Ever sold a bike in the internet?

seanorawe

Im wondering what the general cost would be if I was to sell a bike on here?

Postage costs?

Costs for bike shop to dissasemble (I cant say that word without doing the short circuit voice) and package up?

For talk sake if I was to sell my bike on this forum, I would be posting from northern Ireland to England.

ju5t1n

I’ve sold several bikes on here. The last time I met the buyer in person when he picked the bike up. But a couple of times I sent the bike using Parcelforce. I went to my LBS and asked them for an old bike box - most have loads out the back. You only have to remove the handlebars and take off the front wheel to get a bike in one of these.

seanorawe

ju5t1n wrote:

I’ve sold several bikes on here. The last time I met the buyer in person when he picked the bike up. But a couple of times I sent the bike using Parcelforce. I went to my LBS and asked them for an old bike box - most have loads out the back. You only have to remove the handlebars and take off the front wheel to get a bike in one of these.

How much was postage?

Pumpkin Positive

I've sold three in the last few weeks. One was collected and I posted two.

Get an old bike box from LBS - they'll have to pay to get rid of waste anyway so they'll be happy to give it to you. I got some pipe lagging (the foam stuff), duct tape, 15mm plastic pipe and cable ties from B&Q. Rummage in the attic for bubble wrap. factor these costs into your P&P charges.

Remove wheels and QR skewers and leave to one side. Remove handlebars and wrap in bubble wrap and cable tie to top tube remove seat post. Remove the rear mech hanger (this is vulnerable if the courier ignores your instructions to treat the bike with care), wrap and secure to chainstay. Get some 15mm plastic pipe - the stuff plumbers use instead of copper nowadays and cut two lengths measured to it exactly the distabnce between your fork and seat stay drop outs. Secure these in place with the QR skewers. Cover as much of the bike as possible with pipe lagging.

place bike in box and put the wheels alongside it with plenty of cardboard to protect the wheels from damaging the bike or being damaged by careless handling. Seal the box with a whole roll of duct tape and cover the outside of the box with 'keep uprigght' and fragile signs.

Photograph all stages in case the bike arrives in pieces. I'd also insist that the buyer pays for transit insurance.

Pumpkin Positive

seanorawe wrote:

ju5t1n wrote:

I’ve sold several bikes on here. The last time I met the buyer in person when he picked the bike up. But a couple of times I sent the bike using Parcelforce. I went to my LBS and asked them for an old bike box - most have loads out the back. You only have to remove the handlebars and take off the front wheel to get a bike in one of these.

How much was postage?

I think I paid £50 including insurance for one bike. But you could just tell the buyer to arrange their own courier so all you have to do is package it up and hand it over.

seanorawe

Very helpfull. Thank you. Ill be selling a bike in the summer and might be advertising on here if no interest from the local gumtree.

ju5t1n

seanorawe wrote:

ju5t1n wrote:

I’ve sold several bikes on here. The last time I met the buyer in person when he picked the bike up. But a couple of times I sent the bike using Parcelforce. I went to my LBS and asked them for an old bike box - most have loads out the back. You only have to remove the handlebars and take off the front wheel to get a bike in one of these.

How much was postage?

The last one was roughly £18. It was a carbon framed bike, so including the box it weighed less than 15kg

MountainMonster

If you go through parcel monkey you get decently cheap rates. Just do not send with Night Freight! Best of luck with your first sale!

Pickled Pig

Bike delivery £21.50 with Paisley Freight. Have used them once without a problem. No insurance is included and is expensive - £19 for £500 cover - but that's the buyers responsibility, IMHO.

gubber12345

Pumpkin Positive wrote:

I've sold three in the last few weeks. One was collected and I posted two.

Get an old bike box from LBS - they'll have to pay to get rid of waste anyway so they'll be happy to give it to you. I got some pipe lagging (the foam stuff), duct tape, 15mm plastic pipe and cable ties from B&Q. Rummage in the attic for bubble wrap. factor these costs into your P&P charges.

Remove wheels and QR skewers and leave to one side. Remove handlebars and wrap in bubble wrap and cable tie to top tube remove seat post. Remove the rear mech hanger (this is vulnerable if the courier ignores your instructions to treat the bike with care), wrap and secure to chainstay. Get some 15mm plastic pipe - the stuff plumbers use instead of copper nowadays and cut two lengths measured to it exactly the distabnce between your fork and seat stay drop outs. Secure these in place with the QR skewers. Cover as much of the bike as possible with pipe lagging.

place bike in box and put the wheels alongside it with plenty of cardboard to protect the wheels from damaging the bike or being damaged by careless handling. Seal the box with a whole roll of duct tape and cover the outside of the box with 'keep uprigght' and fragile signs.

Photograph all stages in case the bike arrives in pieces. I'd also insist that the buyer pays for transit insurance.

dont want to throw a spanner in the works but my brother works as a courier and he says that the pricks that work in the sorting offices of the couriers actually throw the stuff marked "fragile" or "handle with care" from pillar to post as hard as they can just to see if they can damage the item.....and this is a nationwide household name courier service.

i posted a model aircraft about a yr ago and packaged it until it was damn near bomb proof but when the buyer got it he told me the ends of the wings were totalled which effectively left the thing f*%ked.so be careful.

diy

Pickled Pig wrote:

Bike delivery £21.50 with Paisley Freight. Have used them once without a problem. No insurance is included and is expensive - £19 for £500 cover - but that's the buyers responsibility, IMHO.

How does that work then?

You are selling by description and shipping. Unless they have arranged the courier you'll be on the hook for damage/loss

MountainMonster

Or he is saying the buyer must pay the insurance rice built in with the shipping price.

thefd

I've never sold - but I have bought two! One I collected in person, the second was posted. Handle bars and seat post were off, that was all. Both wheels where on. It cost me £20.

Pumpkin Positive

diy wrote:

Pickled Pig wrote:

Bike delivery £21.50 with Paisley Freight. Have used them once without a problem. No insurance is included and is expensive - £19 for £500 cover - but that's the buyers responsibility, IMHO.

How does that work then?

You are selling by description and shipping. Unless they have arranged the courier you'll be on the hook for damage/loss

When I sell a bike on eBay I normally list it as 'buyer collect' but on the listing I'll indicate that I'm happy for the buyer to arrange their OWN courier for this reason exactly. I think it remains your responsibility to package the bike as securely as possible - just in case it ends up in the care of gubber12345's brothers workmates!

gubber12345

Pumpkin Positive wrote:

diy wrote:

Pickled Pig wrote:

Bike delivery £21.50 with Paisley Freight. Have used them once without a problem. No insurance is included and is expensive - £19 for £500 cover - but that's the buyers responsibility, IMHO.

How does that work then?

You are selling by description and shipping. Unless they have arranged the courier you'll be on the hook for damage/loss

When I sell a bike on eBay I normally list it as 'buyer collect' but on the listing I'll indicate that I'm happy for the buyer to arrange their OWN courier for this reason exactly. I think it remains your responsibility to package the bike as securely as possible - just in case it ends up in the care of gubber12345's brothers workmates!

yup...ya wanna watch them kind of pr1cks!!!!!!

diy

Pumpkin Positive wrote:

When I sell a bike on eBay I normally list it as 'buyer collect' but on the listing I'll indicate that I'm happy for the buyer to arrange their OWN courier for this reason exactly. I think it remains your responsibility to package the bike as securely as possible - just in case it ends up in the care of gubber12345's brothers workmates!

I don't think its enough. You need to be able to prove it met the description when it left your care and that any damage was down to the courier or buyer.

Ultimately if your bike turns in to a bag of bits, between being released and arriving, you'll be on the hook if the buyer decides to sue you in the county court. Unless you can show evidence that it left your care in the condition it was described. e.g. photos etc.