Somebody bought my bike "accidentally" on that auction site – help please!

Apparently, it was an auto-bid that he meant to cancel . He forget and now it’s his. It was a collection only deal. It’s paid for but as he’s in Leics and I’m in Manchester, he’s now asked that I box it up and courier it to him, at his cost.

Fortunately, I have a box. What I’d like to know is which carrier is recommended and how much is it likely to cost?

Also, is it reasonable to charge him £10 or so for the packing aspect?

Ta loves.

Dodgy thing sounds dodgy…

Collection only – just do the collection at his house, in cash, I’d say.

Rachel

I’ll send you an email.

On second thoughts…

Dodgy thing sounds dodgy…

Dodgy thing sounds dodgy…

Collection only – just do the collection at his house, in cash, I’d say.

Rachel

I think you’ve misunderstood. He bought the bike from me, collection only. He’s paid for it by PayPal but now wants me to send it down to him at his cost.

He’s paid for it by PayPal but now wants me to send it down to him at his cost.

Only he’ll say it didn’t turn up or something.

Dodgy thing sounds dodgy.

So the buyer is not trying to back out?

All you need to know is know is what courier to use and if its reasonable to charge him for the postage?

Yes it is reasonable, but a courier will probs cost you more than a tenner.

I hear Yodel are reliable…

Only do it if he’ll organise and pay for the courier.

What Rachel and johndoh said^

All the “accidental purchase” BS is just to soften you up so you’re relieved you still have a sale and that you don’t have to faff around on eBay again.

Well, probably. I’d at least be very suspicious, PayPal’s very easy to reverse a payment on.

The cynic in me is thinking this is one of those scams where, once the bike has left, PayPal will magic away the funds from your account…

I’m about to post my lads Islabike, £12.18 for 24hr with senditnow.com.

Yes it sounds dodgy and I would cancel the sale. If you’re determined to go ahead, tell him to use Paisley Freight as their website is the most user-friendly. However as the actual carrier will be TNT, warn him to check the carton carefully on arrival and sign for the goods as “damaged” if he has any doubt about the condition.

I couriered a bike with TNT and the carton arrived smashed up but the buyer’s idiot wife signed for it “in good condition” so when the buyer opened it that evening and found the bike wrecked we had a big problem getting anything out of TNT. I did eventually but not without a battle.

I am convinced he’s legit’.
He runs a business called Flatout Cycles. Lots of positive feedback and good Trustpilot reviews.

I think he’s dropped a cod and is trying to resolve it.

*wallows in naivety*

I’d at least be very suspicious, PayPal’s very easy to reverse a payment on.

Ditto. Buyer pays by PayPal, collects in person, lodges an appeal with PP (“what bike? I haven’t received any bike”), takes the money and runs. Cash on collection or post it then you’ve got an audit trail.

Have you spoken with him on the phone?

wants me to send it down to him at his cost.

As long as it is at his cost then personally I’d be okay with that as long as you can do a proper courier with tracked and signed for delivery.

(trying to buy a kid’s bike online at the moment and it is a pain how many are great but local collect only)

So, when he receives the bike, he logs onto his PayPal and raises a dispute as the goods are not what he expected. He gets his money refunded, you lose the bike and cash.

He runs a business called Flatout Cycles. Lots of positive feedback and good Trustpilot reviews.

They’re a fairly reputable company so if it is them I’d say it’s legit.

From the Fallout Cycles website FAQs.

Q: Will you arrange for a courier to collect my items?

A: In short yes! We will arrange a courier collection for large items such as wheels, forks, frames, large job lots and bikes. The courier can collect the parcel from your home or work between the hours of 9.00am-5.00pm. You will need to safely package and box the parts, please write our address on the side of the box titled ‘Purchases’. We charge a fixed fee for UK Mainland Collections of £20 which is deducted from the final payment for the goods. Please note this is UK Mainland (Excluding Scottish Highlands) only but we are happy to provide a quote for collections on a case by case basis for other areas. Please note we cannot accept any responsibility for items damaged in transit through poor packaging. If for any reason the parcel is not ready at the arranged time we will re-book for another time and also deduct £10 from the quote to cover the missed collection.

Get him to do it. He has the contacts and an account with a courier by the sounds of it.

Get a number from their website and call them, could be highjacked account.

Return the money to him. Tell him to draw it out the bank. Put bike in car. drive to Leicester and charge him for the fuel. Give him bike, accept cash. Drive home.

