I sold my one year old Merida mountain bike to a fellow in my complex. Nice bike, and I never had problems with it. Every 2-3 months I took the bike to the bike shop to adjust the brakes and gears if necessary. Sold it with the Topeak PC, two locks, front and rear light, water bottle holder, gel seat cover, new tyres were put on a month ago, new Shimano brakes two months ago. The bike rides like a dream (I’m getting a bigger framed bike).
When I sold it to him last week everything was tip top, oiled and running smoothly. The rear derailleur could have done with a simple 10 minute adjustment.
Now the buyer says he can’t make it up the hill that I ride twice/three time a week. Says the rear derailleur is bent. The guy’s got a rep as a complainer, but even though I sold the bike to him in good faith am I obliged to go to the bike shop to have it looked at?
On the evening I sold it to him he didn’t want a test ride, and clearly it was sold ‘voetstoots’ - as is.
I guess I will because I share the complex with him and don’t want any bad blood.
Your take?
He bought a bike without taking it for a test ride? :loco: I’d let him deal with it.
I sold my dual-suspension bike last year and told the guy if he had any problems just to let me know. I know I could do the repairs or adjustment myself, though. That said, I know he took it to the LBS for a couple of wee things since then.
I don’t know, man. Is it something you think YOU could fix (or more likely, “adjust”) just to smooth things over?
You certainly shouldn’t be OBLIGED to do this, btw.
caveat emptor - let the buyer beware. Standard operating procedure when doing a private sale
to avoid bad blood, maybe goto the bike shop with him this one time, and also show him the receipts you had for tune-ups, etc. but bent derailleur? sounds like he was not careful and dinged it (also sounds like he could spend a few minutes with a simple tool to “unbend” it). but yea, no test ride, no inspection, etc? that’s his fault. or like stu says, is this a ez fix?
if you do this one time, make sure, you take a photo, and get him to agree (best in writing) there’s no other problems. make him test ride it at the shop.
I’m not prepared to mess with it myself. And he’s not willing to go to the shop with me. I might just take it to the very closest (non-specialist) shop and ask Gramps there if he can have a fiddle.
On the other hand I am shopping around for my new bike, so it gives me an opportunity to test ride bike while they do the adjustment.
I don’t recall EVER buying a second hand item and then complaining to the seller 