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Shipping Help

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When i take a bike to fedex or u.p.s. what i do is while the bike box is on there scale i take out my phone and take pictures of the box showing both sides of box.I try to get pictures also showing some interior of the store showing u.p.s. or fedex.This is proof that there was no damage when you dropped it there.Go to wal-mart and talk to someone in the bike dept. For a $5.00 bill he will save you all the boxes you need.
 
I've recieved a few bikes that could have been packed better. This could be a great resource for those people that are reluctant to ship.
 
Looking for BIKE

I have an old bike from china. But that one is out dated. I want a new one. Bit I am confused which one I should pick up. Looking for suggestion.
 
Shipping to Germany??

I have put a block on overseas bidding on a bike I have on ebay. But, received a request to allow a germany bid from a buyer.
My question is what would I expect to be the pros and cons on shipping to Germany?
Would you ship to Germany or anywhere outside the borders? I would imagine that customs would be a hassle?

This would be an Ebay question but, if an item is sold overseas, does the paypal funds stay in unvailable until the buyer receives the item?
New to the ebay selling scene so apparently I'm still a high risk and all payments are on an "unavailable" status until the package is shipped.

Thanks for the feedback in advance.
JD
 
back by popular demand:

I wrote this quite some time ago and never posted it. so here it is.

Ok, I've decided to try to be helpful again so watch out!
I have seen the need to help people with just how to pack an old bike for shipping. this should not be used for restored bikes but works great for decent to crapy original paint as well as any bike needing total restore. By doing this I take no responsibility for any damage but each person should adapt this to his or her own situation making modification where needed.

step one: obviously is to get a bike to pack and a box to pack it in. boxes should be relatively easy to get through your local bike shop. they should not charge for a box. make sure you get all the crap they took off the new mountain bike that just came out, it will be very useful later.

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step two: pull off the peddles, seat, and handle bar and attach them to the rear wheel(notice I put one peddle back on backwards? this keeps the crank and wheel from going too far around with the handle bar attached. this could cause problems though you can just attach both peddles to the wheel.) with some zip ties, tie wire, or whatever you have handy. it must be strong enough to take the trip without allowing the peddles to get loose and beat the bike to death during the ride across the country.

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step three: pull off the front wheel and fender and tie it to the frame on the side opposite the chain guard. this is where you will start to use the stuff from the mountain bike that originally came in the box. put a few pieces of frame protector around the frame tubes where the fender or wheel would touch. if your box doesn't have any just use thin cardboard like a cerial box or something tough. bubble wrap can wear through and mar the paint. this box had thin plastic pieces and that really dense hard foam stuff. hopefully you will find a plastic piece that fits in the front axle drop out in the box. if not try to get one this keeps the forks from poking through the box. check at the bike shop if you need one. make sure it is really jammed up in there good. also hopefully there will be a few axle protectors to pop on the front axle to keep it from going through the side of the box. put on as many as you get with your box. better safe than sorry but really the important one is the one against the box.

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step four: this bike being a Schwinn Tiger had a front rack which I put over the front of the bike out of the way. I wrapped the leg on the side of the front wheel with cardboard so it wouldn't hurt the paint and zip tied it securely in place.I also had a piece of foam that went around the head tube so I used it. if you don't get one you can wrap it in cardboard or if it doesn't look to be in danger just skip it altogether. with the rack there I thought it best to use it.

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step five: hopefully you got a box big enough because you are ready to drop it in the box. once in the box look around for potential problems and add packing or move offending parts as needed. tape the box shut and don't be stingy with the tape. make sure it won't come open during the trip. remember UPS policy is that it has to be able to withstand being dropped from 3 feet and be able to have 120 pounds stacked on it.

