Anybody bought your bike on Ebay?

[Juiceflight]

Just wondering if your experience was positive or negative. I bought a new carbon frame bike, but never having owned carbon before I still have a bit of fear in the back of my mind about frame failure. The bike was certainly new, but you just never know.....

[RoadRaven]

Not from EBay as we are in the Southern Hemisphere.
But from TradeMe - the New Zealand version of EBay - yes.
We have bought alot of bikes/bikeframes/bike components from TradeMe

Our guide is the feedback the seller has had.
We always look for loads of positive feedback before we commit money.
Almost always goods have arrived as described.

We have only had two let-downs... one was a Zip Disc which had a slight ding in it - but that may have happened in the shipping.
The other was a timetrial suit which was more worn than the seller suggested.

[smilingcat]

bought one slightly used bike an Orbea. Size wasn't a small so that was bummer. sold it a year later with correct size information in the listing.

bought three other frames and two complete groupos off e-bay and been happy. First groupo was bought off Craigs List and I was happy too. I went and saw the item. Sold one of the bike on e-bay.

Used items on e-bay can be iffy. Some people's slightly used is really used to you.

Most of the items I bought were listed as new or had less than 15 miles or used for demo in the parking lot.

but like RR says check the feedback. lots of negative don't buy. ask questions. and see what other things this person bought and sold.

Oh you better know how much the item really goes for. Sometimes people bid them up to full retail. So if you are not careful, its not a bargain

smilingcat

[bounceswoosh]

A friend of mine bought his Yeti on EBay and is very happy with it. I bought my paintball gun on EBay and am very happy with it -- in fact, it was so clean and unmarked that I wonder if it's ever been used!

I agree that I would be worried about frame wear on any used bike, EBay or no, although I think I would be more worried about mountain bikes than road. My first mountain bike was run over, and then the vehicle backed up over the bike. The bike frame appeared to be straight (it was bent and then bent back on the way back), but I would never trust that thing on a trail. The insurance company made me give them the bike, and ever since I've worried that they might have decided to recoup their pay-out by selling the bike even though it was deemed totalled. The only sign anything had happened was very subtle paint folding / cracking near the suspension pivot; fortunately I had a neighbor at the time who was a ridiculously knowledgeable bike mechanic, and he was able to get the claims adjuster to see the problem. I think if it hadn't been for my neighbor, the adjuster would not have perceived the damage or understood the risk.

One thought, although it may not be practical -- this same neighbor, who sadly isn't my neighbor anymore, told me that you can x-ray frames for damage. Now, how one would go about getting those x-rays done, not to mention reading them accurately -- that I don't know about.

[Mr. SR500]

I've bought one bike on ebay, but proceed with caution. My deal was great, but be careful.

[redrhodie]

I bought BF a 1960s Coppi on Ebay for Xmas. I showed it to him before making the purchase, he loved it, we knew it would fit, so I made the bid and won. We knew it would need a lot of upgrades, so weren't so concerned about anything but the frame.

In the pic, the frame looked red. It was a huge suprise when we opened the box and out came this beautiful orange. So, know your monitor may not show the true color. If he had his heart set on a red bike, it would have been a bummer, but he was really happy with the color. It's really pretty.

The big disappointment was that the fork was bent, despite having been well packed with lots of styrofoam and a fork protector. Luckily, our LBS had a jig, and the bike is steel, so it straightened right out, good as new. I don't know what we would have done if it didn't work out, but since the issue happened in shipping, I would have asked the seller file a claim with the shipper.

All in all, it was a good experience. The bike was obviously never ridden. It's 40 years old, and doesn't have a spot of rust and all the decals are perfect. We put a bunch of new stuff on it, and it rides like a dream.

Would I do it again...maybe, but it would have to be a really good deal on something not very expensive. I'd really have to trust my instinct about the seller, and weigh whether the risk of getting something not quite what I expect is worth it.

[K8sgotgame]

I picked up my bike on ebay but it was pickup only. Probably how I got a practically new bike with full ultegra, upgraded wheels.. the whole 9 yards: $525. Best $525 I ever spent!

[Beane]

I bought my Gunnar frame on ebay. There were a few issues to say the least. I was really worried since there were no pictures of the frame (only a written description) and the guy wouldn't take Paypal, only a money order. I know some of you are saying "well, you dumbo, what would you expect with no pics and no paypal?", but I really wanted a gunnar and simply did not have the dough for a new one, or the patience to wait for another to come up on ebay/craigslist.

