Selling an ebike to a trading company that offers to buy and collect

[AndrewV]

We are thinking of selling an good quality ebike that has had little use and is still in good condition. There are numerous companies found on an internet search who offer to buy and collect a bit like the service one would get with a car with webuyanycar.com. I counted 8 companies that do this from a casual search. Does anyone have any experience of selling an ebike this way, please. Comparisons with selling an ebike in the obvious ways - this forum, ebay etc, would be helpful. Any other comments that people think would be helpful regarding selling an ebike safely and reliably, and preferably locally would be welcome.

[Morzedec]

Wondering why you bought the bike in the first place?

[toontra]

Wondering why you bought the bike in the first place?

What has that got to do with the original post

[Nearholmer]

No experience of e-bikes, but doing this worked really well for me with a pushbike.

Somewhat rash (well, very rash actually!) purchase when Lockdown 1 was beginning to be eased, a full-on heavy tourer and luggage, in hindsight a “cabin fever” purchase. PX after a year for the bike I should have chosen in the first place, via a company as described. Worked a treat!

You can really only go on reviews posted by customers through things like TrustPilot , or word-of-mouth if you can actually find someone who has used this method.

Monetarily, you will never get as much from a dealer as from a person-to-person sale, because a dealer has fixed costs to cover, may need to service and replace parts, may be covering warranty on sales, needs to a make living, might be servicing debt, and (I think, but get confused about this) has VAT to pay.

“Buy in” on anything usually comes out a bit either side of 50% of what they can sell on for (not 50% of new purchase price). But, yer gets yer money quickly and without hassle. The hassle of selling “big ticket” items privately can be considerable, as I well know having once sold a vintage Land Rover three times in succession, because the first two buyers both dropped out at the last millisecond when their wives found it what they were up to! (Ironic, in that I was selling it because my OH had become increasingly discontented about its presence)

[fastpedaller]

In addition to the above, I'd be careful about the means of payment, and certainly wouldn't be paying any 'admin fee' prior to sale.

[Nearholmer]

Oh, and many dealers are absolute geniuses when it comes to “talking down” the value of what they are buying.

I’d make very sure you know what an achievable (not wildly optimistic) sale price for the bike is, i.e. what the dealer will be able to sell it for, and if they offer much less than half of tgat, be prepared to step away.

Can you effectively get them to bid against one another? Seek offers from three, then then use the information to talk them up.

[Cowsham]

Gum Tree has been good to me.

[rareposter]

Any other comments that people think would be helpful regarding selling an ebike safely and reliably, and preferably locally would be welcome.

Selling to a dealer / trader is a good way of getting it shifted fairly quickly but (as with cars) you'll probably make less than a private sale.

In the other hand, you know it's gone to somewhere reliable, you get paid quickly and fairly and it saves a lot of potential hassle as well as the possibility of scams which were noted in this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=167504

Obviously if you can include any receipts, manuals, spare parts, accessories and the charger as well as a valid reason for sale then you'll likely get more for it (or at least find it easier to sell).

[AndrewV]

Thanks for replying, guys (apart from one ), (sorry about delayed response - not online very often). Very helpful in thinking about the pro's and cons of doing this, and we will give it some further thought before going ahead one way or the other.

[AndrewV]

Wondering why you bought the bike in the first place?

We had a good reason for buying after much deliberation (including travelling to Shropshire to view an Islabike, which we sometimes wish we'd bought, before she closed), and also a good reason (partially health related) for selling.