For Sale On Ebay

[fishingpaul]

Using this forum for drawing attention to members own bikes for sale on ebay should be banned,especially if you are an electric bike dealer, ok if you are a private seller and advertise on the forum first and get no response within a week,and then say the bike has been put on ebay is ok,to blatantly try and draw attention to your bike that is already advertised on ebay, and then use the forum to try and draw even more attention to the current low price with a couple of days remaining, nothing happens untill the last hour on ebay as we all know,its just not on from an established dealer in electric bikes to try and get the best possible price using this forum.

 

[wotwozere]

Hi

Do not use ebay its evil and I have been conned out of £234 for health products to lose weight. They did not work and think they were aspirin the doctor said.

thx

Bob

 

[andyh2]

Mmmm not sure about this one. Whilst not in the market for an ebike right now I might have been tempted by a one off bargain and I suspect others might be in the same position and forum members had the additional option, not on the ebay ad, of having bike delivered.

Having said that I know that, other cycle sites I use do have some rules on this. On those sites an ebay announcement would be expected to be in the classifieds section and Ebay to be clearly included in the title so those not interested in using ebay don't need to open the message. One site I use goes further and restricts ebay announcements in the very active classifieds to being in the last 6 hours of the ebay sale. Also the classifieds on those sites are for individual users rather than businesses.

Back in November 50cycles had some Agattu's on ebay (3 I think) and they didn't draw attention to it themselves on the site, but private forum member did alert us to the opportunity.

Overall I think I'm in the inconsistent position of thinking that direct sales by businesses, including ebay alerts, should not be made by businesses AND at the same time being happy to be alerted by whoever to a genuinely one off opportunity.

As a side issue, on the site which has the most closely policed classifieds rules, in the general forum there are often lengthy discussions about the merits of various bikes, parts, frames etc and the the small specialist UK based companies often respond directly to the forum. It can be seen as a form of marketing, but it is a real opportunity to answer queries about their kit. As a forum user it's interesting to hear answers to queries that others have that I might not have thought of. There is a general 'etiquette' that for the suppliers it is fine to be positive and informative about their own products but not to denigrate those of other producers. It is also limited to the smaller 'micro' brands, there's never any direct input from say Shimano or Specialized.

 

[the_killjoy]

I see no problem with people pointing to an Ebay ad they have placed. My only caveat is that a dealer should identify themselves as such, A practice most on here seem to do.

What is the difference between pointing to an Ebay add and announcing a new model range and/or price structure.

 

[John Fleet]

Why? - easy to make a statement such as the above, but if you are going to do this then at least do us all the service of presenting a reasoned argument....

 

[dazzie]

I agree with the (seemingly) inappropriately named 'the_killjoy'

Not sure which statement you're on about, John Fleet, but regardless I'm not sure anyone has to present a reasoned argument on any subject do they? If they did then every post would be extremely long-winded, that's for sure. What I'm trying to say is that you didn't provide your own reasoned argument why whoever it is your comment is aimed at didn't provide their own reasoned arguement!

Oh, and wotwozere - congrats, it's working. I'm nearly ready to bite.

Daz

 

[Cyclezee]

Caveat Emptor

I know before I start this post, many will disagree with what I say here, that's OK.

I am a big fan of eBay and have used it to buy and sell goods for over seven years.

It has helped people with little or no capital to start in business with minimal investment, others to dispose of goods they no longer want and, enabled many to buy bargains they wouldn't be able to afford or find elsewhere.

I am not trying to say eBay is perfect and that everyone that uses it is a model citizen, be they buyer or seller (unlike the Pedelec Forum), and it should be used with caution. As with all things there are pros and cons.

As long as you do some research before buying and bear in mind the phrase "Let The Buyer Beware", it is a very useful resource.

With regard to promoting goods you are selling on eBay in the Pedelec classified section, I see nothing wrong with that provided that they are legal and related to e-biking. I have done this myself several times

However I do not agree with promoting your own goods elsewhere on the site. If I have ever done this myself, I apologise profusely

J hn

 

[The Maestro]

I don't see what's wrong with it. Of course if the forum starts getting flooded with selling threads that would be annoying. I think thats the main reason other forums may have rules about it.

 

[lectureral]

I am in the pro-eBay camp - used it for 100s of purchases and sales and never had a significant problem - it's really about being sensible and doing a little research before you buy. Saying it's evil is plain silly. I welcome a heads up of a potential bargain on the site.