bitflipper
I went back to GC, ostensibly to verify the serial numbers, but my real purpose was to try and steal a glimpse of the computer screen. I was able to get a name - Michael Baretti - and a partial address. The address was not my neighbors', but I didn't expect it to be.
 

I guess it's possible that this fellow could have been spun some BS story about why the crooks were selling the amps real cheap, and he took them with a view to offloading them at GC for a profit. Still, I'd be tempted to pay him a visit and stick lighted matches between his toes until he coughed up names and addresses. 

I've sold stuff at GC and they always make a copy of my DL, get my fingerprints and check the serial numbers with police reports of stolen items. You'd think the Lynwood GC would have obtained that info before putting your amplifiers up for sale.

One of my bandmates is an ex-GC employee, and he told me the same thing. Like pawnshops nowadays, GC gets detailed information on sellers.
 
So all the ducks are in a row, now it's up to the cops to do something. I don't have a high degree of confidence. 
 
When a friend of mine solved his own burglary and took the information to the police, they refused to arrest the perpetrator, as they were hoping to use the information to pursue higher-ups in the criminal organization. He ended up having to BUY his own guitar back from the store for $50 - the price the shop had paid for it. Now, if you were someone who deals in guitars and was offered a high-end Taylor 12-string for fifty bucks, wouldn't you be just a little suspicious? That guitar's worth at least $1200, and a dealer would know that. Heck, the case alone is worth 50 bucks.
 
GC had a price tag of $239 each on my amplifiers. They were 6 months old and I'd paid $550 apiece for them. What do you suppose GC paid for them? A hundred bucks? Maybe less? 

bitflipper
 
So all the ducks are in a row, now it's up to the cops to do something. I don't have a high degree of confidence. 
 

I hope this is a situation that it will involve the PD to act according to evidence, and not hoping for a "bigger fish" to catch instead. 

Good news Bit, at least it's a start. You are in my thoughts.
 

Did you contact PD in the city where they were sold, or just the police in your own town? There's nothing stopping you from filing a report in that city with out of town PD. They'll be interested that someone is traveling into their city to commit crime, since theft is always linked to other crimes. Also, PD might be not telling you much because of liability. If they give you a scrap of info, and you retaliate, it's lawsuits for everyone. Definitely talk to the other PD and file a report. It'll force the two to work together.

Good points. Guitar Center said they would contact their local PD, but I'll check back with them on Monday to make sure they've actually done it. I assume they don't want to be sitting on those amps and would like to get rid of them, since they can't sell them. And yes, I understand why the PD might keep me in the dark, but it would also be a convenient cover for doing nothing at all.
 
Hope I get the amps back soon. I've already bought replacements for them, so I'm going to have to talk the store into taking the new ones back. Honestly, it crossed my mind to just keep quiet about the amps and let them go. But I'd really like to get those a-holes busted, maybe even evicted. I've met their landlord and he seems like a standup guy who wouldn't take kindly to harboring criminals. Karma, please be real.
 

So FYI you don't have to buy back your stuff, if you can prove it is yours. They can't use the "but we paid for it" defense. There was a time when pawn shops could pull that but no longer. If they buy stolen goods and the owner comes for them, they are out the money.
 
With regards to cloud backups you can do it securely pretty easy: Just use encryption. You encrypt the data locally, with a key you don't share with the service. That way they can't get at your data, even if they want to. Of course that means you need to protect the key because if you lose it, backup is useless, but it works well. You get the benefit of data housed in a data center, but maintain control over it.
 
Backblaze has that ability integrated in to their backup client. The security is good enough that my friend who is a computer forensics expert uses it to back up his data. If you are more paranoid, you can encrypt it with a separate program, then upload the container. VeraCrypt would be a good choice for such a thing.

A friend of mine had a bicycle stolen, did not realise it had gone until next day when it was reported to the police.

A few days later it was spotted in a local 2nd hand shop. The proprietor had checked against a police database of stolen goods. It was clear because of the delay in reporting.

The shop still had to return the bike, and were out of pocketbut if they had not checked and the item was in the database they could have been prosecuted.

I am not sure if this is UK wide and what type and value of goods are covered.

This is good news Dave.
 
The wheels of justice turn slowly.... just remember that.  Be patient.... but be persistent as well.   Yep.... I know you want the gear back and I know you want to see the perps in a federal super max with bread and water rations, but things take time.
 
I'll bet GC does everything they need to and more to be accommodating to you. They do not want the reputation getting around that they buy stolen gear. So be slow to use online retaliatory measures, in other words, keep them as friends on your team and don't burn the bridges just yet. There will be plenty of time to do that later if it is even necessary. It seems that they are interested in helping you.
 
Visit the store and see if there are cameras in the store. If there are, have them save that section of video of the perp coming in. Remember, only one person has to slap ID on the counter.  The actual thief could have been standing right there too.... the video will tell if that's the case.   Time is critical to get that video archived because 99% of all video systems these days are hard drive based and WILL overwrite the old data in a matter of time.   Depending on size of the HD and how they have the system configured, it could be a few days to a few weeks or longer.  So get that video off that machine.   They can email it to the police as well as archive it on the machine itself.
 
I'm pretty sure the local PD is in touch with the PD in your town and already working together.... they will visit the seller, bring him to the station for questioning,  and especially if they have video, likely get a confession and a plea deal, where the guy gets probation or 30 days in exchange for the name of the thief.  Remember, the seller, if he's not the thief, is not the guy who broke in and stole the gear. He's a (patsy) guy looking to make a buck but knowing he was selling stolen gear.  Not too likely he is willing to risk going to prison for a few hundred bucks.  He'll be willing to give up the name.  Then again, it might not have been the neighbor, and the thief is a complete beginner and actually stole it and sold it himself and gave his ID to the store.  Those kinds of folks don't often think things through very well.  He could have seen you at a gig, did some research and found out where you live.... heck he could have even talked with you at the gig about your gear.  The guy who stole my SG from my house (the second time it was stolen) knew me and had been in my house with some friends of his who had reason to visit.  Heck, he even played the guitar setting on my couch and we talked about the guitar and music. Several months later, he broke in and stole it.  I got it back the next day because he was seen by a neighbor.
 
Just let things roll under the guidance of the (now) 2 police departments..... they are making progress and have a name. Just keep in touch and keep them focused.