eBay auction: dodgy?

paddy

paddy

paddy

Associate
Joined
24 Aug 2003
Posts
1,486
Location
Derbyshire
I've been looking to buy a bike for some time now, found an auction on eBay for one I thought looked ok:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180356654509

Sent the seller a message saying:
- Can I see the bike this weekend?
- What's the reserve price?
- I'll be on holiday when the auction ends and won't be able to collect the bike until June 13th, is that a problem?


Today I get the following response:
Hi many thanks for your interest. I am willing to meet you somewhere on Saturday evening so that you may view the bike. You will not be able to test ride it until purchased though, sorry. The reserve is £2500. I can't hand over the bike on the 13th of June. However if you won the auction and pay a deposit of £1000 by PayPal, I will keep the bike in my garage until we are both available for hand over (probably in July).

If you want to meet up on Sat, please let me know by e-mail and I will send you a time and a place as well as my mobile number.

I hope this is OK.

Best,
Click to expand...

The combination of "meet you somewhere to view the bike", a £1000 deposit and collection of the item "probably in July" has got my eBay sense tingling - on top of that the pics of the bike aren't particulary auction like...

Anyone elses "bay-dar" going off?
 
Looks genuine to me, the seller is just trying to put off time wasters and protect his privacy by having internet strangers come to his home. I've struck many a deal at a motorway services albeit not for a big purchase like a car/bike.

If they're close, go and meet him. Not much to loose by it have you?
 
I wouldnt give a deposit by paypal, to be honest unless its a really special bike just wait until you can buy it on the spot, there is too much that can go wrong if you give him a deposit (its gets stolen or damaged etc)
 
That's the problem, it's a big purchase and to view it would be a 5 hour, 300 mile round trip.

I certainly understand him not wanting strangers turning up at his door, but equally I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be meeting a guy in a car park.
 
it does seem odd, Ive been out to meet someone to sell a car before but that was at their request, I just wouldnt hand over any cash until I had all the paperwork signed over to myself and the bike in my own grubby mits
 
Lashout_UK said:
If he can't hand it over till then, why advertise it now......Hate it when people do that.
Click to expand...

Its the OP who is on holiday. Maybe the seller is on holiday after that point hence why they can't swap until July.

As for not wanting strangers at the house, its a tricky one. I had a young lad and about a dozen of his mates come to view my 306 when selling it. They were all just milling about down my close when we went for a test drive which was a bit annoying for the neighbours. I also had some real weirdo's come to view it so I can see why you wouldn't want people at your house (and its also the reason that next time I want to shift a <£1k car its going to auction :p ) From a buyers perspective though I would only really be happy viewing it at their house.
 
your probably better off doing a deposit via PayPal than cash as long as its not a gift... however i wouldn't buy any vehicle without seeing the V5 at the registered address.
Maybe tell him that you'll agree to meet him at a neutral location and if you do want it you'll need to see the V5 at his house before you put the deposit down - if he doesn't like it then no deposit.
 
Those really don't look like the sort of pictures you'd take if you were selling the bike, that and the £1000 deposit. Bit steep isn't it, would normally expect £250 or so if its just to hold it. THink its a bit fishy.

That said he's registered from 2002 with a reasonable feedback score.
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
That said he's registered from 2002 with a reasonable feedback score.
Click to expand...
Doesn't really mean anything anymore. Gone are the days where scammers used new accounts and padded their feedback, now they just phish for existing accounts who already have a load of positive feedback already.
 
Stick with your senses..

He may well be genuine, but there scope for being had, the high deposit , the not meeting at his home address..

He's either very paranoid or trying to pull a swifty, there will be more bikes out there that do not leave you in as much doubt, I'd keep looking.
 
Personally I wouldn't bother with it, SVs are pretty common and you'll probably find one a lot closer to home soon enough.

Scort.
 
digisatman said:
You would be willing to pay 2500 for that? Just seems a bit over priced. I would reckon its worth the bottom end of 2k?
Click to expand...

£2500 would be very cheap for a 2006 SV650S with low miles..

That's based on Bike Trader/MCN etc..

Where are you getting £2K from, I'd point the OP in that direction for sure..
 
Sounds dodgy to me

I'd never buy a car/bike privately from anywhere but the owner's address and I'd never ever buy any car/bike without a test drive first

This sounds dodgy and when it sounds dodgy it usually is. I'd stay clear if it was up to me
 
It's the problem with buying motorbikes, if you want any sort of demo then you've either got to build up a lot of trust with the seller, or leave a significant amount of deposit for the sellers peace of mind. It's soooooo easy for a buyer to just turn up and disappear.

When I sold my scooter the guy didn't even get to test drive it, I basically said in the add any issues and a full refund for 5 days.

Last weeks MCN ran an article on motorbike costs, new motorbikes have mainly gone up by at least 10% in the last year or so due to the weak pound. This is pushing up used bike prices and keeping them steady.
 
DanF said:
It's the problem with buying motorbikes, if you want any sort of demo then you've either got to build up a lot of trust with the seller, or leave a significant amount of deposit for the sellers peace of mind. It's soooooo easy for a buyer to just turn up and disappear.

When I sold my scooter the guy didn't even get to test drive it, I basically said in the add any issues and a full refund for 5 days.

Last weeks MCN ran an article on motorbike costs, new motorbikes have mainly gone up by at least 10% in the last year or so due to the weak pound. This is pushing up used bike prices and keeping them steady.
Click to expand...

I always tell them once they've paid, they can take it for a test ride, and if they don't like it for any reason, they can have the money back (providing it's given back in-tact!)

I have been lucky to only sell mint fair-weathered sports bikes, so people have not seemed to mind!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom