What happens with high end stolen bikes

[justinafrika]

7 hours ago, Theunissa said:

I concur. As an electrician I can tell you that our tools cost more than mos t peoples cars or bikes these days. And it grinds me me a fellow tradie Buys stuff off Facebook or someone for less than half it's real value. Because there is a 99% chance that was stolen from a fellow tradie. And trust me they steel our stuff. And insurance on tools ain't cheap 

It took several weeks after the theft of most of the electrical contractor neighbour's tools for me to find them behind one of the loads of trees at the bottom of my garden.  The man was overjoyed at getting them back.  I’d chased those burglars from my garden, and got so gatvol of chasing invaders that my home now resembles a prison with three layers of razor wire right around.  "Fort (insert surname here)” my mates call it.  

Bikes, of course, still sleep in the entrance hall ready for daily action.  They’re too pretty to be stored anywhere else.

Edited July 27, 2023 by justinafrika

[The Ouzo]

16 hours ago, MarcW said:

I had my Scott Spark removed from me while out riding in April 2022: https://bikehub.co.za/stolen-bikes/2129/scott-spark-world-cup-axs-2021

It was quite a weird journey for 2 reasons: 

1. My insurer at the time, Santam, did their best to reject the claim for a multitude of illegitimate reasons. It was a massive fight to get the payout. We eventually took the case to their own internal ombudsman who found fault in all their decision making. And a long 7 months after the theft they eventually paid out. Needless to say I will never deal with Santam again. 
2. Heres the interesting part.. 3 Days after this claim was paid out - or 7 months and 3 days since the theft - I got a call from Johan at Bike Addict (legends) to say they think they have my bike in the store, someone is there trying to sell it (The person was not tall and my bike is XL among other red flags) so they searched the Bikehub stolen bike section and found my post (smart lads - hats off to you guys). The cops were called and it turned out this guy had a proof of purchase from none other than Cash Crusaders Goodwood (for less then 10% of the bikes actual value🤯). For perspective the bike had been gone for 7 months only to surface at Cash Crusaders then end up at Bike Addict, and then eventually a store room at Malmesbury SAPS. I let the inept bunch at Santam know the bike has been found (They were rather surprised and the assessor actually said they had never had that happen before), then they tell me "oh can you go uplift it so we can collect it from you". I replied "no I won't be doing that, unless you decide to sell it back to me (which they declined multiple times), you can go collect it". And so it sat at Malmesbury SAPS for another 3 or 4 months until the station commander decided it was too risky having such an expensive bike just lying around and needed to go to Kirstenhof SAPS (where the case was opened). Eventually Santam had a salvage company (Unicorn Salvage) collect the bike, the special individual at Unicorn salvage offered it back to me for the retail price of a new bike (because CWC told him thats what it was worth), so I kindly declined. They even came back looking for the AXS charger almost a year after the theft😂. If anyone out there did buy it, I hope its treating you well - its been through a lot 😆

All in all it was an eventful time that I hope to not experience again soon.. 

back in the early 2000s I was insured with them and had an issue with them charging my double excess, after I got that resolved and they had the car fixed I immediately moved insurance.

Once bitten twice shy. Unfortunately you only find out how crap your insurer is when it comes time to claim.

[Robbie Stewart]

I was insured with Budget in the 00's. I finally paid off the vehicle I was driving at the time and bought a second car for the wife. Long story short, after negotiations and threatening to leave my insurance premium was lowered to match the much cheaper quote I got elsewhere for the new car.

A few months later I end up in an accident with the paid off car. I get recovered and the next day I receive a phone call from Dial Direct (which I was migrated to by Budget at the time of lowering the premiums) informing me I only have 3rd party cover and am unable to claim for damages.

Months of endless back and forth asking them why I am suddenly on 3rd party after being on comprehensive ever since I bought the car, they reckon that when they quoted me the lowered premium it was on 3rd party and not comprehensive. I ended up walking away from the fight, lost a car and changed insurance to Santam because I knew where the broker lives, and told him as much.

Since 2008 I have been with Santam and not once have I had claim issues. I won't be changing to these brand insurers ever again.

[NotSoBigBen]

I've always used a broker and let them do the fighting on my behalf and has worked out for me.

Wondering if that is not the better way to go?

Your experiences...

[Meezo]

OP : What happens with high end stolen bikes

Everyone : Insurance

[The Ouzo]

2 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

I've always used a broker and let them do the fighting on my behalf and has worked out for me.

Wondering if that is not the better way to go?

Your experiences...

I've never had a problem dealing directly, but I know many others have.

Same can be said for the insurer I'm with, in 20 years with them I've not had issues, I know many that have not either, but I also know that many have had issues with them.

[The Ouzo]

2 minutes ago, Meezo said:

OP : What happens with high end stolen bikes

Everyone : Insurance

posts topic on BikeHub, expects it to stay on topic

[Cappi]

Lost a bike due to bike jacking. My bike went into Langa Area. Never saw it or an advert trying to sell it. I'm convinced there is guys stripping the bike for parts and chopping up the frames. Especially high end. The frames is the most recognisable item. 90% of the parts are sold on. 
maybe a few bikes,10-20% are sent across borders to family members. 
Heard scary stories of how delivery scooters are stripped into parts and packaged and sent to Malawi and Zim. 

