How to report stolen goods to Trade Me

In the lead up to Christmas and the Christmas break when many of you will be lucky enough to head away on a well-earned holiday, it is a good time for a reminder about protecting your property from thieves.

The New Zealand Police offer some great basic advice on protecting your home and property on their website.

The Police also operate a service called SNAP which allows members of the public to create and store a list of their property’s serial numbers for free.

Creating a record of the serial number makes it easier to track stolen property which is especially important for generic looking items such as electronics or musical instruments.

Whilst we never want to think about our stuff being stolen (or lost), recording serial numbers should be done in advance of a burglary or loss occurring so consider doing it now.

Research undertaken by the Ministry of Justice suggests that the vast majority of stolen goods are sold within the burglar’s network of contacts.

The remaining goods are generally sold to drug dealers, second-hand stores or are kept by the thief. Trade Me is aware that some of these goods do eventually make their way online.

We are not okay about this.

We work really closely with the Police to prevent stolen items ending up on Trade Me and if they do, we help to apprehend the people responsible.

If you are in the unfortunate situation of having been burgled, and it’s too late to record serial numbers you may wish to monitor the internet for the sale of your items.

On Trade Me you can set up a “favourite search” which regularly checks Trade Me to see if an item matching the description of your stolen item is listed.

You then receive an email each time an item matching your search is listed.

We also recommend reviewing other online sales platforms including local buy, sell and swap groups and the Hustle Live facebook pages.

These largely unmonitored marketplaces have quickly become the platform of choice for moving stolen goods.

Sure, we're in competition with these guys, but if you're concerned about safety, we don't recommend you use them for personal trading as there are few protections, as there is little that those sites can do if something goes wrong.

If you manage to identify an item listed on Trade Me that you believe may be your stolen item then you should contact both Trade Me and the Police.

When reporting the matter to the Police you will need to supply:

• The auction number.
• Your Police file number from the burglary event.
• The date the item was stolen.
• Any additional information that proves the item belongs to you, for example distinguishing marks or engravings.

Trade Me will then be contacted by Police in relation to the listing. If appropriate, Trade Me will remove the item from the site.

Any individuals that are found to be knowingly selling stolen items on our site are permanently banned and may face prosecution by NZ Police.

Have a great Christmas break and make sure Santa’s the only stranger you welcome into your house this Christmas!