Wrapping a bike for posting

gerryattrick

gerryattrick

Retrobike Rider
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I'm selling a Peugeot road bike on eBay, ending tomorrow, as collection or local delivery only.
Someone has just asked if I'd be prepared to post it, and I quote:

" can i arrange my own courier, no special packaging needed just wrap it around in card board and tape it fairly safely. "

The bike is in good condition but it's not special, even so there's no way I'd put it in such risk of damage and potential problems with the buyer. The one time I posted a full bike it took me hours to source a box, dismantle the bike, wrap the individual parts and secure them in the box.

Has anyone sent or received a bike wrapped in the way this bidder suggests - and what was the result?
 
I would say knowing how Paypal disputes go, the responsibility will end up with you. Either pack it real good or don't do it!
 
Bikes are often collection only because the seller really can't be arsed to pack them up. Fair enough. There is considerable time and effort involved in packing a bike, or even frame, securely.
Bikes "for collection only" fetch less than if posted, so if you are prepared to pack it up, tell everyone, and make it worth your while.
 
Hmmmm... Part of me thinks that this sounds like the buyer will try to claim the bike was damaged when it arrived, enabling him to put in a claim for a part refund.

Perhaps tell him that he is welcome to use whichever courier he chooses, but that you'll be packing it in a proper bike box.

It shouldn't take too long to package it all up - you don't have to be super-careful, just make sure that any loose bits are secured, and that there's plenty of padding between separate parts such as the frame and front wheel if you take it off (which I would have thought you would do). And make sure that the box itself is very well taped up, otherwise the buyer might be greeted by the dreaded "repackaged by xxxxx" tape when he receives it!
 
For what it's worth - I offer free postage on all my bikes. Most of the time, this encourages people to bid more for it and more often than not the bike will fetch more than it would have done if I'd charged for postage.
 
If I'm being honest it's more about the time and hassle I save than the extra money I could make from posting. There are also issues such as waiting around for couriers to take into account.
It might be different if it was a really special bike that would attract wide interest, but I'll be pleasantly surprised if this will go for much more than £100.

With this particular request I would also worry about potential paypal problems if it was damaged in transit.
 
Whenever anyone mentions wrapping a bike I'm always reminded of this photo... Pickle took delivery of this bike :LOL:

dsc00205_972.jpg
 
I recently helped an RB member out by picking up a 'packed' frame that a courier had failed to collect. The seller had wrapped the entire bike in a patchwork of used jiffy bags :shock:

The best wrapped frame I have bought, was in a tight fitting box, with every single tube well protected in pipe insulation, secured with parcel tape. Cheap and effective..... and far better than old jiffy bags (still can't get over that).
 
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