Thefts, used bikes and how destolen works
Short answers for anyone whose bike has just been stolen, anyone about to buy a used bike, and businesses.
destolen detects, it does not recover
We show you listings similar to your bike with a similarity percentage; you decide whether it is yours. We do not recover bikes or contact sellers, and we cannot guarantee that you will get yours back.
If you see your bike for sale, do not confront the seller: go to the police.
If your bike has been stolen
What does destolen do?
It looks for your stolen bike in second-hand listings in Spain. Several times a day we compare new listings with your bike’s brand, model, serial number and photos and show you the listings similar to yours, with a similarity percentage. You decide: if you think it is your bike, we give you a report for the police. We email you about the most similar ones.
My bike has just been stolen. What should I do first?
Report the theft to the police (in Spain, 091 Policía Nacional, 062 Guardia Civil or the regional police) and give them the serial number if you have it. Then go to «My bike was stolen» and activate the Search so we start checking listings.
Do you recover the bike for me?
No. We show you the listings similar to your bike and, if you think one is yours, we give you a report for the police. We cannot guarantee that your bike will appear in a listing or that you will get it back.
Where do you look, and how often?
In bike listings on publicly accessible second-hand listing portals and websites in Spain. We check new listings several times a day while your Search or Protection is active. We may add or change sources.
How do you know a listing is my bike?
We compare the brand, model, type, size, colour, area and price of the listing with your bike’s and, when we can, its photos, with the help of artificial intelligence. From that we calculate a similarity percentage; if the listing mentions the serial number, it is highlighted. It is a similarity, not proof: you decide. The more photos and details you give us, the better.
When and how will you alert me?
In «My theft» you see the listings similar to your bike, with their similarity percentage, as soon as we detect them, several times a day. We email you when one appears with your bike’s serial number or a high similarity, at most a few times a day. Check it yourself: a similarity is not proof.
What should I do if you alert me to a match?
Look carefully at the photos and details. If you think it is your bike, download the police report from «My theft» and take it to the station where you reported the theft. Do not contact the seller, do not arrange to meet them and do not try to recover it yourself. If it is not your bike, press «It wasn't my bike».
How much is the Search and what if my bike does not turn up?
€19.99, a one-off payment with no renewal, for 30 days of searching. If no listing with a high similarity (its serial number or a similarity of 85% or more) has appeared at the end, we extend it by 30 more days free, once and without you asking. Websites where only a photo of your bike appears do not count. It is not a refund. With Protection, the Search is included (without this guarantee).
If you are buying a used bike
I am about to buy a used bike. How do I know if it is stolen?
Ask the seller for the serial number and look it up for free in the destolen checker. The frame number works and, for e-bikes, so do the motor and battery numbers. It tells you whether the bike is reported stolen in our data or in public sources, without showing the owner’s details.
Where is the serial number?
It is usually stamped under the bottom bracket (turn the bike over and look between the pedals), on the seat tube or on the chainstay. It is often on the invoice or the bike’s paperwork too. If the seller will not let you see it, be wary.
The checker says the bike is reported stolen. What should I do?
Do not buy it or pay anything up front, and do not confront the seller. Tell the police (112, 091 or 062 in Spain) and give them the listing link and screenshots. From the theft page you can alert the owner without seeing their details.
If it is not reported stolen, is it safe to buy?
Not entirely: it only means it is not in our data or the sources we check. Be wary of very low prices, sellers in a hurry and bikes with no serial number or invoice.
Registration, plans and privacy
What is the point of registering my bike for free?
You keep photos and serial numbers, you get a certificate with the destolen No. and, if it is stolen, you have everything you need to report it and search for it. You can register up to 5 bikes. Free registration does not monitor listings.
What is the difference between Protection and Search?
Protection (€2.99 a month or €29 a year, per bike) checks new listings on second-hand classified sites and portals in Spain several times a day and shows you in “My vehicles” the ones that may be one of your registered bikes, with their similarity percentage; it emails you about the most similar ones (it does not guarantee that your bike will turn up). If one is stolen, it includes the Search. The Search (€19.99, one-off payment) is for when your bike has already been stolen: 30 days of searching listings.
Does it work outside Spain?
Free bike registration and the checker work from any country. Search and Protection can only be bought in the EU and EEA countries where we search listings; today, Spain. If you are in another country, register your bike for free and we'll let you know when we start searching in yours. They cannot be bought from the United Kingdom.
What do you do with my data and photos?
We use them to provide the service: keeping your bike, comparing it with listings and alerting you. We do not sell personal data. We only publish anonymous, aggregated theft statistics, never with fewer than 10 cases. You can correct or delete your bikes whenever you like and write to us at soporte@destolen.com.
Do you share anything with the police, bike shops or insurers?
Only what you allow in Settings → Privacy, and everything is off by default. No option gives them your name, email, phone number or address: if they want to contact you, we write to you. You can always download the police report yourself; we only give it to the police if you have allowed it and they ask in writing, or if the law or a court requires it.
How do I cancel?
You can cancel Protection whenever you like in Settings → Plan: it stays active until the end of the paid period and you are not charged again. The Search is a one-off payment and does not renew. If you get your bike back, press «I got it back» in «My theft».
For businesses
Do you have anything for bike shops, insurers or marketplaces?
Yes, an API for businesses. Workshops and shops can subscribe online to the Taller and Tienda plans, with 14 days free; chains, platforms and insurers get a tailored plan. Everything from the business page.
What does the API return?
Given a serial number (frame, motor or battery), whether the bike is reported stolen, recovered or not in our sources, with the source, date and area of the theft. It also gives an indicative risk score for a listing: an aid to decision-making, not a verdict.
Does the API give out owners’ details?
No. It never gives the owner’s name, email or phone number. If the owner has allowed it, a bike shop or workshop can ask us to put them in touch, and we write to the owner.
How much does it cost and how do we start?
Taller costs €49/month (100 calls) and Tienda €149/month (1,000 calls and point-of-sale registration), excluding VAT, with 14 days free and online sign-up on the business page. For chains, platforms and insurers we prepare a proposal with a free 60-day pilot.
Got another question?
Write to us at soporte@destolen.com and we will reply as soon as we can.
Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil (Spain)
091 · 062 · 112 (emergencies)
To report the theft
Online report
policia.es
You can start the report online and sign it later at a police station
Bike Index
bikeindex.org
International register of stolen bikes