Shipping bikes - seller won't box it up

notb4dinner

notb4dinner

Likes Dirt
I've bought a second-hand bike on eBay and despite saying it could be picked up by a courier the seller is not willing to box it up for shipping. Has anyone had any experience with having shipping companies package bikes for delivery? Any recommendations on a company before I start ringing/emailing around?

It would need to be delivered from Tweed Heads to the NSW Central Coast.
 
N

northvanguy

Likes Dirt
I'd contact a bike store and see if he'll drop it off there.... have them box and ship it for you. I've done that before for a guy when i was selling a bike that was "pick up only". He organised the shop near mine to take it and do everything from there, worked for me, worked for him, and generally the bike stores have good shipping rates.... "generally".
 
DMan

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
notb4dinner said:
I've bought a second-hand bike on eBay and despite saying it could be picked up by a courier the seller is not willing to box it up for shipping. Has anyone had any experience with having shipping companies package bikes for delivery? Any recommendations on a company before I start ringing/emailing around?

It would need to be delivered from Tweed Heads to the NSW Central Coast.
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It's still going to need to be packaged to be couriered though.
 
Mr Crudley

Mr Crudley

Wheel size expert
notb4dinner said:
It would need to be delivered from Tweed Heads to the NSW Central Coast.
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I had a similar issue when I got the TRc. The Gumtree seller was near the Gold Coast and wouldn't ship. Not a match made in heaven from the start. I was fortunate to have a friend's sister living on the Gold Coast at the time. I asked nicely and made it worth her efforts.

The seller was willing to take the bike to her. I transferred the $$$ to her and she paid the seller on my behalf and then she wheeled it nearby to Mikes Bikes at Miami. They were the only shop that were willing to help and I paid to get it boxed up and shipped via SmartSend. I can't give Mike's Bike a higher rep and they are a great team and seem to get this request from time to time. Contact Mark or Jeff on 0755358799 if you go this way.

They could only ship to business and not residential so I sent to to friend's Concrete stenciling factory not too far from home.

It was a pretty convoluted worst case transaction overall but it is possible and you need some luck and goodwill. Be prepared to pay folks for their time and ask nicely.
 
Flow-Rider

Flow-Rider

Burner
ozzybmx said:
I sold my Evil Following to a bloke in Vic, I took it to 99bikes, they did a full inspection for him. Held the bike there till the cash cleared in my bank account, then boxed and shipped it to him.
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I've seen this go bad before, a worker at the bike shop bought the bike after inspection and left the real buyer waiting.
 
ozzybmx

ozzybmx

call me Cáitín
Sethius said:
Well played.
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Flow-Rider said:
I've seen this go bad before, a worker at the bike shop bought the bike after inspection and left the real buyer waiting.
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The buyer asked me if I could take it to 99bikes at Marion (7km from me) as a friend of a friend worked there and said they would look at it for him. I dropped it off and was to pick it up a couple of hours later, got a call 30-45min after dropping it off, saying 99bikes gave it the thumbs up and he wanted to buy it.

He asked me if it could stay at 99bikes till I got the cash, I agreed but it was not to be packaged/sent before the cash was in my bank.

Cash was there next morning, I called 99bikes and told them to send it. The bike now lives in Melbourne somewhere.

The bloke was just being cautious with his money and I had zero issues with that as it was as smooth and easy as an interstate sale could be... I didnt have to package it and the bike shop he picked said it was 100% when they took delivery.
 
Flow-Rider

Flow-Rider

Burner
creaky said:
I seem to remember something about that. Popular brisbane mtb store?
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Yes indeed, the discrepancy was deflected back by the shop to a private deal between the employee and seller, but it makes me wonder on a professional level how the shop let it continue to happen after the first buyer reported it to them.
 
K

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
ozzybmx said:
The buyer asked me if I could take it to 99bikes at Marion (7km from me) as a friend of a friend worked there and said they would look at it for him. I dropped it off and was to pick it up a couple of hours later, got a call 30-45min after dropping it off, saying 99bikes gave it the thumbs up and he wanted to buy it.

He asked me if it could stay at 99bikes till I got the cash, I agreed but it was not to be packaged/sent before the cash was in my bank.

Cash was there next morning, I called 99bikes and told them to send it. The bike now lives in Melbourne somewhere.

The bloke was just being cautious with his money and I had zero issues with that as it was as smooth and easy as an interstate sale could be... I didnt have to package it and the bike shop he picked said it was 100% when they took delivery.
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So much easier just buying/selling interstate on here.. Burners have more skin in the game than bookface and dumbtree..
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has stumpy thumbs, Speciaized are so weird
Bike shops pack bikes for shipping on a fairly frequent basis, for exactly this scenario. We tend to have a fairly steady supply of suitable-sized boxes, packing materials, and exprience of how they come to us, so are able to replicate the packing for the bike's safety. :) It does incur some cost for the workshop time, so covering that needs to be negotiated between the seller and buyer.
 
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ozzybmx

ozzybmx

call me Cáitín
Kerplunk said:
So much easier just buying/selling interstate on here.. Burners have more skin in the game than bookface and dumbtree..
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Yeah definitely, but with the other 2, at least fakebook has a personal account with your relatives, friends and all that shit on display. If someone has their account all locked up, no friends visible, no pictures or even joined up in the past few months, I would certainly not be sending them big $$$ by bank transfer.

Scumtree, any clown can set up an account with nothing personal attached.

I have bought 5 bikes from interstate through fakebook ads in the last few years, all but 1 were shipped by the seller with me sending cash upfront.

The other, I had a great Idea I would drive to Melbourne, pick it up, ride You Yangs and drive back the next day... shit got all busy that week and I couldn't stay the night, so rather than mess the seller around with shipping when they were expecting me there with cash the next day, I called them and arranged for them to bring the bike over from the eastern suburbs and meet me in Bacchus Marsh at midday, 10 mins later i was on my way back to Adelaide, 1300km round trip and 15hr drive, 4am depart, arrived home at 7:30pm :oops:
 
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