There are a couple of e-bikes on my radar and googling throws up some examples on eBay, thus;
Both sellers demand cash or bank transfer, but the Cannondale seller is offering viewing.
So if these are suspect, what is the scam?
Apologies of these are legitimate sellers and sales, obvs.
Absolutely no buyer protection in those payment methods. You may as well just send me the cash. If you did go to view, I bet there would be loads of excuses why you couldn't take the bike and it'll be sent later, after payment.
If it appears to good to be true...
Edit - actually they are both payment on collection now I've looked, so I'm not sure how a scam would work.
The seller of the Whyte has only been on eBay since December, and the 'extensive feedback' mentioned is only five transactions, all purchases. I wouldn't.
I don't really see what could go wrong..
Take somebody with you, and if you like the bike, and its as expected..
Just pay and leave..
Nobody would be forcing you into doing anything different... So i'm really struggling to see how you can be scammed?
I suppose there's a few conceivable reasons, but I'd still wonder why they don't return the bikes for a refund?
The Whyte is £4999 from Leisure Lakes. I reckon they just got a further deal on it and are looking at selling it on. If I was going to spend £4500, I'd probably spend the extra getting it from a shop. To me the discount isn't sufficient to do away with any protections you get from a dealer
Perhaps they don't understand how eBay currently works. Doesn't matter how the buyer pays, the seller receives the payment via eBay payments so it sits in your eBay payment fund until you choose to withdraw it to your bank account or until they automatically pay it to your bank account every quarter.
It appears the sellers are trying to sell outside of eBay to avoid the buyer protection stuff. One of them even says 'don't press buy it now'.
I’d still wonder why they don’t return the bikes for a refund?
Because if there is nothing wrong, you're not entitled to a refund.
TBF, it smells fishy to me. And is second hand so no warranty.
Even if it's not a scam, i don't think you'll have any warranty and it's still 4.5k!? Wheelbase have the Whyte for 5k
Because if there is nothing wrong, you’re not entitled to a refund.
They both look like online purchases to me (see box and packaging), in which case the buyer is absolutely entitled to a refund. For up to a year on the second one which the seller states came from Tredz.
And there’s cashback available from Wheelbase, further eroding the saving.
I’d second that. A lot of titanium Bromptons on EBay. They’re £4500 new, say you save 40% tax (so £2700), and sell it for £4000. That’s a significant £1300 profit. Of course there’s a final payment due. But maybe they haven’t read the T’a and C’s. Collection only. I’d take a look if any warranty can be transferred.
Ah yes, never thought about a C2W purchase.
I did message the chap selling the Whyte and he said he was an ex bike dealer with contacts, hence how he got this. However, he’d already registered the warranty so it wouldn’t be transferable. So it’s a no just on that. And also the price is nearly retail, as has been pointed out. £5k at leisure lakes too, seems a decent price*.
*Five thousand pounds, on a bicycle. I never thought I’d ever contemplate spending that much.
both of those bikes, the warranty only applies to the original purchaser, so no warranty