Read this carefully before proceeding to read my guide.
(Picture below is original source, click on it and you'll see the text better)
davers wrote:
Just a heads up.
Just before Christmas i had my bikes stolen from my garage after posting one up for sale on here.
A guy phoned up asking all the right questions and wanted to see the bike, i gave him the address and he never turned up.
In the night the garage was broken into and both my bikes were taken. (I've had high end bikes for 10 years, no problems)
I've just been looking through the buy / sell section, as i do to see if i can find them and by the looks of it I'm not the only one to have had this happen.
People have said to me that i should not of given my address over the phone, but how else would a genuine buyer look at the bike, i for one would not buy a expensive bike in a car park or petrol station car park.
Be careful,i think there are professional thieves targeting expensive bikes off the for sale sections of bike forums
As you can see, there is another way of thieves stealing bikes from your property. This is simply done by pretending to have interest, then going to the property to steal the bikes.
The best way to defeat this (without me giving away anything to these thieves) is by doing the following:
-Do not let someone go to your address to see the bike.
-Do not give out your home phone number only your mobile/cell number.
-Arrange a meeting time somewhere away from your home address (or anyone else's)
-Take someone with you (or a couple of people. The more the safer) and meet in a public place filled with members of the public, i.e town centre.
-Best place to meet if you live in a town or city is outside a police station for obvious reasons. And if you're legit, you have nothing to worry about. Even explain to the police why you are doing it.
This applies to everybody around the world too. Remember, this is a thieves other solution on getting bikes and can be used by any thief around the world.
HAVE I FORGOTTEN ANY TIPS? Feel free to post and I'll add the tips to the thread.
Thing is, thieves are thieves and will steal anything if they get into your home. It's mainly the bike they're after but if they get into your property without you knowing, they'll take computers etc.
Granted; some people own dogs and have alarms on their homes, but some don't.
I like selling through Pinkbike where the buyers' infos have to checkout...I always ask for the buyer's phone number and will call him back...thieves don't like to give out that info...same thing when I'm buying...being streetwise is my best advice...
Thing is, thieves are thieves and will steal anything if they get into your home. It's mainly the bike they're after but if they get into your property without you knowing, they'll take computers etc.
Granted; some people own dogs and have alarms on their homes, but some don't.
Very true. Cell/mobile phones can be disposable though. Home phone numbers (in the U.,K anyway) can be tracked on the internet to give away the address of the number unless it's ex-directory. Another reason why I don't give out my home phone number to people who are buying.
The last bike I sold was done in a similar fashion. Out of laziness I gave my address and had the buyer come to my house. Its definitely best to set a neutral, public meeting place. If anything, you end up losing a half-hour of time instead of a bike.
Thanks again for the head's up on this stuff kinetic.