Selling Your Bike On Ebay

[cycleman]

I would like to know peoples experiences selling thier bike/s on ebay (or buying).

I have been doing some research on the usual suspects Trek, Spesh, Canondale etal.

From what I have seen the high end bikes that are in excellent condition from 2010-2012 seem to go for fair prices (or high prices if you are after a bargain)

I have never sold a single bike on ebay., ( just a job lot of old bikes of variable quality)

However I do have a bike I have bought that is a year old and is in near new fresh condition and just has minor scratches

On gumtree it’s listed for £200, RRP being £400.

I feel that on ebay it would go for more so I might take a gamble and list it on there even though I might not get the price I want.

The only problem with ebay is their outrageous fees from the final selling price.

I have saved in my ‘Watch List’ 4 auctions of bikes that are similar or the same to the one I want to sell. I will see what price they go for & make my decision.

Your opinions would be appreciated.

 

[fossala]

Try selling it on here?

 

[biggs682]

cycleman i have sold a few bikes on both gumtree and flea bay , fees are to much on e bay but wider market , gumtree is hard work as ad drops down lising each day unless you pay to position it . what ever site you decide on and why not try it on here offer to post as that increases your chances even more , most lbs or halfords happy to give away old boxes and loads of couriers out there .

 

[smokeysmoo]

What biggs said^^

eBay FVF fees are basically 10%. You can cut the listing fees by using an image hosting site like Imageshack or Photobucket, then you cna copy and paste your images into the listing. Don't forget though that PayPal will also slap you for about 3.5% as well. Even if you say no PayPal you have to offer it on eBay, (eBay own PayPal so go figure!).

If someone is collecting it DO NOT TAKE PAYPAL. They could collect the bike then claim they never received it. You have no proof as they collected it, they've got the bike, and PayPal will ultimately refund their money and you're left high and dry, be aware.

That said I've sold about 4 bikes on eBay due to the wider audience, and I've always got decent money for them, but I have also always been prepared to courier the bike. If you do choose to courier it also be advised, while the Royal Mail class Northern Ireland as UK, couriers basically do not, and as such the cost is higher.

 

[cycleman]

What biggs said^^

eBay FVF fees are basically 10%. You can cut the listing fees by using an image hosting site like Imageshack or Photobucket, then you cna copy and paste your images into the listing. Don't forget though that PayPal will also slap you for about 3.5% as well. Even if you say no PayPal you have to offer it on eBay, (eBay own PayPal so go figure!).

If someone is collecting it DO NOT TAKE PAYPAL. They could collect the bike then claim they never received it. You have no proof as they collected it, they've got the bike, and PayPal will ultimately refund their money and you're left high and dry, be aware.

That said I've sold about 4 bikes on eBay due to the wider audience, and I've always got decent money for them, but I have also always been prepared to courier the bike. If you do choose to courier it also be advised, while the Royal Mail class Northern Ireland as UK, couriers basically do not, and as such the cost is higher.

Thanks for all the replies. I still have not decided what to do I will wait until the items I have watched are ended. If I use Ebay I will definately use ImageShack or Photobucket.

Just been browsing some random ebay auctions. What does anyone think of the price this went for.?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Giant-Ant...Bikes_GL&hash=item4166a1a553&autorefresh=true

61 quid is a big cut for ebay to take

 

[smokeysmoo]

What does anyone think of the price this went for? 61 quid is a big cut for ebay to take

It is, but I also think the bike went for good money too. You can buy it brand new for £900 if you shop around, so I'd guess the seller was pretty happy with the price he got.

On the other hand, THIS one went for only slightly more yet has a fair few £'s of 'upgrades' on it?

eBay can be strange. I've listed things at times that haven't sold, then I've re-listed them and their has been a bidding frenzy and it's gone giddy, go figure!

The other way to keep fees down is to start it low, don't set a reserve and don't use Buy It Now, but you need to have your wits about you doing this in case interest is low. You don't to forget about it and next thing you know it's sold for 99p!

