How to avoid buying a stolen e-bike

Step 1: Get the serial number

Every bike has a serial number. On many bikes it is stamped under the bottom bracket, but it can be in other places. Bike Index lists common locations. Some bikes carry more than one serial number, so ask for photos of all of them.

If the seller cannot find the serial, will not send a photo, or the number has been scratched off, ground away or covered, treat that as a stop sign.

Step 2: Search public registries

1. Go to Bike Index search and enter the serial number. Use the filter for stolen bikes anywhere, not only your area.
2. Try the serial with and without spaces or dashes, and check for easily confused characters such as 0 and O.
3. If a match is flagged stolen, do not buy it, and do not confront the seller.
4. A clean result is useful but not proof. Bike Index is a voluntary registry, so many stolen bikes are never listed.

Step 3: Ask the brand

Some manufacturers and shops keep their own serial or sales records. If the bike is a known brand, email its support with the serial number and ask whether the bike has been reported stolen or whether the original owner can be confirmed. Brands may or may not answer.

Step 4: Check the seller

• The seller can show a receipt, order confirmation, registration, or other proof they bought the bike.
• Their story is consistent: when they bought it, why they are selling, and what is wrong with it.
• They are willing to meet in person at a public place, and let you inspect and photograph the serial.
• They are not selling several bikes of the same kind at once.
• The price is in the normal range for the model and year.
• Their account and listing history look normal for a person selling a personal bike.

Red flags that should end the deal

• No serial number, or a serial number that has been removed or altered.
• No proof of purchase and no clear explanation.
• A price far below what the same used model sells for, with pressure to decide fast.
• The seller wants you to pay first, send a deposit, or use a payment method you cannot reverse.
• The seller will not meet in person, or the meeting place keeps changing.
• Fresh lock-cutting marks, a missing battery key, or a charger that does not match the bike.

If you already own a bike you want protected

Registering your own bike, with serial number and photos, on Bike Index is free, and it is what makes the search above work for the next buyer.

Sources

• Bike Index, where to find a serial number: https://bikeindex.org/serials
• Bike Index, search registrations: https://bikeindex.org/search/registrations
• Bike Index, help: https://bikeindex.org/help

Checked October 15, 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm on the source before you pay.