Matt

Hi all, We've removed the review. Our review policy requires that a sale was concluded or a firm agreement was in place. While there was clear interest and a commitment to share info, strictly speaking there was no sale agreement here. That said, removing a review on technical grounds doesn't mean we approve of the behaviour that led to it. Ghosting a buyer you've made commitments to is not how we want people conducting themselves on Bike Hub. We've seen a few unnecessarily heated exchanges between buyers and sellers this week over largely petty issues. This one spilled into a review and a public thread, but the message applies to everyone: some common decency goes a long way. Honour your commitments. At minimum, communicate when plans change.

There have been a handful of deals where things have dragged on, but this is very rare. The vast majority have money in their account within a week from accepting. Some data from 3,206 completed deals in the last 12 months: Overall deal completion distribution (from offer accepted to payout): 30% complete within 3 days 59% within 5 days 81% within a week 97.6% within 2 weeks Only 8 deals (0.2%) took longer than 30 days If this seller or any others have feedback or concerns we'd love to hear them. In 2025 we put a lot of effort into streamlining both the incoming and outgoing payments to help reduce deal time. And ultimately ensure that we get sellers paid as quick as possible. Most sellers should have money in their account within seconds of the buyer completing the deal.

Fakes in particular we always try to act on quickly, but there have been periods where we’ve dropped the ball. Apologies for that. We’re a small team of two handling moderation alongside everything else, so things occasionally slip through. Please do keep reporting - it genuinely helps us catch what we might miss.

Please report any ads you suspect. I think we've picked up the Selle Italia ad you're referring to and will investigate, but if there are others please hit report - even if just a suspicion. We've got a zero tolerance policy on counterfeits. Those found advertising fakes will be suspended.

No, we didn’t mention that. It didn’t seem relevant to the marketplace data. The forums are open, the event calendar is free to list, and our editorial email is on the site for race reports. If the gravity community wants more presence, all the tools are there.

A deal via Bike Hub Pay also requires initial acceptance by the seller. So if you've not received AND accepted an offer prior to getting a payment confirmation from us, it's a big red flag. The key advice is no matter what transaction method you've chosen (Bike Hub Pay, direct EFT, etc), don't take any email or SMS confirmation as proof of payment. Log on to Bike Hub to check your Deals page for payment status, or for a direct deal, log on to your banking app to confirm the money has actually reflected.

We've had further reports of similar attempts now originating from Facebook marketplace. They encourage the seller to list here in order to use Pay, but then send a fake email to confirm payment, similar to above. Latest details: Facebook username: Botha Zane Phone number: 073 466 3766 Fake email details: Sender: notifications.bikehub.co.za@gmail.com Buyer: Mauer Jonathan. Delivery address - Mailing details 24 Umtungwa Birch Acres Kempton Park 1618.

Update: The same person/people registered this morning with the following details: Username: Jeremy010 Email: jeremycgill71@gmail.com Phone number: 073 466 3766 Buyer name: Andries Thabiso Leburu Delivery address: Nova Pioneer Complex 8 Matuka Cl, Carlswald Midrand Johannesburg. 2000.

We've just been alerted to a user sending fake "Payout completed" emails to users on Bike Hub. The account has been flagged and those they interacted with will receive a warning. Here are the details we have for now and will update as we investigate further. The details: Sender: Bike Hub <bikehubs@mail.com>. --> Fake sender. Buyer: Peter Ziqubu. --> Probably faked Delivery address: Villeroy Court Complex Invicta Rd, Halfway Gardens Midrand Johannesburg. 2000. Example content:

Apologies for the slow response. On it now, we're in the process of moving all related posts to here:

We've unfortunately had to block certain VPN providers temporarily following an attempted large scale spam attack yesterday, originating from a range of VPN providers. We're looking at longer term solutions but for now its the best available option.

You and all other sellers are entitled to make that choice. But I am genuinely curious how you worry you'd lose out? We had a sale north of R100k this week. A buyer with less than 24 hours on Bike Hub. The seller a Hubber of almost 10 years with many positive ratings. I'd argue that that sale, and many others like it, would not have happened with out Bike Hub Pay bridging the trust gap. Again, it is your choice to use Bike Hub Pay or not. We’re keen to better understand the concerns of those who prefer not to, so we can continue improving the system.