Dodgy thing sounds dodgy.

Dodgy thing sounds dodgy.

Bike shop has faulty bike same model\components as yours.

Yours is received and buyer then raises complaint to say you sold them a faulty bike\component, PayPal refunds buyer, if you’re lucky you get the bike by return including the faulty bits the shop has just managed to repair free.

Been done before to people, not necessarily by that shop, they could be legit but it’s a scam that has happened. Really, really make sure your arse is covered if you decide to go ahead.

Why the big mystery?

Guy buys your bike to part out and make a profit. Doesn’t twig it’s collect only. Can’t sell bike bits while tooling up the M1 so asks you to do the dirty work and box it up while he sorts a courier.

He has contract with courier so, as long they sign for collection in good condition, you are sorted.

Not everyone is a scumbag.

grizedaleforest – Member
Only do it if he’ll organise and pay for the courier.

+1

If you organise the courier, the risk is on you. If he does it, it’s on him.

Some imaginative people on here.

To answer the OP – I usually end up using Parcelforce via ParcelMonkey or InterParcel I think.

I’ve bought Lupine lights stuff from Flatout cycles a couple of times – would happily post them a bike under these circumstances.

If it is flatout they do enough (or least ways advertise enough) stuff they will have their own courier. I’d ask them to arrange on that basis as it’s less hassle for you and no costs to worry about. Get a collection receipt.

£10 for boxing up? In honesty if you want it sold I’d just take the hit on a half hour of your time and see it gone personally, it’s easy done beer in hand, yes it’s a bit of time and a little inconvenient but a lot less than the tyre-kicking and haggling you get from 80% of cash on collection buyers from eBay.

i posted before id read that it is the guy from flat-out. always hear good things about them to be fair. if it is him id probably be cautious, but not too much.

Ben from Flatout rang me as I requested via eb*y comm’s.

He was very apologetic, thanked me for helping him to resolve the issue and is arranging a courier to collect next week.

Drop your weapons folks!

If you organise the courier, the risk is on you. If he does it, it’s on him.

aiui that’s backwards. If you organise the courier they will supply you with proof of delivery, if he organises the courier you get chuff all proof of anything. IF the buyer decides to claim his money back via paypal claiming that it wasn’t delivered, then without proof of delivery, you are stuffed.

If you’re posting it out make sure you do it.

Not sure why so many are so quick to claim it’s dodgy or at risk of a chargeback? You’re just receiving money via PayPal and sending the item via courier, no different to the vast majority of other eBay sales?

I’ve bought a few bikes down as collect only and arranged for a courier to pick them up. They tend to go a lot more cheaply than when the seller is willing to post. Of course I always contact the seller before bidding to check that it’s ok, but it sounds like an honest mistake.

Kinda interested that so many assume its a set-up. My reading of the OP was that rather than fail to pay or attempt to wriggle out, the guy’s asked you for some help by shipping the item.

I think my approach would be to get a quote (parcel monkey, paisley freight, whoever), round it up at one’s discretion to cover the faffage/box/bubble wrap and ask for that via paypal. Once the extra’s been paid, I’d book ‘my’ courier, so I get the proof that I’ve fulfilled my side of the bargain.

Sellers’ protection in these cases seem to be linked as ‘cash in my hand when I hand over the item’ or ‘paypal plus proof of delivery by means of my choosing’. Genuinely interested if I’ve got that mixed up in my head.

Buying a “collection only” item is a good way of getting a bargain.

The item would have fetched more money if you’d offered to post it because anyone in the country can can bid, rather than only those people local to you.

Buying a “collection only” item is a good way of getting a bargain.

The item would have fetched more money if you’d offered to post it because anyone in the country can can bid, rather than only those people local to you.

Could be the guy’s buying strategy!

Recorded delivery with a signature needed, then if he does claim it didn’t arrive you have evidence it did.

If it is a standard cardboard bike box, you’d be taking the piss charging for it advice shops give them away for free.

trying to buy a kid’s bike online at the moment and it is a pain how many are great but local collect only)

What size?

aiui that’s backwards. If you organise the courier they will supply you with proof of delivery, if he organises the courier you get chuff all proof of anything. IF the buyer decides to claim his money back via paypal claiming that it wasn’t delivered, then without proof of delivery, you are stuffed.
If you’re posting it out make sure you do it.

No, because your involvement ends when you hand it over to his courier – just get a proof of collection.