Buy a bike on Ebay

A used bike is usually significantly cheaper than a new bike with comparable equipment. In addition, the use of existing bicycles protects the environment. So it's a more sustainable consumption, especially since most bike frames are made in Asia and have to travel long distances to Europe. But is buying a used bike safe? What happens if the bike is broken and the defect is only noticed after the purchase?

The buycycle-Team created exactly for it a solution. Here you can see the main differences between previous platforms, such as Ebay Classifieds and Quoka, compared to buycycle.

Offer & Reach

The local classifieds market Ebay Kleinanzeigen lives from a large offer and a variety of users. The digital flea market offers a wide range of models and types, from e-bikes to sporty bikes, such as racing bikes or mountain bikes, to trekking bikes and children's bikes from brands such as Puky. More than half of the bikes on offer are in the low price segment up to €250. About another 40 percent of the offer are in the medium price segment between 250 and 750€ and only about 5 to 10 percent are in the high-price segment above the limit of 750€. The distribution shows that the marketplace is for "everyone" bikes and the focus is not on high-quality premium bikes.

There is already the biggest difference between Ebay classifieds and buycycle. buycycle is an online marketplace for used, high-quality bicycles. It started with racing bikes, gravel bikes and triathlon bikes, and the range is gradually being expanded to include mountain bikes, e-bikes and trekking bikes. In principle, bikes from all price ranges can be advertised. However, the marketplace with its services is designed for premium bikes. By concentrating on a "more pointed" target group, more people can be addressed in the areas of high-quality sports bikes and e-bikes and thus be won over as an offer.

In addition Ebay Kleinanzeigen sets particularly on the cross-linking of local offers and needs - the buyers get the used bicycles thus over collection and cash payments during the personal delivery. With buycycle a dispatch service is offered. In this way, international sellers and buyers can be brought together. This leads to the fact that in Germany also wheels from all over Europe are advertised and the wheels can be ordered with one click to Germany.

Search options and filter options

On Ebay Classifieds, prospective buyers work with two search options in particular.

• Free text search: You can search for text modules in the headlines of the sales ads. This is helpful to search for brands, models and important components. However, one is always dependent on a meaningful title. If the seller has made a mistake or has not provided all the relevant information, then you will not find the bike. For example, if you are looking for a Cannondale road bike with a Shimano electric shifting system, but the seller does not specify Canyon or Shimano in the title, then the chances of finding the bike are very low.
• Search by location: As already described, local buyers and sellers are brought together. Therefore, Ebay Classifieds lets you search by the location of each listing. So, for example, if one wants to buy a BMX in Berlin, then one can view bike ads in Berlin.

The buycycle team has eliminated the dependence on ad titles and other options are offered for finding the new, "old" dream bike. The basis for this is the way ads are created. At buycycle , all bikes are advertised through a database. So if you want to sell a bike, you enter the make, model and year and all information about components, frame material, e.g. aluminum or carbon, or components, e.g. a shifting group from SRAM, are added automatically. The detailed advantages of selling a bike are explained in a later section. This results in various search options on the platform:

• Free text searchSimilar to Ebay Classifieds, you can also search buycycle simply by keywords. However, the ads are guaranteed to have the most important information in the title (due to the database described) and in addition, the search also works by bike type (e.g. MTB or Gravel bike) even if the designation is not present in the ad title.
• Filter options by components: Since the components of the offered bikes are cataloged, you can filter by all the different components, just like in an online store. For example, if one is looking for a Campagnolo shifting group, one can filter the offers exactly according to this. The same applies to the search for specific wheels, a specific suspension fork or any other installed component.
• Filter options by product features: Whether you want to filter by the top brands, frame material, color, size or price, all these options can be easily clicked and selected. It is also possible to sort by condition of the bikes. If one is looking for a bike in very good or good condition, only these can be displayed. The same applies to bikes for hobbyists or bikes in perfect condition.

Online payment & installment

Ebay Classifieds has been offering the option to pay with Paypal for some time now. However, this option must be actively selected by the seller. However, most sellers do not use this option yet. In addition, this payment option is capped up to 1000 euros. This cap is particularly problematic for premium bikes, where prices of up to 12,000 euros are paid for a used bike. Payment in installments (especially popular for premium bikes) is not possible.

Also in this point buycycle would like to improve the functionality. Online, any bike, regardless of the amount, can be paid with Paypal, Klarna, credit card, Sofortüberweisung or even installment payment. The purchase amount is then held in escrow and securely transmitted to the seller. Thus, both the buyer side or as the seller side can be secured and fraud cases are made almost impossible. Individual vouchers can also be offered via this payment system.

