What would you think / how would you respond if a seller sent you this bike? Or... a cautionary tale of buyer beware (pics)

[BikesGuru]

the $150.00 disassembly fee is kind of out of line!on top of the $130.00 shipping charge!
funny how when some guys buy bikes they want the seller to pay for shipping ( bike barn)
and when they sell ,oh well you get the picture!!!!

Yep, $150 is steep, but the bike shop actually did an amazing job.

Their shipping quote through Bikeflights was $180 I think, but $130 was the best shipping cost I could find, via Shipbikes.com

 

[1motime]

In the end you ended up with a very special bike. It's a beauty! Give it a good home and it should last forever. You did the right thing in calling out a crook. Try to put it behind and enjoy the ride!

 

[BikesGuru]

In the end you ended up with a very special bike. It's a beauty! Give it a good home and it should last forever. You did the right thing in calling out a crook. Try to put it behind and enjoy the ride!

Yes, thanks! In the end things often seem to work out as they should

 

[mrg]

A sad situation but the red flags were there, the sellers attitude first, that would have ended it for me, If I'm spending $$$ you'd better be ready to answer some questions, pics ( or lack of ), payment, packing, shipping cost, This "collection reduction" thing that drug on and on and never heard anything good about it!, just seemed like someone that was/is NOT a expert, overpaid for a bunch of bikes ( some crap ) and now was trying to get out! ( or maybe he was a flipper from the start ), as far as the cabe community I don't think I'd heard of him before the reduction sale, that ad ran for awhile so any other unsatisfied buyers?

 

[The Carolina Rambler]

A sad situation but the red flags were there, the sellers attitude first, that would hav ended it for me, If I'm spending $$$ you'd better be ready to answer some questions, pics ( or lack of ), payment, packing, shipping cost, This "collection reduction" thing that drug on and on and never heard anything good about it!, just seemed like someone that was/is NOT a expert, overpaid for a bunch of bikes ( some crap ) and now was trying to get out! ( or maybe he was a flipper from the start ), as far as the cabe community I don't think I'd heard of him before the reduction sale, that ad ran for awhile so any other unsatisfied buyers?

I bought a bike from him, and personally I was pleased with the transaction, and it went well. He did have some very nice bikes, especially earlier on, and some like the one I bought, had been in museums that closed. Of course I also saw in there a lot of bikes that had been on local Craigslist years earlier. I can't believe that he was able to find that many bikes in just 5 years time, that's shocking!

 

[SirMike1983]

When you are at that price level, the pictures need to be numerous and very good. There should be no hassle when posing questions, and there shouldn't be an argument over providing more information. I can see buying a $20 junker and being told "it is what it is - take it or leave", but when we're talking many hundreds and into the thousands of dollars, it should be a top-flight sales effort. You're playing in the big leagues when you're talking that kind of money.

I have several hobbies and the old bike hobby, in my experience has one of the higher rates of dishonesty, at least the hobbies I participate in. I regularly see sales or auctions, on the CABE, on eBay, craiglist, facebook, for old bikes or parts where there are serious red flags. We've all been bitten at one point or another.

I was once bitten by a CABE member sale on a pre-1930 antique bike that looked good in the photos. The one angle that was missing was the angle that would have told that a car backed into the non-driveside chain stay. I was angry when I saw damage. I never had any redress and I wound up selling the parts to break even. The seller was also, from what I can tell, using Postal Money Orders to evade federal income taxes. I'm glad I at least broke even by parting what was left of it. I've repaired and ridden vintage bicycles since 1994 and this happened in about 2012, so you're not the first and won't be the last to take a hit. We all live and learn.

 

[Archie Sturmer]

I have asked sellers about unclear pictures before, (does that show a dent or a hole?), only to have the sellers delete the pictures, and then later I forgot what I had previously seen, not remembering why I might have passed on the sale before?

I recall seeing a collection reduction ad before that listed a bunch of bicycles, but did not provide pictures, well, not for of all of those listed. The ad did include a statement to contact the OP for additional pictures of the bikes shown or not shown. So I reported the thread to the moderators for deletion but they declined, choosing to let the rules slide.

 

[oldmtrcyc]

Yep, that same seller got me. I bought a $3500 bike from him ($3780 with shipping and packing). It arrived with a junk set of pedals, that were not shown on the bike in the ad. The old switcheroo cost me another $250. Don't buy from a barn 3,000 miles away!

 

[mrg]

Hate to say it but if this is the bike in question? the new owner got a hell of a deal at $500, (The last one reluctantly offered $500, which I had no choice but to take.?) with everything said amateur paint & all definitely worth more than that especially after the work you put into it! ( seems like those tanks are going for $300+ ), sounds like the 12 people that looked at it did know much!

 

[GTs58]

Hate to say it but if this is the bike in question? the new owner got a hell of a deal at $500, (The last one reluctantly offered $500, which I had no choice but to take.?) with everything said amateur paint & all definitely worth more than that! ( seems like those tanks are going for $300+ ), sounds like the 12 people that looked at it did know much!View attachment 1573532

I'm getting confused. The new owner paid well over twice that. Where did $500 come in to play?