Advice on selling via Ebay please.

OK, so I've bought a few things there, some cheap n nasty to a rather pukka first edition of Lord of the Rings; but I've never ventured into the realms of selling anything.

So, thinking of jumping in feet first and up to my neck I'm considering putting the Gaffa Ninja on there.

Look, even I can't justify three bikes (well, OK, I can if I'm making vague attmepts to sell one) so one has to finance the Blade's re-spray and it isn't gong to be the SV.

I'm only really thinking of it as a last resort if I can't sell it to someone I know; to be honest I never like selling things at the best of times but I am nervous of selling a vehicle to a stranger.

Basics I'm thinking are:

• Not to give out my address but to 'sell' from a friends house who owns no bikes - or at the very least make sure my other bikes (and MG) are 'away hiding' somewhere if anyone comes round.
  Also no test rides unless there's full payment in cash in my hand.
  I'm only going to accept cash or BACS transfer.
  Not leave anything out on either description or photos bearing in mind the damage it has sustained.
  Be prepared for dumb questions to be asked!

Er, anything else I should particularly watch out for (no horror stories please as I'm iffy enough about selling a bike and need little enough reason to keep it - or rather avoid selling it!).

you seem to have it sorted, just be honest in the description, good photos, tell them to bring a driving licence and proof of insurance too as that will put off any chavs or tyre kickers.

Sounds like you have covered most things.

One Very Important Thing Do not allow people with no feedback to bid on your bike and make sure everyone who is interested contacts you BEFORE they big - you can set this when you are setting up preferences for your sale. If you don't do this, you are setting youself up for thieves, scammers, and scumbags who set up false accounts.

I made this mistake once when selling , and got a Nigerian scammer winning the item, which caused me all sorts of hassle (I finally did sell to the next highest bidder, but it was a job and a half).

I think the most important thing is not to let anyone near your bike until you have the payment in your hand - it will be best to restrict your buyers to cash only (I wouldn't think that BACSing a payment to your account before a test ride would be particularly appealing to any potential buyer )

Price it realistically, with motor vehicles a good low reserve price will stimulate interest and hence bids. As you have said, leave absolutely nothing out even down to the most minor thing with regards to damage - that way you will avoid the awkward questions when the guy has come 150 miles to view it!

Good luck!

Watch out for the con "I'll send you a cheque and could you wire transfer the rest back to me...."

DO NOT agree to wire transfer anything... to anyone... and do not take wire transfer as payment.... Cash on collection....

Also in your description, use the term "Your bidding to buy, not to view, if you wish to view then you must do so before the end of the auction.

And no matter, what, you'll still get people asking stupid questions, and chancers emailing you with stupid offers.

what the others said... out of interest how much would you be wanting for it ?

I sold my bike on ebay this weekend (I'm now bikeless, sob!) for cash. The buyer didn't want to pay by BACS transer (I'd have prefered that) and offered cash. I took him to the bank and we paid it straight in there. That way, the bank get to check that the cash is kosher.

I'm not sure about not letting people with no feedback bid. Someone might only be on ebay to buy a bike and therefore not have feedback. The guy who bought my bike didn't have any, as he was specifically looking for a Harley. However, if you want more peace of mind then block them.

State that there is no 'buy it now' (unless you want to) and no part exchanges. I got lots of "How much do you want for it?", "Is they a buy it now?" and "Can I part exchange?" questions. I also stated that I wasn't prepared to export it - which seemed to stop the scammers.

In the end, I got over £1000 more than I expected for it, and nearly double what I would have got part exchanging it at a dealers. I'm now awaiting delivery of my new toy.

i sold my spitfire on there a while back. A guy came around the weekend before the auction ended and offered me cash to buy it now (well cheque actually) i think £700 ish
so i accepted as it had had bugger all interest.. anyway in the last couple of days fo the auction (i didnt know how to stop the auction) the price shot up and i ended up getting my mam to put in the highest bid £1400 ish.

to cut a long story short. the guy called and must have felt sorry for me and we agreed to meet half way at about £1000 as long as i didnt tell his wife. so when i dropped off the car we did this slight of hand trick on his lawn and exchanged £300.

moral of the story is probably not to accept bids off ebay and let the auction run until the end, (unless they're offering over the odds because they REALLY it)

k

Originally Posted by kjames

moral of the story is probably not to accept bids off ebay and let the auction run until the end, (unless they're offering over the odds because they REALLY it)

Often, people wait right until the end of the auction to bid. I had no bids for 6 days, then a bidding war on the last day that rocketed the price up.

A friend suggested that if you're selling a bike, do a nine day auction over two weekends. That way, people have more opportunity to come and view the bike.

I sell bits & bobs on eBay & TBH I've forund that selling stuff on a 10 day auction; starting on a Thursday works best (for me at least)

If you list the item at around 8pm, it will end at 8pm, sunday week - which means that the auction goes over two weekends, thus giving the potential audience the maximum amount of time to see the said items

Its very important to list the postage charges too (if there are any,) do this by either wrapping the item & taking it down to the post office or weigh it at home & use the post office web site to gauge the postage costs...

Originally Posted by Cloggsy

Its very important to list the postage charges too (if there are any,) do this by either wrapping the item & taking it down to the post office or weigh it at home & use the post office web site to gauge the postage costs...

K, please post photos of you wrapping the Ninja and taking it to the post office to be weighted