever comes into Canon for a repair (again, a long shot), they may be able to return it to you (that's what Garmin told me about my GPS).

Anyway - good luck!
 
If it is a stolen good then he does not have the implied warranty of title to that camera, and it is totally possible for you to get it back, whether or not the dude ebaying it is the actual person who stole the camera or just someone who bought it from the thief
 
It's on eBay so all just tell your friend to win the auction, pay using Paypal, and once he receives the camera he can dispute the charge (if its actually his camera). It's time somebody uses that scam for a good purpose for a change.
 
[quote name='Machine']It's on eBay so all just tell your friend to win the auction, pay using Paypal, and once he receives the camera he can dispute the charge (if its actually his camera). It's time somebody uses that scam for a good purpose for a change.[/QUOTE]

since the guy is a new seller it should be easy. Either he will forget to use DC, or ust use the item not as describe, then return a empty box. After that post his address on craiglists and tell people to take everything from his home.
 
He is charging 1500 for a camera and shipping it parcel post no less, honestly I wouldn't trust a guy who potentially stole something with anywhere near that amount as that auction looks like a scam itself. I would call the Police and see what they say about it before gambling 1500 bucks .
 
ugh I hate thieves. If you can find out if it IS his... I wonder if Ebay does anything or are they really the worst place on the net? Ebay lets horrible stuff happen to its "customers"...
 
Whoa...that sucks Garfep. I hope your friend is able to resolve it somehow. If all the pieces fit together then it likely is the same Camera. Best of luck getting it back, I absolutely hate thieves...
 
If you can get a detective to go with you, as someone mentioned, you can probably bid on it and then ask if you can pick it up in person to save on shipping. Or just pay the shipping, point is to meet them in person. I know it's a long shot, but if you can sound convincing enough, you might be able to lure them into meeting up. Good luck!!!
 
this may sound odd but as another avenue to look into have him call his CC company and ask if they would be willing to do a chargeback if he could prove he was buying his own camera. Explain to them that if they do a chargeback paypal, having had the funds yanked from them, will basically tell the seller to take a hike, which makes everyone happy.

I'd definitely ask for the S/N before bidding as well. Make up some BS about using it to check the remaining warranty or eligability for warranty extension or some garbage. I wouldnt go blindly winning the auction because if it ISNT his, then hes only causing the seller a huge headache.

I assume a number of lenses were taken as well yes? If so they would be following shortly.



The only sure thing he can do right now is the obvious thing. Report the theft to cannon with the part numbers and on the off chance it gets sent in for service or repair he'll get it back that way. When they go to check the registration, a standard check during any servicing, a notation would be there about it being stolen.
 
[quote name='garfep']So a friend of a good friend (a photographer) had some things stolen on Saturday, including his camera. To give you an idea of how devastating that is, here's an excerpt from his blog about it:

Since then he's been checking eBay, and he found what he's almost positive is his stolen camera (based on the timing of the auction, the location, the appearance, etc.), right here.

Is there anything he can do in terms of contacting police and/or eBay to attempt to get it back? Or is it a lost cause without any concrete proof? There's a serial number both in the firmware of the camera and on the bottom (if it hasn't been scratched off), but can the police force the seller to show the serial number if asked, or will they not go that far without any proof beyond "I think that's mine"?

He registered the body of the camera with Canon, filled out the warranty card, and saved the receipt, so if the seller can somehow be forced to show the serial & it matches, he can definitely prove that it's his.

Any help would be very much appreciated, or if anyone has any experience with something like this, I'd love to get your input. Getting this camera back for him would be absolutely incredible, but nobody's really sure how to proceed beyond this point, or how much power eBay and/or the police would even have in a situation like this.

Thanks guys, and I'll try to provide as much info as I can if anyone thinks it can help.[/QUOTE]
OP, here is my link to my mail fraud FAQ. I know yours is not related to mail fraud but it may help

http://reviews.ebay.com/HOW-TO-FILE-FOR-MAIL-FRAUD_W0QQugidZ10000000003448709

I suggest getting the local police involved. I would also inform eBay. They may remove the auction.

But I dont know how one can be so certain that is your friends camera. Why go on eBay to sell the item and pay a fee? If the thieves took it to resell, they would of pawned it or just sold it to anyone. They could of even kept it for themselves...you dont know. Unless your friend had special markings on it, you cant tell its his by looking at it regardless of location and timing of when it was posted. It could of been a coincidence and its not like your friend is the only one that lives in that area or owns that camera only. Plus, if the thieves were going to sell it on eBay, they would of either listed everything together or listed the items separately.

[quote name='chrisnsally']I had this happen w/ a GPS. I even set up a meet w/ the guy in a public place, a detective was going to be with me the whole time (this is in Mass.) Then I found out the worst the guy could get was a misdemeanor and a $250 fine because SELLING stolen goods isn't nearly as bad as actually stealing them.

The only suggestion I can give is, ask the seller for the LAST two digits of the serial #, tell him "that series of camera had a better production run and faster shutter times with serial numbers ending in XX" If those two numbers match, it's good odds it's his.

The other thing to do is report it as stolen to Canon. If it ever comes into Canon for a repair (again, a long shot), they may be able to return it to you (that's what Garmin told me about my GPS).

Anyway - good luck![/QUOTE]
Its a misdemeanor in your case because your item was only a couple hundred bucks. OP's friends camera is in the thousands. That is a felony charge if convicted.
 
[quote name='iazybandit']But I dont know how one can be so certain that is your friends camera. Why go on eBay to sell the item and pay a fee? If the thieves took it to resell, they would of pawned it or just sold it to anyone. They could of even kept it for themselves...you dont know. Unless your friend had special markings on it, you cant tell its his by looking at it regardless of location and timing of when it was posted. It could of been a coincidence and its not like your friend is the only one that lives in that area or owns that camera only. Plus, if the thieves were going to sell it on eBay, they would of either listed everything together or listed the items separately.[/quote]


Trying to take this item to a pawn shop will get them caught quicker. Pawn shops require ID when selling items for this particular reason. The only way to find out if this camera was his buddies is to somehow fool the seller into taking a pic of the serial # and comparing it to the one that's on the box it came in.
 
Do you know which model it was?

Did the seller have most of the same lenses, cards, batteries, and even accessories like flashes or tripods as you friend's friend?


I would do the idea of asking him the last 3 digits of his SN because "It may be the newer version of the camera."

The thief obviously has no idea how much that equipment is worth.



Because of the timing and location along with the new user. It is a no-brainer.


I hope he gets his stuff back, I'd die if someone stole mine =[
 
Your friend must handle his anger well... If that were me, and I found it on Ebay, I would figure out a way to pick it up in person and then I would honestly probably kill the guy.

Yes, I have rage issues. Yes, I would go to jail. But my honor would be restored.

*end sarcasm*
 
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/islegend2525

is that all his stuff? Doesn't seem like this seller knows what he's talking about. And if you have a $1500 camera and all those accessories you'd probably give a better description than that.

"No Serial Number sorry, sadly it was peeled off by a friend who though it was funny." Riiiight, cause my friends love peeling serials off of my items.
 
Well OP does your boy recognize any of this stuff? I'm with Looie131 that excuse for the serial number reaks of BS, can't say I have any friends that would take a 1500 dollar camera and randomly start peeling stuff off it.
 
[quote name='Looie131']http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/islegend2525

is that all his stuff? Doesn't seem like this seller knows what he's talking about. And if you have a $1500 camera and all those accessories you'd probably give a better description than that.

"No Serial Number sorry, sadly it was peeled off by a friend who though it was funny." Riiiight, cause my friends love peeling serials off of my items.[/quote]


I dont own a canon, nor could i afford what the 5D costs, but i own a relatively expensive Pentax and the Serial number is basically imbedded in the bottom of the body. Im positive canon is at least the same way if it isnt physically stamped in which wouldnt surprise me. I suppose you could pry it out with a very small screw driver or deface it but it would have to be totally intentional and would take some work. Clearly would be to mask the fact that its stolen.

So based off that and the sudden eruption of gear i'd say they did indeed find their man. That person is a total goddamn douchebag.

Do you think his "friend" will remember to play further jokes on him by "peeling" the serial numbers off the lense bodies as well? :roll:
 
[quote name='iazybandit']

But I dont know how one can be so certain that is your friends camera. Why go on eBay to sell the item and pay a fee? If the thieves took it to resell, they would of pawned it or just sold it to anyone. They could of even kept it for themselves...you dont know. [/QUOTE]

Selling it on Craigslit or similar would of been challenging. Anyone buying a used camera worth that kind of money is going to be asking serious questions especially if it's really cheap. These clowns wouldn't be able to answer any questions and they probably know enough not to attempt that. eBay is probably the "easy" way out because they can deflect questions easier and just take whatever cash they get.
 
