Selling Shipping to Canada

[2Types]

I am potentially going to sell one of my bikes in the UK to a chap in Canada.

He is concerned about transferring the money to me having not seen the bike. He has talked about getting a notary or lawyer to hold the monies until the bike arrives in Canada.

My thoughts would be once I hand the bike to his shipping agent they give a receipt and he should send me the money as the bike would then be in his control and insured against loss or damage.

I appreciate his apprehension and looking for any other experience / guidance on how both parties can be kept safe in this type of arrangement.

Thanks
Andy

 

[Rob]

Buying sight unseen at a distance is risky. Would suggest the buyer ask someone local to you to view and provide reassurance. Or he pays for independent inspection. Whatever, I wouldn't let the bike be shipped without receiving payment.

 

[TeddyG]

You could make a video of the bike starting and running to prove to the seller that the bike is as advertised. Cashier's checks, etc, take at least 5-7 days to officially clear, be wary of them, and contact the bank they were issued from for confirmation. A wire transfer directly into your bank account is better. The cost of shipping, possible crating and taxes/duty fees should be the buyer's responsibility. There are escrow companies that can make the transaction safe for both parties.

 

[Robin Webster]

Ex GP racer Chas Mortimer - www.chasmortimer.co.uk/ - ships bikes all over the world for a living. Give him a call and he should be able to help you.

 

[henrywillms]

I'm in the middle of Canada....send the bike to me and I'll drive it for a few months to make sure it's OK and then take the money and spend some of it to make sure it's legit.

More seriously I don't have any specific failsafe recommendations but I have sold several vehicles sight un seen to out of province buyers. I make sure I have the money first and I accurately describe the vehicle...good and not so good. I also recommend they have a third party look at it. In all cases they bought it sight unseen. In this day and age I guess people are buying all sorts of stuff over the net.

 

[Andy]

Be careful. Overseas trust fund? I wouldn’t trust it. Definitely get the money in your account and confirmed by your bank before you loose control of the bike. Anything could happen, not just scams, bank transfer errors, buyer falling ill, anything. It’s the buyers risk in my opinion.
If the guy’s that worried perhaps he should buy a bike closer to home.

 

[Sir Sidney Ruffdiamond]

When selling anything ( ok not a bike but will be the same ) I use a separate bank account with nothing else in it - and I transfer immediately any payment arrives

 

[Love..rda]

The great old&fashion bike swindle