1) The frame arrived about a month after the auction ended. This was absolutely ridiculous. The guy kept blaming it on the bike store that was packing and shipping the bike for him.

2) The frame had more nicks in the paint than I expected. It was still basically new, but some of the new bike excitement was lost. He gave me $5 for touch up paint (which actually cost $25).

To make up for the shipping delay, the guy threw a more or less new Dura Ace front derailleur and hideous, slightly used cycling jersey in the box. I sold the derailleur for $30 (I equipped the bike with campy) and wore the jersey as a halloween costume, so all was not lost.

The other issue was that I had somehow mismeasured my old bike so that I thought a 54 was the right size for me. In reality, a 52 would probably be better, but with a short stem and 0 offset seatpost, the bike fits.

All in all, it wasn't the greatest experience. I was impatient (as far as bidding on a bike with no pics even) and mis-measured my bike, so those things are my fault.. The guy had good feedback and certainly he didn't steal my money, but the shipping time was absurd. I think ebay can be good if (a) you know exactly what frame size you need, (b) the seller has great feedback and the listing is thorough and includes pics, and (c) you can't find that bike/frame somewhere locally for a comparable price.

[KatyLady]

I have had excellent experience buying bikes on ebay. Bought 3 new bikes from large established ebay bike sellers. One of the three I bought just for the components. (I was able to buy the entire bike cheaper than buying a component group.) All three were exactly as described and very nice bikes.

A word of caution however, I have seen scam ebay posting for bikes on more than one occasion. Symptoms of the scammers: 1) only a few feedbacks, 2) postings are for 24-48 hours, and 3) posting asks you to contact the seller outside of ebay.

As long as you stick with sellers with lots of positive feedback you should be safe.

[uforgot]

I purchased my Burley frame on ebay. It was exactly what I expected and wanted. A great transaction. I always look at feedback. I've heard some say that they won't go below a certain percentage, but if I'm buying something for more than say $50, I read all negatives carefully and the seller's response. I won't bid if they are a)rude b)do not have whatever selling nicely displayed, it shows that they probably take care of their stuff. If it's in the middle of crap, they don't care. c) If they have even 1 negative with the buyer having issues with it not being as described or pictured. d) won't take paypal because you can use a credit card on high dollar items and that will give you some protection also.

I've only had one bad buying experience and it was here on TE, not ebay, and the paypal arbritation is a joke, so use a cc. I've had almost 1000 transactions, but be careful careful careful.

[emily_in_nc]

I bought my Aegis Swift (carbon road bike) frame/fork on Ebay brand new but a previous year's model left over, from a small bike shop in California with excellent feedback. I also bought my used Titus Racer X mtb on ebay from a small bike shop. Both were excellent purchases for me, but I checked out the sellers carefully and established an email dialog before buying.

Emily

[mupedalpusher]

My hubby has bought and sold several bikes on eBay. All were very positive experiences.

[uforgot]

My hubby has bought and sold several bikes on eBay. All were very positive experiences.

Warning: Thread drift
I listed a bike on craigslist once and offered to meet the person in Columbia. I emailed "Let's meet at Klunk cycles, I love that place, but I don't know when they are open". The guy emailed me back and said that he knew, because he owned it! I do love to look at all of those old bikes he has. Have you ever been there?

[Laru]

I have bought one and it was fine. I would make sure they are going to have a professional pack the bike. The one I bought was packed very well and I think it's imperative if you want the bike to arrive undamaged.

[whateveronfire]

I bought all three of my bikes (Gunnar Rockhound, Fisher Kaitai, and Surly Cross Check) on ebay. The Fisher was a local seller, so we just met and swapped money for bike. That bike was showroom new.

The Gunnar and Surly were both in ok shape, but not quite as good as described. I had the Gunnar repainted and checked by Waterford, which brought the frame price up, but it looks great. The Surly's condition doesn't bother me at all. It shows its use, and at some point I may have it powder coated.

In both cases, the component groups were in nice shape and the wheels were just ok.

I also sold my LeMond on ebay--for much less than I wanted--and despite my really detailed description, the buyer asked for several concession refunds. I gave him one, which certainly led to the requests for the others.

I guess I'd finally say to go in with your eyes open and you'll probably be fine. How's that for equivocation?