Is selling on the classifieds becoming more difficult?

[ChrisF]

Stuff that hanged on here for 2 months got sold within hours on Facebook market place. Best of all here I had lowballers left and right that never followed through while Facebook just needed a location to pick up, no negotiation or anything just a smooth deal.

 

Happened on 3 items this far

Maybe time for a double blind study ....

 

 

I am considering selling an item. Maybe I should get a friend to post it on the different platforms .... check feedback and where it sells ...

 

 

I know he dont even bother advertising his items on the Hub anymore ....

[Barry]

Stuff that hanged on here for 2 months got sold within hours on Facebook market place. Best of all here I had lowballers left and right that never followed through while Facebook just needed a location to pick up, no negotiation or anything just a smooth deal.

 

Happened on 3 items this far

I agree 100% market place and a few bike sales groups work for me.

I try to keep it local and cash.

[BaGearA]

To br fair you also have a whole new/different/larger pool of possible buyers there than here. Garentee 95% of those people don't even know what bikehub is.

. I tried Facebook due to the non stop lowballers, the quick sale was just a bonus

[ChrisF]

Maybe time for a double blind study ....

 

 

I am considering selling an item. Maybe I should get a friend to post it on the different platforms .... check feedback and where it sells ...

 

 

I know he dont even bother advertising his items on the Hub anymore ....

 

Time for some feedback

 

"Friend A" refused to advertise on the Hub ....

 

 

I spoke to another friend, who I know regularly sells on the Hub.  We agree to the following:

 

- The bicycle will be advertised on both The Hub and Gumtree

 

- The asking price will be "very high", testing the resilience of the market to the new prices .... (actually surprised the add did not get tagged on THEE thread... which in itself says a lot about the current absurd pricing..)

 

- We monitor the number of low-ball offers, "is it still available", etc from each platform ....

 

- Initially "Hub Pay" was not considered.  Last week I spoke to him, asking him to drop the price to "high", but to use the Hub Pay option on this side while using the same price on Gumtree without any secure payment option .... wondering what dynamic this may show ....

 

 

 

The bicycle - Merida Big 7,  27,5", 3x10.  Excellent condition, but we know the 27,5" is not the "flavour of the month" ....

 

Initial price : R 14  000 

We got a couple of offers of R10 000.  Being in no hurry we waited to see if anybody would take the bait .... As I said, this truly was a deliberate experiment, testing the market.

 

Last week we dropped the price to R 11 000 (Incidentally, this is what I paid for the bike in 2017).  Three days later it sold for R 10 000.  This echoes the comment from so many of this thread - at the right price things sell fast.  (even if the right price now is so much higher than previously)

 

 

Pre covid I knew I would struggle to get R 6 000 for this bike.  So YES, the new prices are simply insane !!! BUT, have a look at what new bikes are available in bike shops, noting prices and spec levels ....

 

 

 

The Hub vs Gumtree ....

 

This dynamic has also changed over the covid period.  Now the same number of low-ballers on both sides.  Previously The Hub had a few "is it still available" messages, now this is equally prevelant on both sites.  Frankly, very little different between the two sites in terms of the seller's experience.

 

The only thing that sets The Hub aside - "Hub Pay".  If I was to buy or sell an expensive item, and the exchange could not happen in person, then I would certainly go for Hub Pay. 

 

 

As it turns out, the buyer was local and the exchange happened in person.

 

This sale was concluded via Gumtree.  

Edited March 16, 2021 by ChrisF

[Hairy]

Time for some feedback

 

"Friend A" refused to advertise on the Hub ....

 

 

I spoke to another friend, who I know regularly sells on the Hub.  We agree to the following:

 

- The bicycle will be advertised on both The Hub and Gumtree

 

- The asking price will be "very high", testing the resilience of the market to the new prices .... (actually surprised the add did not get tagged on THEE thread... which in itself says a lot about the current absurd pricing..)

 

- We monitor the number of low-ball offers, "is it still available", etc from each platform ....

 

- Initially "Hub Pay" was not considered.  Last week I spoke to him, asking him to drop the price to "high", but to use the Hub Pay option on this side while using the same price on Gumtree without any secure payment option .... wondering what dynamic this may show ....

 

 

 

The bicycle - Merida Big 7,  27,5", 3x10.  Excellent condition, but we know the 27,5" is not the "flavour of the month" ....

 

Initial price : R 14  000 

We got a couple of offers of R10 000.  Being in no hurry we waited to see if anybody would take the bait .... As I said, this truly was a deliberate experiment, testing the market.

 

Last week we dropped the price to R 11 000 (Incidentally, this is what I paid for the bike in 2017).  Three days later it sold for R 10 000.  This echoes the comment from so many of this thread - at the right price things sell fast.  (even if the right price now is so much higher than previously)

 

 

Pre covid I knew I would struggle to get R 6 000 for this bike.  So YES, the new prices are simply insane !!! BUT, have a look at what new bikes are available in bike shops, noting prices and spec levels ....

 

 

 

The Hub vs Gumtree ....

 

This dynamic has also changed over the covid period.  Now the same number of low-ballers on both sides.  Previously The Hub had a few "is it still available" messages, now this is equally prevelant on both sites.  Frankly, very little different between the two sites in terms of the seller's experience.

 

The only thing that sets The Hub aside - "Hub Pay".  If I was to buy or sell an expensive item, and the exchange could not happen in person, then I would certainly go for Hub Pay. 

 

 

As it turns out, the buyer was local and the exchange happened in person.

 

This sale was concluded via Gumtree.  

I have been keeping an eye on Gumtree for a while RE motorbikes. What I do find funny is that often private sellers are advertising at higher prices than dearlerships are for the same or older (private sellers bike is older) bikes. The bike shop offers limited warranty, a service before handing over the bike and peace of mind.

 

It baffles the mind.

[Wayne pudding Mol]

I think for bike parts though the hub is always going to be best - or for vintage bikes and the likes where you need a specific market

In the last 2 weeks I have sold a lot of stuff and had great response and fantastic dealings - these items would still be on gumtree I believe

[Cyclewizz]

Would have been interesting to test the hub against FB Marketplace.

 

For specific bike parts like cranks, pedals, etc I think the hub would still be in 1st place but for complete bikes I think that it might be neck and neck with Marketplace.

 

As a buyer it's great to have various options though but the down side is that you have to look in 4 different places.

[Chadvdw67]

I haven't sold a whole heck of lot of stuff, but I always post to the Hub, FB Marketplace and various cycling groups, and scamtree, this has been from complete bikes to spare parts etc, everything except 1 bike was sold via the hub, FB I haven't even got any responses from adds, and scamtree is where 1 bike was sold but not after many MANY oil rig workers wanted to buy something for their nephew

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

I have been keeping an eye on Gumtree for a while RE motorbikes. What I do find funny is that often private sellers are advertising at higher prices than dearlerships are for the same or older (private sellers bike is older) bikes. The bike shop offers limited warranty, a service before handing over the bike and peace of mind.

 

It baffles the mind.

 

There are some funny dealerships though.

Recently bought a bike, but was very interested in a bike from a dealership.

Looked at it and was ready to do a deal.

"Oh but you must pay a R1500 admin fee, and then we don't do roadworthy or registration."

It would have been nice to know this upfront I said, so how much to register it?

"Well if we register it you have to take a service by our garage, a 2 year warranty plan and then we will register it. R11k for the warranty, R3500 for the registration plus the original R1500 admin fee."

Cheers Christo, you guys are crazy!!

 

I did end up buying from a dealership, could get the same model and mileage bike from a private sale for R3k cheaper but worried about money to an unknown individual. SO purely for safety, similar to the Hub Pay setup, I paid more for peace of mind. I did not get a warranty, still had to roadworthy and register myself too.

