Have you ever sold/bought a bike on EBay?

[juvel01]

I am going to sell my Cyclo Cross bike because I rarely ride it (not to mention the fact that I cant buy that new road bike I've got my eye on until I do). I was going to put it on EBay and I was wondering if you all have had any experience buying or selling bikes on EBay. I've bought and sold horse and car stuff there, but not bikes. This one is rather unique so its not going to be an easy sale.

[anaphase]

What about Craigslist? No selling fees and local. At least you wouldn't have to ship it.

[FreshNewbie]

Hi juvel01!
I actually bought my first road bike ( raleigh cyclepro old model) from ebay this season. It was very cheap and that was the only thing I could afford at the time considering I had no clue if i will like it or not. The transaction was very smooth, and I dont think it should be a problem for you. There are many people out there who are low on finances and a used bike is what they want. Make sure you take good pictures , and I think you will not have a problem. Good luck

[xeney]

I haven't, but my husband bought a bike on eBay last year and it was a horrible experience -- the kind of horrible experience that involved invoking PayPal's buyer protection, appeals by the jerky crook of a seller, and a lot of serious anguish. We will probably never buy another bike on eBay just because it was so awful, even though I'm sure that 90% of the sellers are fine.

I will tell you what made the sale so awful so you can be sure to avoid these things, because honestly, this bike would have been okay and the price wasn't even terrible, it just was missrepresented and my husband didn't want an old banged up bike at any price. Plus some other stuff made the experience less than pleasant, so here is what I would say to watch out for:

1. Don't lie. Don't white lie. Don't fudge. Don't estimate. If there are dings and scratches on the bike, photograph them clearly and point them out. If the bike has deep braking grooves on the rims, worn-off decals, pieces broken off the hoods and brakes, a torn seat that clearly shows evidence of a bike wreck, and other signs of serious wear, don't advertise it as nearly new, excellent condition, fewer than 200 miles. Because people will buy a well-used bike if it is in decent repairable condition, but they will be mad if they think they're getting a nearly new bike and you sell them a well-used one that's been wrecked.

2. Include as many photos as you can, including close-ups. We should have been tipped off here because although the guy included many photos, including close-ups, but they were all from one side, and some things were only shot from a distance and at an angle. Make it clear that you aren't hiding anything, and focus on any imperfections just so people know you are being honest.

3. Accept the fact that you might not get your money back on the bike, or if you have a minimum price that will make you happy, set a reserve. This guy had a big attitude because of how much he thought the bike was worth, and from the get-go after the sale closed he made it clear that he was really mad that it had sold for so little. He was a dummy, of course: even your pristine brand new bike that you've taken around the block once isn't going to sell for what it cost you at the bike shop. But the time for him to pitch a fit about that was when he set his reserve price, not after it sold.

4. FIGURE OUT THE SHIPPING BEFOREHAND. I have been looking at old beaters (I found one locally and avoided this, fortunately) and I wouldn't even consider one from a seller who said he wasn't sure what the shipping would be. I noticed that nobody else bids on those bikes, either. I think this is probably one of the most important factors.

5. Don't overpay for shipping. Get a proper bike shipping box and measure it carefully -- a bike shop can help you, obviously. This issue really made my husband mad. The seller had originally estimated shipping at $50, but then when he finally got a box and got it measured and shipped, he came up with $100 to ship from UPS. My husband asked for an invoice because it was so much higher than the original estimate, and it seemed to check out, so he paid it. Once he got his refund and went to ship the bike back, using the exact same box and the exact same UPS service, it was only $50 -- because he measured the box really carefully and gave UPS the exact measurements. There is a tiny fractional difference in box size that can bump a bike into a different "oversized" category, and the result is a huge increase in shipping costs. Every time I see a $100 shipping estimate for UPS now I know that the seller didn't measure exactly. But it is worth being exact -- your buyers will happily pay YOU more for the bike if they don't have to give UPS $100 to ship it!

Anyway, those are the issues that I now look for any time I am looking at eBay bikes. Good luck.

[juvel01]

anaphase - Craiglist is a great idea, I always forget about that. I just put it there.

xeney - sorry you had a such a poor experience on Ebay! I've sold and bought quite a few things on there and never had the trouble you did. You brought up good thoughts to keep in mind. My LBS wil charge $75 to pack, ship and insure the bike so that cost I already know. Condition isnt an issue, the bike is less than 6 months old and spotless so I'll do lots of close pics from all angles.

Thanks!

[xeney]

Yeah, this is our only bad eBay experience in years of buying stuff there. But it was a really expensive bad experience, unfortunately!

My husband said to mention the type of packing you would use -- or saying that the LBS is packing it up for you is also really good. He said that would be a factor if he ever bought another bike on eBay. (The one sent to him was also poorly packaged -- the fork was damaged in shipping.)

[Technotart]

If you aren't an experienced e-bay shopper/seller I would like to point out that the best way to protect yourself is to ONLY deal with people who use paypal. While it doesn't guarantee that the transaction is perfect ie: the previous posters situation - at least you have recourse.

If someone wants to send you a check or money order, make it clear in your listing that you will not ship the item until the payment has cleared the bank. AND NEVER EVER EVER let someone talk you into the "I'll send you a check for 5000 for the 50.00 item, you send me back the 3500 and ship the item - upi can keep the other 1000" That is ALWAYS a scam - generally those people approach you by saying they'd like to handle the sale outside of e-bay. DONT DO IT. The checks never clear and you are left short the cash you took out to send them. I know it sounds like it should be obvious, but it really happens and people really do get suckered. Don't do business with anyone who wants to close the deal "off e-bay" and asks you to de-list your item.

If you have your heart set on a minimum price, set a reserve price up front!!!!

If you are sending a check or money order to someone for an item, make sure it is a traceable one - from your bank is best. Money Orders are too hard to trace.

I just deal with paypal. period. no ands ifs or buts.

[jeannierides]

All great advice! My SO has bought two Colnago bike frames, many many parts, and sold a bike frame. For the most part, he has had good experiences.

[oldbikah]

Too bad--I just bought a cyclo cross, Bianchi Axis, after trying to find a used one!! Maybe yours was the wrong size anyway. But to the point, I sold a road bike on Road Bike Review, and found it to be an easy, efficient process, and only a few dollars to list. They have a section for cyclocross bikes specifically.

My son packed the bike in a used bike box from a LBS for shipping, and I shipped it at a reasonable rate thru Fed Ex Ground (about $30 I believe) from Maine to California.