[NotSoBigBen]

8 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

I've never had a problem dealing directly, but I know many others have.

Same can be said for the insurer I'm with, in 20 years with them I've not had issues, I know many that have not either, but I also know that many have had issues with them.

A bit of lottery I guess as with most things in life 🤷

[Showtime]

32 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

I've always used a broker and let them do the fighting on my behalf and has worked out for me.

Wondering if that is not the better way to go?

Your experiences...

Broker all the way.

[Meezo]

1 hour ago, Cappi said:

Lost a bike due to bike jacking. My bike went into Langa Area. Never saw it or an advert trying to sell it. I'm convinced there is guys stripping the bike for parts and chopping up the frames. Especially high end. The frames is the most recognisable item. 90% of the parts are sold on. 
maybe a few bikes,10-20% are sent across borders to family members. 
Heard scary stories of how delivery scooters are stripped into parts and packaged and sent to Malawi and Zim. 

this is my theory too... there's a huge chain for stolen goods not just bikes...

not restricted or limited in the order below, but here's my view

- the guys that steal or rob does the deed (R200-2000)

- this then moves to a drug/reward point (R2000-5000)

- at the drug/reward these guys are well connected, and as such have various "chains" for which category of stolen goods go where... in our case bikes (R2000-10000)

- this is where the bike then goes to an "expert"  in moist cases as Cappi's post the bikes are stripped and the frames are sold for chips on/in the street... the parts are filtered through and sold in the 2nd hand market, my guess a huge number of them are sold here on bikehub (R+)

I've had 2 bikes taken out of my stable, one was at the Die Burger stolen off the rack many many moons ago, the other i was robbed. the both followed a similar pattern. The one bike we got back, with zero help from the SAPS... except we bought them back. The other i chased until before my bike moved into the 3rd point on my list... at this stage it got ugly (if anyone knows anything about cowboy and ghetto town in hanover park), i backed off and got a payout from the insurance.

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by Meezo
added the monies made in this operations

[The Ouzo]

1 hour ago, Cappi said:

Heard scary stories of how delivery scooters are stripped into parts and packaged and sent to Malawi and Zim

Our bikes guys sell many bikes to folks taking it them over the border, most times the bike are sold still in their crates as its easier for them to be transported over.

[Sprockets]

I still reckon the ebike market has an option to add security straight from factory.

Plant some sort of tracking device inside the frame i.e very difficult to get to, which is powered by the ebikes battery.

I suppose it is an extra hassle and it still wont take away from parting the bike out. Just an idea thats lingered in my head

[Cappi]

4 hours ago, Meezo said:

this is my theory too... there's a huge chain for stolen goods not just bikes...

not restricted or limited in the order below, but here's my view

- the guys that steal or rob does the deed (R200-2000)

- this then moves to a drug/reward point (R2000-5000)

- at the drug/reward these guys are well connected, and as such have various "chains" for which category of stolen goods go where... in our case bikes (R2000-10000)

- this is where the bike then goes to an "expert"  in moist cases as Cappi's post the bikes are stripped and the frames are sold for chips on/in the street... the parts are filtered through and sold in the 2nd hand market, my guess a huge number of them are sold here on bikehub (R+)

I've had 2 bikes taken out of my stable, one was at the Die Burger stolen off the rack many many moons ago, the other i was robbed. the both followed a similar pattern. The one bike we got back, with zero help from the SAPS... except we bought them back. The other i chased until before my bike moved into the 3rd point on my list... at this stage it got ugly (if anyone knows anything about cowboy and ghetto town in hanover park), i backed off and got a payout from the insurance.

 

this 100%

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Sprockets said:

I still reckon the ebike market has an option to add security straight from factory.

Plant some sort of tracking device inside the frame i.e very difficult to get to, which is powered by the ebikes battery.

I suppose it is an extra hassle and it still wont take away from parting the bike out. Just an idea thats lingered in my head

 

GIANT has a standard function to "log" the buyer's details into the bike's memory.  Brilliant concept ....

 

1. Took me no less than 6 trips to Durbanville Giant before they finally loaded my data onto the bike. 

 

2. Another dealer added a few hundred rand to the service cost just to plug in their computer .... without which they wont be able to check the owner's details vs who brought the bike in for a service.

 

 

The technology exists !!!

 

Our local "authorised dealers" are dropping the ball, to put it mildly .....

 

 

It is SO easy to identify stolen bikes at major service time.  It will only add 1 minute to each service.

 

 

Replacement chargers is the one key item where they CAN lock down on the stolen bikes ....  

 

 

Step away from the dealers, to the manufacturers - I can only use the "Companion App" on the Giant when the phone has "Location" activated ..... FIRST thing it does is check the software update at Giant, so the app IS actively busy with Giant while I switch it on.  Now just how much programming will it take to link an "electronic serial number" to my bike and app ?  Logging this number as stolen, with a police case number at Giant SHOULD be able to initiate a "tracking/shut down" sequence" .....

 

PS - would be good to hear from those with ebikes from other manufacturer's.  All the top end bikes comes with Apps ....

[dasilvarsa]

I suggest Taking a Picture of the Serial Number Next time You Put Your Bike Upside Down.

Applies to Analog and Digital Bikes.

The Insurance Wants this.