[Mark James]

Hi guys, my 5 cents worth, or rather my R120k worth... Over the last 3 months I have been looking at the classifieds 2-3 times/day, as I was looking for 2 dual suspensions XC bikes; one for myself, and one for my wife. 

 

The brief was fairly simple: Not more than 2 years old, preferably carbon frame, reputable mainstream brand, high end parts, pretty photos, and a detailed description of what was being sold… 

 

I am not currently working, so have/had heaps of time to scour the ads, and came to a few conclusions of bike ads being in 3 categories of sellers/pricing: Silly, Reasonable, and Deals

 

1) SILLY:  Advertised bike value would sometimes be 30-50% of the true market value. This represented roughly 20-25% of ads (Often someone who probably hasn't ridden for a few years, has an 8 year old 3X10 MTB sitting in the garage that they are trying to sell, or someone who is emotionally attached to their bike, and loves their bike as much as they do their children, or has over-spent on a build or upgrades to an older bike). These are also the bike ads that tend to have weekly “price reductions”… 

 

2) REASONABLE: Fairly and correctly priced market value, or 10-15% above market value (before negotiating price). This represented about 60-70% of bikes advertised. Most of these sellers seemed to be seasoned bike riders, or serious 2nd hand private bike sellers.

 

3) DEALS:  Bikes priced slightly below market value, probably only 10-15% of ads that I viewed over the last 3 months. I attributed this to several possible reasons: Lesser known brands (South Africans tend to favour certain brands, especially those starting with an “S”), desperate sellers, slightly older bikes (5+ years, but that still offered decent geometry/components/value).

 

Some observations: 

• Most private sellers were selling 2nd hand bikes for 20% less than a similar bike being sold through a traditional bricks/mortar bike shop (who were advertising on bike hub). 
• Surprisingly high number of sellers included only minimal information on the bike (year/components), or incorrect information about the bike model and year - this made viewing their ads frustrating, and immediately makes one sceptical or weary about the seller (Tip to sellers: Include ALL info/year/component details correctly!). 
• Almost every ad I enquired about the seller was prepared to sell the bike for 10% (or more) below asking price, indicating that all the sellers I engaged with (from my small sample size) listed their bikes above the market value, and for what they were REALLY willing to sell their bike for. (Both my bikes I purchased for 10%+ below asking price). 
• Even on an informal market platform, “customer service” does count, as much (if not even more), than through a traditional retail channel… Not replying to a message enquiry, or taking 2-3 days to reply frustrates a buyer. I can think of 2 specific sellers (with more than 100+ previous ads) who stood out: One of them replied consistently within minutes/hours, and the other who replied within days… 

Final conclusions: 

I purchased 2 bikes in the last month on bikehub, after spending 2+ months researching and looking through EVERY ad on bikehub, making offers, engaging with sellers, missing out on deals, pulling out of deals, and finally being rewarded by waiting patiently (not my default strong point) for the right bike, at the right price  

 

The first bike I paid R70k for a 2020 model (R140-150k new), and the 2nd bike I paid R50k for a 2019 model (R115-120k new). No prizes for guessing which one was mine, and which one my wife got... haha 

 

Bikehub is a great platform, and I received EXCELLENT support from the bikehub back-office teams whenever I had a question/query or problem sending messages, or seeing messages. (10 out of 10 kudos to them!).

 

The sellers ranged from Excellent to mediocre, and everything in-between... The ads that were well written, detailed, and factually accurate were the ones that got my attention and interest, and also the ones that eventually led to a successful sale/purchase. 

 

Advice to sellers: Reply within minutes/hours, not hours/days, and ensure you know the product you are selling, and advertise it correctly. 

Advice to buyers: Do your homework first, ask questions about the bike history, and service history, and always try view the bike. 

