Buying on retrobike...your personal rules?

[My_Teenage_Self]

Not just because this is a hobby, but also we're buying 25+ year old bike parts from relative/total strangers*;

"Never spend more than you can afford to give away."

I bought a NOS set of Kooka Hydraulic (magura) brake levers. They were not cheap. The seller was awesome. They arrived promptly. They were clearly perfect, unused and as described. One of the stainless bleed screws stripped the alloy lever as soon as I undid it (cold welded/galvanic corrosion) rendering them useless.

I bought a set of Middleburn cranks from a moderator on here. They turned up with knackered threads and tapers. Said Mod is now a banned member.

Countless other transactions have been perfect.

*and they don't get much stranger than LGF & THM!

 

[The History Man]

Not just because this is a hobby, but also we're buying 25+ year old bike parts from relative/total strangers*;

"Never spend more than you can afford to give away."

I bought a NOS set of Kooka Hydraulic (magura) brake levers. They were not cheap. The seller was awesome. They arrived promptly. They were clearly perfect, unused and as described. One of the stainless bleed screws stripped the alloy lever as soon as I undid it (cold welded/galvanic corrosion) rendering them useless.

I bought a set of Middleburn cranks from a moderator on here. They turned up with knackered threads and tapers. Said Mod is now a banned member.

Countless other transactions have been perfect.

*and they don't get much stranger than LGF & THM!

You tease.

 

[pw_pw_la]

I'll friends and family you any amount of money if I really want it. And I might not even know your name!

But I'm also an idiot.

I don't sell too much, to be honest (on here or anywhere), but it's always gone according to plan when I have.

I love you all.

 

[Imlach]

I'll friends and family you any amount of money if I really want it. And I might not even know your name!

But I'm also an idiot.

I don't sell too much, to be honest (on here or anywhere), but it's always gone according to plan when I have.

I love you all.

It's the west coast sunshine making you cuckoo

 

[greencat]

For a while I closed my Paypal account due to rip-off fees and bad exchange rates. Bought and sold here several times with Bank Transfer, plus in every case it was international shipping. Simple matter of using the feedback threads and a judgement call. I no longer actively buy here, and may respond to a wanted ad to sell something from time to time (just to be clear, not due to bad experiences).

Yep, everyone who won't do PayPal usually has a sorry tale to tell about why they can't use it (which often don't ring quite true or based on outdated info). But for peace of mind to the buyer (even if paying fees), it is invaluable - and many of us seem to manage OK.

And tbf, it's been my experiences elsewhere rather than here which have made me introduce as a blanket policy now. Bank transfers are also a bit of a faff (although easier nowadays via apps).

 

[slackboy]

Never spend more than you can afford to give away."

This.

My rules

1) treat it like a business. It's someone else's hard earned cash, so you owe it to them to be honest, prompt on delivery and to keep in touch
2) pack it as you'd like to receive it, not with what you've got lying around.

 

[Betsy]

I'll friends and family you any amount of money if I really want it. And I might not even know your name!

But I'm also an idiot.

I don't sell too much, to be honest (on here or anywhere), but it's always gone according to plan when I have.

I love you all.

The first time i purchased something from Rakuten market place in Japan was in the days before PayPal or google translate existed, i printed off the order form which was in Japanese, scanned it and posted it on a forum (of which i was a member) with a translate request from a Japanese speaker.. someone (who i'm still good friends with today) said.. 'put your name here' 'shipping address here' 'card deets here' ect which i did and faxed it off to who knows where.. faxed! ikr

..an hour or so later something came through the fax machine at work in Japanese so i scanned it for a translate request and it said 'We are eternally sorry but your card is not accepted inside of Japan'

Faith in human nature or what?

edit- last time i purchased something on here was through a wanted request.. a kindly forum member sent me some NOS X-Lite goodies, we agreed price (which wasn't very much) but he insisted i was happy with them before i paid so he shipped them out and i paid when they arrived.. what a nice fellow!

 

[BerthaPog]

For buying much as has been said, not so much as rules but considerations:
1. Do I know them/have I met them in person
2. How far is it coming (local/UK/further afield)
3. What’s their feedback on here like
4. How much is it, and can I afford to “lose“ that amount
5. How do they want paying (insistence on PP F&F is a warning)
6. What is it? Whole bike/frames/wheels are more at risk of damage with couriers/postal systems

What this means in reality is if you’re local(ish) I’m happy to come and pick up in person. If it’s a whole bike, frame or wheels, I’m happy to drive and collect it (yes I have done a 340mile round trip for a Kona Fire Mountain).

For selling, similar approach, but good packaging is a must (foam pipe lagging is great for frames, putting something between the dropouts helps reduce squishing. Usually get the packaging sorted before putting the ad up, avoids delay in shipping it out.

If there’s an issue in shipping, it’s the sellers problem to deal with, but as a buyer, behave like a grown up, it may be the sellers problem to resolve, but it will almost always not be them that’s caused the issue (I’m looking at you Yodel when I sold a bike that went off “radar” for four days, did turn up unmarked but somewhat later than the “48hrs Delivery”).

Only had one real issue on here, and that person was subsequently banned, though there other “crimes” were massively worse than me being 5 gear cables out of pocket.

 

[W7Ford]

I always make sure the seller has a feedback thread unless a very low value item. I also check they are a recent poster, to rule out old credentials leaked in a hack elsewhere, where the password was the same as here.

I try to always let the seller know when received and leave feedback, although on a couple of occasions, ive been mildly miffed by less than great service, and havent posted about it, not serious enough to warrant a complaint, but just a lack of communication usually.

When selling I keep the buyer updated as much as possible, noone likes the uncertainty in a purchase.

 

[BerthaPog]

For buying much as has been said, not so much as rules but considerations:
1. Do I know them/have I met them in person
2. How far is it coming (local/UK/further afield)
3. What’s their feedback on here like
4. How much is it, and can I afford to “lose“ that amount
5. How do they want paying (insistence on PP F&F is a warning)
6. What is it? Whole bike/frames/wheels are more at risk of damage with couriers/postal systems

What this means in reality is if you’re local(ish) I’m happy to come and pick up in person. If it’s a whole bike, frame or wheels, I’m happy to drive and collect it (yes I have done a 340mile round trip for a Kona Fire Mountain).

For selling, similar approach, but good packaging is a must (foam pipe lagging is great for frames, putting something between the dropouts helps reduce squishing. Usually get the packaging sorted before putting the ad up, avoids delay in shipping it out.

If there’s an issue in shipping, it’s the sellers problem to deal with, but as a buyer, behave like a grown up, it may be the sellers problem to resolve, but it will almost always not be them that’s caused the issue (I’m looking at you Yodel when I sold a bike that went off “radar” for four days, did turn up unmarked but somewhat later than the “48hrs Delivery”).

Only had one real issue on here, and that person was subsequently banned, though there other “crimes” were massively worse than me being 5 gear cables out of pocket.

Oh, and keep talking via PMs etc.