Ask if you can do pick up of a part you want to buy, buy the part and get his address, then go visit him.

 

he does not divulge that information. he states specifically that he will not do pick-ups. interestingly he will also not ship to my state - go figure right?

 

Well, it may take some doing, but :

1) first off - can you positively identify any of the parts as yours? (e.g. serial numbers, VIN numbers, etc.) If not, you won't really be able to ever prove that they in fact were your (or your buddy's) parts.

2) If yes to #1, try to enlist the help of a friend in a different state. Have them purchase the parts and request tracked shipping (fedex, UPS, etc);

3) When the part is recieved, you can backtrack it through UPS or fedex to the shipper's location and possibly even an acct. #;

Assuming you now have a stolen, serial numbered part originating from a specific location, you can then contact the local police department in the shipper's area. They should help you from there.

Of course, there's always a chance that any ID marks on the parts will be removed before shipping, or that tracking down a "small-time" theif is not a priority for the PD.

Good luck, man.

 

yea i have thought of something along those lines but as you rightly mentioned, it is going to be virtually impossible to positively identify the parts, even though i know what i saw was mine. i matched things like tire wear, scuff marks, unique aftermarket parts modified to fit properly, etc immediately when i saw them. obviously that will never hold up in court. it would be great if the cops could run a sting operation, but how do you convince them?

 

Try to send a PM to Jules771 here on the Spot and see if he can help. He is our resident internet spy. He may be able to help you. Good luck, I hate thieving pricks.

Cpt DB

 

Ah, wish I could but eBay poses a lot of problems. But post the eBay link here and I'll take a look at it, not saying that I can crack anything but these guys sometime leave breadcrumbs.

One thing I can suggest is buy a small piece off him, chances are it's paypal and either he or his partner will have to have their info listed.

Just be aware however, if the police will not get involved, you are in a pretty tough spot. Your alternatives are pretty much limited to you breaking the law yourself (which of course I can't recommend).

 

thanks guys. jules, pm sent.

 

DD, sent you a pm.

I took a look at the guy, details in the pm.

 

WTF?

Details to us too plz?

 

sorry, private matter, I had to do some looking into corners.

move along.

 

kidding, it's really not a big deal. DD asked me for an opinion.

if you read through the thread you'll put it together.