Found My Stuff in Cash Converters

Cave Fire on 14/01/2019 - 21:55
Last edited 15/01/2019 - 10:20 by 1 other user

Ok, so I stayed at a friends house for about a month in June. I left some things there as I couldn't carry all of my items. The items that were significant were a $150 Bauhn tv, $25 guitar and $20 amp. On NYE someone told me that this friend hocked their item without their permission. I went to the Cash Converters and saw some of my items. The first thing I did was go to the Manager. He then took my items off the shelf. This was the amp and guitar. He then said I needed to get a police report before they give the items back. I also asked if my "friend' would be black listed. The manager said he would only be blacklisted if he is convicted.

The police want proof that the items are mine. I only have Facebook chat histories were I tried to sell the guitar to my "friend". This has a photo of it and I have a tuning key that fits on it. I think this isn't much but my friend would literally have nothing. Also when I said it was six months since I lived at my friends house, the cop seem to change attitude. I did try several times to arrange a time and we were even supposed to meet up on December 4th. After this, he stopped answering my calls. Someone said they basically threatened to charge cash converters with handling stolen goods. After this they got their things back asap. I'm guessing I would need a police report or a lawyer for this? I am going to try one more time to file a report and may have to buy my own amp back at a higher cost.

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Cash Converters

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  teacherer on 14/01/2019 - 22:54

  Good luck. Assuming it had sentimental value if it's worth going through all that crap

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  altomic on 14/01/2019 - 23:11

  +4

  You need to prove ownership. Cash converters wouldn't be charged with handling stolen goods. Your "friend" signed a statement (and provided ID) to say that the stuff was his. Your "friend" could be charged with fraud.

  Call legal aid and get some advice. 1300651188

  • 

    Cave Fire on 15/01/2019 - 00:07

    Yep the lady at Police Link said the fraud would be the issue. Police man at the station didn't seem to care. I might have to lose the items.

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  Flanders on 15/01/2019 - 01:02

  I also asked if my "friend' would be black listed.

  So you care if your "friend" is blacklisted ? Seems like you are still friends with this person, and expect cash convertors to gift your friend the money, and you keep your goods the friend sold ?

  Seriously ?

  If cash convertors have to give goods back, you need to do the right thing and give evidence against friend for fraud and/or theft he committed against you.

  Also when I said it was six months since I lived at my friends house, the cop seem to change attitude.

  Seems like goods could have been reasonably thought to be abandoned. Was there an agreement whereby your friend would hold and store these items indefinitely ? Did you pay a storage fee to have them hold your items at house indefinitely.

  You really should be talking to your 'friend' about this

  There is zero chance you get your items back, without serious repercussions for your 'friend' such as him/her being charged and convicted. And rightly so, IMO.

  • 

    Cave Fire on 15/01/2019 - 01:13

    No you misread that. I wanted him to be blacklisted. He lives two blocks away from the cash converters. It is in their own interest to block him. I am not friends with him lol. He said he shoplifts which I have done another complaint about. There was no agreement, we wanted to start a band. I had known him for thirteen years from uni. Up until Dec 4 we had arranged a few times to meet up but that did not happen.

    • 

      Flanders on 15/01/2019 - 01:28

      I wanted him to be blacklisted. I am not friends with him.

      Well putting in formal police report, would at least make them very wary of anything else he brings in. Maybe not officially 'blacklisted' but he would have a hard time selling anything to them after goods coming up as stolen. Also, shop will be pissed off, cos while investigation is going on, they cannot sell the items, so their losing money and wasting storage space in the shop.

      I'm not sure how it works in Queensland, but in NSW there is a special department that deals with pawn shops and second hand dealers. The person that runs it here is a real hardass, they would rip shreds into the shop for something minor like this even. Maybe you can somehow get in contact directly with the police department/section that deals with pawn shops and second hand dealers, rather than just a regular officer. It's relatively minor in scheme of things, so depends on local area police unit that deals with pawnshops, and how determined they are to bust cash convertors balls over this. The officer that runs it here is like a pit bull lol. Wants to get em for anything at all.

      • 

        Cave Fire on 15/01/2019 - 05:40

        Yes, that's what's odd. They won't even take a report. And I mentioned the shoplifting as well. Will try to see if Qld has that Dept.

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  HighAndDry on 15/01/2019 - 08:36

  +1

  Did your friend charge you to store the stuff?

  But what are you asking us anyway? Because

  I'm guessing I would need a police report…?

  Yes:

  He then said I needed to get a police report

  • 

    Cave Fire on 15/01/2019 - 09:26

    With that part, can I do a letter of demand against Cash Converters? Possibly with the help of a lawyer? This is more for my own knowledge, I decided the items were not worth going through too much hassle. There was no storage fee.

    • 

      HighAndDry on 15/01/2019 - 09:33

      Not really, a letter of demand isn't some magical document that gives you rights where none exist. I could get a lawyer to write me one to any random Cash Converter for any random item in their window too. It doesn't mean anything if you can't even get a police report.

      • 

        Cave Fire on 15/01/2019 - 09:49

        Ok that's what I was asking. It seemed like the people online just bullied the Cash Converter staff into thinking they could be sued.

