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We don't have that kind of charity places here in germany or in my town. Edit: Even if we had, I wouldn't go there. I may not be a millionaire but I am not poor

by aluhut 13y ago

We don't have that kind of charity places here in germany or in my town. Edit: Even if we had, I wouldn't go there. I may not be a millionaire but I am not poor also. I am sure there are poor people who would need that bikes more then me. Don't understand me wrong. I understand that I support the crime that hurt me in the first place. I am not stupid but when I see how the Police gave up on that kind of crime, why should I still support it with new bikes? I rather support them with the small ammount of money instead and still have my mountainbike and am not that angry when it gets stolen again.

kaybe 13y ago
The train stations sometimes auction off the bikes that nobody claimed, you can get one there.
gambiting 13y ago
I think there is a difference here though. By buying cheap bikes which might have been stolen, you can be supporting criminals which then see it as a profitable activity. If you buy a new bike you are not encouraging crime,because nobody will steal it if there is no place to sell it. And I am pretty sure the police haven't given up on that crime, it's just easy to get away with it. When my bike was stolen a police officer came over and took the frame serial number,a picture of the bike and I do know they look around - I have been stopped on my bike before by the police who were looking for stolen bikes. It's just that those bikes can be easily packed on a truck and taken to another country,where no one will care, and there is no method to track a bike abroad, there should be a database with frame numbers that would be shared internationally. Edit: And those charities are not just for poor people. The one where I live has all the bikes for sale arranged neatly in a shop, the only difference is that all of them have been donated, they fixed them and now they are selling them for reasonable amount of money to help people in need.
- aluhut 13y ago
  Yes, I did also go to the Police with my frame numbers. I also heard of people who know people who got their bike back...if you know what I mean. As I said, when a criminal act reached the point where the (possible) criminals advertise their goods openly (in newspapers, on the net, on flea markets), I think they just crossed the line. They a) seem to be sure to not be cauth and b) have already enough customers. So with my decision to not give them 100€ but "give" them a new bike worth 10-times that, I support their established market even more. When I was ~15, I idioticly tried to sell a box full of my copied C64 games. I have been visited by some undercover cops who sued my parents for very much money. I never tried that again...
hrktb 13y ago
I think the 'charity' part is not towards the buyer. There may not be any near your place, but the concept is you give a free item to the charity, someone buys it for a price, and the profit is used for people in need.

by aluhut 13y ago

kaybe 13y ago

The train stations sometimes auction off the bikes that nobody claimed, you can get one there.

gambiting 13y ago

I think there is a difference here though. By buying cheap bikes which might have been stolen, you can be supporting criminals which then see it as a profitable activity. If you buy a new bike you are not encouraging crime,because nobody will steal it if there is no place to sell it. And I am pretty sure the police haven't given up on that crime, it's just easy to get away with it. When my bike was stolen a police officer came over and took the frame serial number,a picture of the bike and I do know they look around - I have been stopped on my bike before by the police who were looking for stolen bikes. It's just that those bikes can be easily packed on a truck and taken to another country,where no one will care, and there is no method to track a bike abroad, there should be a database with frame numbers that would be shared internationally. Edit: And those charities are not just for poor people. The one where I live has all the bikes for sale arranged neatly in a shop, the only difference is that all of them have been donated, they fixed them and now they are selling them for reasonable amount of money to help people in need.

aluhut 13y ago
Yes, I did also go to the Police with my frame numbers. I also heard of people who know people who got their bike back...if you know what I mean. As I said, when a criminal act reached the point where the (possible) criminals advertise their goods openly (in newspapers, on the net, on flea markets), I think they just crossed the line. They a) seem to be sure to not be cauth and b) have already enough customers. So with my decision to not give them 100€ but "give" them a new bike worth 10-times that, I support their established market even more. When I was ~15, I idioticly tried to sell a box full of my copied C64 games. I have been visited by some undercover cops who sued my parents for very much money. I never tried that again...

hrktb 13y ago

I think the 'charity' part is not towards the buyer. There may not be any near your place, but the concept is you give a free item to the charity, someone buys it for a price, and the profit is used for people in need.