Buying a bike over the internet

[sgriff]

Some advice needed. There is a bike I wish to purchase and it is located in Poland. What is the best practice regarding making this purchase. What I am fearful of is paying and receiving nothing - what protection can I look for?

[Rex]

I'd have to go there and see it, then bring it home.
Personally I wouldn't send money or buy unseen from any Eastern European country; there's too many twisters seem to come from there, plus any bike would've been run into the ground twice over during the Communist era (if it did actually exist)

There seems to be a spate of Indians and H-Ds "allegedly" coming out of the woodwork from Poland recently, but prices seem too good to be true, and that sets alarm bells ringing long and loud....

[harry]

I would be very very careful about buying a bike in a former eastern block country.A friend of mine had his veteran bike stolen and was advised by the police that it was probably somewhere in Eastern Europe by the time he reported the theft {about two days} If you go there I think it would be very difficult to determine whether the vendor had aquired the bike with a good title it might have been stolen in Britain and when you brought it home and registered  it you could loose it to the true owner leaving you with only memories.If the vendor is a friend it might be different but then he may not have good title because it was "hot" when they aquired it.Don't do a deal good luck Harry.

[JFerg]

Go there, and see it.  Put it in your car and bring it home.  There are too many scams about to run the risk.

Recently I was made aware of a very convincing scam of a bike advertised in the UK.  Photos, were good and the story convincing; deceased uncle etc and so forth.  Numbers were quoted, but the photos a little bit limited.  Extra photos weren't possible because the bike was in Scilly or somesuch inaccessible place.  However, it was an obscure make, and was recognised by one of the obscure make fraternity.  The owner was contacted, but his bike was not for sale.

The explanation was deceptively simple.  The photos had been gathered from the last time this bike was sold, along with the advert details of that time 6 years ago, and the whole thing was bogus.  Some poor wretch may well have paid his money, travelled down to Scilly and been very upset to find, well, errr, nothing at all.

Against that, I have just bought a bike sight unseen from the UK, and am tickled pink with what has arrived here in Oz.  I did have someone go and check it out for me, though.

As for protection?  Caveat Emptor.

cheers,
JFerg