Buying second hand from ebay question...

martylaa

I recently purchased a second hand bike MTB from ebay, it was advertised as in very good condition, when its turned up i dropped it into my local dealer for a service. The service has highlighted it needed a new chain as it was jammed up and corroded, new front tyre due to too many cracks in the walls of the tyre and a new rear cable as it was too short.

This has cost me and extra £80 on top of the service, i have gone back to the seller asking for a discount, he’s just replied saying no way and to send it back if I’m not happy.

He did actually message me before i had it serviced to say if i wasn’t entirely happy with it then send it back to him as he has had offers well over what i paid (not sure how as the auction finished 2 weeks ago so why any one is emailing him saying they will pay more is beyond me).

Anyways I’m happy with the bike just disappointed with the extra layout as i wasn’t expecting it as the condition was supposed to be very good...

steve_sordy

This sort of thing has been going on for so long that the Romans had a phrase for it "caveat emptor". Which is Latin for "Let the buyer beware".

Were there loads of photographs showing the "very good condition", if not then I would have either asked for them in specific areas or stayed away.

Once the bike had arrived and I'd seen the state it was in, I would have claimed my money back then. Now you have spent £80 plus your service, no wonder the seller wants you to send it back!

It's a hard lesson, but a valuable one. (But it won't feel like it right now).

It's not just buyers that get ripped off, it can be sellers too. I have had all sorts of scams tried upon me when selling 100% genuine high value bikes (£2k+). Sadly you have to be highly suspicious and either go collect the bike if buying or get them to collect if selling. eBay will provide you with advice on the best way to do this to protect you.

I sold a bike to a guy that lived so far away we arranged to meet half way at a trail centre and we went for a ride. I set up the suspension for him and let him have a good look at it. Then he ragged the censored off the bike and at the end of the ride said he was delighted with the bike and gave me the cash. That didn't stop him complaining to me three weeks later that the bike needed some new rear pads. "I didn't think you were that sort of guy" he said, "I thought you were one of the honest ones!"
Good grief. Used bikes are a work in progress, not brand new with a warranty.

elbowloh

As far the chain and tyres go, they're consumables that need replacing every so often anyway. The cable you possibly could have gotten away with not replacing for a while, even if it was a bit short.

Caveat: i didn't see the cable or how it was shifting.

martylaa

Ah ya know what, its a small price to pay i suppose, just got the bike back from the dealers after its service and well wow, its very very nice, so much so I’ve messaged the seller to tell him to ignore the message about me paying the extra costs...

TBF even the lad in the bike dealer’s when i picked it up said ‘its a stunner and I’d love to have it’...

JBA

One person's very good condition is another's not very good at all.
As long as you are now happy with the bike and the repair costs haven't pushed the overall price above what's reasonable for the bike then just ride it and enjoy it.