 

[Rhys Williams]

Hi there, I've just sold one of my bikes on eBay, i wasn't sure about it but I got my buy it now price and the buyer is collecting so hopefully it will all go well, I think the final valuation fees are far too expensive though so I think I'll probably try selling on the forums next time

 

[smokeysmoo]

Hi there, I've just sold one of my bikes on eBay, i wasn't sure about it but I got my buy it now price and the buyer is collecting so hopefully it will all go well, I think the final valuation fees are far too expensive though so I think I'll probably try selling on the forums next time

Make sure they pay cash when they collect and not PayPal. I don't mean to scare monger but the fact is they could pay with PayPal, collect the bike, then in a few days say they never got it, (you won't be able to prove they did), they put a claim in with PayPal and they will get their money back.

I know people this has happened too so please be careful.

 

[Rhys Williams]

Make sure they pay cash when they collect and not PayPal. I don't mean to scare monger but the fact is they could pay with PayPal, collect the bike, then in a few days say they never got it, (you won't be able to prove they did), they put a claim in with PayPal and they will get their money back.

I know people this has happened too so please be careful.

Thanks for the heads up, I wouldn't have thought of this, my only reason for avoiding PayPal is that they charge you too, so you end up paying eBay and PayPal!

 

[smokeysmoo]

Thanks for the heads up, I wouldn't have thought of this, my only reason for avoiding PayPal is that they charge you too, so you end up paying eBay and PayPal!

Very true, but the seller could insist on paying by PayPal because eBay force you to offer it. Did you know eBay also owns PayPal, go figure!).

Just make it clear that as they are collecting the bike you expect cash when they pick up. I'm sure it'll be fine, I still believe the bad guys are outnumbered by us good guys

 

[Rhys Williams]

What biggs said^^

eBay FVF fees are basically 10%. You can cut the listing fees by using an image hosting site like Imageshack or Photobucket, then you cna copy and paste your images into the listing. Don't forget though that PayPal will also slap you for about 3.5% as well. Even if you say no PayPal you have to offer it on eBay, (eBay own PayPal so go figure!).

If someone is collecting it DO NOT TAKE PAYPAL. They could collect the bike then claim they never received it. You have no proof as they collected it, they've got the bike, and PayPal will ultimately refund their money and you're left high and dry, be aware.

That said I've sold about 4 bikes on eBay due to the wider audience, and I've always got decent money for them, but I have also always been prepared to courier the bike. If you do choose to courier it also be advised, while the Royal Mail class Northern Ireland as UK, couriers basically do not, and as such the cost is higher.

I think the final valuation fee is capped at £40, at least I hope it is!

 

[smokeysmoo]

I think the final valuation fee is capped at £40, at least I hope it is!

It is capped at some point. Another way I've found is that with a sale like this the eventual buyer will usually be in contact before the listing ends, this has enabled me to arrange a viewing for people in the past, and then we've done the deal when they have come round and I've simply ended the listing early. Not very sporting perhaps but business is business.

Hey presto, only listing fees to pay which I always keep to a bare minimum by starting at 99p and using Imageshack to host multiple pictures

 

[DCLane]

When I bought the Carrera the seller insisted I pay via Paypal, rather than cash on collection.

I guess it meant I'd already paid when I went to collect it. Next time I'll learn (hopefully).

 

[RoadBikeRecommendation]

I've Never had any problems selling bikes on ebay and never had to courier as there always seems to be plenty of local cyclists in the market. I too had misgivings about receiving funds via paypal and the bike being collected so I took a picture of the guy loading into his car. He was very understanding.

 

[ianrauk]

I've Never had any problems selling bikes on ebay and never had to courier as there always seems to be plenty of local cyclists in the market. I too had misgivings about receiving funds via paypal and the bike being collected so I took a picture of the guy loading into his car. He was very understanding.

This was what I was going to say....if a genuine buyer then he shouldn't mind a pic being taken as insurance