Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine

• Overview
• Bike Forum
• Chat Forum
• For Sale
• Wanted
• Forum Help
• Classified Rules

Bike Forum

1. feenster - Member

   I bought a bike off ebay, and it's gone a bit nasty. Just wondered what the assmebled wisdom of stw thinks.

   This was the description:

   [Bike Name] 27 spd mountain bike, Shimano LX/XT groupset, Avid V brakes, Cateye computer, Bottle cage. Superb quality MTB, good condition, never crashed. Small frame so would suit height up to men / women or kids up 5'6"

   Advertised as pick up only but I asked if he would post if I covered the cost. He agreed, I won the auction for £153 and he posted. Bike arrived in good time very well packaged. Deal was I waould pay postage when the bike arrived.

   Bike in great condition, apparently very little use. However, ratchets on both shifters knackered, so new shifters needed, and headset rough as, so new headset required. No mention of these in the description.

   I sat on it for a couple of weeks, then got a paypal invoice for the postage £23. I replied and asked if we could call it quits due to the undeclared defects. His response:

   Thanks for ripping me off. The bike was fine, second hand but fine. What the hell did you expect? What p*****s me off is that you didn't tell me about these issues. You're just a cheapskate trying to save a few quid and ruining ebay for everyone. Ride Carefully.

   So, what the verdict? Should these defects have been declared, and was I right to take a bit of compensation in this way? Or should I just have accepted that buying on ebay is a risk, and you just don't know what you are going to get?

   Posted 1 year ago #
2. feenster - Member

   FWIW, bike was something that would have sold for about £700, about 2001-2003 I think.

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. theflatboy - Member

   i would say there are three issues:

   firstly if you were put out by the faults you should have raised them once you noticed them to give him a chance to consider and address them, rather than wait for the invoice and only raise them then.

   secondly, it says it's in good condition, not perfect, so the entire package probably would meet that description even with faulty shifters and headset.

   thirdly, going on the price you paid for it, £23 is approx. 1/6 of the amount paid, so probably not proportionate to the value of the defective parts in terms of the whole bike.

   i would say a fair reduction would be £15, 10% of the total price. so you should offer that on that basis and pay him part of the postage.

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. Tim - Member

   He should have declared the defects BUT you did sit on it for a couple of weeks so you have less clout with ebay if you wanted to press it as he could say that you caused the damage in the 2 weeks. I dont know how you can take it further really.

   Headset might just need stripping and cleaning - but if its a non sealed bearing jobber the bearing cages have probably disintegrated

   live and learn i think on the whole

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. Ti29er - Member

   His listing was accurate as he saw things.
   If you subsequently change things that you feel are not good enough as you see it, then that's your perogative.

   You then sat on these issues for two weeks.

   I'd say his comments are pertinent so pay up. "Caveat emptor"

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. scu98rkr - Member

   I'd be tempted to say pay up.

   If your really bothered just pay like £15-£20 and he'll probably call it quits.

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. feenster - Member

   I accept the stuff about sitting on it. Might be prepared to go 50/50 with him based on flatboys value based thing.

   But on the principle of whether this should have been decalred....

   His listing was accurate as he saw things.

   I don't agree. He might not have realised the gears didn't work, but they didn't work. So "Good condition." is inaccurate, or incomplete, imo.

   Surely unless sellers describe their stuff carefully, fully and accurately, ebay falls apart.

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. tron - Member

   Good condition must mean something unusual to him. To me, it means that everything is in working order. It might be cosmetically tatty or developed a little play, but it'll work.

   You should have got in touch and disputed the issues with the bike rather than not paying the postage. Generally ebay disputes go the buyer's way.

   Posted 1 year ago #
9. sailor74 - Member

   unless he has a 14 day returns policy there isnt much you can do. Second had gear is sold 'as seen', in which case you really should have given it a good check over within a day or so of receiving it. Of the £153 you paid he will have lost a good amount in ebay/paypal fees, take away another £23 and he will have come out with very little so you can probably understand his anger.

   to be honest i think you have left it a bit too late to start wanting money back.

   Posted 1 year ago #
10. TandemJeremy - Member

    Minor defects on cheap secondhand bike. Just pay it

    Posted 1 year ago #
11. coffeeking - Member

    Problem is he advertised it as pick up only, so he was probably expecting you to come and test it out.

    Posted 1 year ago #
12. ZaskarCarbon - Member

    Sorry but I have to say pay up. The fact that you sat on it for 2 weeks does you no favours. If I ever find anything wrong with an eBay purchase, I email the seller straight away.

    If you'd raised the issue immediately, then it's more likely that you and the seller could have come to an agreement. I can understand the seller's frustration at the fact that you haven't let him know about the problems until you'd had it for a couple of weeks.

    Stick some new shifters and a decent cheap headset on it and you'll be sorted.

    Posted 1 year ago #
13. tails - Member

    Headset is arguable the shifters he would have known about. pay him half.

    Posted 1 year ago #
14. bigyinn - Member

    tbh the bike isnt really working if you cant change gear. The headset, i'd not worry about that, it still technically works!
    Your biggest failure was to do nothing and then wait two weeks. I'd be p'd off if i sold something and then someone starts getting funny out of the blue!

    Posted 1 year ago #
15. secret squirrel - Member

    I agree with others who say the problem is waiting two weeks to say something - I would always check an item I'd bought straight away. That said, if an item is described as "used" on eBay, it does include the words, "The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended" ... if it doesn't work, then you may have a point.

    On another note, I really hate how some people go from pleasant sounding sellers to using language like "ripping me off" and "p*sses me off", etc. Totally unnecessary IMHO and only likely to make things harder to resolve. I presume your tone to him was less inflammatory.

    Posted 1 year ago #
16. nickjb - Member

    Pay up. You had a chance to inspect or ask more questions before you bought and time to reject it after.

    Posted 1 year ago #
17. feenster - Member

    On another note, I really hate how some people go from pleasant sounding sellers to using language like "ripping me off" and "p*sses me of", etc. Totally unnecessary IMHO and only likely to make things harder to resolve. I presume your tone to him was less inflamatory.

    Yeah, totally agree.

    I do understand his frustration, I realise I shouldn't have sat on it, and I can see the argumenets for why I should pay up, but also, as you say, foobar gears means the bike doesn't work as intended.

    I just suggested I keep the postage as compensation. I expected a bit of negotiation, but not that he started swinging verbal punches straight away, and basically wishing me a bike related mishap, over £23.

    For me, that attitude and approach, combined with his lazy item listing does a pretty good job of ruining ebay for everyone.

    I don't feel very inclined to be nice to him now, despite the fact that all was good up to that point.

    I was lazy by not getting back to him, he was lazy with his listing. I need to replce parts that weren't declared as defecctive, although overall the value of the bike is low, so all things considered 50/50 seems fair.

    Posted 1 year ago #
18. TandemJeremy - Member

    Look at it from his point of view. He wanted collect only to avoid hassle. He agreed to post it to you as a favour. Now you don't want to pay the postage 2 weeks later. I'd be pretty cross if i were him

    Posted 1 year ago #
19. secret squirrel - Member

    May be worth getting eBay arbitration to intervene ... a good seller would have tested it or at least declared possible problems beforehand.

    I recently sold a bike that had sat in the garage for several years and went out of my way to stress that everything worked (- I went out on it to check everything, cleaned and lubed it), although it needed a service and would benefit from new tyres too due to their age. I probably got a bit less for it because of this, but I sold with a clear conscience.

    Unfortunately not everyone is as transparent as this and some resort to unnecessary insults - possibly to intimidate you into not taking it any further, you just never know. Did you have a reason for not checking it for a couple of weeks?

    I've only ever had good experiences with eBay, but I think I'm quite lucky.

    Posted 1 year ago #
20. feenster - Member

    Look at it from his point of view. He wanted collect only to avoid hassle. He agreed to post it to you as a favour. Now you don't want to pay the postage 2 weeks later. I'd be pretty cross if i were him

    I see that. But his listing was lazy. The gears don't work, bike doesn't function as intended. I think he should have declared the defective gears.

    FWIW, From my point of view, I was buying a cheap decent quality first mtb for a friend to get into mtb on a tight budget £200. Replacing the headset and shifter, as well as the postage will likely blow the budget. If I'd know the defects, I would have adjusted how much I was willing to bid.

    Posted 1 year ago #
21. feenster - Member

    Did you have a reason for not checking it for a couple of weeks?

    I picked up on the defects straight away, but the sat on while deciding what to do and prcrastinating about doing it.

    Just lazy really.

    Posted 1 year ago #
22. secret squirrel - Member

    Try the arbitration service? Nothing to lose, I suppose, as this will already have soured your experience of eBay.

    Posted 1 year ago #
23. HTTP404 - Member

    I'd say pay-up.

    The seller described it in good faith.
    He wanted collection only.
    You agreed to pay postage.

    You could get secondhand shifters and headset for £20 which would still be in budget.

    Posted 1 year ago #
24. uplink - Member

    I see that. But his listing was lazy.

    As was your reporting back to him

    As many have said - take it on the chin

    Posted 1 year ago #
25. mk1fan - Member

    You say your issue is that the seller should have declared the broken shifters and headset. Now and being very generous to the Seller, how do you know that they knew there was something wrong with them? As simple as bikes are it doesn't mean everyone's an expert.

    Leaving it two-weeks and only complaining after you were sent an invoice for the postage could easily been seen by an impartial party as trying to avoid paying.

    It sounds like the bike has lived most of it's life in a shed/garage and not been riden. From that point of view I'd expect that bike wouldn't work correctly - regardless of it's appearance.

    Unfortunatley I don't think you've got a reasonable cause for refund. It's part of the risk of buying second hand. In this case you've relied on the untested knowledge of the owner.

    That's not to say it isn't worth trying to negotiate a solution but be prepared to pay the monies.

    On the flip side at least it'll be easy to s/s it. Or you could get some of those Microshift shifters for £20 and convert it to 9-spd rear cog.

    Posted 1 year ago #
26. breatheeasy - Member

    My rule of thumb on any eBay bike is that at least one thing will need replacing. If it's a specific bit up for auction, like a shifter or a rear mech I'd expect it to work.

    If you'd have replied straight away I'd have taken your side, the two week delay until after the invoice would just look so dodgy to me if I were in his shoes.

    Pay up, man up and decide what feedback you want to give him/her, though if you do give negative he will/should add his comment to it that you didn't contact him about the faults until after you were invoiced for something he did as a favour to you (postage).

    Posted 1 year ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.