What to do if your bike is stolen

If your bicycle is missing, report the theft to the police and in the Bikefinder app. Location updates can help with locating it, but your safety comes first.

1. Report the theft

1. Make a police report and keep its reference number or confirmation.
2. Open the correct tracker in the Bikefinder app and select Report theft. Complete the requested contact details, send the report and check that the app confirms it was sent.
3. Contact Bikefinder support with your app email, tracker IMEI, the time and place of the theft, and the police reference if available. For an existing case, reply in the same email thread with new information.

Do not confront a suspected thief or try to enter a building or private property to recover the bicycle. Share relevant location information with the police.

2. Read the latest location carefully

Open the tracker's location history. Check both the location and the date and time of the update. An older position shows where the tracker was recorded then; it does not establish where the bicycle is now.

• GPS: can provide a more precise position, but buildings, metal and surroundings can affect reception and accuracy.
• Mobile-network positions: can cover a much wider area. Gen1 uses GSM/GPRS and Gen2 uses LTE; a network position is not an exact address.
• Bluetooth: can connect your phone to a nearby tracker when conditions allow. Keep Bluetooth enabled if you are in a safe location and the police or support team advise checking a nearby signal.

Use the accuracy information shown in the app rather than assuming a fixed distance or Bluetooth range. Send support a screenshot that includes the timestamp of a relevant new update.

3. Choose tracking settings for the situation

Open the tracker's Modes options to see what is available for your model and firmware. Tracking mode requests more frequent updates and uses more battery; use it for an active search or a short check rather than leaving it on unnecessarily.

Monitor the battery and new position timestamps. If no useful new updates arrive, contact support for guidance and review the mode descriptions and position troubleshooting guide. If you have insurance, follow the policy's operating requirements when changing settings.

4. If your subscription includes insurance

Read the policy documents for your country and insurance claim instructions. Check who must be notified and the deadlines for reporting the incident and supplying documents.

Report the incident within those deadlines even while recovery work or document collection continues. Do not wait for a fixed recovery period or for the tracker to stop responding before making required reports. Reporting theft in the app does not replace a police report or your policy's claim-notification process.

Keep the police confirmation, purchase receipts, photographs and relevant tracker updates together. Support can help explain the next steps for your case.