 

And wherever possible "buy expensive, pay cheap:

Edited March 16, 2021 by Mark James

[The Ouzo]

Hi guys, my 5 cents worth, or rather my R120k worth... Over the last 3 months I have been looking at the classifieds 2-3 times/day, as I was looking for 2 dual suspensions XC bikes; one for myself, and one for my wife. 

 

The brief was fairly simple: Not more than 2 years old, preferably carbon frame, reputable mainstream brand, high end parts, pretty photos, and a detailed description of what was being sold… 

 

I am not currently working, so have/had heaps of time to scour the ads, and came to a few conclusions of bike ads being in 3 categories of sellers/pricing: Silly, Reasonable, and Deals

 

1) SILLY:  Advertised bike value would sometimes be 30-50% of the true market value. This represented roughly 20-25% of ads (Often someone who probably hasn't ridden for a few years, has an 8 year old 3X10 MTB sitting in the garage that they are trying to sell, or someone who is emotionally attached to their bike, and loves their bike as much as they do their children, or has over-spent on a build or upgrades to an older bike). These are also the bike ads that tend to have weekly “price reductions”… 

 

2) REASONABLE: Fairly and correctly priced market value, or 10-15% above market value (before negotiating price). This represented about 60-70% of bikes advertised. Most of these sellers seemed to be seasoned bike riders, or serious 2nd hand private bike sellers.

 

3) DEALS:  Bikes priced slightly below market value, probably only 10-15% of ads that I viewed over the last 3 months. I attributed this to several possible reasons: Lesser known brands (South Africans tend to favour certain brands, especially those starting with an “S”), desperate sellers, slightly older bikes (5+ years, but that still offered decent geometry/components/value).

 

Some observations: 

• Most private sellers were selling 2nd hand bikes for 20% less than a similar bike being sold through a traditional bricks/mortar bike shop (who were advertising on bike hub). 
• Surprisingly high number of sellers included only minimal information on the bike (year/components), or incorrect information about the bike model and year - this made viewing their ads frustrating, and immediately makes one sceptical or weary about the seller (Tip to sellers: Include ALL info/year/component details correctly!). 
• Almost every ad I enquired about the seller was prepared to sell the bike for 10% (or more) below asking price, indicating that all the sellers I engaged with (from my small sample size) listed their bikes above the market value, and for what they were REALLY willing to sell their bike for. (Both my bikes I purchased for 10%+ below asking price). 
• Even on an informal market platform, “customer service” does count, as much (if not even more), than through a traditional retail channel… Not replying to a message enquiry, or taking 2-3 days to reply frustrates a buyer. I can think of 2 specific sellers (with more than 100+ previous ads) who stood out: One of them replied consistently within minutes/hours, and the other who replied within days… 

Final conclusions: 

I purchased 2 bikes in the last month on bikehub, after spending 2+ months researching and looking through EVERY ad on bikehub, making offers, engaging with sellers, missing out on deals, pulling out of deals, and finally being rewarded by waiting patiently (not my default strong point) for the right bike, at the right price  

 

The first bike I paid R70k for a 2020 model (R140-150k new), and the 2nd bike I paid R50k for a 2019 model (R115-120k new). No prizes for guessing which one was mine, and which one my wife got... haha 

 

Bikehub is a great platform, and I received EXCELLENT support from the bikehub back-office teams whenever I had a question/query or problem sending messages, or seeing messages. (10 out of 10 kudos to them!).

 

The sellers ranged from Excellent to mediocre, and everything in-between... The ads that were well written, detailed, and factually accurate were the ones that got my attention and interest, and also the ones that eventually led to a successful sale/purchase. 

 

Advice to sellers: Reply within minutes/hours, not hours/days, and ensure you know the product you are selling, and advertise it correctly. 

Advice to buyers: Do your homework first, ask questions about the bike history, and service history, and always try view the bike. 

