Posted on 08/14/2005 7:25:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A Whakatane couple have created a website that will hinder people selling stolen goods.
Bill Danby and Joanne Cunningham's website www.stolen-lost.co.nz went live a week ago and five days later had received 65,720 hits.
The website can be used to list stolen or lost items for a $3 to $7 fee.
The items stay listed for five years and anyone looking to purchase a second-hand item can search the website free of charge to check that the item is not stolen.
Lost items, such as pets, can be listed as well and rewards can be offered.
Mr Danby, manager of Kawerau Hire and Chainsaws, created the website.
About 12 months ago some of his friends had items stolen from their home and car. He suggested that they try searching the internet because "surely there must be some website that lists stolen goods".
AdvertisementAdvertisement"We couldn't find anything. I don't know why no one had done this before," he said.
"It took us 11 months to get the idea off the ground and develop the website and, after all that time, still no one else had done it."
He said that his company, Stolen-Lost, was "going very well". "We have consulted extensively with the New Zealand Police to make sure that it is all done properly and they are going to be using the site as a resource.
"Second-hand dealers like Cash Converters are using it to check on all of their goods before they buy them and we are in talks with Trade Me about working together with them, as they have a lot of trouble with stolen goods being sold on their site.
"We have already had requests from Australia to start a website there. This is going to be big," he said.
Starts out a great idea, but the more it grows there's potential for abuse. Thieves could use it to frame innocent people...
Lucky for Sandy Berger that he doesn't live in NZ.
"This is going to be big", but not as big as Ebay.
But how do you think it will be used to frame innocent people?
won't work in a country this size. Are you really going to search through 10,000 Sanyo model A4110 stereo systems to ensure that something isn't stolen? If you have a serial number, you can call the police and find out the same thing. If someone went through the trouble to post it on a web site, they would also file a police report. Works on a small island...not in USA...that's my two cents..I think i overcharged you..lol
I don't know.... I just know.
save your money...i can see the wheels turning from here.
I'm not impressed. Most stolen merchandise moves on the street between people who couldn't care less if it's on a website.
There's also only a small chance that anything you search for is listed, even if it is stolen.
MM
Me and you should create a site for lost or stolen ideas.
Disagree.
It's a great tool for vendors of used (stolen?) goods. As for the 10000 Sanyo serial-numbered items...yeah, I'd search through the list. But the program could list them in order. I think it's a great idea.
There are fundamental dynamics surrounding new ideas...and those who would execute them. This is from business training, and business books, and business experience: certain people immediately spend thought and energy on coming up with all the ways to say why something WON'T work (that's what you're doing, here), while others spend just as much time and energy figuring out how to make an idea WORK.
Not to say you are always this type, of course, just saying that that is the role you're playing here. IMO.
bump
i have a bridge you might be interested in..
My daughter's friend's boyfriend (got that?) stole the girlfriend's stuff and sold it on ebay. The girl saw the stuff (she could read the serial numbers!) and had the guy busted. He had some other stolen stuff, too. Nice guy. So, I guess I could see this working in some cases, anyway.
I went for a look and found 1 cell phone listed and 1 mountain bike and, ready, 11 chainsaws! (I would be VERY worried if I had a fear of chainsaw murderers.) Everything else I typed in came back 'zero'. Either this is a very honest country or they haven't had many customers yet.
A prize (a hearty pat on the back) if you can find a third, fourth, or fifth item listed (not counting the chainsaws). (No fair paying to list your own item and then claiming the prize!) This could be a fun game to play at a dull party.
Since the guy seems to run a rental place, there should be some other tools on there, but I am going to bed. Happy hunting.
I win! I found three more items. Pat, pat, pat. NOW I can sleep in peace.
good idea. execution might become problemmatic
bump
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