Buying bikes on Ebay

"John" wrote:
"Harris" wrote:
Are you saying he should waste the LBS's time before buying the same
bike on
eBay?

No, obviously he should just order blindly off Ebay without taking
into account sizing, style, and manufacturing quality.

The reason you can SOMETIMES get lower prices on eBay and mail order is that
they don't have to provide customer service (advice, fitting, setup) or even
a showroom where you can see, touch, and ride the bike. Accepting those
services for free from a LBS, when you know you're not going to buy from
them, is kind of sleazy.

The bike will undoubtedly need accessories and regular service.
There's plenty of ways for the LBS to make back it's money for the
time "wasted" letting someone sit on a bike.

The person who buys a bike on eBay is more likely to buy accessories from
Nashbar than a LBS. Of course, they may continue to waste the LBS's time by
trying on helmets, etc. and then buy via MO.

Art Harris

"Harris" wrote in message
. net...

"Jeff Sutton" wrote:

I'm in the market for a road bike, but I don't really want to spring for
the
full-price, shop-floor model. I never buy a new car, and for the same
reasons don't really want to buy a new bike.

What are the ups and downs of buying a bike on EBAY? Things that worry
me:

It's not clear from your post how knowlegeable you are about bikes, bike
fit, and mechanics.

When buying on eBay you should must know exactly what you want, and what
is
being offered. Furthermore, you should be prepared to do some work like
replacing a stem, or making various adjustments as necessary.

If the seller is knowlegeable and trustworthy (as evidenced by numerous
positive feedbacks), you MAY get a good deal. Even then, packing and
shipping costs on a complete bike can be high. And bid prices for some
bikes
can get out of control.

I got a good deal on a frame on eBay, and got exactly what I bargained
for.


I also bought a frame on eBay for a ridiculously low price, but I was smart
enough to know my measurements beforehand. This was my second eBay bike
purchase---I screwed up on the first one, which left me with a very
uncomfortable bike. I guess what everyone is saying is true. As long as you
know exactly what you need, eBay is a good way to go. I bought a Schwinn
Peloton frame/fork (Reynolds 853) brand new for $100. I had my LBS swap my
105 group from my other bike, and sold the old frame on eBay. I got $100 for
it, and the LBS charged me $150 for the buildup, new cables, and a new
seatpost(gave me a Ti seatpost for $40, sweet), so everything worked out. It
is imperative to know exactly what meaurements fit, though.

x-no-archive:yes

"Jkpoulos7" wrote:
Why should the
LBS charge $1400 for a bike that can be shipped to me free for $900?


In other words, if the stem, saddle, or cassette isn't right for you,
that's
tough; replace them at your own expense. And, although the words are a
little fuzzy, it sounds like there are fees for exchanging an ill-fitting
or
inappropriate bike. So some folks will probably "make do" with a bike that
isn't exactly what they wanted. The bike will sit in the garage as they
enjoy all the money they saved.

In addition, they don't say what they will do for you if spokes start
breaking or wheels won't stay true. Or if something starts creaking, etc.

Art Harris

Our local bike shop has a sign that more or less says: "if we go out of
business, how is that going to help you?" and that sums it up. They also
sell used bikes on commission as well as last season's bikes, so to me it
makes sense to patronize the LBS...I doubt if Bikes Direct is going to fix
that broken spoke for you, straighten that derailleur hanger, or loan you a
tire until the one you want comes in (both of which my LBS has done,
cheerfully!)

Pat in TX

Jkpoulos7 wrote:

Are you saying he should waste the LBS's time before buying the same bike on
eBay?


I did it when I considered buying a Fuji from bikesdirect.com. Why should the
LBS charge $1400 for a bike that can be shipped to me free for $900?

The extra money is to make up for the time spent helping non-customers
who try out the product at the store and then buy off the Internet.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

have been willing to be honest with the LBS and pay them for
their time fitting you. $50 would probably be fine. Of course,
then there's the issue of wondering if they're going to try as
hard to fit you, if they feel less than enthusiastic because
you're not buying from them...

One nearby LBS has a "Fit Kit" and works with several custom
framemakers. The deal is, you pay a certain amount (I think it's $25
to 50, don't remember exactly) for a Fit Kit evaluation. They will
help you order a frame or bike based on the measurements from the Fit
Kit.

If you go ahead and order the bike through the LBS, they'll knock the
price of the fitting (and a little more) off the bike and if you're
really nice they'll throw in a couple of water bottles or some
snazzier handlebar tape, selling more expensive parts for the cost of
lesser ones, etc.

It works out well for everybody, and they know that you'll come back
for parts and service and probably for a second (or third or
subsequent) bike.

And if you go ahead and order a bike from another source, nobody got
hurt -- the LBS got paid for his time and you got the real scoop on
what bike will fit you.

In article ,
says...
On 03 Aug 2003 00:47:52 GMT, Jkpoulos7 wrote:
Are you saying he should waste the LBS's time before buying the same
bike on eBay?

I did it when I considered buying a Fuji from bikesdirect.com. Why
should the
LBS charge $1400 for a bike that can be shipped to me free for $900?

There's any number of reasons the LBS should charge more,
although it's true that one of them is that the LBS can't
buy the bike as cheaply and has more overhead. Other reasons
tend to be service issues.

Why should the LBS do all the labor of fitting you for free?
Further, while they're fitting you, their overhead is still
mounting up, and they might be so busy working with you that
they miss a sale.

If you really expected to save $500 on the bike, you should
have been willing to be honest with the LBS and pay them for
their time fitting you. $50 would probably be fine. Of course,
then there's the issue of wondering if they're going to try as
hard to fit you, if they feel less than enthusiastic because
you're not buying from them...

When I was bike shopping between several different brands (which took 3
different shops to cover), one of the LBS' said that they would do a fit
for $50, and then credit me back for that if I bought the bike from
them. I ended up not going that route for various reasons, but it
seemed fair to me at the time.

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

On Mon, 4 Aug 2003 19:41:57 -0400, David Kerber
wrote:
When I was bike shopping between several different brands (which took 3
different shops to cover), one of the LBS' said that they would do a fit
for $50, and then credit me back for that if I bought the bike from them.
I ended up not going that route for various reasons, but it seemed fair
to me at the time.

I have a similar story; one LBS would fit me for $80 using
a computerized measurement and calculation system; they sit
you on the computer and close it's extremeties on yours,
then they send the info off to the company that made the
machine, and that company sends back the data.

I thought it was a great idea, but wasn't going to spend
the $80; it certainly did make buying a bike there more
attractive, and I still think I might someday.

--
Rick Onanian

I bought a bike on EBay which happened to be a local bike shop. The
price I bought it for was about 40% of the on floor price. It was a
new bike and nothing was wrong. I did get to just go and pick it up
and save on shipping, though I had to pay sales tax. I knew where this
place was and went into the store before auction end, so I knew
exactly what I was buying. In general I don't buy $1000 stuff on EBay.

On Sat, 2 Aug 2003 01:25:54 -0400, "Jeff Sutton"
wrote:

I'm in the market for a road bike, but I don't really want to spring for the
full-price, shop-floor model. I never buy a new car, and for the same
reasons don't really want to buy a new bike.

What are the ups and downs of buying a bike on EBAY? Things that worry me:

- Are they overpriced? I hate to get caught up in a bidding competition.

- Do you worry about perhaps buying a stolen bike?

- I always figured the really good deals would be bought up by locals who
could actually examine the bike.

- My main problem with EBAY is a variation of Groucho's complaint: "If I
win the bid, it's probably not a good deal"

- On the other hand, I've seen some great bikes go for relatively low
prices.

Any comments? Experiences of those who purchased a bike on EBAY?


Thanks!

x-no-archive:yes

....

One nearby LBS has a "Fit Kit" and works with several custom
framemakers. The deal is, you pay a certain amount (I think it's $25
to 50, don't remember exactly) for a Fit Kit evaluation. They will
help you order a frame or bike based on the measurements from the Fit
Kit.

In Dallas, a fit with the "Fit Kit" costs $75.

Pat in TX

If you really expected to save $500 on the bike, you should
have been willing to be honest with the LBS and pay them for
their time fitting you

What fitting? Pumping up tires? I rode a 56cm and a 58 to get size. Total
assistance time: 3 minutes. One shop I went to did take time to measure and
discuss things. That meant a lot to me and I was willing to buy a Jamis Quest
from them since I disliked the bianchis because of the C shifters. However they
can only blame Jamis not the net for losing a sale since there were no 2002
Quests available in my size and no idea when 03's would be in. So I went to
another shop and bought an 02 Lemond Buenos Aires for the same price the Jamis
was. I always recommend that shop and would definitely check there when buying
another bike.