Stolen bikes on ebay, your thoughts?
 

This was in the current RoadBikeRider.com newsletter. Do you think the estimate of % of stolen bikes listed on ebay is accurate or even close. If so there are 1,175 stolen road bikes listed on ebay right now.

3. UNCLE AL: The Liars Club

I've warily watched the explosive growth of eBay. You've heard of this online auction house (who hasn't?) and may have even used it.

The concept is brilliant, but for those of us in the bike biz eBay has become a haven for thieves, liars and ne'er-do-wells in and out of the cycling industry.

Consider this: Current guesstimates say 60-65% of new bicycles and cycling products offered on eBay are stolen.

Bike shop employees have been busted in Colorado and California. Their thievery totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars. In these cases, shop managers of big stores were in cahoots with an "outside" man that received the hot stuff in the alley. That evening it would be posted on eBay. Hollywood couldn't come up with a slicker heist.

Another troubling aspect of the eBay phenomenon is how used bikes and products are represented.

"Ridden only by grandma on Sundays. Perfect condition!" Who'd believe that? A lot of people, it seems.

The old saying that "one man's ceiling is another man's floor" couldn't be truer when it comes to the junk bikes local people have bought on eBay and then brought into my shop. Not once have I seen a bike that matched the seller's description.

I've seen "barely ridden" bikes that could not be revived. I've also seen bikes that looked fine but had handling problems that only riding them would reveal.

My question is this: Why would a serious cyclist buy a bike on eBay, new or used, that they haven't ridden, no matter how great the deal?

The risk is disappointment and tons of hassles trying to return a bike that isn't right. And if it's been stolen, good luck. The thief will have vanished just like the bike did from the store.

Yeah, I'm a shop owner. So you know where I'm coming from. Do what you like, but keep a couple of things in mind:

---Most companies strictly prohibit internet sales of their new bikes. If a shop owner violates that part of the dealer agreement and gets caught by the web watchdogs these companies employ, he'll be looking for another brand pronto. So if the bike you see on eBay is brand new you can almost be certain something's fishy.

---Buying used bike equipment is a crap shoot at best. When your "barely used" bike shows up in a beat-up cardboard box, upside down, without any packing material and parts missing because they fell through the holes, remember your Unc told you so.

In a world with lots of stress and strain, do you want to impose more of it on yourself? The purpose of this rant is to help you on the way to a great cycling experience. Nothing sounds better than a bike customer telling me, "This was the best investment I ever made. It changed my life."

That's priceless. For everything else there's PayPal.

I think the idea that 60% percent of bikes and parts for sale on eBay as being stolen is patently rediculous. Obviously it goes without saying that people do sell stolen parts on eBay, but there is absolutely no way whatsoever to prove such a high percentage. I absolutely love eBay both as a buyer and a seller. Why? Because there's no better place on earth to buy gear while knowing that if I dislike it for whatever reason, I can re-sell it to someone who will value it. Back in the old days of newspaper classified adds, you'd have to pay $20 for two small lines of space and it's only get circulated to those in your urban vicinity. On eBay, some guy in France, Australia, Singapore, etc., may be interested in gear of mine, and I'm able to get a pile more money for it than I ever could locally, Craigslist being the lone exception.

It's foolish to state that NO stolen equipment is sold on eBay, but to state that the majority of it is stolen is pure ignorance and based in nothing less than hilarious conspiracy theories . . .

Buying on eBay or in your LBS both have their advantages. Choose whichever caters to you.

Why would a serious cyclist buy a bike on eBay, new or used, that they haven't ridden, no matter how great the deal?

Because they can buy something they can't get locally, or something rare.
That 60% number is just fabricated, there are a lot of businesses and repeat sellers that make up the bulk of eBay, as for the other alarmist concerns, that's what the feedback policy is for.

If you buy from a local guy from an ad in the paper-do you get to see his last 100 transactions and if everyone was satisfied? do you even get this from a LBS?

If one gets screwed on eBay, it's because they dealt with an unreputable seller, this is the buyer's fault.
I've purchased several items new on eBay over on-line shops because I don't get screwed on UPS shipping rates to Canada.

Note that he does not say 60% of all bicycles are stolen. He says 60% of new bicycles sold on EBay are stolen. That statement makes more sense since the supply of brand new bikes is limited and restricted. I don't know if he included fraudulent listings in that number (i.e., foreign sellers who accept payment only by money order or bank wire).

I guess the adage “Let the buyer beware” works here. I’ve purchased many bicycle related items on E-Bay with no troubles. As long as you’re careful and are well informed on what you want to buy it’s a good deal.

A buyer would have no idea if an item were stolen or not. All you can do is assume that it isn’t and hopefully those who do sell stolen items will be spotted and caught.

I call bull**** on 60% (even new). No way.

There is an interesting thread on SS/FG forum about a girl who's bike was stolen. It did show up on eBay. Police and eBay got involved. She got her bike back!!

One important aspect about buying on eBay is getting things insured. Bikes damage all too easily in shipping. Proper packing and insurance is key.

I too agree that buying on eBay opens one up to a world of strange, odd, and exotic bikes that one just wouldn't otherwise come across. There is great stuff out there, usually with a corresponding price too.

