Is it only me............

[nickjtc]

........ or is selling a bike a stressful experience?

I am in the process of offloading one of the grandkids inheritances (long story; don't ask) and always default to eBay. I am reluctant to call it evil-Bay because I have had good success, generally, using it.

Anyhoo, the whole process seems so traumatic. Setting a reasonable 'buy it now' price with a reasonable 'reserve', and also hoping that someone locally will come up with adequate dosh. Throw in a bit of sellers remorse (because it does not REALLY have to go) and then the scene is set..............

... messages from people who assume that you ARE desperate and make stupidly ridiculous offers. Which are not allowed anyway.
... people who do not read your ad and expect you to deliver the bike to b#tt f#ck nowhere for no cost.
... people who want just a certain part from the bike and will send you OEM (but new) replacement plus cash because they are anal retents and are looking for 'original' bits.
... potential buyers who have 'a friend' who can come and look. And since the 'friend' knows everything about the bike they expect you to drop trou and haggle over the price.
... and let's not talk about the num-nuts who email from countries on the other side of the world who will pay three times the  selling price, but want you to pay for shipping up front.

Sigh.

Rant over.

[Nick Calne]

It's not only you.

I sold a bike via ebay. The winner was in Poland.
I went from liking Polish people to admiring Hilter's 1939 invasion in the space of a month while he and his mates repeated wrangled over the final price, delivery and suchlike.

[JayDub]

  I sold a monkey bike on ebay once (twice really) some 14 yr old kid bid on it through his dads account, then it took a fortnight to make contact then he said he didn't want it, so I sent a 'cancel transaction' request and he rejected it! Which meant I then had to pay 40 quid final value fee - when I complained to his dad he threatened to tear me in half (turns out he was a psychopathic Glaswegian doorman).
Ebay sorted it out and I eventually it sold for around a 3rd of its proper value.  Then there was the Irishman who won the bid on my XS850 at £980, and when he turned up he said he wouldn't give me more than 400! I relisted it and ended up getting 650.  Then ebay rip you off with the high seller fees (they even take a percentage of your postage fee!)
So I've ALWAYS found selling on ebay is not worth the effort.
I think its a buyers market as people expect to get everything for 99p so classified or buy it now listings are usually ignored unless they are very rare items, or at give away prices... well that's my experience anyway 
... sorry for the rant, I realise that I was starting to sound like Chris Canning then  (sorry Chris  )

[nickjtc]

I too had a sale where the idiot who put in the highest bid decided that he did not want to pay the shipping cost, despite being warned up front that it might be pricey. The good news was that when I re-listed the bike it went for more the second time around and the buyer came and collected it.

Hence my overall 'positive-ness' for the actual eBay process.

[nickjtc]

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'

Just found out that the bike has sold at my 'buy it now' price. And all I have to do is push it half a mile down the road for pick-up.

Being the cynic that I am when it comes to human interaction I will restrain myself from overt merriment until the spons are in my (metaphorical) pocket.  :icon_wink:

[Mustang]

ebay is far better than craigs-list

if you are lonely just list something on craigs-list the tire kickers and low ballers are more than happy to keep you company 

"wanna trade 3 used toothpicks and a gum wrapper for it ?"

[Sin_Tiger]

I bid on a Steamer on Ebay, guy accepted the bid, then cancelled saying it was not longer available 5 days later, not worth pursuing through the court of Ebay, where's the bad Karma button 

[nickjtc]

I bid on a Steamer on Ebay, guy accepted the bid, then cancelled saying it was not longer available 5 days later

Depending on your point of view, the ability to discontinue an auction is (as a seller) possibly a useful tool. Who is going to refuse a local sale for top dollar when the bids on eBay are only up to a fraction of that price...???

[Sin_Tiger]

Depending on your point of view, the ability to discontinue an auction is (as a seller) possibly a useful tool. Who is going to refuse a local sale for top dollar when the bids on eBay are only up to a fraction of that price...???

but in this case he hadn't had a bid anywhere near his reserve and I made him an offer through the ebay system near his reserve, which he accepted and emailed me to confirm, so it was sold (it was clearly marked on ebay as sold) when he basically sold it again before I could arrange collection 

[nickjtc]

I made him an offer through the ebay system near his reserve, which he accepted and emailed me to confirm, so it was sold (it was clearly marked on ebay as sold) when he basically sold it again before I could arrange collection 

Well THAT is very naughty.

[nickjtc]

Money in my pocket; bike off to its new home. All is well with the world.