buying secondhand - asking for frame number?

[scarble]

Hello everyone
I'm looking to buy pretty much any old bike off fleabay/craigs list.
Am I being unreasonable messaging sellers asking for frame numbers?
Or is there some other way to figure out if a bike is stolen?

[Bobley]

Just ask if they've got a receipt or some other proof of ownership (police marking/data tag etc)

I wouldn't give out frame numbers. Some dodgy scrote could be re stamping nicked frames.

[scarble]

no receipt, no tracking numbers of any kind and "purchased from a very respectable family"
I think I'll leave it :/

[anonymous-user]

What are you going to do with the frame number? As far as I know, there isnt a complete directory of stolen bikes and frame numbers so once you have it, there is no way of cross referencing it to anything reliable. If you are looking for "any old bike" then its likely to have had a few owners so things like documentation etc get lost over time and even frame numbers, especially on steel bikes where they are usually stamped on the bottom bracket, can get worn or rusted over time.

I wouldnt get too stressed about it personally, I dont like the thought of buying stolen property, especially what was once someones pride and joy but unless its a top spec bike at a stupid price or something with a hasty paint job, its probably genuine.

[Engineer1]

or ask for proof they owned it long term there will be pictures somewhere with the bike in the background or with the owner off on a ride etc.

[S10GTA]

I don't have receipts for any of my 4 bikes, but none are stolen.....

[TheLemming]

S10GTA said:

I don't have receipts for any of my 4 bikes, but none are stolen.....

I do, but two of those are handwritten on notepaper - if I'm handing over a wodge of cash I get a receipt lol.

[aka_kerrly]

It is difficult to prove ownership of a bike especially after a few years when warranties are null and paperwork has gone missing.

That said I have bought and sold a fair few bikes over the years and generally speaking the people who actually know their bike and know their biking tend to be fair. I've been to look at 2 or 3 £1k+ bikes and the owners have been utterly clueless with a rather suspect nature but other people seem to have lower standards/morals and would quite happily have handed their cash over.

Always remember "if it looks too good to be true it almost always is... if a seller is very secretive and unhelpful I wouldn't deal with them.

Where are you looking? You hope that enthusiast sites are better than the likes of ebay/gumtree.