Does anyone take a deposit when selling a bike

Has anyone let some one have a test ride of a bike only to find the innocent buyer is not so innocent and rides off with your bike, is it common practice to take a deposit such as a phone or wallet to stop this happening?

Ask for all the money up front. No cash, no ride.
Phone/wallet could be stolen/empty/stolen cards and a deposit won't cover replacement or damage.
Have a friend there as well.

Is this one of those 'asking for a friend' questions? How much did they take you for?!!

no no, just put my mountain bike up for sale, haven't done this before and wondered how people got around this

well as with anything in life, there will be a small risk of some nefarious little scrote taking the piss, but equally that may not be the case - if you get a gut feeling about the potential viewer/test rider I would say go with your feeling and ask for some form of deposit

as a general rule of thumb if they are wearing sports leisure wear and look like they don't actually take much exercise, proceed with caution

He didn't:

http://forums.mwerks.com/zerothread?id=4584502&postid=60908210

"Well after 13 years with my bike it was stolen from me this morning. I've been getting back into bike lately and thought it would be a good time to upgrade my ride so I bought a new bike and was selling my old one to recoup some of the cost. I had someone come over to take a look at the bike this morning. He seemed legit and what not and we got to talking a bit about bikes. He asked to take it out for a test ride. I told him that I prefer if he'd just go down the street to the stop sign and back. well he never came back... After looking back on it there are some signed that I shoulda seen. Never called me to arrange meeting plans (all done through email) called from a blocked # this morning, and I didn't see his car parked in front or near my house... I"m more pissed that I got taken then actually loosing the bike..."

If they're gonna take a test ride, I'd say do what bike shops do and go with him on another bike.

Even better if you have a mate there too, and if the viewer tries to do one - have a d lock ready on your bars?

passport / driving license

i sold my MTB on friday. guy turned up and looked a wee bit dodgy all ralphy and stone island gear but a nice enough guy. zoomed off on my bike for a wee test ride round the corner and outta sight but i was not worried as he left his 60 grand car with me the flash git so woulda just tanned that if he never came back. then he had the cheek to haggle on the price which recieved a stoney faced no. one of his tyres on his motor was worth more than the bike i was selling.

arrange the meet outside your local cop shop, and when he turns up say something along the lines of "yeah just finished my shift, ha! we fitted a couple of bike thieves for armed robbery today..they shouldnt be seeing freedom for the next couple of years!"

cycle surgery take complete payment for the bike before any test ride.

a phone as a deposit is not always a good thing. i have a couple in a drawer that look great but work nadda and could easily be given to somebody as a deposit.

ask if they mind having their picture taken. if they refuse or or agree to it only after they pull the hood up on their grey hoodie and cover the bottom half of their face make up an excuse and leave quietly with your bicycle.

alternatively arrange a test ride on a nearby cul de sac if there is one.

sorry if i missed something.

Interesting, just about to sell an old MTB and not even thought of this! Passport sounds good!

If anyone is serious about buying the bike they will have the money on them, and will be happy to leave the full amount with you while they test ride it.

FFS Just take the asking price off the dude first, chavvy cunt or huray Henry.
Oh n check the notes are legit.
How do you spell Ammitures!!!!!!!!!!!

FFS Just take the asking price off the dude first, chavvy cunt or huray Henry.
Oh n check the notes are legit.
How do you spell Ammitures!!!!!!!!!!!

amateurs

ooh just had the best idea ever! Say they can ride to the end of your street and back and tie a rope to the end of the bike and to a lamp post. Then if the try to ride away they get PWNED

passport / full price in cash. I made some bloke ride a dirt bike round my parents' garden (6m by 6m or something!). That said, he only wanted a dirt bike cos it "looked cool", rather than being practical for what the planned use. Thank fuck no-one like that is about these days, eh?

10% deposit in cash or paypal, or pay for bike in full then refund money. Like a bike shop.

Last time someone wanted to test ride a bike i was selling, i went riding with them.

cycle surgery take complete payment for the bike before any test ride.

are you sure? i bet they don't. what if you were considering buying a 1500 quid bike, but didn't have the money yet?

I think what they do ( this is what has happened to me in bike shops) is take a token payment of say, 0.01p on your card, then they have all the details in the system an could charge more to it if you didn't come back.

evans take a penny, cycle surgery take full amount. I've test ridden with both.

Take there cards / wallet / run credit check on them. Minimum for any bike shop I've worked in.

some nefarious little scrote taking the piss

wot wot hear hear.

are you sure? i bet they don't. what if you were considering buying a 1500 quid bike, but didn't have the money yet?

I think what they do ( this is what has happened to me in bike shops) is take a token payment of say, 0.01p on your card, then they have all the details in the system an could charge more to it if you didn't come back.

It was a couple of years back - but spitalfields branch took payment from me on CC of total price for a Spez Allez. Refunded it when I came back.....