Club Alleva Coppolo (Part VI)

[Chef]

i'd be willing to help if he's regional to me.

 

[Tom7]

I got an email response from him that he is checking on the serial number and the weight with the seller. He seems to be an intermediary...at least that is what he wants me to think. I hope it is possible to catch the perpetrator if this works out.

Peace,

T

Let's think about this for a second.

Really only us hard core bassists asks questions about serial numbers -- casual bassists and non players don't care about serial numbers. This ebay seller confesses in his ad that he isn't a hard core bassist, therefore any query about serial number will probably seem odd, even if the bass is legit.

More importantly, if this is a stolen bass, the seller isn't going to be excited to give you information that could tell you that.

Consequently, if this is Mat's bass, a query asking for the serial number will most likely result in 3 outcomes, none of which are desirable.

(1) The seller gets spooked and vanishes.

(2) The seller doesn't respond, hoping the bass will sell to someone else in its 5 days and 3 hours.

(3) The seller gives a bogus or altered serial number. For instance, he may figure it's pretty easy to make a "B0011" look like "B0077."

Again, NONE of these outcomes are desirable, and we don't want to, with good intentions, lose Mat's chance to recover his bass.

Based on Jimmy's statement saying he made only ONE of these, and Mat's statement saying it is "officially confirmed as lost by the shipping company" we do not need a serial number.

We don't need the serial number.

We don't need it, and asking about it could mess things up so really none of us should pursue the serial number angle anymore.

We need 3 things:

(1) To not screw this up

(2) To get the shipping company involved

(3) To offer our help wherever we are willing and able to do so

If the shipping company compensated Mat for the bass, then technically it is their property that is being recovered, not Mat's. That's not to say Mat doesn't have some stake in this though.

But we have to consider the possibility that if the shipping company eventually found Mat's bass, then this could perhaps be a listing by the company or their designee, and that the seller sees himself simply as someone selling his own property to recover the money they gave out when the item was lost.

Mat needs to contact the shipping company right away and tell them he has spotted his old bass on ebay. If they aren't aware of the listing, then he needs to give the shipping company the ebay item number (170306377423) and should fax or email them Jimmy's statement, and give them Jimmy's number so they can confirm it with him. The shipping company will contact law enforcement and they will call Jimmy as well and move from there.

That conversation will give you guidance on other possibilities, like if YOU will be able to get the bass back, and if you also need to contact law enforcement authorities in the U.S.

Years ago, I spotted an ad for my wife's stolen wedding ring. I contacted police who used me to pose a buyer to buy the ring, and they moved from there and everything was resolved in the end.

I'd have to talk to my wife, but I'd also be willing to work with law enforcement to buy Mat's bass so that police can get the information they need to catch the bad guys.

But it's not my place to assume that role, you know? We can all offer our help to Mat, but doing anything that could risk him not recovering his bass wouldn't be help, no matter how well intended.

 

[peterpalmieri]

Don't you guys think it's best to inform the proper authorities and let them take care of this?

edit: Didn't see Tom's post, I agree...

 

[Hollow Man]

Don't you guys think it's best to inform the proper authorities and let them take care of this?

Yes, but it is also important to identify the location of the bass and make sure it doesn't end up with a buyer that knows nothing of this. I don't know that anyone other than Mat or perhaps Jimmy calling the authorities is going to help... simply put, we have no legal stake in this. I agree with Tom's recommendation that Mat contact the shipping company ASAP and urge them to contact police. In the meantime, it would be great if someone local could get a name and address of the seller by asking to see and possibly purchase the bass in person.

 

[tommixx]

Let's think about this for a second.

Really only us hard core bassists asks questions about serial numbers -- casual bassists and non players don't care about serial numbers. This ebay seller confesses in his ad that he isn't a hard core bassist, therefore any query about serial number will probably seem odd, even if the bass is legit.

More importantly, if this is a stolen bass, the seller isn't going to be excited to give you information that could tell you that.

Consequently, if this is Mat's bass, a query asking for the serial number will most likely result in 3 outcomes, none of which are desirable.

(1) The seller gets spooked and vanishes.

(2) The seller doesn't respond, hoping the bass will sell to someone else in its 5 days and 3 hours.

(3) The seller gives a bogus or altered serial number. For instance, he may figure it's pretty easy to make a "B0011" look like "B0077."

Again, NONE of these outcomes are desirable, and we don't want to, with good intentions, lose Mat's chance to recover his bass.

Based on Jimmy's statement saying he made only ONE of these, and Mat's statement saying it is "officially confirmed as lost by the shipping company" we do not need a serial number.

We don't need the serial number.

We don't need it, and asking about it could mess things up so really none of us should pursue the serial number angle anymore.

We need 3 things:

(1) To not screw this up

(2) To get the shipping company involved

(3) To offer our help wherever we are willing and able to do so

If the shipping company compensated Mat for the bass, then technically it is their property that is being recovered, not Mat's. That's not to say Mat doesn't have some stake in this though.

