Selling a bike?
Discussion
I've decided to sell my second bike as I am not using it really. I don't have much experience of selling bikes and cars privately as I have usually traded in when I change vehicles. Anyway I'm going down to one bike so thought I would sell my second bike privately, my dealer offered me around £800 less than bikes I have seen that are the same model and age. I just wanted a bit of advice regarding the actual sale, I know there are more ways to advertise now, ebay, marketplace etc it is more about payment methods.
I would be happy if a buyer stumped up cash obviously but would also expect any prospective buyer to suggest payment by bank transfer or a banking app. If this were the case I know it can be some time before cleared funds can show up in your own account even though said monies have left the buyers account and are probably floating around the eatha. Now I wouldn't want to let my bike go until funds are in my account but I can also see it from the buyers point of view if they have hit the button and can see the money has left their account they may want to take the bike.
Your opinions or advice would be appreciated if you have sold privately....
I would be happy if a buyer stumped up cash obviously but would also expect any prospective buyer to suggest payment by bank transfer or a banking app. If this were the case I know it can be some time before cleared funds can show up in your own account even though said monies have left the buyers account and are probably floating around the eatha. Now I wouldn't want to let my bike go until funds are in my account but I can also see it from the buyers point of view if they have hit the button and can see the money has left their account they may want to take the bike.
Your opinions or advice would be appreciated if you have sold privately....
I think it’s hard to sell a bike privately now.
Depending on what it’s worth, I would accept the dealers offer.
The last bike I sold, similar bikes were around the £4000 mark, put mine up at £3800 and had no sensible responses. Ended up phoning a local dealer, he gave me £3000. He advertised it at £3950 and it was sold within a week.
I think most people want the protection of buying from a dealer, maybe the finance as well.
There is also the concern of how you deal with test rides. And I know some dealers no longer allow them either. But at least with a reputable dealer if it jumps out of third gear , you have some come back, a private seller can just say, worked when I had it.
Depending on what it’s worth, I would accept the dealers offer.
The last bike I sold, similar bikes were around the £4000 mark, put mine up at £3800 and had no sensible responses. Ended up phoning a local dealer, he gave me £3000. He advertised it at £3950 and it was sold within a week.
I think most people want the protection of buying from a dealer, maybe the finance as well.
There is also the concern of how you deal with test rides. And I know some dealers no longer allow them either. But at least with a reputable dealer if it jumps out of third gear , you have some come back, a private seller can just say, worked when I had it.
I have seen dealers pricing bikes of the same age as mine at around £3700/£4000 depending on mileage etc. I was thinking to advertise it at around £3300. I understand buyers wanting the reassurance of buying from a dealer, I would, my bike still has the balance of the manufacturers warranty.
I wouldn't allow test rides without cash in my hand and proof of insurance, and offers only if buyers were stood next to the bike. I have heard others say its not easy selling a bike privately though, unless priced realistically.
I wouldn't allow test rides without cash in my hand and proof of insurance, and offers only if buyers were stood next to the bike. I have heard others say its not easy selling a bike privately though, unless priced realistically.
Sold a bike for £5k recently, so similar price range. Put it on Autotrader with the cheapest advert option, sold to the first person to view it within a couple of days.
Seemed like a decent/harmless bloke so I let him have a test ride down a quiet road, he essentially used his wife and dog as collateral. Paid me a £1000 deposit, took the parts and returned a week later to collect bike and pay the rest. Funds transferred without any banking delays. Met him at a local café for viewing as I wasn't mad keen on inviting strangers 'round my house.
If it's a nice bike and your advert is well-written with lots of useful info/photos (absolutely amazing how people are completely unable to do this), then you shouldn't struggle to sell for a price that was worth the effort of advertising instead of going to a dealer.
Edited to be clear that the wife and dog were not one and the same.
Seemed like a decent/harmless bloke so I let him have a test ride down a quiet road, he essentially used his wife and dog as collateral. Paid me a £1000 deposit, took the parts and returned a week later to collect bike and pay the rest. Funds transferred without any banking delays. Met him at a local café for viewing as I wasn't mad keen on inviting strangers 'round my house.