OP, don't pull an OJ!! Not the alleged killing of ex-wife and friend..but the robbery.

"Don't let nobody out of this room. Motherfucker, you think you can steal my shit and sell it?"
 
As far as the police report is concerned, he should make sure he files one, or updates one he already filed with the camera serial number. These things go into a database that get flagged if a pawn shop, etc. report that they received said item. Pawn shops are required by law to file registers with local police concerning certain items, obviously guns, but most other electronics such as laptops, etc (Items with serial numbers). I would think an expensive camera would also fit the bill. However, even the stupidest thiefs are normally not dumb enough to pawn in these types of stolen merchandise unless they know the pawn shop owner can move it under the table. More commonly, its just sold on the street.

Still worth a shot to contact Ebay about the situation. There's no excuse for a pricey camera with a peeled off serial number.

And if worse comes to worse and Ebay won't do anything, you can just make it impossible for him to sell the merchandise. His auctions don't specify you need a paypal account, so log on to Ebay from a public doman, register a fake user name, and bid $20,000 everytime so it will greatly complicate his process.
 
And I'm guessing he has car insurance, if any policy other than liability, then they should cover the majority of the loss with a valid police report.
 
Stolen Property and Property with Removed Serial Numbers
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/stolen.html

eBay strictly forbids the sale of stolen property, which violates state, federal and international law. eBay strongly supports law enforcement efforts to recover stolen property that is listed on its Web site, and urges the prosecution of those responsible for knowingly attempting to sell such items on eBay.

......

Theft of Property: If members see an item on eBay that they believe is stolen, the best course is to contact law enforcement immediately. Under eBay's privacy rules, eBay’s attorneys will provide important records about pending and past listings with an official request from law enforcement officials. eBay will ask that members inform the police officer handling the case that eBay will be pleased to cooperate in the investigation, and ask the officer to contact eBay using eBay’s law enforcement-specific webform. The officer should include all relevant information, including the case number and any item numbers or User IDs.
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Hey, sorry to abandon you guys with no updates. I don't know any specifics right now, but I know that he did talk to the police and is working with them at the moment, and that both he and I very much appreciate the suggestions here, both in this thread and via PM. I'll definitely post here to let people know the outcome, but for now I think he's trying to keep specifics on the DL to avoid potentially scaring the guy off. I'll let you guys know if I hear of any results.
 
Would your friend be mad if I bought his camera? I'm really looking for a new one. ;)

Hope this works out. If this happened to me, I'd be on the first plane to CA to kick his ass. (Yes, I have rage problems too.)
 
I want to throw a M. Night Shyamalan twist and say that the OP is really the person that stole his goods and he's a genius to poll the community to do the perfect sale!!!

ok ignore..

seriously though track this scumbag and skin him alive.
 
xycury got it. I can't believe I was that transparent.

But no, I do want to post some updates, but I really haven't been given many details, and what's going on isn't something I'm supposed to give too much information out about anyway. Just know that it is being looked into, police have been informed, and that I will post updates as soon as I know anything & am allowed to talk about it. I think the main concern is that word will get back to the dude, which it may have even already.

I promise I won't forget to keep you guys updated, and again, thank you so much to everyone who has provided suggestions & remained concerned/interested.
 
[quote name='jackin4beats']hope your friend gets his camera back.[/quote]

indeed, don't hesitate to let us know the good news, and thanks for the update.
 
Okay, quick update. He bought back his memory card from one of the auctions and was able to give the return address on the package to the police. He got the body of the camera back and a few of the lenses, but the stuff that was already sent out to other people seems to be gone.

The basic problem is that the guy who took it all is a minor, and with no evidence that he's the one who actually stole the stuff (since he could have obtained stolen goods from elsewhere), the charge for just possession of stolen goods is nothing. The one option still available is to sue the parents for the stuff missing as well as for the money lost from potential jobs in the meantime, but that still has to be looked into.

So for now, it's a victory to have gotten the camera and some lenses back for sure, and he's definitely happy about that, but there's still more work to do.

More info as I get it, and I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but once again, thank you all so much for all the help.
 
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