Has anybody here ordered bike parts on ebay? There seems to be a fair amount of used equipment and who is to say how "used"it is. It would suck to buy and have to replace quickly anyway.
thoughts?
I’ve done it several times and have never been let down.
Ebay is great. Just use some common sense. There are many ebay stores that sell brand new merchandise far cheaper than you can find elsewhere. Whatever you are looking for though do your homework first, I am amazed at the # of items which sell for close to or more than you can get it elsewhere (not everyone does their homework). I have bought new and used items for my bike on ebay and have never had an issue with the seller. The only time I did not get what I thought I was it was my fault for not reading the description thoroughly (lesson learned on a cheap item.) Good luck with your bidding.
YES!!! as long as you don’t get stupid, you can fnd some real bargains. also, it can be fun, especially when you snatch something at the last minute.
i had a bit of a scare with a mis-represented helmet…I realized I was set to win it… but thankfully someone swooped in @ the last moment and bought it.
Now I am looking @ mechanical parts… and I wonder if this seller could not correctly identify a Giro Pneumo from a mountain bike helmet how can I be sure other sellers are more knowlegable about “slightly used” equipment?
I imagine that everyone will offer you advice and stories about varying degrees of positive and negative experiences as well as a checklist of things to look for to ensure a safe transaction. I will simply say that over the last 2-months, despite the fact that I have a major in at a LBS, I have been able to upgrade the drive train on my crit bike (cassette, shifters, deraileurs, brake calipers) from Dura Ace 9-speed to Dura Ace 10-speed for slightly less than the LBS could get the same parts at wholesale. I also was able to put together a lightly used Zipp 909 wheelset for my TT/Tri bike via two separate auctions from two separate sellers for about half of the cost of a new 909 wheelset. So I think the answer to your question, at least in my case, is yes, you can find some good values on bike parts on Ebay - now if only someone would aution a lightly used Zipp 808 front wheel, I would be set until the next new whiz bang, gotta have, bit of bling comes our way.
At this point, I buy nothing without pictures, questions, and my own research.
I’ve purchased full 3 bikes off eBay…Trek 5200, Zipp 2001 (from Australia, I live in Florida) and a Tiemeyer!!
i’ve bought and sold a ton of stuff on eBay. Like everyone else has said, do your homework. Also, know exactly what you want, set a limit on what you are willing to spend, and be patient. Ebay is only good for a deal if you stick to you limits. Sometimes you get outbid.
I bought a P3C full dura ace for only $2000.00 but it never showed up…
Only joking…
Before you start buying check out pricec of internet catalog companies. All3sports.com, coloradocyclist.com. Sometimes if you add shipping the price on ebay isnt worth it. Do research.
If you do some comparisons, some of the stuff isn’t so hot, Nashbar sells some NOS really cheap, and jenson has no name bike parts for really cheap as well. There are some parts I would not buy used like a stem or handlebar but a lot of times people buy a bike and replace a few parts and sell the originals so that would be OK with me.
I love ebay and have bought and sold enough parts to make two bikes from scratch. Take your time by watching a few auctions of the item you want to get a feel for going rates. Assume nothing about the condition or component parts -ask questions about the item’s use - milage, how long they’ve had it, any accidents. Note the number of feedbacks on the seller and be exta warry of those with none, few or with bad feedback. Be ready for those last second bids that take something away from you and then learn to do it yourself with carefully thoughtout maximum bids.