If it's a nice bike and your advert is well-written with lots of useful info/photos (absolutely amazing how people are completely unable to do this), then you shouldn't struggle to sell for a price that was worth the effort of advertising instead of going to a dealer.
Edited to be clear that the wife and dog were not one and the same.
Edited by horsemeatscandal on Monday 5th August 17:50
I did also try superbike, they offered £500 less than the local bike shop bought it off me.
Problem with cash in hand before test ride, is, people don’t buy with cash, and even if they did, there are forged notes good enough to fool most people.
It’s a shame, because in a way, I would personally rather buy off a private owner, cos you can get an idea of how it’s been ridden, and cared for.
Problem with cash in hand before test ride, is, people don’t buy with cash, and even if they did, there are forged notes good enough to fool most people.
It’s a shame, because in a way, I would personally rather buy off a private owner, cos you can get an idea of how it’s been ridden, and cared for.
WhisperingWasp said:
No harm in listing it here for free surely?
Complete waste of time though.After advertising for a realistic price and only getting scammers I dropped the price to a bargain but not stupidly low. Zero interest in a week.
If I got any interest I’d have said it was gone as I wouldn’t have sold it for that little.
trickywoo said:
WhisperingWasp said:
No harm in listing it here for free surely?
Complete waste of time though.After advertising for a realistic price and only getting scammers I dropped the price to a bargain but not stupidly low. Zero interest in a week.
If I got any interest I’d have said it was gone as I wouldn’t have sold it for that little.
Complete waste of time right enough…
OP, depending where you are in the country might have an impact but for me I’ve never had an issue selling anything… cars, bikes etc.
I always find you need to be well priced to move something. Have a look at similar models for sale in your area and price accordingly. The area bit is important.
Anyway, funds required for test drive (who cares about insurance that’s buyers responsibility) and money required in sellers account before anything is signed/leaves.
Never had an issues myself, I think I’m a reasonable judge of character and can tell within a few mins of someone coming around how the sale is gonna go.
I always find you need to be well priced to move something. Have a look at similar models for sale in your area and price accordingly. The area bit is important.
Anyway, funds required for test drive (who cares about insurance that’s buyers responsibility) and money required in sellers account before anything is signed/leaves.
Never had an issues myself, I think I’m a reasonable judge of character and can tell within a few mins of someone coming around how the sale is gonna go.
Bairn said:
trickywoo said:
WhisperingWasp said:
No harm in listing it here for free surely?
Complete waste of time though.After advertising for a realistic price and only getting scammers I dropped the price to a bargain but not stupidly low. Zero interest in a week.
If I got any interest I’d have said it was gone as I wouldn’t have sold it for that little.
Complete waste of time right enough…
I confirmed to myself that it wasn’t price but the platform it wasn’t getting interest. I’ve saved myself a lot of time since by not listing anything for sale on ph.
Bairn said:
OP, depending where you are in the country might have an impact but for me I’ve never had an issue selling anything… cars, bikes etc.
I always find you need to be well priced to move something. Have a look at similar models for sale in your area and price accordingly. The area bit is important.
Anyway, funds required for test drive (who cares about insurance that’s buyers responsibility) and money required in sellers account before anything is signed/leaves.
Never had an issues myself, I think I’m a reasonable judge of character and can tell within a few mins of someone coming around how the sale is gonna go.
It's worth checking they're covered I'd sayI always find you need to be well priced to move something. Have a look at similar models for sale in your area and price accordingly. The area bit is important.
Anyway, funds required for test drive (who cares about insurance that’s buyers responsibility) and money required in sellers account before anything is signed/leaves.
Never had an issues myself, I think I’m a reasonable judge of character and can tell within a few mins of someone coming around how the sale is gonna go.
CAUSING OR PERMITTING ANOTHER TO DRIVE WITHOUT INSURANCE:
An offence is committed if a person causes or permits another to use a motor vehicle on a road without a valid insurance policy covering that use (S143(b) Road Traffic Act 1988).
