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Checking Bike Ownership

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  • February 7, 2016 at 7:04 pm #25346
    caveman38

    If you purchase a bike and want to check ownership – can you without original receipt.

    I ask as I have picked up a real bargain on ebay and want to run serial number checks etc. before I try to register it myself on BikeRegister (which I use for other bikes). I also want to register it for insurance.

    The bike is 5 years old, but appears new (as the listing said) with only minimal mileage. But I would like to take every step I can to check that it is pukka. What checks can I make, please.

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  • February 13, 2016 at 11:32 pm #866617
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    JeffBrown

    Ask the seller if they have

    Ask the seller if they have registered it before, and if they can’t give you a straight answer or proof of regristration, then that sets off a red flag right away to me.  

    February 13, 2016 at 9:47 am #866615
    0
    matthewn5

    Here’s some basic checks:

    Here’s some basic checks:

    – Bike Register

    – Immobilise.com – older site that people used to use

    – Has it been tweeted as stolen by @StolenRide or @StolenBikes_UK on twitter?

    – Does the seller have a history for it, or is it very vague?

    – Does the listing correctly describe the bike in detail, with notes of any modifications made, or does it just say ‘Giant bike, with gears’ or something like that?

    – Is the spelling and grammar correct, or are there spelling mistakes and errors in the advert?

    – Background to the photos – is it someone’s home, does it look clean and tidy and looked after, or like a mess, in a generic location that’s not easily identified?

    – Is the seller’s town identified on ebay, or does it just say ‘uk’?

    – Does the buyer offer collection in person from their home, or do they want to exchange it for cash in a back alley?

    If all the above is ok, it’s probably a proper bargain.

    February 9, 2016 at 2:23 pm #866613
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    Anonymous

    Depending on the age of the

    Depending on the age of the bike, the bike manufacture might have records.

    February 8, 2016 at 8:49 am #866611
    0
    kwi

    Unless it’s been registered

    Unless it’s been registered previously, none.
    ​I did run a “bargain” through bike register and though it came back not stolen I appreciate it is a very limited check.

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