The process does inherently add a delay vs. getting the cash upfront. We've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to streamline the payment processes, both incoming from buyers and outgoing to the seller. Later this year we aim to launch instant payouts... watch this space.

Thanks. It would appear that this user was previously banned for attempting to avoid our modest dealer listing fees. This duplicate account is a further infringement of our T&Cs and has been suspended. GrannyGear - I’m sure you wouldn’t take kindly to folks coming to your shop and leaving without paying. Please show us and other bicycle businesses using Bike Hub the same respect.

Please report to us. We've seen scammers make similar claims in the past in an attempt to bypass Bike Hub Pay.

Sorry to hear about your experience with this seller. Thank you for sharing this warning with the community. While we encourage members to share experiences like this through our forums and user reviews, erring on the side of caution I've removed the photos and bank details to protect privacy for the moment. We've noticed an increase in problematic transactions over the holiday period, often involving poor communication and follow-through rather than outright scams. While it doesn't excuse the behaviour, I'd hope this issue falls into the same category. We have noted the issue on their account and will follow updates here.

You're right that enquiries alone don't tell the complete story. We've found enquiries are a useful proxy for market activity, but the real insights come from our actual transaction data. Our Q2 2025 numbers show: Enquiries up 13.7% YoY (as reported) Actual sales volume up 8.25% YoY (from Bike Hub Pay transactions + seller-confirmed sales) Average discount from list price increased from 6.05% to 8.39% So while demand is genuinely stronger, observations here are spot-on that buyers are negotiating harder. The market is perhaps more active but also more price-sensitive than the enquiry numbers alone would suggest. Your experience may vary depending on bike category, size, condition, and even region, but the overall trend shows Q2 2025 outperforming 2024 in both activity and actual transactions - just with tighter margins for sellers.

@SuperDooperSnooper - Sorry to hear about your unresolved issues with this seller. We did receive your report and have had several similar complaints. While this seller has resolved issues in other cases, the pattern of poor communication, delivery and unresolved transactions has led us to now suspend their account. I apologise for not responding directly to your initial report. We review all reports but don't always send individual responses - they do build an important history that informs our decisions on future reports and actions like this suspension. We'll take action against repeat problematic behaviour regardless of payment method, though we do have more options to help when issues arise through Bike Hub Pay. Unfortunately, a suspension doesn't help resolve your specific issue. @Barry - I don't see any reports from you about this seller in our system. If you submitted through another channel and we missed it, I apologise. Rest assured you weren't actively ignored.

Thanks for the heads up. We've flagged the account. It appears this individual has popped up before:

I've hidden the recent posts about a certain Italian brand as a precaution. The owner is aware and police are on it, thanks @FootballingCyclist

Good question. In a collection deal, the key protection is that the seller only releases the item once the buyer has completed the deal on Bike Hub. At that point, the funds are guaranteed and paid out. The buyer can’t reverse it. Importantly, the buyer is not in possession of the money. Bike Hub Pay holds the funds and can still release them to the seller even if the buyer acts in bad faith. More here: https://help.bikehub.co.za/en/articles/4967228-how-do-collection-deals-work

Hi Elizabeth, You're right to be skeptical of a deal involving a third party collecting like this. It's been a common scam tactic across most marketplace platforms. However, at the same time we've had a number of successful deals with buyers from neighbouring countries, with a friend/contact collecting on their behalf. To ensure you’re protected: 1. Only release the bike once Bike Hub confirms payment is secure. If the buyer has paid and the deal is marked as Completed on Bike Hub, the funds are guaranteed and will be paid out to you. The buyer cannot reverse this. 2. If meeting in person, do so in a safe public place, like a bike shop or police station. Only agree to a meeting once Bike Hub has confirmed receipt of the payment. The person collecting will need to Complete the deal on Bike Hub (or have the buyer do it) before taking the bike. If you have any questions or concerns just let us know. Regards, Matt

Thanks for reporting this. We’ve flagged the account and alerted other users they may have contacted. We also have systems in place to monitor for any repeat attempts to register under different details.

Please DM me your VPN provider name and most recent IP address while using the VPN. Will check on why it's blocked. We do block a number of VPN providers that are frequently used by bad actors so it's possible you might unfortunately be caught in one of those nets.

We’ve flagged and banned the account. Too many red flags, including an IP address in Cameroon.