Sorry I thought I had a photo of the bike in the box but couldn't find it.

if you have a bike with a rear rack I usually leave it on the bike as it is not in the way of anything and doesnt need moving. remember the less items detatched from the bike the less things to fly around loose beating the crap out of the bike. if it is a tank bike, you'll need to decide if the tank is in danger of getting hit on the bike or if it is best to take it off and put it in a box. I try to leave it on the bike if I can because if it is in a separate box there is a chance that during the ride it could shift and get damaged by the bike bouncing around and hitting it. I usually just wrap it in cardboard and taping it securely so it the cardboard can't move.

thanks for looking.
Scott
 
The CABE

Almost all bikes will disassemble, packet it in a bike box, and arrange for it to be picked up by a shipper. That price for is negotiated at sale or should be in your add.The whole thing should be put in as small a bike box as it will fit into. If the front wheel has a quick release, remove it and tape it to a spoke.
 
well I have found

when you ship a bike with the rear fender on - the weight of the box when dropped on end (and it will be 9/10 times) will crush the fender and bend the braces (even if you pack the area with cardboard foam etc.)

When plan to buy a bike I ask the seller if they will remove and pack even if it costs more and needs 2 boxes- sometimes I get attiude I KNOW HOW TO PACK A BIKE (I pass on the bike) and sometimes the people say YES and here it comes with the fender on and bent braces.

Take it for what it is worth.
 
I have put a block on overseas bidding on a bike I have on ebay. But, received a request to allow a germany bid from a buyer.
My question is what would I expect to be the pros and cons on shipping to Germany?
Would you ship to Germany or anywhere outside the borders? I would imagine that customs would be a hassle?

This would be an Ebay question but, if an item is sold overseas, does the paypal funds stay in unvailable until the buyer receives the item?
New to the ebay selling scene so apparently I'm still a high risk and all payments are on an "unavailable" status until the package is shipped.

Thanks for the feedback in advance.
JD

I live in Switzerland and constantly get stuff shipped here. The advantage of accepting overseas bidders is you get much higher bidding often times and sell your stuff for more. The disadvantage is breaking the bike down to 2 boxes - one for the wheels and fenders and the other for the rest and sending it USPS. I can get a bike sent here that way for about 300 bucks. But Fedex and UPS are between 700 and 800 bucks.

If I sold on ebay I would send anything less than a bike, like parts wheels - just a frame - etc worldwide. BTW all you have to do is fill out a form saying whats in the box and what the value is. I often get sellers to let me bid even though its not an international listing, but I know sellers have problems too with the whole abroad thing so I would just set your auctions as US only and then accept people who ask as long as they sound decent. Switzerland has the best postal service you could ever imagine, waaay better than Canada where I used to live. They dont even compare. I'm sure other european countries do too. When I ask to bid on an entire bike I always check first it will be sent USPS since I dont want a 700 dollar UPS/Fedex bill. But I always am helpful with advice and I always offer a bit of extra cash for the hassle of doing it. If somebody tells me it took them hours to get the boxes down to size cuz its their first time etc I always paypal them extra and I ALWAYS tell them that its not a big rush and to just take it slow and ask questions if needed.

In the end I have alot of sellers who let me know that I'm welcome to bid on their national auctions in future just because it goes totally fine and yes, its a bit of extra work but they got my bid and sold the thing for more. Bicyclebones make a fortune selling internationally. He must make a bomb on all his little bits and bobs because he's one of the the only ones who consistently set auctions as worldwide. I thought I was alone out here but I have learned that alot of people all over the world are into bikes of all shapes and sizes and ebay USA is a good place to find stuff if you can just get past the shipping thing.

If I were you I would talk to whoever is asking you if you feel unsure. Just ask 'maybe I will but I am not sure how do you have any advice' and see what he says. You will get a feeling if its somebody easy going who isn't going to freak on you if something get damaged in the post. Thats the main thing. I have almost never had it bad from a seller. But the post has been bad sometimes but I'm not the kind of person who refuses to pay if the actual shipping quote ends up being way higher or something unexpected happens.

If you want to make more money then sell international.
 
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