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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to never buy from police auction site again

70 replies

springydaffs · 04/10/2011 10:26

I bid for a bike for ds on a police auction site. The problems with the bike were listed as 'Tyres / front wheel / front suspension require attention - seat is ripped - General maintenance required'. I got it for £36. During the bidding I began to feel a bit uncomfortable that someone was pushing up the bidding... somebody from the site?

I picked up the bike - looked fine to me; the back tyre was flat. It has been pumped up and there is nothing wrong with it (ie it hasn't gone flat again) and I wonder if it was purposefully let down so I couldn't ride it when I picked it up - and obvious faults would have been apparent. I put it in the car and drove 200 miles with it, dropped it off at a bike shop in ds's uni town.

The bike is rubbish. ds has taken it to two bike shops who both say the cost of repairs is in the region of £200+ as there are fundamental problems with it (the front wheel, front suspension, tyres are fine though!). The bike would only be worth £150 brand new.

I have spoken to the police site and they don't want to know - the guy was aggressive and nasty. £36 isn't much but I feel I've been blatantly ripped off. The police site say they aren't bike experts and just put the bikes up on the site as is. I say that if that is the case they shouldn't list problems with the bike.

I thought that as it is a police site they would be kosher, honest. am I an idiot to think that?

OP posts:

BatsUpMeNightie · 04/10/2011 10:28

What site is it? Only if it's Ebay any idiot can set up calling themselves Police Auctions and until they're taken down they'll suck in plenty of people.

CailinDana · 04/10/2011 10:30

You take a risk when you buy sight unseen I'm afraid, especially when bidding is involved. If you're unwilling to take the risk, don't buy like this again.

Redbluegreen · 04/10/2011 10:31

Why do you feel the description was misleading? It seems that they described the problems quite accurately, except that the tyres were better than described. The fact that a bike repair shop will charge you more than it would cost new is hardly the website's fault. Why did you buy such a shit bike that needed so much work for your son? You can get a perfectly good bike in great working order for £36 from ebay, without having to drive 200 miles. Think you've maybe got carried away with the idea of a bargain.

GypsyMoth · 04/10/2011 10:31

Well it won't be actual police officers running the site will it?

Stoirin · 04/10/2011 10:44

It said clearly front wheel and suspension require attention, and they do. Why are you surprised?

Also, linky to site please?

OchAyeTheNooPal · 04/10/2011 10:48

YABU because the description was perfectly correct. Why would the police auction site know how much work was actually needed. Agree with the poster that said it sounds like you got carried away with a bargain.

Original poster

springydaffs · 04/10/2011 10:53

the description wasn't perfectly correct - I said in my OP that the faults listed were not faults with the bike.

OP posts:

pocketfullofposies · 04/10/2011 10:53

Caveat emptor.

BatsUpMeNightie · 04/10/2011 10:54

Link to the site please?

januaryjojo · 04/10/2011 10:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

springydaffs · 04/10/2011 11:02

You got in first january, I was just about to post up the link. Buyer beware indeed, but I would never have bought, or bid for, anything like this on a site normally. It is a kosher police site and I trusted it

OP posts:

PigletJohn · 04/10/2011 11:04

I always buy faulty, second-hand goods without inspecting them first.

That's because I'm silly. Can I get compensation for that?

Original poster

springydaffs · 04/10/2011 11:05

redbluegreen - what OP did you read because I don't think you read mine

OP posts:

OchAyeTheNooPal · 04/10/2011 11:05

oh right just read your OP again. What did the bike shops say were the problems? If the auction site said general maintenance needed I would expect that to be minor repairs and not costing around the 200 quid you were quoted.

Still, I wouldn't have bought a bike that needed work doing before I'd had a chance to look over it first.

Original poster

springydaffs · 04/10/2011 11:18

As did I ochaye re I expected the problems to be minor repairs, not major. I was led to believe the problems would be minor by the description on the site.

I also bought a second-hand bike because I didn't want to buy a new one which would stand out like a sore thumb and get nicked.

OP posts:

Redbluegreen · 04/10/2011 11:23

Why do you think I didn't read what you wrote? Because I disagreed with you and think you were a bit dunb?

BertieBotts · 04/10/2011 11:29

There's a shop near here run in conjunction with the rubbish tip, if things are large and/or can be repaired or used again, they take them in, do them up and sell them. They have a big section for bikes - could you look for something like this? Or in local paper, post office window, supermarket small ad boards, etc. Write the auction site off for now.

OchAyeTheNooPal · 04/10/2011 11:37

This will teach me to read properly .

You bought from police auction in good faith and the description was misleading, untrue even. I'd be pissed off that. I hope you find a way to get the bike fixed for cheap or even sell on for scrap or spare parts.

Original poster

springydaffs · 04/10/2011 11:52

It's 200 miles away though! Took it straight up to ds uni - moved him in to halls - to get the minor faults fixed up there.

yes yes I know I've got to let it go but it's the principal. There is a similar scheme my way Bertie, the local prison does the same thing but the next selling date is November.

OP posts:

Original poster

springydaffs · 04/10/2011 11:55

Just to clear this up - re the original para that seems to have caused the confusion:

The bike is rubbish. ds has taken it to two bike shops who both say the cost of repairs is in the region of £200+ as there are fundamental problems with it (the front wheel, front suspension, tyres are all fine though!). The bike would only be worth £150 brand new.

It's all in the all

OP posts:

SardineQueen · 04/10/2011 11:59

Well then you've been had.

Sorry to hear it.

I don't think there's much you can do about it though. Learn the lesson and move on

Stoirin · 04/10/2011 12:01

I dont see how the description is at all misleading and if you said it looked fine when you picked it up it would have looked fine to whoever listed it as well.

SardineQueen · 04/10/2011 12:01

"9 Returns

9.1 Other than as may be required under law, We and Virtual Bumblebee Organisations will not under any circumstances accept the return of collected items.

9.2 You are responsible for inspecting any items at the time of collection to ensure that they match the items described on the Website.

9.3 In limited circumstances, where You are legally entitled to return an item, it must be returned direct to the relevant Bumblebee Auction Organisation that sold the item within 14 days of collection. Refunds will be processed and issued after the item that is entitled to be returned has been received by the relevant Virtual Bumblebee Organisation in its original or delivered state.

9.4 In the event of a dispute about an item, You and the Bumblebee Auction Organisation agree to follow the dispute resolution procedure set out in clause 15 below.

9.5 You acknowledge that there is no other right to return or cancel items that You have purchased and that the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 do not apply to these Services."

Are you within 14 days?

The conditions are here

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 04/10/2011 12:10

The one thing I would ask the bike shops who've quoted for the repairs is this - are any of the faults actually dangerous? If they are, you might have more leverage with the auction site.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 04/10/2011 12:19

you bought a bike for 36. Of course it will be a heap of shite...

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