Buying from E-bay

Message

jonnythan · Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:57 am

If you're able to go check out the bike and have the owner take it for a ride around the block, then buying on eBay is better than buying off Craigslist because there is *some* possible recourse if the bike is not as described.

However, I would never buy a bike off eBay without having checked it out first, just like I would never buy a bike off Craigslist without having checked it out first.

Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:05 am

How do you buy off craigslist without checking it first?

jonnythan · Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:07 am

storysunfolding wrote:How do you buy off craigslist without checking it first?

You could read the ad, call them up, mail a check, and have them ship it to you?

Or... read the ad, send them payment via Paypal, and fly out to their location with the intent of riding the bike home?

Read the ad, send them payment via Paypal, and have a buddy trailer the bike to you?

These are all awful ideas. About as awful as buying off eBay without checking it out first.

Flting Duck · Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:07 am

Oh, I forgot that I also bought two other bikes from Internet ads - both from the same guy. The bikes were kind of beaters with lots of issues but when I called the guy up, he gave me a very full rundown and listed so many small items as well as big ones wrong with the bike that I figured he was on the up and up. He had priced the bike about $1500 below blue book and, for what it was, the price was fair. I flew to LA, stayed at his house overnight and then rode the bike home to Seattle.

I bought another bike form him 6 months later, pretty much the same kind of deal - obviously I trusted him after the first sale.

I also know a lcoal guy who got totally ripped off on ebay. Bike looked good in the pictures but when he got it fournd out that it had all sorts of issues. Fuel injection problems, brakes shot, etc..... Took him quite a while to get things straightened out on the bike.

Lion_Lady · Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:39 am

Flting Duck wrote:1) Check the seller's feedback. IF they don't have lots of feedback and/or it's less than 99%, walk away...

Beware the 100% positive feedback seller (or even the 99% ones).

I bought something from a local guy (PIAA lights). When I opened the box, the connector wires/relays were missing from the package. I emailed the seller about the problem and his ONLY solution was for me to return the lights for a refund. What I wanted was SOME of my money back.

I'd paid $40 CASH, no PayPal fees and no shipping. I even PICKED UP the lights. He first suggested that I'd misplaced the missing pieces

All I asked for was a measly $5. When he wouldn't go for it, I gave him a NEUTRAL feedback rating. He got all pi$$y and then gave ME a bad rating as a buyer. He actually said he'd rather that I left NO feedback than neutral.

I figure, if a seller has SOME negative feedback they are doing a lot of business. I read the comments. Sometimes its obvious that the buyer was clueless. If they have 100% positive, then there is something FISHY.

P

Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:47 am

Lion_Lady wrote:I figure, if a seller has SOME negative feedback they are doing a lot of business. I read the comments. Sometimes its obvious that the buyer was clueless. If they have 100% positive, then there is something FISHY.
P

+1. I bought rims with "new" avon tires on them from ebay. I mainly wanted the rims but at $20 per rim a new tire was a selling point. Anyway- the "new" tire was old, hard, cracked and didn't hold air! I asked the seller about it and he didn't respond. So I gave him bad feedback and he went crazy yelling about how I bought used parts and expected new quality. He then went back to previous transactions I had with him and added "Horrible seller, buys used but wants new" right under "SUPER FAST PAYMENT, GREAT EBAYER ++++++". I looked back and all his negative feedback was along the same line. Of course I asked ebay to step in and they refunded me my money. It's truelly a buyers market on ebay if things are misrepresented.

Pam- did you post about when that happened? Because I have a whole slew of relays, connectors, wires, switches in varying colors, sizes and ratings that I would have been happy to send you. Let me know if it's still a problem. The switches from the PIAA don't stand up to water as well as some of my marine ones.

BLKNSLVR · #17 Unread post by **BLKNSLVR** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 7:35 am

Buying a bike is like buying real estate, sort of. Never buy something you haven't stood on (or sat on in the case of a bike). If you buy and don't go pick it up, you will have shipping costs tacked on as well which can be pretty steep for a bike.

Greg

Bubble Gum Jr. · Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:55 am

Yeah I'd be a little apprehensive about throwing down money for something without being able to inspect it first. If you can expect it at least ask a ton of questions and ask for detailed pictures before you send any cash.

If you do make a purchase make sure this person is legit and also has prior experience selling this type of stuff. Just because they have 100 positive reviews doesn't mean it's a legit person. You'd be surprised how many people get scammed thinking someone with a lot of good reviews is a legit seller, only to find out all his past sales have been for $.01 items from other fake accounts.

Make sure to pay in an insured format, avoid cash, check and direct cc# payment unless it's from an legit source. Checks are just as bad as cash when it comes to payment, once it's been cash the money is theirs and there is nothing you can do to get it back other than taking them to court and trying to sue. I found this out the hard way when I got scammed trying to buy a computer for college. I lost all the money I had saved up that summer, =(.

ofblong · #19 Unread post by **ofblong** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:22 pm

Lion_Lady wrote:
Flting Duck wrote:1) Check the seller's feedback. IF they don't have lots of feedback and/or it's less than 99%, walk away...
Beware the 100% positive feedback seller (or even the 99% ones).

I figure, if a seller has SOME negative feedback they are doing a lot of business. I read the comments. Sometimes its obvious that the buyer was clueless. If they have 100% positive, then there is something FISHY.

P

I have 100% positive on ebay. then again I have only sold 2 items and bougth like 40 lol.

biker_mit · Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:37 pm

Buying anything but old bike is NOT safe on the internet regardless of if its a digital odometer or manual.I know place that for 150-200 bucks will roll down yoru digital cluster .It's illegal if you intend to comit fraud but it's perfectly leagal if you just want to ajust used cluster to your bike. So i don't really trust ebay sales.Especially if seller sells the bike of model 2002 with 600 miles on it
or 1000 miles on it with bunch of custom accessries.
Think about it next time you see those adds"For sale 2002 mean streak with custon seats,pegs and windshield .It has 1100 miles"