What would you do if...you bought a doll that had been stolen?

Wow, this one's a tough situation what with all of the legal bits in it. However,my conscience always leads me in the right direction. I'd do a number of things if this happened.

1.I'd check to see if my doll matched the description of the person claiming it. If it doesn't match, then I will wish the seller luck in finding their doll. If it does match then I would immediately contact the true owner, trying to get proof and evidence that the doll that I purchased is really theirs. If they could prove that it was their doll, then we'd move to phase two together!

2.I'd get the police involved and try to track down the seller/thief! If they're still on the loose, they need to be stopped before they sell anymore stolen dolls. I mean what kind of a jerk steals dolls? I understand some people really really need the money,but when you steal and resell, you involve way too many people in your dirty dealings. I wouldn't want anyone else in my shoes. Once I did I'd try to get PayPal involved as well in hopes to get my money back if the seller wouldn't cough it up themselves.

3. I would return the doll to the seller once all of the legal stuff was cleared up. I may ask for shipping money if I'm flat broke. XD Otherwise, I'd send it right to them without asking for a reward. If I get one, then hooray for me, but if not still hooray because the owner has their doll back and is happy and that would make me feel good inside. A simple thank you message is good enough.Yes it may have been my grail doll and yes I may be pissed and upset because I had to go through all of that,but it's not my doll. I have no right to try and sell it back to them just because they want it. It was never mine to sell in the first place although I bought it with my own money as well. It's wrong to do so and it's plain illegal because stolen property goes back to the real owner no matter what.

I remember finding over $300 in the bathroom at a convention one year. When the girl who owned the money came in crying and was able to describe the exact amount and where she thought she might have dropped it, I immediately felt sick to my stomach and returned it to her. I got no reward,but a massive glomping from the owner, which was fine. It's not in me to steal things from people knowingly. It's too much of a soul burden. Whether it's a doll or money, in this case technically both because the doll is worth so much, I could never sleep at night knowing what I did and how much I hurt someone else. My guilt would literally stare me in the face each night. O_o

You should place yourself in the true owner's shoes and think that you'd want your doll back without someone trying to bite you in the butt by selling the doll back to you when it was yours to begin with or just staying silent because they don't want to give it back. They were robbed and hurt by this ordeal just as much as you. Yes you may be out a lot of money,but I don't think your sanity, morality or jail time is worth ANY doll.

 

Well, I'd probably feel bad about it (All that love and moneyyyy DX) but I wouldn't keep it, that would be wrong...And extremely embarrassing if they ever found out I had it and kept it ._.; it isn't right to keep someone else's possessions if you know it's theirs.

 

In the world of theoreticals (because real life doesn't always work that way) I would go legal rambo on them. Legal authorities (police, Interpol), ebay/marketplace authorities, paypal or payment handler, anyone and anything that I can swing at them. In a perfect world, both the receiver and the victim would get recompense, and the thief would never be able to do it again. Of course, if the seller was unaware that the item was stolen then they would get shafted pretty badly for something they unwittingly did, but again in a perfect world they would get a warning to pay more attention and the real thief would get the full brunt of the punishment.

 

I'd be worried that the seller and the person who lost the doll weren't in cahoots or something, but that's just the kind of stuff I think about. I get really suspicious and watch too many shows on USA and TNT. :P

However, if I had some undeniable proof I had purchased a legitimately stolen doll, I'd return it. Because really, if something like that had happened to me, I'd hope the buyer would do the same.

 

Man, for one, I'd feel guilty as all hell. e.e;;

Much as it would mean being out x-amount of money without anything to show for it, I would have to return the doll to its rightful owner. It just wouldn't be right if I were to hang onto it if I /knew/ that I'd been taken in by a fraudulent seller and that the doll /was/ stolen property.

I'd also imagine that the rightful owner of the doll would be missing their resinbaby. So, it's only right, really.

 

Well I don't know the law in other countries, but in the UK it's actually illegal to buy stolen items, even if you didn't know at the time it was stolen. You won't get prosecuted if you didn't know, but I would imagine if you found out and then still kept the item you could absolutely be charged for possession of stolen goods.

So then for your own sake, as well as the fact of it being the right thing to do, you should give the doll back. I think it's also important to report the thief: you have evidence of who it is, though unfortunately linking it to a real person may be difficult. You could also go directly to the police, and return the item via them.
Assuming they get caught, you can probably sue them for your money back; I would guess it would go to the small claims court.

So basically, yes you should return the item because it is both the moral and legal thing to do (in the UK at least).

 

Wow, a really unhappy situation!!


I think I would contact the original owner right away! It must hurt to have your doll stolen, I was robbed before (not dolls) and I know exactly how it fells to lose something you saved to buy!!


After contacting the original owner to give his doll back, I would go to the one who solded it to me to ask for my money back, and problaby to the police. It's a crime, so they have to know.

 

I would hate to lose all that money....and the doll I may have bonded with....but then I'd think...."What if it had been Amir or Loki?" And I KNOW I'd feel horrible knowing they were out there somewhere, who knows what happening to them......and I'd do the right thing.

