5 Key Principles to Follow If You Want to Stay Safe During a Person to Person Private Sale

No matter why a motorcycle enthusiast is choosing to sell his or her bike, it’s important to take a few basic safety precautions. While instances of sellers being physically harmed while meeting private buyers are rare, they’re not unheard of, and today’s unique climate makes it even more important to take precautions since even those who intend no malfeasance can still pose a risk. Read on to find out about five tips to follow to stay safe during a private bike sale.

1. Look Into Better Options First

This may sound like a cop-out, but drivers should look into better options before resorting to a private sale. It’s often possible to get just as much money for a used bike at a dealership, and working with a reputable professional instead of a random buyer removes just about all danger to sellers’ personal safety. Get information online at cleanharleys.com about where to sell a used bike safely.

2. Limit Personal Information

Those who are insistent that selling their bikes to an individual during a private sale is the best way to go should start taking precautions before even getting ready to meet prospective buyers by limiting the amount of personal information online or in newspaper advertisements. Scammers often use these platforms to find information about people they can target. Use a separate email account, don’t include a home telephone number in the ad, and avoid accidentally sharing personal information by blacking out personal data on service records and removing geotag data from photos.

3. Meet in a Public Place

It’s always better to meet prospective buyers for the first time in a public place, not at home. Even if the seller can’t ride his or her bike to a different location to sell it, it’s often possible to arrange an initial meet-and-greet in a mall parking lot or another public place. This gives sellers the chance to vet buyers in an environment that will minimize their risk before having to invite them back to their homes to check out the bike. It’s also perfectly acceptable to either ride the motorcycle to a public place to facilitate the sale or to put it on a trailer for transport.

4. Take Basic Health Precautions

In the age of the COVID pandemic, anyone leaving his or her house to meet up with strangers in current virus hot spots should take basic health precautions when meeting strangers. Wear a mask, bring some hand sanitizer, and try to keep some distance. If the prospective buyer won’t agree to do the same, don’t go through with the sale.

5. Trust Instincts

If something seems fishy about a prospective buyer, sellers should trust their instincts. This goes for everything from refusing to meet in a public place to not giving clear answers to questions. Even if it means taking a slightly lower offer for the vehicle, that’s better for sellers than taking unnecessary health and safety risks, ignoring instincts, and entering a dangerous situation.

The Bottom Line

There’s no way to remove all risk from private bike sales. Sellers who want to be absolutely sure that they won’t get scammed, conned, or hurt in the process should go to a reputable dealership. Those willing to accept some risk can follow the tips above to keep any risks to a minimum.