"I was wondering if you could actually help me. I need some advice or anything really. See I saw this ad for a Fuji absolute, the one I sent a picture of, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I've wanted a bike for over 3 years now and don't have a lot of money to put into it, so you can imagine my excitement when i found this one. Anyway, turns out the seller was just a horrible guy and sold it to someone else the day before I was going to see it, which was yesterday. Broke my heart.
Anyway I was wondering if you knew of any place that sells them, consistently and that are in really good shape. I realize this is a very random email and that you may think I'm crazy, but I just thought I'd ask. From one bikeless bike lover to an owner, any help will be appreciated. Thanks for your time, loved the blog.
Molly"
Molly,
First, thank you for your kind words about the blog.
About the bad seller, my guess is Craigslist? Craigslist can be a good source of used bikes, but there are all sorts of scam artists and bad actors there since sellers can be completely anonymous if they choose.
Ebay is a little better in keeping sellers on the straight and narrow. I've bought several bikes there and have had good experiences. Plus, there is usually a pretty good stock of bikes at any time, or at least over the course of a month if you check it pretty regularly.
The downside of Ebay is that usually shipping is involved, which in the case of bikes can be fairly expensive and shipping a bike requires careful packaging that is specific to bicycles to avoid damage.
On the expense issue, you have to decide if the shipping cost is worth the convenience of shopping from your computer and having access to the large supply of bikes offered on ebay. I think it is, personally.
As for packaging, check to see if the seller has shipped bicycles before, preferably many times. If it is a reputable seller who specializes in bicycles and bicycle parts, they probably know what they are doing. However, if it is a seller who offers all sorts of things and maybe just is selling a bicycle once, you may want to find another.
Beyond that, I wrote about how to find vintage Fujis in this post. You may want to review that for some hints about finding the Fuji of your dreams. Another reader read it and quickly scored a nice Fuji America, so that advice has been worthwhile.
Well, I'm sorry for your heartbreak, but I'm certain if you keep your chin up and move on, you'll find another Fuji. And no, you're not crazy, at least not any crazier than the rest of us Fuji fans.
Best of luck in your hunting and let us know how it turns out,
Fuji Otaku
No comments:
Post a Comment