But we have to consider the possibility that if the shipping company eventually found Mat's bass, then this could perhaps be a listing by the company or their designee, and that the seller sees himself simply as someone selling his own property to recover the money they gave out when the item was lost.

Mat needs to contact the shipping company right away and tell them he has spotted his old bass on ebay. If they aren't aware of the listing, then he needs to give the shipping company the ebay item number (170306377423) and should fax or email them Jimmy's statement, and give them Jimmy's number so they can confirm it with him. The shipping company will contact law enforcement and they will call Jimmy as well and move from there.

That conversation will give you guidance on other possibilities, like if YOU will be able to get the bass back, and if you also need to contact law enforcement authorities in the U.S.

Years ago, I spotted an ad for my wife's stolen wedding ring. I contacted police who used me to pose a buyer to buy the ring, and they moved from there and everything was resolved in the end.

I'd have to talk to my wife, but I'd also be willing to work with law enforcement to buy Mat's bass so that police can get the information they need to catch the bad guys.

But it's not my place to assume that role, you know? We can all offer our help to Mat, but doing anything that could risk him not recovering his bass wouldn't be help, no matter how well intended.

Woooo...Big fella! I asked for the serial number before Jimmy posted or before anyone even suggested it was a stolen bass. I was unaware that it might be stolen and just thought the ad seemed fishy to me. I don't disagree with what you are saying at all but just so you know I ask for the serial number and weight on EVERY instrument transaction I do on ebay. An unwillingness to provide either one is a sure signal to me and one that will assure I will not buy that instrument. I would hope that at this point someone will have already contacted the police and they are working the case as we speak. Ebay has an address on the seller and even if the seller is acting for someone else they are still liable for this transaction. The fact that Jimmy has confirmed it is a one of kind means that this IS in fact a stolen instrument...period! There is no need to try and have an individual outside of law enforcement setup any kind of sting to catch the perpetrators. Let the police handle it, plain and simple. I apologize to anyone that may have been harmed by me asking for information from the seller if in fact they have been. As I said at the time I submitted the request to the seller I was unaware that this might be a stolen instrument...just a thought but I certainly hope the thief is not a TBer...

Peace,

T

 

[tommixx]

Don't you guys think it's best to inform the proper authorities and let them take care of this?

edit: Didn't see Tom's post, I agree...

Completely agree...NO ONE should make any kind of deal or make any effort to sidestep the police in this. If I were the proper owner I would be in touch with the authorities and provide proof of ownership and let the police deal with it.

Peace,

T

 

[Tom7]

Woooo...Big fella! I asked for the serial number before Jimmy posted or before anyone even suggested it was a stolen bass. I was unaware that it might be stolen and just thought the ad seemed fishy to me. I don't disagree with what you are saying at all but just so you know I ask for the serial number and weight on EVERY instrument transaction I do on ebay. An unwillingness to provide either one is a sure signal to me and one that will assure I will not buy that instrument. I would hope that at this point someone will have already contacted the police and they are working the case as we speak. Ebay has an address on the seller and even if the seller is acting for someone else they are still liable for this transaction. The fact that Jimmy has confirmed it is a one of kind means that this IS in fact a stolen instrument...period! There is no need to try and have an individual outside of law enforcement setup any kind of sting to catch the perpetrators. Let the police handle it, plain and simple. I apologize to anyone that may have been harmed by me asking for information from the seller if in fact they have been. As I said at the time I submitted the request to the seller I was unaware that this might be a stolen instrument...just a thought but I certainly hope the thief is not a TBer...

Peace,

T

I'm sorry, Tom. I know that message was overkill, I just wanted to make sure we didn't blow it for Mat.

My apologies again.

 

[Wayne8]

I haven't read this whole thread. I only opened it after having read the other thread where a guy was asking if the ebay listing was legit. Having read the ebay listing, it seems to me that the seller is giving detail that wouldn't be known to anyone who didn't know the history of this particular bass.
Someone suggested, either in this thread or the other one, that it may be the carrier trying to sell it, having recovered it after paying the claim. If that were true, I suppose they could have those details about the bass.

My main point is, and I apologize if this has already been suggested, with the seller knowing those details, could he be a member here or some other forum where the details of this bass have been discussed? And, if so, I guess he knows we're on to him?

 

[svtb15]

wow.. we may have the only 2 in sonic blue at this point in time

Sonic Blue P bass,,,,, "Went to Paint"


Aj

 

[svtb15]

thats it..

Damn, this looks just like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post # 1113.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6609050&highlight=lost#post6609050

 

[Tom7]

I haven't read this whole thread. I only opened it after having read the other thread where a guy was asking if the ebay listing was legit. Having read the ebay listing, it seems to me that the seller is giving detail that wouldn't be known to anyone who didn't know the history of this particular bass.
Someone suggested, either in this thread or the other one, that it may be the carrier trying to sell it, having recovered it after paying the claim. If that were true, I suppose they could have those details about the bass.