        • 

          HighAndDry on 15/01/2019 - 10:04

          @Cave Fire: It's possible, but a letter of demand from a lawyer is going to cost you basically how much the items are worth, with no guarantee that it'd work.

          And just additionally, the police are probably not willing to take a report because you kind of can't prove the stuff actually belonged to you. Especially this:

          Also when I said it was six months since I lived at my friends house, the cop seem to change attitude.

          Yeah - it doesn't help your case if you wait 6 months before reporting a 'theft', which isn't really even a theft because your friend didn't have to take anything, it was already at his place.

          • 

            Cave Fire on 15/01/2019 - 11:00

            @HighAndDry: Actually we were on good terms until Dec 4. A week later he stopped answering Facebook messages. There is a legal principle called "bailment" which says he is supposed to take care of my goods.

            • 

              HighAndDry on 15/01/2019 - 11:15

              @Cave Fire: I'm aware of the concept of bailment, but it requires more than just leaving your stuff at someone else's place. Legally, even that would actually be fine, but from an evidentiary point of view, as you're finding out, it poses issues with making police reports and proving who owns what and so forth.

              Plus, bailment is a civil concept, and it makes it more complex to deal with something criminally because technically what your 'friend' did is more akin to conversion than straight up theft, and that creates issues with proof etc.

              • 

                Cave Fire on 15/01/2019 - 14:10

                @HighAndDry: Yeah, the bailment description was on the police website, so I was surprised when policelink said it has nothing to do with police. I've also been into Sovereign citizen and freeman ideology for a few years but starting to learn again how actual law works.

                • 

                  HighAndDry on 15/01/2019 - 14:13

                  @Cave Fire: Yeah - police give a lot of…. advice and information. What they're able to practically help with is much more limited. They do that because sometimes the threat of police involvement is enough to resolve disputes, even if police would actually be fairly powerless.

                  Still, welcome back I guess?

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  myusername on 15/01/2019 - 10:40

  +3

  same thing happened to me years ago when i was a chef.

  i rocked into a pawn brokers one day and saw my knife box behind the counter, it was very customized so stood out like balls on a dog.

  I asked the stuff if it was for sale they said someone had literally just hocked it off within the hour.

  got them to open it up and started telling them the distinguishing features inside the box and what knives had been engraved.

  asked the manager to come over and i told them they had been stolen months ago out of my car. he denied any wrong doing at all. i showed him my id so i could prove it

  was my name engraved on the knives. he didnt want a bar of it. i told him i would walk sown to the police station and have him charged for receiving stolen goods. he

  told me to f… off. i walked out the shop headed for the police station, nearly 2 blocks away. the manager chased me down the street and told me not to tell the cops

  and he ended asking me to pay for the knives, i told him to f off and turned around and kept walking he chased me down again and end up giving me my knives back and

  told me never to come back to his shop again.

  • 

    HighAndDry on 15/01/2019 - 11:16

    You see the problem though right? What proof does the pawnbroker have that you didn't sell the set on Gumtree?

    i told them they had been stolen months ago out of my car.

    Though if you had a police report, that makes it more clearcut in your favour.

    • 

      myusername on 15/01/2019 - 11:27

      +1

      i didn't have a copy of the police report on me at the time.

      anyways a few years later that pawn broker got shutdown owner was charged for receiving stolen goods.

      so yeah it wasn't the first time it happened there.

      Gumtree wasn't around when this happened lololol

      • 

        HighAndDry on 15/01/2019 - 11:29

        Wow how long ago was this?! But

        a few years later that pawn broker got shutdown owner was charged for receiving stolen goods.

        Makes sense the owner was running after you so desperately ha.

        • 

          myusername on 15/01/2019 - 11:39

          @HighAndDry: pre y2k this was.

          and yeah he was known for the odd dodgey deal

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  [Deactivated] on 15/01/2019 - 10:40

  +1

  6 months ago, $200. Let it slide. If that's the retail value, the seller only got half.

  • 

    Topdog on 15/01/2019 - 11:00

    if a 1/4

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  RobVH on 15/01/2019 - 11:05

  +1

  I would say this likely falls under abandonment of goods in a general tenancy you would have 28 days to collect said goods, and if they were of value your housemate would be required to store the goods at your cost until you collect them. If they were not deemed of value he would have had the right to dump them. Is it right no. But you're likely fighting a losing battle here.

  • 

    dogboy on 15/01/2019 - 11:40

    Yes, I agree with this statement. The cost of the items could easily be discounted to the cost of storage. I have had flatmates leave crap behind and then be unavailable for months to arrange collection. The stuff all went in the bin or curbside collection after 3 months. Stuff that altogether equates to <$200, I would just dump it as it is basically worthless.

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  JimmyF on 15/01/2019 - 11:30

  The police want proof that the items are mine.

  Well yes, anyone can claim they own something.

  The items that were significant were a $150 Bauhn tv, $25 guitar and $20 amp

  So sub $200 worth of items? Not really that significant.

  What did your 'friend' say when you asked about coming around to pickup the items?

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  HardlyCharly on 15/01/2019 - 15:07

  Better off just getting $195 worth of revenge on your 'friend' and moving on.