Just wondering if anyone on here as experience with selling or buying bikes from abroad. I've currently got my KTM 990 Adventure for sale on a classified Ebay listing. Have been contacted by a lad from Lithuania via the listing and on my mobile number which is on the ad. He has asked all the right questions and also wants me to send him a video of the bike being started and running. The fly in the ointment is that he can't view the bike and he wants to use a courier service to collect and pay for the bike. I've heard of the scam where they ask you too pay the courier to release the funds and then they just dissappear with the cash. If the courier turns up and either pays with cash or a balance transfer which then clears into my account what are the pitfalls. I presume, maybe incorrectly that once the bike is with the courier service if anything happens to it that's between the buyer and them. Apart from the bike going abroad isn't it the same as someone doing it here asking the bike to be collected and going to Devon for example. Cheers
If someone came from overseas and paid me in cash I'd be fine about it. Otherwise I wouldn't entertain it.
Incline to agree with Andy. If you do decide to do it then personally I would want money cleared in my account and confirmation from my bank in writing that they have cleared funds which cannot be "snatched back" and only then would I arrange collection. Can't see all that happening so probably best to politely decline and move on.
This^^^^^^ cold hard cash in your hand. Take a small £250 holding deposit take the rest in cash once the courier turns up. Fill in the logbook as you are required to do.
Ive bought few bikes from U.K. and never in person. Gave courier cash and was never a problem. You can always lodge cash in bank before you release bike. A sale is a sale
@Casp I`ve sold a bike to a guy in Lithuania, a very easy transaction. His buyer ID started with the letters KTM. I wonder if it is the same guy ? A mate of his turned up to inspect the bike, paid a large deposit and then came back to pay the balance & collect a few days later. Better than some UK buyers for sure. Send me a PM if you want to check the full Ebay ID .
Cheers for the replies. Dukesox unfortunately a different guy. Options could be to get him to do a balance transfer a few days beforehand then get the courier to go to the bank and pay the rest of the cash in to avoid the forgery issues. Only thought is to get all this in writing via EBay so that there is a record of the agreement. Will give it a bit more thought
If the Lithuanian asks you to pay the courier them walk away, if not and you get cleared funds before the bike leaves you what`s the harm ? Are there any UK buyers interested ?
Just be careful that they really are cleared. I have a recollection that PayPal can take money back off you within so many days.
Agreed. I wouldnt touch Paypal for selling a bike because of the commission anyway. I`d only take a bank transfer under current circumstances. Or Green Shield Stamps of course.
I have heard of cases where bank transfers have been reversed. The 'buyer' hacks an account, transfers funds and its not until the account holder picks up on it later, that funds are reversed, that can take a few days. It is not a guaranteed payment method. Cash in hand and take it to a bank to be checked before allowing the bike to be loaded. If you pay it in to an account and its checked, you should be OK
PayPal is great as a buyer complete chite if you're a seller, the buyer holds all the Aces. Some of the tales I heard of the scams folk will do to get a refund puts me right off, cash is king so long as it's not duff.
Just look at it from his eyes. He wants to buy a bike from overseas, but the seller (Johnny foreigner to him) insists on the money in his bank account before he will release the bike. Would sound a bit suspect to me. I sold my microlight to a Lithuanian who came all the way down to the south of France to buy it. We sat in the cafe on the free wifi and I watched as his wife transfer 28,000 euros into my account and then waited for it to show in my account before letting him take it.
Are these still being honoured my Ma has a draw full of them, bless the old folk and their hoarding of useless tat.
Would have made no difference but he took the slow option. Flying it would have been a two leg flight, but much quicker.
