Great news. Ebay drops seller charges!

I find the offer function quite amusing, when you get stuff like this;
IMG_8914.webp

Ok, go and buy it then.
Or telling me that a dented frame I'm selling is too dangerous to ride at £200, but at £75 they're willing to risk never having children or the ability to write their own name again.
 
I once bought a Yamaha 500 from a guy in Edinburgh. 'Meet me at Block 15' which was dodgiest part of Sighthill by far. It was only 500 quid but I didn't fancy losing it, or squirming at the end of a sharp knife...

I suggested the 24 hour Asda. Turned out the guy was a totally decent Bulgarian lad who was a mechanic and the bike was running like a watch. I guess that's one of the few advantages of 'selling at distance ', but in my experience as above, buyers are getting more cheeky/abusive/know it all and happy to mess your about after sales to make it barely worth the effort.

I use Leboncoin here which is like Gumtree on steroids. They do special weekend deals of 99 cent shipping on ANY item, which is brilliant. Buyers pay about 5 % protection and everyone seems happy. Except eBay France who are going down like a sh#t sandwich both here and in Spain. Boo-hoo...!
 
If I'm advising people on how to sell their bike i usually suggest taking good care with viewings.

Before the Internet, mtb-ers were sometimes followed home from Ashton Court and bike stolen later that night.
 
Don’t offer collection on eBay items. Postage only. Don’t put your address on the label.

Only let people who you know (or know of) collect from home. Otherwise just give them a local shops postcode and await the message that they need your house number etc.

Set a minimum offer amount so it auto declines the idiots.

Any signs of them being a pain. Block them.
 
Same thing on Gumtree, fly by nights come round your house 'you got anything else guv', they make their excuses and come back at 3am for their pick 'n mix 😲
No collections for me since I moved house unless it's someone I know or just not possible, in which case I use my gf's account. If anyone asks then I go with it but has to be from my business premises which happens to be located inside a manned-gatehouse, bonded warehouse, ex-WW2 arms depot currently owned by GXO. No-one has taken me up on that yet.
 
Don’t offer collection on eBay items. Postage only. Don’t put your address on the label.

Only let people who you know (or know of) collect from home. Otherwise just give them a local shops postcode and await the message that they need your house number etc.

Set a minimum offer amount so it auto declines the idiots.

Any signs of them being a pain. Block them.
My blocked list is 120+ members long now built up over nearly two decades.
 
My blocked list is 120+ members long now built up over nearly two decades.
There are some proper wackos on eBay. There was one guy, can't remember his id but the cops were onto him several times for aggressive behaviour. My pal had a right laugh at his expense playing him at his own game. Ironically he claimed to be a Detective Sergeant in the Kent police, a total fabrication, and a prosecutable offence.

They're out there!
 
Leboncoin (the good corner) in France is definitely one if the friendliest market places I've ever used, more often then not people throw in some very nice freebies. I bought a triple crank the other weekend, and not only did the bloke throw in the fixing bolts and a relatively new BB, he also put a brand new Tour T shirt and baseball cap on the box 'sportivement'.
 
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