Right of return

In the case of a pickup of the bikes, the right of return plays rather a subordinate role. You look at the bike and try to determine all defects on the spot and address them if necessary. Even if some defects only become apparent after the first ride, this can reduce the risk of buying a used bike. In the case of shipping, this first inspection is only possible after the purchase. Returns are not possible with Ebay classifieds or only in usually difficult consultation with the selling party. buycycle , on the other hand, offers buyer protection. If the purchased bicycle is e.g. in a different condition than described in the sales advertisement, it can be returned to the central contact persons of buycycle . As a neutral party, buycycle examines each case and takes care of the reversal with the seller, a repair or a clarification with the buyer. The shipping costs are refunded in every legitimate return. Thus, the risk of an online purchase is reduced to a minimum.

Workshop check

If, for example, you buy an expensive E bike or want to be sure that everything is working properly on a normal ladies' bike and that there is no danger on the first ride, it always helps to have the bike checked by certified bike mechanics. For all buyers who would like to take advantage of this additional security, buycycle offers an optional workshop check that is unique to date. Together with our own bicycle experts and/or third-party suppliers and partners, the bikes can be checked between the seller and the buyer. With this examination the circuit is adjusted, the tires centered and the functionality completely examined inclusive smaller repairs. For larger repairs, this is carried out in consultation with sellers and buyers.

Are you looking for a new used bike? Then take a look at the buycycle store and see for yourself the differences between the various buying platforms.

Sell bike

In addition to the advantages and disadvantages of Ebay Classifieds and buycycle on the buyer side, there are also significant differences between the platforms for sellers. In the next sections, the biggest contrasts will be highlighted and explained.

Quotation

The offer creation is about a good mix of fast advertising and high quality of the sale ad. Sellers want to sell the bike with as little effort as possible. However, if effort avoidance reduces the chances of selling, this is counterproductive, because in the end you usually have to wait longer for the sale after all. This can be illustrated with a simple example. With the least effort one creates an advertisement or pictures and only with the title "racing bike for sale". With this statement, however, the potential buyers can hardly do anything and the bike is probably not sold. If you add good product pictures and a description of usage behavior, such as kilometers ridden, and installed components, such as a Shimano shifting group, you increase the chances of selling exponentially. A few minutes more in the preparation of the offer is therefore worthwhile!

With Ebay Classifieds, the creation of the offer is completely up to the seller. Of course, this leads to maximum flexibility, but you are on your own when it comes to entering brands, models and components. buycycle has implemented a different approach. One can advertise a bicycle only by specifying make, model and year. This way the model is found automatically in a bike database and components are added. Individualized superstructures, if these deviate from the standard equipment, can be adapted then naturally. Thus, one has less flexibility in the ad creation, but maximum support to create a sales ad with all the important information with just a few clicks. If one does not find its wheel in the data base or does not know the model or the year, then the buycycle-Team helps. In the future, automated image recognition will further automate and simplify this process of ad creation.

Recommended price

Determining an appropriate yet realistic selling price is one of the most difficult tasks in the sales process. As a rule, the following factors should be considered for the determination:

• Original price
• Age and condition of the bike
• Make and model
• Current market situation
• Season

These characteristics all have a greater or lesser influence on the selling price. A very well maintained bike from a popular brand, such as Cannondale, which is sold in the spring, has a better chance of selling than a very worn bike from an unknown brand. A detailed procedure for determining the price can be read in our blog article on selling bikes.

While Ebay Classifieds does not provide price recommendations, buycycle uses a self-learning algorithm to take the above factors into account and provide an accurate price recommendation. In doing so, the algorithm becomes more and more precise and a price determination takes only a few seconds.

Secure payment

If the money is not handed over personally, unfortunately, we hear again and again about cases of fraud. Money is transferred via Paypal and subsequently withdrawn. Or sent transfer confirmations were forged and in the end a transaction did not take place. In most marketplaces, self-organized payment is normal. However, it is precisely in this "self" that the risk lies.

buycycle has optimized the flow of money. Buyers can pay securely and for each purchase request the required money has already been blocked. As soon as sellers confirm the sale, the amount is collected and held in escrow. This means that every seller can be sure that the purchase amount will be paid out as long as the right bike with the specified characteristics is handed over.

Shipping support

In the case of shipping a bicycle, sellers on Ebay Classifieds and Co. have to organize packaging and shipping themselves. Since more and more logistics service providers have stopped picking up bikes, this leads to a time-consuming process of asking about the condition and then taking the bike to the nearest post office. Since most people do not ship bicycles on a regular basis, the buycycle team designed and implemented a different approach. Packing materials are sent to the seller's home. Once the bike is packed, an hourly appointment can be made with the shipping company. The forwarding agent picks up the used bike and brings it insured to the buyer.

Range

Handling a secure and simple shipping process leads to a great advantage. You can leave the local level and target buyers internationally. This is exactly the case with buycycle . Advertised bicycles are displayed all over Europe and buyers from the respective countries are addressed. Thus the sales chances increase and/or the duration up to the sales is shortened. Different shipping costs are customized for each country and can be displayed with one click.

This establishes an international marketplace with a wide range of e-bikes, road bikes, MTBs, trekking bikes, BMXs and more, and connects cycling enthusiasts across Europe.

Do you want to sell your old bike? Then convince yourself of the advantages of buycycle. For questions click here.