Guide
You have seen your bike in a listing: what to do and what not to do
This guide explains the situation in Spain.
If you see a bike in a second-hand listing that you believe is yours, do not contact the seller, do not try to buy it back and do not report it to the listings website before going to the police: the listing can disappear, and the evidence with it. Keep screenshots and the link with the date and time, compare the details only your bike has and take it all to the police with your report. A similar listing is not enough to identify your bike.
By the destolen team · Reviewed on 27 October 2026.
Step by step
Keep the evidence first
Take screenshots of the whole listing (photos, description, price, area and the seller's profile name) and copy the link. Note the date and time you saw it. Do it straight away: the seller can delete it at any moment.
Compare calmly
Look at what only your bike has: the serial number if visible, dents, stickers, replaced parts or accessories. A similar listing is not enough to identify your bike: there are many identical bikes of the same model.
Where is the serial number on a bike?Do not contact the seller
Do not message them to say it is yours, do not threaten them and do not arrange to meet: they could delete the listing, get rid of the bike or be dangerous. Even if the bike is yours, taking it back yourself with violence, intimidation or force can be an offence in Spain (article 455 of the Criminal Code).
Do not try to buy it back
Paying for it does not guarantee you get it back and you can lose the money. Let the police act.
Do not tell the listings website first
If you report the listing to the website before going to the police, they may remove it and the evidence the police need to act is lost. Police first; then, if the police tell you to, the website.
Go to the police with your report
Bring the copy of your theft report (or report it now if you have not), the screenshots, the link with the date and time and the evidence that the bike is yours. Ask them to add it to your report.
What to do if your bike is stolenBe ready to prove it is yours
If the police recover it, they will ask for proof that it is yours: serial number, receipt, photos or a register record. If you have no receipt or serial number, other evidence can help.
No receipt or serial number: how to prove it is yours
Why not tell the website first
A listings website can remove a listing as soon as someone reports it. If the listing disappears before the police see it, only your screenshots remain. With the listing still online, the police can see it and decide how to act.
What the law says
In Spain, as a general rule, someone unlawfully deprived of a movable item can claim it back from whoever holds it, even if they bought it in good faith (article 464 of the Civil Code), with exceptions: for example, if they bought it at a public auction or in a shop or from an established trader (article 85 of the Commercial Code). If in doubt, consult a lawyer. Buying something you know is stolen can be the offence of handling stolen goods (article 298 of the Criminal Code). And taking back what is yours by yourself with violence, intimidation or force can be the offence of taking the law into your own hands (article 455 of the Criminal Code).
This is general information, not legal advice.
How destolen helps
With the destolen Search (€19.99, 30 days) we check second-hand listings several times a day and show you the ones similar to your bike by level: “Very similar”, “Similar” or “Possible”. You decide. If you think one is your bike, we give you a report on the listing to take to the police. We do not contact the seller or recover bikes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I message the seller pretending to be a buyer?
We do not recommend it: they may notice, delete the listing or get rid of the bike, and meeting them can be dangerous. Take the listing to the police and follow their instructions.
What if the listing is gone?
Still take the screenshots and the link to the police, with the date and time you saw it.
Should I report the listing to the website?
Go to the police first. If you tell the website first, they may remove the listing and the evidence is lost.
Sources checked on 27 October 2026
Have your bike's details ready
Register your bike for free with photos and serial number: if it is stolen, you will have everything at hand to report it and search for it. And before buying a used one, check its serial number.