i dont get it. do you live in an urban city where it's normal for someone to not have to drive over for a craigslist gig? someone not having a car would be a red flag to safeguard. the phone better have been pretty valuable. if it was just an ordinary phone, it was a bad move to not have proper collateral.

Damn, dude. That sucks!

Where are you located? And do you have any pictures of the bike to post on here?

Ask if you can take a picture of the person before they take the test drive along with getting some collateral.

Thanks for posting your experience. I'll be sure to take extra precaution next time I sell a bike on CL.

i've sold 2 bikes on CL, one for 150, one for 1050. both times i made sure to have the car keys and license of the uyer/test rider. i also watched them each enter/exit thier car, and stood next to it the entire time. one can never be too safe.

when i bought my bike off CL we met in a mall parking lot, and the guy had a bike for himself to ride with me while i test rode it.

best bike theft i saw was a girl dropped a book out of her purse or something. she stopped her bike, put the kickstand down, and walked back about 5 steps to get her book. as soon as she turned around, some guy walking jumped on her bike and rode off.

I was walking so i couldn't get him, anyone that saw it was kinda just dumbfounded.

but yeah, i only do test rides with the full sale amount in cash in my hand. If they don't like it after riding around the block i return the money, and if they're pleased we shake hands and walk off. hasn't been a problem yet.

that was the worst.

I think that doesn't even qualify as theft, because you "lent" him the bike, so he might "return" any time.

It's possibly fraud or something like that, but so minor that even if caught nothing will be done to him.

If an auto dealer loans you a car for a test drive and you never return, you think that isn't theft???

damn that sucks.. the first time i let someone test ride a bike i didn't get any collateral and they had taken public transportation (so no car). They rode way up the block and i was like dude.. they could take off right now and I'd be screwed. luckily the bike was a total POS so it wouldn't have been a big loss.. and luckily the guy came back and didnt even want the bike because it was such a POS

getting a driver's license isn't even a sure thing since that could be a fake.. seems like the cash is the only fair collateral. also that way they can't lowball you cause you have their money

This is quite possibly one of the dumbest things I've ever read.

+1

Word to your mama.

if police catch him








but they won't.



thing is, the last bike i sold this is exactly how i sold it. only difference is, dude came back and paid me the rest of the money.
pay in full up front and then offer a refund if the test ride doesn't go well. that's the new policy. agreed? agreed.


and yes, you will likely face criminal charges if you are dumb enough to 'subdue' him until they arrive instead of just taking your bike back.

craigslist... [strike]buyer[/strike] everyone beware

Unless you live in Texas

That's one good thing about Texas. They don't punish you for defending yourself or your property.

Fify.

EDIT: Sorry, forgot about ATX. The only saving grace of TX.

ahh woah, that just happened to me. i didnt realize it was a scam, although he was super fishy to begin with. also, cc700 is right. whenever u conduct deals over craigslist, make sure to ask to hold onto the money (your full asking price for the bike) before letting them go for a test ride. thats the best bet to make sure you dont get scammed

Perhaps do more than ask, make it a condition of the test ride. No picture, no ride.

But lots of things are worth killing for.

Just my opinion..... Honestly I hate thieves and I'd hunt him down...He'd only get hurt if he didn't return the bike.....

Thank god for the south where one can protect life and property

some of it depends on the situation.. if they have a car there or another person, it's a lot less likely they will bolt.. like for instance i just sold a bike to a couple who drove 30 minutes from home to an unfamiliar city.. i didn't ask for any collateral when the guy rode the bike cause his car and his girlfriend weren't going anywhere

a potential problem with asking to hold onto the money is that they might not have it.. in this case the buyer went to the bank after they test rode it

it's kinda a touch and go thing.. gotta use your spidey senses

from a guy who got his stolen bike back:

I had my bike stolen from the bike rack at my dorm in Spokane (a city with a metro population of 600,000). It was locked with a cable lock (rookie mistake) and I didn't have the serial number (rookie mistake #2). That night I called the police and campus security and gave them a description of my bike. The next day I made a craigslist missing ad and posted it to surrounding cities and I left a flyer at my LBS. About two or three weeks later I got a call from the police. They busted a guy that was a suspect in large scale bike theft and he happened to be riding my bike at the time. They found my ad on craigslist and contacted me. I described the bike to them and got it back.
Just goes to show that you aren't totally out of luck. Just get the word out and keep your eyes open. Best of luck!

Why would anyone object to having their photo taken before taking a test ride on your bike? If they have a car there what's to stop them giving a spare set of keys to someone else who stops by later to drive off with the car?

Maybe I'm too cynical but I'd want (and, likewise, if I were the buyer I'd expect) some collateral to be involved. If they're going to go to the bank after the test ride why not go to the bank beforehand?

... the point was that a potential buyer might not have the cash when they ask to test ride, so you need to be ready for this eventuality if you always request cash up front to test ride

i'm not sure how much good taking a picture of the bike with the test rider will do.. it seems like it would be useful if your bike is actually stolen.. but I'd focus on things which prevent the bike from being stolen in the first place

i agree a set of keys without seeing the actual car isn't really worth much. but if the car is right there, the license plate and other documentation will be a lot better source of leads and the person would have to be an idiot to leave it behind (unless it too was stolen)