If I was in my 45 days with Paypal, I'd do a chargeback or file a claim and report it to Paypal that the doll was stolen. I would also notify the police and file charges. I would do what I could to get my money back, because I don't have that kind of money to just throw away.

I would contact the owner and let them know I have their doll and get their info to send him back home.

But before any of this, I'd have to be 100% certain it's their doll. Markings or something to prove it. I wouldn't hand over my doll and file reports just because it happened to be the same sculpt and skintone and might possibly be the one in question. There's a much higher chance that it's NOT the stolen doll. B/c really, who would be stupid enough to steal a doll and sell it on DoA where stolen dolls get reported?

 

I would contact the person, but i paid for the doll and would be happy to give it back when my money was returned.

 

First of all I'd snoop around for information on the seller (cellphone number, name, write down ebay username if it happened over there, perhaps where they live) then I would contact the original owner and ask about the stolen doll (special traits in the face-up, small faults, anything to mark it as their doll). If the stolen doll matched with the doll I bought I would try and contact ebay/an admin regarding the whole 'someone sold me a stolen doll' ordeal, and then rinse-repeat with paypal... also, let the owner know I had their doll and that I'd be willing to give it back to them, though they would have to pay for half the shipping (which, had I been in their shoes, I would be happy to do.)

Best case scenario I'll get my money back, the original owner has his/her baby back and we're all content and happy. Worse case I'll have wasted enough money for me to cry blood tears, but at least have my dignity and a clean conscience (I'd still lament my hellish luck for buying a stolen doll.)

 

First of all, I don't think I'd ever consider buying anything from anyone other than (a) a reputable dealer or (b) someone I know personally, at least indirectly. For instance: I'd consider buying something from someone on a site such as this where I'd been following the doll's and the doll's owner's existence over a period of time, but I don't think I'd buy a doll off EBay unless, again, it was an extremely established dealer. That makes them (a) trackable and (b) responsible for buying/selling stolen objects. If despite these precautions it was proven the doll was stolen (and yes, if I learned of one similar being stolen, I would contact the original owner) I would make certain the person got their doll back and do my best to get my money back. But I've been robbed before and the feeling of violation is something I'd do everything in my power to help heal.

 

I would contact the owner, and would do what I could to get my money back from the rogue seller by legal means open to me

 

I was recently thinking about what I would do if one of my own babies were ever stolen, so I've thought about this. I would hope the person who bought the doll would return them, so if I ever bought a stolen doll and new for certain who the owner was, I'd return it. Of course I'd contact the police, do my best to figure out if the seller knew, and immediately contact my bank so I could get the money back.

 

Gosh, I never thought anything like this could happen, but I suppose stranger things have happened. Now, I'll never buy a doll off of ebay, just cuz something like this could happen, but say I do. First, I'd contact ebay about the situation, most likely, they'd give contact info and I'd have to contact police about it. I'd file the report, contact the person who owns the doll, and work on getting things resolved. Hopefully, if law enforcement and ebay and paypal are any good as they say they are, I'll get my money back, the stealer will get their just-desserts, and the original owner will get their baby back. If I had to be out the money, I think I'd be peeved and use physical force to get my money back if I had to, but I'd still do the right thing no matter what.

 

I've never been in a situation like this before, so I wouldn't know exactly what I would do.
Although I'd like to be a nice person and say that I would give the doll back, it could mean possibly that I would be losing a lot of money.
To be honest, I would only return the doll if I knew that I could have my money back. I definitely don't plan on charging the owner of the doll for a doll that they have already paid for.
It's a cruel thing to do, but once the owner gets their doll back, I'm the one who has to pay now. Basically I have had my money stolen by the seller.
So I guess it would really depend on the situation.

 

Well I'd save all of the communication between the seller and me, then contact the police and the original owner, so that charges would be pressed and all the legal junk. Eventually they'd get their doll back, an hopefully I'll get my money back.

 

I would do all I could to get my money back but I would definitely get the doll back to his owner. I could not enjoy a stolen doll.

 

What a terrible situation that would be but I'd do the right thing! I couldn't leave thinking there's somebody out there all sad looking for their doll and I have it and not do anything about it. It's similar to finding a cute puppy on the street and keeping it while their owner is looking for it.

Umm, the right thing being, trying to get my money back from the seller and returning the doll to the owner.

 

if that happened to me I'd want to be contacted ASAP so of course I'd contact the real owner and return the doll.
Then I would contact the person I purchased the doll from and demand a refund.

 

Hmm... I think that's a very plausible scenario. BJD community isn't that big and it's bound to happen. I would contact the seller who selled stolen doll immediatly and press charges through PayPal. And if that doesn't work out, I would give it back to the original owner, of course. She/He have spent many years for that doll. Although I'm pretty sure I'll give it back to the original owner, but will I do that for free? If I get my money back, then sure why not? But if I don't, that's something to think about... I would at least charge half amount. A lot of my stuff has been stolen and it's mainly because I weren't very careful. So if you really care about your BJD, you should've been careful from the first place.