MyAssetTag.com Launches Free Bike Registry to Track Bicycle Ownership and Help Recover Stolen Property

BROOKLYN, N.Y., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MyAssetTag.com, the premier online distributor of asset tags and labels, is pleased to introduce BikeGuard™, a free bike registry and identification program. This new service is the only bicycle registry that provides free asset tags so members can track and identify ownership of bicycles. BikeGuard™ was established as a community-oriented solution to the challenge of locating and recovering lost or stolen bicycles.

According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, nearly 180,000 bicycle thefts were recorded in 2010(1). However, some estimates indicate more than 1 million bike thefts go unreported each year(2). When police departments recover stolen bicycles, they are not always able to return them to their rightful owners. If the owner cannot be tracked or a claimant cannot provide proof of ownership, the police may impound, donate, sell, or dispose of any bicycles that are not tagged. Bike registries offer a way for bicycle theft victims to prove ownership and recover their stolen property.

MyAssetTag.com created BikeGuard™ as a community service initiative, offering free registration and identification tags. "Our company is based in Brooklyn, and many of our employees are bikers. So we understand how dependent cyclists are on their bikes, and how costly and annoying it is to replace them," said Rivka Fogel, manager of MyAssetTag.com and creator of BikeGuard™. "It was a natural step for us to leverage our asset tags, which are typically used to organize inventory, as a means of cataloging bikes and identifying ownership. Participants can rest secure in the knowledge that their bikes are registered in an international database and are personally identifiable through their BikeGuard™ asset tags."

Registering a bike on BikeGuard™ is an easy and efficient process. Users can create a free account at http://www.myassettag.com/bike and enter details for their bicycle(s) - such as the make, model, year, and serial number - and upload a photo. This will generate a unique personal bicycle registration page that displays the owner's contact information and details of the registered bike(s). Additionally, a free PDF certificate can be downloaded and printed to show tangible proof of registering a bike with BikeGuard™.

After registration, users are eligible to receive three free BikeGuard™ asset tags for tracking and identification purposes. The asset tags contain a quick response (QR) code that can be scanned with any smartphone, and will direct to the owner's bike registration page. Upon request, MyAssetTag.com will assign each bike a unique ID number that will also be printed on the tags.

The free asset labels are optional but highly recommended, as they enable police to trace recovered bikes and serve as proof of ownership. They are constructed by BikeGuard™ for easy installation and shipped for free. Simply peel off the backing paper and apply the tags to the body of the bike, near the handlebars and/or underneath the seat.

When a bike is stolen, registrants can log onto their BikeGuard™ page and select the "Mark as Stolen" option to activate the BikeGuard™ network. Using the serial number on file, owners can file a police report and insurance claim. They can also print or share their "Stolen Bike" page online.

To take advantage of the free BikeGuard™ registry and asset tags, visit http://www.myassettag.com/bike.

About MyAssetTag.com

MyAssetTag.com is the Web's best source for asset labels and tags to organize inventory. All tags are durable and made from the highest-quality materials. Consumers can create customized asset tags in minutes, and choose from a variety of colors, styles, and finishes.

About SmartSign

SmartSign is one of America's fastest-growing e-commerce companies and parent of MyAssetTag.com, MyParkingSign.com, as well as more than 50 other sites. The company manufactures and distributes a wide range of signs, tags, mats, and labels. In the past, many consumers have found it hard to find, hard to design and hard to order signs with the right message. By positioning "signs as solutions," SmartSign has taken an entirely different approach. Through highly targeted, content-rich, and authoritative retail sites, the company provides specific solutions to specific problems, such as customizing an asset tag. SmartSign is widely recognized for its quality construction; its signs come with a 3M® warranty and outlast fast-fading, ink-jet signs. Other SmartSign advantages include fast and free shipping, the Web's largest range of designs, and a best-price guarantee.

(1) Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States, 2010. Table 23. September 2011. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/property-crime/larcenytheftmain

(2) NPR. "Seeking Revenge in the 'Underworld' of Stolen Bikes." Online article published February 6, 2012. http://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146474749/seeking-revenge-in-underworld-of-vanished-bikes

Media Inquiries:

Suman Sridhar
Web Writer
SmartSign
718-797-1900, ext. 136
[email protected]

This press release distribution was issued by PR Syndication.

SOURCE MyAssetTag.com