What to do when your bike is stolen

The worst has come to pass, someone has stolen your beloved bicycle! What to do now?

Well, besides getting the bus to work, there are a few more things to check.

Bicycle Depository

Maybe, just maybe, your bicycle was not actually stolen, but rather removed by the gemeente. Bicycles that have been parked for longer than 12 days, or were parked illegally can be removed by the gemeente and sent to the bicycle depository (fietsdepot).

Removed bicycles are stored for 4 weeks (sometimes longer, depending on the gemeente), in which time you can reclaim your bicycle. Usually you will have to pay a fee to get your bicycle back, usually around €25 – €30, depending on the gemeente.

On the website Verloren of Gevonden you can see if your bicycle has been removed. You will want to filter it to where your bike was, and the time frame it was missing since.

Let the police know

If your bike has been stolen then you should report it to the police. Around 7% of reported stolen bicycles are returned to their owners, and if your bike has a chip or frame number, this raises to around 15%.

When making a declaration to the police you will need to provide proof of ownership (such as a purchase receipt) if possible, else a photo of you with your bike can also be useful. You will need to provide the police with as much detail about your bike as possible, such as brand, model, colour, frame number and chip number.

You can download this translated version of a bike registration card (fietsregistratiekaart) to fill in so you have all your bicycles details on hand should it ever be stolen.

If you had insurance on your bicycle, you will need to report the theft to the police in order to claim on your insurance.

Don’t buy a stolen bike

What happens to all those stolen bikes that don’t get recovered? Well many of them make their way back out onto the streets through 2^nd hand sellers.

If you are looking to buy a second hand bicycle, you can check it against the national stolen bicycle registry. Simply enter the model and frame number to check if the bike has been reported as stolen.