Selling bikes - Security precautions

Never meet at home, or where you park the bike.

Try and have a friend or family member with you when meeting up with a potential buyer.

Snap a picture of their plate (ID if you let them ride it, but don't).

Meet at police station.  Dont unload until you see. Id and cash.  

I sell a lot of bikes on the side.. I use a separate facebook account for listings, usually meet people in a bank parking lot (never meet at my house or shop), and I am always armed.  I'll start the bike while its still in the truck, but I do not pull it off unless I see cash in hand, and I dont let people ride it unless I hold the money. 

my systems works well for the most part, I still get 1 or 2 people that show up that have no intention of buying and clearly up to no good. 

Do you take pics with your phone or a camera that embeds the location data? You can wipe the data off the pics before you post them so they don't reveal your location. That could be helpful. Many people unknowingly add pics that still have the data attached that tell where the pic was taken.

Here is my favorite story. Knew a dude who had bike stolen when selling it. Buyer took off on it. Tracked it down to hood, went to buy it and wound up stealing it back, he parked his box truck down the road, rode it into the back and took off. So justifying.

It's a skill just like any other. I also always google name and numbers. Cheap stuff I'm pretty lax with, because who's going to rob you over a $40 thing, but with something expensive, I like to start off with a few emails, then a phone call, and if I get good vibes, then I'll meet. And obviously I don't reply to emails like, "WADUP WIT DAT BIKE ITS FAST OR WAT". I don't need perfect grammar, because plenty of us 'billies type in all caps or lower case run-on sentences with no punctuation, but I just want to see/hear something coherent relating to the item. If someone isn't very forthcoming, because I'm sure we all like some degree of privacy, there are little questions you can ask to elicit info.  

Just meet at a police station. If you tell the buyer that’s where you’d like to meet then if they’re a thief you most likely won’t hear back from them and waste your time. Any legit buyer will be more than happy (and more comfortable) to meet at the police station. Legit buyers are worried about being robbed too, they’re typically carrying thousands of dollars in cash with them. 

This is exactly why I hate selling stuff - especially to people I don't know.  I refuse to advertise on Craigslist.  Vital Bazaar is awesome, because you can pretty easily screen people with the posting history, and people on here are pretty good dudes (with a couple of loony exceptions).  I've had nothing but good experiences with fellow inmates on here...

Bring a gun

Simple:

Don't allow someone to come to your home.

Meet at Sheriff/Police station for the transaction.   Many PDs encourage this.    It weeds out the scumbags real quick.

This is very good input.  ^^^^    I have that feature turned off. 

Right click on your photos and go to properties.

Details Tab

Then Remove the meta tags.

This.

Even if you are meeting at a Cop shop be packin heat.  It’s also good to take someone along with you no matter where you meet.  

It’s getting so bad in the large Metro areas I may sell mine on consignment and take the hit.  It doesn’t matter, Craigslist, Facebook whatever scammers and thieves everywhere.  
 

I didn’t think about a separate Facebook account, that’s a good idea.

That will ensure everything goes smoothly lol. 

This is my favorite story..

https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/09/two-michigan-drivers-sho…

take photos at police station parking lot or remove meta tags.

bring someone with you even if meeting at police station lot.

in calif "stay strapped or get clapped"

As a gun owner and staunch 2A supporter gotta say some folks have watched too many movies with drug deal scenes “gone wrong”. Lol.

Have they thought this through? How exactly is this going to go down? Commit murder over property worth less than 10k? Gonna shoot the guy in the back if he peels out on your dirt cycle? Give me a break 🙄

It was tongue in cheek . Meeting at a police station is a much better idea lol .

Bingo,  use common sense. Insure the bike. Nobody on here gonna shoot someone over a dirtbike.  And would never post their intentions anyway.   A lawyer would have a field day with. That

I just sold a $6,000 mountain bike through Craigslist. The first and most important thing you should do is talk on the phone. Do not conduct the sale entirely through text message. Second thing you should do once you agree to either show the bike, or agree to sell it, is ask the buyer to send you a picture of their driver's license. You should also send the buyer a picture of your driver's license. Third thing you should do is meet in a busy parking lot, like a WalMart or Home Depot parking lot. Always bring someone with you if you can. I also have a concealed carry permit so I was armed.

Not every deal goes smoothly and people can be strait up assholes these days. Like saying goes; "I'd rather be caught with a knife then without one". Same goes for a firearm. I don't intend to use it but it's there for my personal protection if needed.

I have always sold on Craigslist, and meet them at the bank. Never had an issue, and I have sold bikes in NYC and Philly.

I lock the frame to the tie down loops in the truck, start it up for them, deposit their cash in my account, notarize a bill of sale, and then help them load it up.

Is there actually any value doing it at a police station?  It's not like the cops will be watching the transaction.  (Most are out on patrol anyway.)

Maybe just doing it there will discourage crooks? But it seems unlikely that the police would actually be able to do anything if the guy tried to steal the bike.  Also, the police station probably isn't a great place for a quick test ride of an off-road bike.
 

Maybe it's not justified, but I worry more about counterfeit money than somebody just stealing the bike.

Take a $$ marker

I do this same procedure but always meet at my local PD. 

Meet at your home is fine as along as you have a gun meet at their private residence is better than in a random parking lot. I got robbed in a random parking lot. Police station is best. 

Go doing shift change, more police in parking lot. And they have cameras. All around

It is pretty bad in my area being remotely close to Baltimore City. I always note in my ad that I want to meet at a police station. I have noticed it cuts down on the amount of messages I get that are clearly ill intended and will not scare off a legit buyer. I always go strapped too. Legally of course. I am not using it for someone stealing my stuff as that will not go well in court, but its always nice to know it is there if your life is in danger. 

I wear a t-shirt or sweatshirt depending which time of year it is with this on the front and my Taurus9 on my hip...I flip a lot of powersports toys...When they show up to my house and see me with my getup, the look on their face is priceless...