 

And wherever possible "buy expensive, pay cheap:

great post

 

I do however disagree on the reply within minutes comment. My job is customer facing, my phone can beep and ring and vibrate in my pocket, I will not take it out my pocket until I'm done dealing with the customer infront of me. This can sometimes take several hours. Buyer - be patient, selling used goods is not everyones full time job.

And if you message me in the middle of the night you better be prepared to only get a response the next morning.

[Mark James]

great post

 

I do however disagree on the reply within minutes comment. My job is customer facing, my phone can beep and ring and vibrate in my pocket, I will not take it out my pocket until I'm done dealing with the customer infront of me. This can sometimes take several hours. Buyer - be patient, selling used goods is not everyones full time job.

And if you message me in the middle of the night you better be prepared to only get a response the next morning.

Within reason... Obviously no one expects a reply within minutes, and within hours is normal... But when you send a message on a Saturday evening, and someone replies to you on a Tuesday morning (true story) you can't help thinking "Oy vey"... 

 

And any coked up weirdo crackhead messaging you at 03h30 should be immediately reported and blocked, lol. 

[ChrisF]

great post

 

I do however disagree on the reply within minutes comment. My job is customer facing, my phone can beep and ring and vibrate in my pocket, I will not take it out my pocket until I'm done dealing with the customer infront of me. This can sometimes take several hours. Buyer - be patient, selling used goods is not everyones full time job.

And if you message me in the middle of the night you better be prepared to only get a response the next morning.

 

 

Ouzo many of us cant reply "quickly" to posts from prospective buyers.  

 

 

My job relates to design and projects.  Sometimes we are super busy, and I only read the forum at night.  Right now I am taking a moment before sitting down with a new design.  Once these projects are in construction the contractors can call on my time at very short notice, so day planning is very difficult, with lots of meetings added to the pot ....

 

So I simply can not with any certainty say that I will be available in a few days to spend time scanning for messages from potential buyers.  And NO, after dealing with site issues for 12 hours straight I am dont want to deal with low-ballers ....  this is when I rather read the "forum" side of the Hub.

 

 

So I when I do sell items, I ask a friend to post it, take care of the admin and give them a percentage.

 

 

And yet, one of the complaints/comments that often come up in this thread: "I dont get it when the add says selling for a friend" ....

 

 

 

 

 

no stress, just a bit a feedback for those wondering why so many adds says "selling for a friend"

[Matt]

Some interesting feedback in the recent posts. Thanks for all sharing your experiences and experiments.

@ChrisF, out of interest: Your friend who refused to advertise on Bike Hub. Can you share why or what led to this? 

 

As a general note we know each platform has its own dynamics and some are better/worse in certain areas. While we of course aim for Bike Hub to be the go-to for all buyers and sellers of bicycles and cycling gear, that needs to be carefully balanced with the buyer/seller experience.

 

We wouldn't want to open the flood gates only to land up with largely poor quality ads (little to no photos, insufficient detail, generally suspicious). At the same time, if serious (i.e. good quality, reliable) sellers and buyers are favouring other platforms we need to pay attention to the "why" - and we do.

 

We've always set ourselves apart through our depth of understanding of bikes, the underlying community, dedicated support team and more recently through Bike Hub Pay.

 

However, there's a lot we can do to further improve and in some areas learn from the big guys like FB. We been around a few years now, but still regard ourselves as a scrappy startup, continually improving and hungry to outpace our bigger rivals. With that in mind we welcome all this feedback - thank you!

[Maniax]

I honestly have not experienced any issues.  I prefer to deal with long time hubbers.  And happy to wait until seller/buyer is able to reply. 

 

Most of my upgrades I have bought from fellow hubbers.  I don't mind second hand if the condition is great.  I generally offer what I can afford and think is still reasonable and the seller has full right to decline, counter or accept.  The same curtesy I have afforded to buyers of my advertised goods.

 

So from my side.  Its always been pleasant dealing with fellow hubbers. 

[Meezo]

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