Buying bikes on craigslist
- Thread starter Destiny3614
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- bike buy craigslist
I woulddefinitely buy anything from craigslist because you never know who is the person that you're buying the items to and it seems kinda dangerous for me, however, every time I needto buy something I jsut save up the money and go to my local store and buy whatever I need, that is my opinion though.
I've bought and sold bikes on Craigslist - but you should use the same precautions that you would use for any transaction with someone you don't know.
Don't meet at your home - meet in a public place with lots of witnesses around;
Inspect the bike, ask for a test ride;
Ask where the seller bought it, did he buy it new or used, etc. If his story smells fishy, maybe it is - there are a LOT of stolen bikes out there. If you think a deal is too good to be true, it probably is - a lot of thieves don't really know the value of a high-end road bike.
You can get a great deal if you are patient - just keep watching the ads. Alternatively, become a member of a cycling club or a forum like this one and maybe, just maybe, someone will cut you a deal.
Don't meet at your home - meet in a public place with lots of witnesses around;
Inspect the bike, ask for a test ride;
Ask where the seller bought it, did he buy it new or used, etc. If his story smells fishy, maybe it is - there are a LOT of stolen bikes out there. If you think a deal is too good to be true, it probably is - a lot of thieves don't really know the value of a high-end road bike.
You can get a great deal if you are patient - just keep watching the ads. Alternatively, become a member of a cycling club or a forum like this one and maybe, just maybe, someone will cut you a deal.
I would definitely buy a bike off Craigslist as I think as far as prices go, you're not going to be able to find cheaper anywhere else.
As with all marketplace sites though, there are some less than reputable sellers around, but with a bit of common sense they can usually be avoided.
As with all marketplace sites though, there are some less than reputable sellers around, but with a bit of common sense they can usually be avoided.
I'd prefer it, the only problem is thieves. Last thing I want to do is pay a thief for their time - my last bike was stolen and I haven't had one since. I chased the thief down the block a few months later, never came back. I'm a little dude but damn I'm scary when I'm ******, honeybadgerlife.
Craiglist.org is too informal to my liking. But to be fair, I only retailer I trust is amazon.com, since I never had any problems buying there. Maybe for a local deal I could give craiglist a chance.
If you're worried about if the bike you're buying is stolen or not though, then you're going to be taking the necessary precautions. We all have a gut feeling if a deal is too good to be true or not, and there's a big difference between a bargain and something so cheap it doesn't feel right.
If the listing is the latter, then you obviously don't go anywhere near it and look elsewhere.
If the listing is the latter, then you obviously don't go anywhere near it and look elsewhere.
I have no problem buying on Craigslist the right bike at the right price. Problem is today people are charging more for used bikes than I think they're worth, so you have to be careful.
If you don't know how to judge whether a bike is going to need repairs or not I would suggest you stay away from Craigslist. And especially women should NEVER have any stranger come to your home. A local coffee shop with people out on the patio is good.
Most older Craigslist bikes need repairs and most newer ones are almost as expensive as a used bike in a good shop. I've always gotten fair deals because I'm a mechanic and know what I want.
Most older Craigslist bikes need repairs and most newer ones are almost as expensive as a used bike in a good shop. I've always gotten fair deals because I'm a mechanic and know what I want.
I haven't bought anything off Craigslist yet. I have heard the horror stories, though. I went with my mom to go look at a washer/dryer set my sister found on Craigslist. Since we were both there together, it was daylight and the seller was a military family who'd replaced their offered product with a newer model, I felt safe enough. But I didn't know how to judge the product and couldn't test drive it, since it had already been disconnected. So yeah, definitely take all necessary precautions when buying anything off of Craigslist.
I really don't like buying online from strangers, usually because there's no insurance. They could be selling it to you broken, or something is wrong with it and it will take you a fortune to get it fixed. I just go to a local retail shop, that way, if there are any problems, they will be held accountable for it, since it is covered under insurance. It's a lot safer than buying online, even if it would mean that you will be spending more at first. But actually buying a brand new one is better than buying a used one, since the new one will almost always have a longer lifespan than the used one, and you can call it yours, not just a second hand object from someone else.
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