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Design Responses > About Schemes > Bicycle Advocacy & Community >
FineToothCog

An American web-based service, primarily designed to scan possible online black-market bike outlets, to automatically check if any bike, similar to one you register as stolen, appears for sale.

'The easiest way to sell a stolen bike is on the internet using services such as Craigslist and eBay. Finetoothcog aims to takes over the menial task of scanning these sites.'

So far set up for Portland, USA , the service scans the electronic sales methods like a 'fine tooth comb' and keeps bike victims informed of bikes for sale similar to the one they have reported stolen. It sends you an email digest each evening and provides a web interface to viewing what bikes are for sale similar to yours. It is also now expanding with a Google based map interface to show theft hotspots and other related information.

The basic services offered here are innovative but if it can expand its geographical coverage it is likely to prove even more useful.

Useful References
finetoothcog.com

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