Why are used e-bikes worth so little?

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I have been checking out dealers for my new "My Next Bike" (RM Supercharger £6k), and when asking about PX'ing my 2016 Scott e-Genius 910 (£4k new) I find that most dealers eith don't do it and the ones that do are offering £600.
This is either Dealer margins being really small, or there is just no market for used e-bikes and this is a genuine valuation.
Has anyone any experience in actually selling a used e-bike?
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,407
16,387
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
post the highest PX offer here, I am pretty sure that one of us will better that.
 

Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
In the summer I sold my 4k emtb which was 13months old with 500miles on it for £1750 and I had too wait 7 weeks for that
in my experience all bikes loose a shed load of money not just pedelecs :)
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
30,351
I have been checking out dealers for my new "My Next Bike" (RM Supercharger £6k), and when asking about PX'ing my 2016 Scott e-Genius 910 (£4k new) I find that most dealers eith don't do it and the ones that do are offering £600.
This is either Dealer margins being really small, or there is just no market for used e-bikes and this is a genuine valuation.
Has anyone any experience in actually selling a used e-bike?
I answered this just the other day, it's the small market. It's both small overall and even smaller for any particular type of e-bike.

Also a point that had others disagreeing. The fact is that second hand in most products other than cars is unfashionable, as it is in all advanced economies. People will sometimes buy second hand if something is cheap enough, but buying s/h at true value is very rare. It's part of the bargain culture that spawned Poundshops, Aldi and Lidl and now Jacks. Too many people expect dirt cheap.
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
post the highest PX offer here, I am pretty sure that one of us will better that.
To be fair to the dealer I have chosen to use, purely based on location (Nearest RM dealer 90 miles roundtrip for any warranty issues), who has offered me £600 unseen so a better PX offer elsewhere carries no weight as I am unlikely to make a purchase from them, and to be even fairer they have strongly suggested I sell it privately to get a better price which means eBay which I am considering. I have successfully sold bikes before on eBay but my home situation now is ..... very delicate at the mo so not sure I want the hassle of (a) finding a box and sorting shipping or (b) buyers coming to my home wanting a risky test ride for possibly a couple of hundred £'s extra! And just looking at your site (Woosh) new bikes are out there for not a great deal more than my £600.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I answered this just the other day, it's the small market. It's both small overall and even smaller for any particular type of e-bike.

Also a point that had others disagreeing. The fact is that second hand in most products other than cars is unfashionable, as it is in all advanced economies. People will sometimes buy second hand if something is cheap enough, but buying s/h at true value is very rare. It's part of the bargain culture that spawned Poundshops, Aldi and Lidl and now Jacks. Too many people expect dirt cheap.
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So if I asked for your advice would you say take the 600? Sounds like a film title!!
 

Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
So if I asked for your advice would you say take the 600? Sounds like a film title!!
Just out of curiosity and not wanting to turn this into a sale thread but whats the condition, mileage etc like ?
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
30,351
So if I asked for your advice would you say take the 600? Sounds like a film title!!
I'd say obviously try for more if you really want or need more. Personally when I have anything to get rid of I prefer to give it away to someone who might appreciate it.

When I can't find such a person I've used Cash Converters on odd occasions to turn the item back into cash. On one occasion having sold my two items there I gave the proceeds to the next person in the queue! He was gobsmacked! We'd been chatting while waiting and I'd learnt he really didn't want to sell his music centre but was strapped for cash for his rent.

A handy alternative to finding someone who wants an item.
.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Just out of curiosity and not wanting to turn this into a sale thread but whats the condition, mileage etc like ?
Condition I would describe as average for a two year old bike that has done 3000 miles.
I have had a few issues with it, mostly the rear brake (fitted a new caliper and disk) and the gears after a fall (hopefully fixed by fitting a new hanger)
Twinlock modification under warranty pivot service and recent new sprocket/11-42 cassette. Mud huggers and rear rack have helitape under. A few of the steel bits are showing a bit of rust. No play in the drive. No dongle ever!
As I write this I am thinking the 600 doesn't sound so bad..
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I'd say obviously try for more if you really want or need more. Personally when I have anything to get rid of I prefer to give it away to someone who might appreciate it.

When I can't find such a person I've used Cash Converters on odd occasions to turn the item back into cash. On one occasion having sold my two items there I gave the proceeds to the next person in the queue! He was gobsmacked! We'd been chatting while waiting and I'd learnt he really didn't want to sell his music centre but was strapped for cash for his rent.

