Armed robbery at the Leica store

Alex Benjamin · Nov 29, 2022

EXCLUSIVE: $178K worth of camera equipment stolen in armed robbery at store near SF's Union Square

Surveillance from the area shows four individuals get out of a gray sedan around 1:20 p.m. on Saturday near Bush and Grant Streets. Images used in the police investigation show at least one suspect with a firearm entering the Leica store, which sells high-end camera equipment.

abc7news.com

"Nearly $180,000 in merchandise was stolen from a camera shop in a lightning-fast armed robbery near San Francisco's Union Square."

Now who do we know at Photrio that's from San Fran...

Alan Edward Klein · Nov 29, 2022

They'll be on eBay soon.

Alan Edward Klein · Nov 29, 2022

That raises an interesting question. What if you buy a stolen camera sold on eBay? Who's responsible? Do you get stuck with the loss? eBay gets stuck?

Huss · Nov 29, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
That raises an interesting question. What if you buy a stolen camera sold on eBay? Who's responsible? Do you get stuck with the loss? eBay gets stuck?

Ebay does not care one bit. A few years ago the Leica Store in NYC got cleaned out in the riots. I saw the gear being fenced on ebay about a week later - lots of brand new in box stuff way under market and the seller was from the NYC area - I let ebay know and they did nothing.

anyone who buys known stolen stuff is as bad as the thieves.

VinceInMT · Nov 29, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
They'll be on eBay soon.

Yes, eBay, CraigsList, Facebook Marketplace, etc. All extensions of the already existing pawnshops.

BrianShaw · Nov 29, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
That raises an interesting question. What if you buy a stolen camera sold on eBay? Who's responsible? Do you get stuck with the loss? eBay gets stuck?

Easily answered. Here is one of many online articles addressing this question. You should be able to easily find similar for your locality.

Summary: buyer gets stuck in one or more ways.

https://www.kannlawoffice.com/california-penal-code-496-receipt-of-stolen-property

Bill Burk · Nov 29, 2022

Here come the $10 Leicas

NB23 · Nov 29, 2022

Here in Canada, if it’s stolen from you... it simply isn’t yours anymore.

CLOWN place.

Huss · Nov 29, 2022

This is why the Leica Store should have covered the big red logo outside with black tape. The thieves would have walked on by.

sterioma · Nov 29, 2022

That shop is one my favourite spots during my business trips in San Francisco (this is pre-pandemic, we used to get a hotel close to Union Square).

They used to have small exhibitions of darkroom prints which I loved. And then a bit of windows shopping of the latest Leica models

Zathras · Nov 29, 2022

I just checked the local Craigslist and there are two lenses listed as brand new in the box, A 50mm Summilux
and a 50mm APO Summicron. Both listings show the boxes with the serial number inked out on the label.

mshchem · Nov 29, 2022

All adds up

Zathras said:
I just checked the local Craigslist and there are two lenses listed as brand new in the box, A 50mm Summilux
and a 50mm APO Summicron. Both listings show the boxes with the serial number inked out on the label.

Call the cops

Huss · Nov 29, 2022

Zathras said:
I just checked the local Craigslist and there are two lenses listed as brand new in the box, A 50mm Summilux
and a 50mm APO Summicron. Both listings show the boxes with the serial number inked out on the label.

It will come with a receipt from a dealer dated Nov 2022 with my name on it.

Alan Edward Klein · Nov 29, 2022

BrianShaw said:
Easily answered. Here is one of many online articles addressing this question. You should be able to easily find similar for your locality.

Summary: buyer gets stuck in one or more ways.

https://www.kannlawoffice.com/california-penal-code-496-receipt-of-stolen-property

That law doesn't seem to cover who's responsible though not for the theft but for the ownership. Does the final customer who bought it have to return it and lose or does eBay bear some responsibility as well? I would imagine that there's something in the eBay terms of service that exempts them from responsibility. But I'm not familiar with those terms.

mshchem · Nov 29, 2022

Yep, unopened sealed boxes. Let me guess, cash only, come pick it up at a deserted warehouse. Oh my.

mshchem · Nov 29, 2022

If someone had purchased these lenses this month why wouldn't they simply return them?

Zathras · Nov 29, 2022

mshchem said:
All adds up

Call the cops

Done

Donald Qualls · Nov 29, 2022

From what I've read or seen, the end buyer is out their money even if they're not charged with possession of stolen property or receiving stolen property.

They do, of course, have the right to sue the seller, who in turn (if they aren't the thief) can sue whoever they bought from, for restitution of the value lost (plus legal costs, if not in small claims -- most states don't allow including legal costs in small claims, nor provide any assistance in collecting a judgment).

Nope, not a lawyer and never even been in small claims court. Just read stuff about it.

Zathras · Nov 29, 2022

mshchem said:
If someone had purchased these lenses this month why wouldn't they simply return them?

Exactly!!!

Huss · Nov 29, 2022

mshchem said:
If someone had purchased these lenses this month why wouldn't they simply return them?

good point.

BrianShaw · Nov 29, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
That law doesn't seem to cover who's responsible though not for the theft but for the ownership. Does the final customer who bought it have to return it and lose or does eBay bear some responsibility as well? I would imagine that there's something in the eBay terms of service that exempts them from responsibility. But I'm not familiar with those terms.

eBay bears no responsibility. The law states that it is the person who possesses the item who bears the responsibility, but can be absolved of wrongdoing under certain circumstances. What the law doesn't say is that the possessor needs for forfeit the merchandise and gets stiffed for the purchase price. Unless held as evidence or seized by the government for some other reason, stolen property is returned to the rightful owner.

BrianShaw · Nov 29, 2022

Huss said:
It will come with a receipt from a dealer dated Nov 2022 with my name on it.

What morons... [if these are, indeed, stolen property] they should have, at least, tried selling them in some other city... like New Jersey where they could hide more easily.

Donald Qualls · Nov 29, 2022

BrianShaw said:
they should have, at least, tried selling them in some other city

Thieves typically aren't the brightest crayon in the box...

Zathras · Nov 29, 2022

BrianShaw said:
What morons... they should have, at least, tried selling them in some other city... like New Jersey where they could hide more easily.

We don't know for sure if this is some of the stolen merch, but it sure doesn't seem kosher!

BrianShaw · Nov 29, 2022

Zathras said:
We don't know for sure if this is some of the stolen merch, but it sure doesn't seem kosher!

Correct... I'll amend my post accordingly! Thank you for pointing out that important fact.

Armed robbery at the Leica store

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