I think it's too high. I've personally have sold 'new' bike parts off a new bike. I can get a better price for them on eBay then the 'credit' my LBS offers on parts I want swapped. I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this.

60% is too high. Where did that get that figure? If that were the case, don't you think owners would recognize thier bike on ebay more often? I hardly ever hear stories about owners finding their bikes on ebay.

Dead on! My Scott CR1 Fork is in the mail now, thanks to Ebay. I'm sure it's stolen. ;)

He said 60% of NEW bikes, not USED bikes. I presume he is talking mostly about brands like Trek and Specialized that are supposed to be sold only at authorized dealers, not the mail-order only outfits like BikesDirect.

It's a guesstimate..that means he made it up.

New - used - no reason to differentiate between the two in my opinion. There are many LBS's that have eBay stores and sell their wares there simply because it's a great place to liquidate stock that has a hard time selling in the physical store itself. Other eBay stores are authorized outlets for certain companies. Again, there's absolutely no way whatsoever to determine an exact or even roughly approximate percentage. And frankly, I'd feel far more comfortable buying a new bike than a used one.

It sounds to me like the writer of the article has a questionable agenda all his/her own.

Whenever I see a brand new, current model year bike on Ebay I am a little suspicious. Obviously certain brands are sold primarily on the internet (Motobecane, Ibex, Leader, etc.). But a brand new Cannondale, or whatever does raise eyebrows.

However, parts and accessories I have no problem with. Heck, I've sold quite a few used parts. All from bikes I've used and bought with my money.

There is a huge difference between an authorized sales channel and an unauthorized one. If you are buying a new name brand bike (Trek, Specialized, Giant, or whatever) over EBay, the sale is at best gray market, not authorized by the manufacturer, and not covered by the manufacturer's warranty. If the seller is a legit authorized bike shop, he won't tell you that, because he would lose his contract with the manufacturer if he did.

I don't debate the POTENTIAL of what you're saying in the least. However, that still doesn't take into account the dozens of legit LBS's that, as I said in a previous post, simply utilize eBay as a HIGHLY effective way of liquidating New Old Stock (NOS) or even NS (New Stock). If you're buying NOS or NS from a legit shop, then I see no reason why you'd suddenly be out of a warrantee. I don't see how it'd be any different than someone finding the LBS's number in the phone book and calling from a different state and having it shipped. If they take a hit on the price, then that's their decision. Trek still gets paid the minute the bike is ordered by the LBS.

ALL THAT ASIDE, this has nothing to do with the original post.

It still fails to show even in the least how that means that 60+% of them are "stolen".

Your correct and a more diligent reader of the article than I. Since there is no way to sort how many new vs. used bikes are listed short of counting them then my estimate is too high.

I would really like to know the details of the 2 shop theft/ebay listings that are referenced. Did ebay do anything about it once they knew? I was talking to my son who is into Mt. biking and he said there was a listing that the owner of the bike that was stolen contacted ebay to notify them it was a stolen bike and they refused to remove the listing.

My feeling on the whole matter is that there is much more stolen stuff on ebay than you think.

My other passion is scuba diving. I am amazed how the same arguments about internet vs. local shop happen over and over here as well as there.

With equal quantities of hyperbole.

x2 I work in the Antiques & collectibles industry and know of several instances where theft items shortly turned up on ebay. At least 2 resulted in product recovery and charges all because the real owner watched local ebay listings for the items stolen.

Ebay has to be a major boon to the thieves. They can now easily fence their stolen items and get 75%+ of FMV where at a traditional fence they were lucky to get 20%. Pawnshops are required to submit computerized serial# listings to the police dept to match with reported stolen items. To my knowledge no such law exists for the various ebay consignment shops ... much less individual sellers.

Put watermarks on your photos when you post them, something I am guilty of forgetting too.

Uncle Al = alanbikehouston?

About 75.97% of statictics are made up, including this one.

Show me the number, show me the scientific studies, and I'll believe it. Until then it's caveat emptor. And that includes "real" local bike stores.

Schit Happens! My thoughts. Keep your bikes locked up and if you do and they still get stolen......turn it in on your insurance policy.

That's kind of odd. EBay has removed all the listings that I've reported. YMMV!
I am waiting to see if they remove the "Paramount" auction that is really a Varsity!
Just reported that one today though, so we'll see.

Most of the new bikes on eBay - more than half - are Bikes Direct. 60% are not stolen. There are a lot of fraudelent sales that get on eBay but are taken down after a day or two and most likely never get a buyer. They usually require payment by certified check or some such means, and many are from UK.

As far as sales of new bikes from sources within USA and fraud on eBay - would have to be way lower than even 1%.

I Have Bought And Sold Many Bike Parts On Ebay, The Prices Cannot Be Matched By Any LBS Period...Thats Why So Many People Shop There. Just Be Careful And Only Buy From Reputable Sellers And You'll Be Fine. If The Parts Are Stolen, Who Cares ?

The last 2 bikes I have bought have been through ebay but were local to me and I asked if I could pick up.. Both times it was no problem and each time I was very satisfied with the purchase.. When I am looking for something I go to Craigslist or ebay and search for local auctions..