A handy alternative to finding someone who wants an item.
.
Cash converters eh! I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if we have one in town.....
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,973
6,292
well from the sold prices on ebay id say you could get double what there offering tho if you go to cc they might offer just 200 quid then find it for sale for 2k lol.

you got gumtree and friday add, old trade it site you could try it on also as well as on here imo less hassle.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
30,351
Cash converters eh! I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if we have one in town.....
Today's Cash Converters company have internet sales teams who are quite expert in getting them good prices on incoming items. They surprised me on that occasion I mentioned above with much more for two cameras than I'd expected, telling me both would be resold by that team.
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Today's Cash Converters company have internet sales teams who are quite expert in getting them good prices on incoming items. They surprised me on that occasion I mentioned above with much more for two cameras than I'd expected, telling me both would be resold by that team.
.
The only thing I have sold there was my work gold watch. I never wore it so was still mint and boxed and didn't want a reminder and as far as i remember got a decent price.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
well from the sold prices on ebay id say you could get double what there offering tho if you go to cc they might offer just 200 quid then find it for sale for 2k lol.

you got gumtree and friday add, old trade it site you could try it on also as well as on here imo less hassle.
Yes but as previously stated my home situation is difficult and having "bike" visitors would not be appropriate at this time.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I'd say obviously try for more if you really want or need more. Personally when I have anything to get rid of I prefer to give it away to someone who might appreciate it.

When I can't find such a person I've used Cash Converters on odd occasions to turn the item back into cash. On one occasion having sold my two items there I gave the proceeds to the next person in the queue! He was gobsmacked! We'd been chatting while waiting and I'd learnt he really didn't want to sell his music centre but was strapped for cash for his rent.

A handy alternative to finding someone who wants an item.
.
I once did a similar thing. I sold my Boardman road bike on ebay and had the usual "How much to take it of sale" messages which I normally play against each other, but one was from a young lad just starting out and when he came for a look with his dad he was so much in awe of it, and such a nice lad that I let him have it at his bid which was a goodly bit less that the best bid, and for some reason felt better for it!
 
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Nev

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 1, 2018
1,507
2,520
North Wales
I don't think I would part ex it for just £600, that's a loss of £3400 since 2016. I would either sell if privately and expect to get around double that price. Or I would keep it and use it for:-
1. A bike for visiting friends or family to accompany me on rides.
2. To use when the roads are wet due to rain rather than use my new £6k bike.
3. Use it when the council start gritting the roads in the winter rather than the new bike.
4. Use where I might leave it locked somewhere when I was doing a bit of shopping or having a coffee (assuming you have it insured for say £1k). If you use a decent lock they you will be very unlucky if it gets stolen, but if it does then you are still going to get around £1k back on it.
5. Ride it on surfaces eg. mud, river beds etc. that I would be very reluctant to ride a £6k bike.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
In the summer I sold my 4k emtb which was 13months old with 500miles on it for £1750 and I had too wait 7 weeks for that
in my experience all bikes loose a shed load of money not just pedelecs :)
I have done alright in the past and on one occasion sold one for more than it cost, but they were low value bikes so I suspect that like cars the higher the original cost the more you loose! With some exceptions of course..
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
30,351
one was from a young lad just starting out and when he came for a look with his dad he was so much in awe of it, and such a nice lad that I let him have it at his bid which was a goodly bit less that the best bid, and for some reason felt better for it!
That's one reason why I like doing this sort of thing, the feeling one gets is better than any amount of cash.
.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I don't think I would part ex it for just £600, that's a loss of £3400 since 2016. I would either sell if privately and expect to get around double that price. Or I would keep it and use it for:-
1. A bike for visiting friends or family to accompany me on rides.
2. To use when the roads are wet due to rain rather than use my new £6k bike.
3. Use it when the council start gritting the roads in the winter rather than the new bike.
4. Use where I might leave it locked somewhere when I was doing a bit of shopping or having a coffee (assuming you have it insured for say £1k). If you use a decent lock they you will be very unlucky if it gets stolen, but if it does then you are still going to get around £1k back on it.
5. Ride it on surfaces eg. mud, river beds etc. that I would be very reluctant to ride a £6k bike.
1/ Friends and family that ride have their own bikes
2/ I don't go out much in the cold and rain and I will still have the Giant Road e+1 which has propper mudguards and panniers n stuff in case I do.
3/ See /2
4/ I never leave it anywhere unattended.
5/ I don't ride in riverbeds or anywhere muddy.
4/ I recently cycled to a garden centre and took the bike inside as I do... Take note of the guy on the right with the trolly (turn you volume up high or you will miss his comment)
 

peter.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2018
1,611
491
thurrock essex
As soon as the till rings -20% vat gone retail profit manufacture mark up
Think base model car cost then top options of the same car
Drive out the showroom door px value 40% loss
Its a uk thing