Ebay chancers, potential fraudsters etc etc!

[jam1e]

Right, maybe I'm being a bit paranoid but stick with me...

My Cove is on ebay (at a price way too good to miss by the way ) and some bloke wanted proof that it aint stolen. Fair enough, but tbh I've got c##k all in the way of receipts so emailed him some pics of user manuals for the forks, the stem bag etc etc.

Now he wants the seriel number of the frame, copies of online invoices from various websites such as merlin and wiggle and other bits. So being naturally suspicious I've told him that he's got what he's going to get and if he aint convinced then don't buy the bike.

If he did have the full details how easy would it be for him to claim my bike as his and report it stolen?! Or is there a legit reason for requesting a frame number - online register of stolen bikes etc?

Then another bloke asks if I want to swap my handjob for his hummer :shock: (god this sounds bad!) I ask the size he says 18in, which is too small. So then he gets back to me again - "er sorry my mistake I've got 2 Cove hummers and it's the 20in one I want to get rid of..." So you expect me to believe you've got 2 Ti framed bikes worth £2k plus each and want to swap one of them for the cheaper steel version but you get confused about which you dont want? hmmm, hows about get fecked!?

Does anyone else get the cranks coming out of the woodwork or does it just happen to me?

 

[Xesh]

You are not alone!

I'm currently selling a Dreamcast on the bay and one guy asked if I could send it before I get the cheque because he needed it in a hurry! Yeah right he'll die if he doesn't get it within a certain time. :roll:

 

[perry]

you would feel a fool when you read the headline " man dies in rare dreamcast related disaese "

i dont think there are any records of serial numbers , datatagging was popular for a while though . if the guy was that worried he would ask to see it before the end and ascertain you wernt a bike thief on face value

im currently selling an exhaust manifold . got a message telling me to post it . not asking , telling :roll: . fair enough cheap tubular maniolds made from mild steel dont weigh a great deal but stainless isnt exactly light , certainly not when its a 4-1 tuned length bunch of bananas

 

[Xesh]

....datatagging was popular for a while though.

Yes, but they all had their own serial number that wasn't related to the frame number. All you had to do was send a change of ownership form in (just like with cars).

 

[perry]

in all these years ive never seen one that has been tagged . wasnt it the liquid with microscopic numbers ? or something like that

 

[Xesh]

We used to sell loads of these bitd.

There were different types depending upon the frame you had. Basically they were little things that looked like a grey aspirin. You coated them with the supplied adhesive and then dropped them down the seattube. God help you if you got it stuck to the side as the adhesive was epoxy resin! :shock: They also had some really small ones that looked like rice grains that you put in through the BB shell. You had to remove the BB and then put these into the bottom of the seattube through the holes in the frame (again gluing them in place).

Needless to say we only stocked the rice ones as we didn't want anyone fitting them themselves, and then wondering why their seatposts had stuck fast!

 

[Jamiedyer]

Seriel numbers

I think asking for a frame number is fine and if I asked for one and you couldnt or wouldnt give it, then I certainly wouldnt bid on it.
I have asked for numbers in the past and another just the last couple of days as it helps to ID for sure what you are looking at.
I was looking at what was described as a mongoose california, 1983 built in Cali, reasonable price but still costly. I was given the frame number and it has no C in it to designate a US built model and has the M for Merida (Taiwan) along with a huge long number suspecting a 85/6 model. No Gussett on the front behind headtube either.
I looked at another and the first pic I was sent showed the frame number and I could see it was genuine december 79.
I have also seen many Stumpies repainted as S Works with the number being the only identifier.
For some models this is all there is to prove its authenticity. Though in your case asking for copies of everything else is very suspicious and should maybe be avoided.
And a handjob for a hummer :?: are you sure he's not chatting you up


Jamie

 

[W W Biffta]

perhapse he thought it was a frame of his that had been stolen? fishing for info cos you cant just and accuse without any evidence?
like not likely someone would take the risk of that sort of blag, claiming you own someone elses property, for the sake of a few hundred quid. although if he was the fact that you have no reciepts is the sort of thing he would be looking for.
more likely hes just been burned in the past. did you ask why he wanted to know?

 

[gibbleking]

plus all the comms between you would back u up as well..hed be done for fraud ...wasting police time and being a knob.

 

[jam1e]

He claimed he wanted to be certain it wasn't stolen which is fair enough but he just asked for a bit much....

Anyway, it ends today so we'll see what happens!