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:
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.
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]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.
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.
Last edited by a moderator: