The Chainlink

When is it ok to buy a suspiciously under-priced bike at the swap-meet?

 

Is it ever?

Views: 143

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

After making a good faith effort to determine that it's not stolen, and after making peace with the prospect of handing it over at a complete loss of what you paid for it when the owner does surface.

If your gut feeling is that the bike was stolen, regardless of the above criteria, the answer is a solid "never."

I'm no expert, but if you check the stolenbikereg and it doesn't come up then you did what you could.

Thank you "ethical yardsticks".

I guess it's just me and my morals now.

 

damn.

Is it a Jamis Aurora Elite? Someone saw it at the Swap-O-Rama but I haven't been able to find it myself.

Ok, I didn't realize that's what he was referring to.


Anyone who goes there to buy bicycles is scum, period.

 

 

Natalie said:

Is it a Jamis Aurora Elite? Someone saw it at the Swap-O-Rama but I haven't been able to find it myself.
No, no, I wasn't implying that the original poster was going there to buy stolen bikes. But I did get a tip a few weeks ago that someone had seen my bike. I, however, have not.

H3N3 said:

Ok, I didn't realize that's what he was referring to.


Anyone who goes there to buy bicycles is scum, period.

 

 

Natalie said:

Is it a Jamis Aurora Elite? Someone saw it at the Swap-O-Rama but I haven't been able to find it myself.

Sorry you didn't find your bike.

If your theft matches the MO of the thieves who frequent the place the most (usually a cut U-lock) your best bet of finding it there is right away-- chances drop off rapidly with each passing week.  Although there have been a few cases of a bike being spotted there, not seen for a while, and then turning up a few weeks later.

In your case, since the bike was spotted about two weeks after the theft as I recall, there's a chance an irregular vendor has it and it could pop up again the next time they deem it a good day to put bikes out for sale.  I heard from someone who went recently that there was s total of 4 or 5 bikes for sale in the whole market (4 or 5 total, not just 4 or 5 desirable bikes). 

 

Natalie said:

No, no, I wasn't implying that the original poster was going there to buy stolen bikes. But I did get a tip a few weeks ago that someone had seen my bike. I, however, have not.

H3N3 said:

Ok, I didn't realize that's what he was referring to.


Anyone who goes there to buy bicycles is scum, period.

 

 

Natalie said:

Is it a Jamis Aurora Elite? Someone saw it at the Swap-O-Rama but I haven't been able to find it myself.
The way you wrote your question makes it obvious that you know the answer. "Suspiciously under priced" and "swap-meet" (assuming to be swap-o-rama or anyother place where most items are stolen.) Both key phrases. Your just giving them more reason to steal more bikes. I know its tempting, but don't do it!

Yeah.  That's what my moral compass was saying as well.

I guess I was seeing if anyone had bought a bike there and how they had convinced themselves it was a decent thing to do.

I had been reading the posts about the swap-meet and had never seen it implicitly stated, that yes: if you go to the swap-meet knowing that (let's say it) pretty much all the bikes there are stolen and you buy one, you are not being a good member of the bicycling community.

ugh.

Laura said:

The way you wrote your question makes it obvious that you know the answer. "Suspiciously under priced" and "swap-meet" (assuming to be swap-o-rama or anyother place where most items are stolen.) Both key phrases. Your just giving them more reason to steal more bikes. I know its tempting, but don't do it!

John,

 

I seriously doubt you'll find a regular forum poster here who would even think about buying a bike at a place like Swap-O-Rama.  It's been well publicized around here that it and other flea markets are a unloading ground for stolen bikes as you've read.

 

Many regular posters are also regular bike commuters and wouldn't want someone to get a "good deal" on their stolen bike.


John L. Jensen said:

Yeah.  That's what my moral compass was saying as well.

I guess I was seeing if anyone had bought a bike there and how they had convinced themselves it was a decent thing to do.

I had been reading the posts about the swap-meet and had never seen it implicitly stated, that yes: if you go to the swap-meet knowing that (let's say it) pretty much all the bikes there are stolen and you buy one, you are not being a good member of the bicycling community.

ugh.

Laura said:

The way you wrote your question makes it obvious that you know the answer. "Suspiciously under priced" and "swap-meet" (assuming to be swap-o-rama or anyother place where most items are stolen.) Both key phrases. Your just giving them more reason to steal more bikes. I know its tempting, but don't do it!
There are however swap meets that are run by bicyclists and organizations.... those bikes are mostlikely not stolen. But still use good judgement
The only reason to go to a swap is to buy a stolen bike! Good bikes are NEVER cheap . You might find a random deal on Craigslist on occasion but rarely and most of those are shady. If you are lucky someone from here is giving a good deal to the biking community. Always remember to go with your gut, if it does not real right it most likely is not!

RSS

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service