My main point is, and I apologize if this has already been suggested, with the seller knowing those details, could he be a member here or some other forum where the details of this bass have been discussed? And, if so, I guess he knows we're on to him?

Thanks for calling our attention to the other thread.

For those who may not have spotted it yet, Mat said:

Hey Guys,

It is my bass. I'd ask that you avoid bidding on it or contacting the seller. I'll keep you posted on how this works out. Lynch mob may be a bit strong but AC's with hand written serial numbers are pretty hard to fence in our bass community

Mat

I guess that rules out the possibility that the bass is being sold legitimately by the shipper.

 

[tommixx]

I'm sorry, Tom. I know that message was overkill, I just wanted to make sure we didn't blow it for Mat.

My apologies again.

It is cool bro! I am not mad or even upset about your post! I just wanted to be sure that people know that at the time I made the request to the seller I was unaware that the bass could be the stolen one. Hopefully this will all work out and they will get the person who actually committed the crime (if there was a crime committed!). I agree with you completely that we should let the authorities handle it in any event! No worries mate!

Peace,

T

 

[Wayne8]

By the way, I notice that the ebay seller has made a correction to an obvious error in his shipping policy that had been discussed in the other thread and, again, I'm wondering if the seller is reading what's being said here.

 

[kobass]

I'm wondering if the seller is reading what's being said here.

If the seller was unfamiliar with AC, a quick google of "Alleva Coppolo" yields quite a few TB threads. If he really wanted more information, it probably wouldn't take him long to find this one.

 

[Brian Barrett]

He has been in contact with me on a buy it now price. I'm just waiting to find out more info on where we can meet. I appreciate the offer of help and support and will keep everyone posted.

Mat was sending the bass to me as a trade-in for those that wonder why I am apart of this. Thats why it was in nashville. DHL would not do anything to help and lied many times to us on why the bass wasn't delivered. To be honest with you we both think this was an Inside job because of all the lies they feed us over weeks of waiting for the bass.

 

[Vic]

He has been in contact with me on a buy it now price. I'm just waiting to find out more info on where we can meet. I appreciate the offer of help and support and will keep everyone posted.

Mat was sending the bass to me as a trade-in for those that wonder why I am apart of this. Thats why it was in nashville. DHL would not do anything to help and lied many times to us on why the bass wasn't delivered. To be honest with you we both think this was an Inside job because of all the lies they feed us over weeks of waiting for the bass.

(blood beginning to boil)

 

[svtb15]

By the way he described the bass in the title
Beautiful Rare Alleva Coppolo Custom Bass Guitar

. i think he is a amateur or at least is trying to make people think so.

I am not going to .. but if i were to email him through Ebay.. i would ask him something far off base... such as " is that a slanted neck pocket as in the OLD ones?" if so what is your reserve? Something stupid like that...
Sometimes ebay people will respond back through there actual email addresses instead of Ebay...
Then you can grab his IP and get a geographic location..
I would also check the local Craigslist in his location..
Just my 2 cents

If the seller was unfamiliar with AC, a quick google of "Alleva Coppolo" yields quite a few TB threads. If he really wanted more information, it probably wouldn't take him long to find this one.

 

[svtb15]

are you able to send me his FULL email headers in a PM.. if so i may be able to locate his general location by his IP. you can at times get his computer Name , ISP etc....

He has been in contact with me on a buy it now price. I'm just waiting to find out more info on where we can meet. I appreciate the offer of help and support and will keep everyone posted.

Mat was sending the bass to me as a trade-in for those that wonder why I am apart of this. Thats why it was in nashville. DHL would not do anything to help and lied many times to us on why the bass wasn't delivered. To be honest with you we both think this was an Inside job because of all the lies they feed us over weeks of waiting for the bass.

 

[Vic]

Sometimes ebay people will respond back through there actual email addresses instead of Ebay...
Then you can grab his IP and get a geographic location..

Sorry, but that's only true if he's not using a web based email tool. If he has a gmail account, his source IP will be google. No help there.

Not only that, but if he's at all Internet savy, and he knows he's doing something shady, it's TRIVIAL to cover email tracks. TRIVIAL.

That said, if he's a complete idiot, it might work, but I definitely wouldn't want to bet anything on it.

 

[Brian Barrett]

yea, the funniest part was when I finally called them to see why the bass wasn't delivered and they told me because when the box arrived it was Empty and so they threw the box away..... I ask why know one bothered to call me or the shipper about that. They said someone should have been since it was just a box there was no value. Then we question how come Custom's Had a Value on the Box and Instrument in the box and didn't note the Empty box..... not much of a response. Then Later we find out they found it and it was sitting in an office with another instrument and we needed to send validate the instrument with a picture.... We did that... nothing over a few days. Then I inquire to find out it was stolen out of a truck where it was being stored over the weekend on DHL's lot............ It just never ended with the lies and stories... someone will burn....