This offence carries the same penalty as using the vehicle (see above).
In order for you to be convicted of this offence it has to be shown that you allowed another person to use the vehicle, and that they were not covered by insurance.
KTMsm said:
And that's why you are holding the money
It's their bike, their problem
That's how I viewed it , they pay full into my account , has always gone in straight away .It's their bike, their problem
They own the bike and therefore can go for a ride , insurance is now their responsibility . If they came back and said it was not for them , I buy it back at same price there and then. If they crash it was and is their bike anyway .
Thanks for the replies ......you have basically confirmed my thoughts that in the event of a sale regardless of the method of payment the bike stays put until I can see cleared funds.
I live in Cumbria out in the sticks a bit and did wonder if that would make it more difficult than say selling in the suburbs, however I'm not far off the motorway and its very popular locally with bikers so fingers crossed.
Out of interest which platforms are the best for advertising, I have heard marketplace is a bit overrun with scammers but it still seems popular. Is it just a case of blanket bombing them all with the proviso that the bike is advertised elsewhere and maybe withdrawn if sold.
I live in Cumbria out in the sticks a bit and did wonder if that would make it more difficult than say selling in the suburbs, however I'm not far off the motorway and its very popular locally with bikers so fingers crossed.
Out of interest which platforms are the best for advertising, I have heard marketplace is a bit overrun with scammers but it still seems popular. Is it just a case of blanket bombing them all with the proviso that the bike is advertised elsewhere and maybe withdrawn if sold.
I sold one privately last year.
My ad was very accurate (tyre wear, service due, scratches etc) and had plenty of photos including the scabby bits, fixed price to sell and no test rides. I assumed any buyer was no idiot and knew bikes as much as me.
It sold to an older guy (aren't we all
), looking to get back into biking. We had a long phone chat sounding each other out, then agreed a date for him to come round.
Payment by bank transfer over the kitchen table, £1 to make sure we had the bank details correct, then the remainder of the funds. Completed the V5 details there and then online.
Just use some common sense and be cautious of Facebook market-place and the like. I prefer Autotrader or appropriate to the bike magazines - the bike was a CBF1000 so I advertised in MSL.
My ad was very accurate (tyre wear, service due, scratches etc) and had plenty of photos including the scabby bits, fixed price to sell and no test rides. I assumed any buyer was no idiot and knew bikes as much as me.
It sold to an older guy (aren't we all
), looking to get back into biking. We had a long phone chat sounding each other out, then agreed a date for him to come round.Payment by bank transfer over the kitchen table, £1 to make sure we had the bank details correct, then the remainder of the funds. Completed the V5 details there and then online.
Just use some common sense and be cautious of Facebook market-place and the like. I prefer Autotrader or appropriate to the bike magazines - the bike was a CBF1000 so I advertised in MSL.
Chippy 123 said:
Out of interest which platforms are the best for advertising.
You've got Autotrader and Ebay. Maybe Gumtree but that's the same for scams as Marketplace.MCN were rubbish anyway but they don't do private sales anymore.
I think you'll really struggle to shift privately unless its rare and / or cheap. You might get lucky though so its worth a go before you trade it.
Selling my blade, have to say the scammers have got pretty elaborate nowadays.
Guys insistent I used this site for a check on the bike. At first I thought nothing more about it other than I'm not paying for it, I've already carried out my own check when I purchased the bike. But the website looks shady as hell and no credit card or PayPal option to pay the fee, a third party method. Id imagine this will get a lot of people doing this in the hope of a quick sale and it's only £20-30.
Funnily the pricks went quiet, but he's wasted an hour where I coulda been painting my hall.
Guys insistent I used this site for a check on the bike. At first I thought nothing more about it other than I'm not paying for it, I've already carried out my own check when I purchased the bike. But the website looks shady as hell and no credit card or PayPal option to pay the fee, a third party method. Id imagine this will get a lot of people doing this in the hope of a quick sale and it's only £20-30.
Funnily the pricks went quiet, but he's wasted an hour where I coulda been painting my hall.
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