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

I would in a heart beat try and find the owner and let them know I might have their doll and report the person who sold me the doll. I'd do anything in my power to return their doll to them even if it meant paying a crap load of money for shipping just for the doll to get back to it's rightful owner. It's just how I'd hope that if my dolls were ever stolen (god forbid...) that hopefully someone would contact me and let me know.

 

How do you know that? If a doll is stolen I would not buy it! But when you already bought it how will you know that! It must be a unique one. So you must put a face up that is unique, or a body specially made for you. Otherwise I would not know it. But when I do know it I would go to the police and give the one that sell it to me, to the police! I would like my money back. And give the doll back, not a stolen doll for me!M

 

I would most defenaitly contact the owner and try to arrange to return the doll. (I'd like them to pay half of the shipping if they live halfway across the globe though, if that's not too much to ask. Though if they only live an hour or two away I'd personally go deliver it to them , to make sure it arrives safely.)

However, in regards to the law about stolen goods, not every country is the same; As far as I know, in Belgium the same law does not count and it is most likely that the police will leave no other option to the original owner than buying the doll back. If the buyer didn't knew that the doll was stolen that is.

My knowledge is based on an incident with my cousin from a few years ago. His bike got stolen by a gang that terrorised the neighbourhoods of a nearby town. When they were caught it became clear that all the bikes ended up at a retailer; who had no clue that he was buying -stolen- bikes. My cousin was unable to get his bike back either way, for he had to pay to get it back (the police was involved) and did not have the funds to do so at the time. Since both the buyer and the original owner were the victim, the original owner was victimised even more.

I don't know how the law has evolved since then, since, like I said the incident dates a couple of years back. But I just figured I should point out that even if it would be morally just to return it, people might not do it and might be supported by an morally unjust law or officer at the time.
Sorry if it makes no sense, but I saw a lot of people getting flamed for their opinions and couldn't help but relate it to the incident. Since people from different countries or even neighbourhoods are raised with different morals and different laws. And while the general public thinks something is wrong, if they were taught by law that something 'wrong' is actually acceptable to that country, can it really be viewed as their own fault for thinking that way? Even if it's not the right thing to do. I know it would be looked down upon within the doll community, but I can't help but feel a bit annoyed at all the flaming for a moral compass which is most likely shaped by the culture/ country/state/ neighbourhood they live in.

And perhaps my own moral compass is twisted as well, because if my precious Reika were to be stolen...I wouldn't expect to get her back from a victim of the seller/ thief without handing over at least something of a reward. I am not the only one who suffered. I might not be able to fully repay the fund that the other coughed up for her, seeing as I had to save some years to get her. But I wouldn't let the person go empty handed either, since both of us were hurt.It'd be better to 'lick eachother's wounds' as they say and hasten the healing in a way that leaves both parties at least semi-happy. Though I'd probably feel really guilty for asking her back , knowing that the other has probably bonded with her too.

((Oh deary me...That ended up being quite a wall. Sorry about that O.o))

 

I would contact the doll's true owner and give it back, no matter how much I had spent or how much I loved the doll. One of my worst fears is having a doll stolen and I couldn't imagine ever letting another person suffer like that. It would be really upsetting, but I'd return the doll. And then, I'd report whoever I got the doll from to police and if I got them off of the marketplace, I'd let a moderator know and have privileges revoked. Hopefully though, it would just be someone else who bought a stolen doll, and had no idea it was stolen. I think it's so horrible that someone would knowingly sell a stolen doll. It's bad enough that someone would even take the doll to begin with. D:

 

I would definitely return the doll to the original owner. I wouldn't feel right having a stolen doll and what if they found out you had it and accused you of stealing it? It would be difficult knowing that I might not get my money back, but I would give it to the rightful owner. I would also do anything I could to report the person I bought the doll from and get my money back.

 

man it just really sucks... that's why i think i would just buy straight from company... I can't deal with stuff like this .u.

 

I just wanna say something here as a theory....What if the original owner already replaced the stolen doll and still expected you to give it back? Searching post history and such if that did happen....What do you do then?

I'm saying this because I recall a few years ago a doll owner had several dolls stolen from her and a lot of us in the hobby started sending in donations to help her pay for replacements, face up artists stepping up even Emory from Junkyspot was putting in orders to get new versions of those stolen five to the owner after they were stolen out of her car.

What if you accidentally wound up with one of those kinds of situation dolls as it were....What do you do then? If she already has a replacement whilst it will never replace the original what do you do? Do you still contact the cops? Or paypal? Or do you propose a trade the new for the old? Because either way you're gonna lose the doll you bought...So what would you do?

I'm just curious here.

 

I'd have to ask for the money or at least some of it. These dolls are not cheap!!
stinks but so does life sometimes!

 

I really have to repeat this because people just are not getting it.

In the United States, if you have bought stolen property, you must give it back, or turn it over to the police. Must. That is the law. If you do not, you can be arrested and prosecuted as a "receiver of stolen goods" and you can go to jail. If you ask the former owner of the doll for money, that is extortion under the law, and you have broken two laws.

Is it worth going to jail over a doll? Having a criminal record follow you for the rest of your life over a doll?

 

I'm incredibly wary about buying anything valuable secondhand because of this issue. But if I did find myself in this situation, I'd value my ethics and ability to sleep at night over the doll or the money.

And if I were the original owner who got their doll back, I'd want to give the person who returned it something in return, maybe a gift voucher for that doll company for whatever amount I could scrape up?

 

Totally agree. It is paying kindness with kindness... in the end peace of spirit is so much better than money anyway.

 

I guess this is why when it comes to BJD's I will not buy them from any place except the doll companies that sell them. I worry so much about accidentally getting a bootleg copy let alone a stolen doll that it would be very hard for me to purchase anything from any other location this new to BJDs. Without any doubt a stolen doll would be returned to its owner if I knew the owner and I would ask for nothing in return.

If I was the person that had the doll stolen and it was my doll that was found I would certainly find a special way to thank the person that found my doll and gave it back.

 

I would most definitely contact the original owner to let them know that I believed that I had their doll. I would probably tell them that I was going to take it to the police as well so I could try to get my money back and give them my contact information so I could updated them with the investigation, though if the original owner offered an award (I would not ask for one however), I would probably skip the police and send the doll back to them right away. Either way, my conscience would not let me keep the doll.

Off the top of my head, that's what I think I would do anyway. I hope I never have to deal with that sort of situation.

 

I would probably contact the owner and seller. I would ask for the money back from the seller and I would give the owner back their doll.

 

So...this did actually happen to me!

I bought a doll on e-bay after being inactive in the hobby for several years. The price was right - the doll was not a popular mold and looked from the sales pics as though it needed some TLC - and I didn't think much of it until she actually arrived. The doll was not in great shape, to put it mildly, and I started wondering about its previous owner. I was able to find the specific doll quickly through the DoA databases here, and when I checked on her former owner's profile and saw she was listed as STOLEN, everything started to make sense. (The theft was well-publicized at the time, but not being active in the hobby then, I'd missed it.)

After freaking out for about five minutes, I PMed the owner here and explained that I had inadvertently purchased her doll and wanted to send her back. She had already tried contacting both the police and the e-bay seller, to no avail, and I kind of just accepted that I was going to take a loss on what I paid for the doll. In the end though, she sent me another doll she was planning on selling as thanks.

Though it was a horrible situation, I feel as though there was a reason I bought that doll, and that's to have helped her back to her rightful owner. I'm also still very humbled and gratified by her decision to send a different doll in her stead. She most definitely did NOT have to do that! I won't name her here publicly without her permission, but I just want to say that there are some truly amazing and generous people involved in this hobby and she's at the top of my list.

 

I'd ask the doll what she wanted to do and abide by her decision.

 

I got back on this board after years of pretty much ignoring it after buying a doll on ebay for such a cheap price that I worried it might be a stolen doll. I searched through everything I could, and everywhere I could in search of pictures of this doll in case he was stolen. I found nothing, thankfully. Had I found anything I would have contacted the person missing the doll and offered to send it back to them even it it meant I was out the money I had paid for the doll.

 

Q: What would you do if you found out the doll you just bought had been stolen from someone else?

. I would take plenty of pictures to document what the item's state was when it arrived to me. Box opening photos are not just a fun thing, they provide proof of purchase for the buyer. Evidence is the key to any legal claim.

. Then make sure I have records of every part of the transaction, paypal, bank accounts, emails, DoA messages, copy of the sales listing... basically proof of sales listing by the seller of stolen property.

. Track down the previous owner, look at Missing/Stolen bjd posts, Flickr photos... basically proof that the bjd belongs to the original owner and that it was stolen.

. Contact the original bjd owner, ask about bjd history, proof of ownership on their part, if possible get a copy of their filed police report (anyone who invests in bjd should file a 'stolen property report' thing with the police if their bjd is stolen).

. Go to my local police station and show them all the proof that stolen goods were unwittingly brought and the proof behind my claims. File a report with the police. Then depending upon what they think I should do either leave the bjd with them or take it with me to send back to original owner. If you have found and contacted the original owner then the police may be alright with you returning to bjd to that owner yourself. The important thing is to file a 'purchase of stolen property' report, it provides proof of you doing the legal thing about unknowingly purchasing stolen goods. As the person who purchased the stolen bjd you are also a victim and have been lied to, you have also had your money stolen too by the thief.

. Arrange for shipping back to the original owner. Either go 50/50 on the postage or the owner can pay for the post costs back to them.
No way would I shell out money just from myself when I am already out possibly hundreds of currency and have no idea if I would get my money back. My funds are limited, and by this point I'd be viciously angry... not a good thing for the thief ^^#.

. Inform the seller of 'illegally obtained goods' that I have found the original owner, contacted the police and now want a full refund. ASAP, no excuses. Be politely annoying until I get my money back. If the money is not returned then file a claim with the police to get my money back, it was theft of my funds too. Contact paypal, bank(s) and file an 'illegal transaction' report, showing proof of transaction and backstory.

That would be what I would do. Personal I can't stand people who steal, and finding out that I purchased a stolen product would just make me all kings of furious with the situation but especially with the thief #_#.

 

thanks for sharing your story, it is beautiful to know that there are so many kind people out there

 

Whoa, SANDWICH!!! You are so very very awesome!! Your good deed did go rewarded. Kudos to you and the original owner of the doll. It is really most heartbreaking to see how the seller on ebay and the police did nothing... it would be a happier end to the story if the person was forced to give back the sale price, was prosecuted, and at least somebody would get SOME of their money back.

I would do the same as Sandwich did. To be perfectly frank (versus being perfectly Sherry ha ha that's a joke) I'm sure I would have a few moments of a little devil sitting on my shoulder saying, it wasn't your fault, you didn't know, you spent the money, keep the doll, but, in the end I know that every time I looked at that doll, I would be aware that she belonged to somebody else. I would feel like a thief by proxy or something. I'd pm the owner, too.