It’s never easy when it comes time to say goodbye to your motorcycle. Even if you’re trading up to something newer or better, it’s still heart-wrenching to see your beloved bike go. With all the different ways to sell your bike these days, it can be challenging to find the method that works best for you. Though some people may want to put their bike in the driveway with a for sale sign on it, the largest community of buyers is on the web. It’s fast and straightforward to log right on to the web and instantly sell or trade your bike. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind as you sell or trade your motorcycle online. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to get taken advantage of these days.
How to Find the Best Place Online to Sell or Trade Your Bike
One option that has become more and more popular is finding an online dealership that can instantly give you an offer for your bike. They send a shipping company, and off it goes. One of the most popular online dealerships for riders who want to sell or trade-in their bike is American Motorcycle Trading Company. They work exclusively with motorcycles, and they’ll buy your bike quickly and at a fair price. They have a super simple feature where you enter your VIN, and you get an instant offer. It doesn’t get much easier than that, which is why selling online has been increasing in popularity over the last few years. The pandemic kicked up the pace even more, and now just about everything is either contact-free or available online.
Using an Online Dealership vs. Public Selling Platforms
The traditional method for selling a car or bike is to put it in the driveway with a for-sale sign on it. However, this invites plenty of time-wasters and tire kickers. Selling your bike online to a dealership that will instantly give you an offer is one of the best and fastest methods to use. Though many people still use public selling platforms like Craigslist, some definite downsides come with that method. Here are some of the benefits of using a dealership online rather than a public selling platform.
- It’s faster
When you need to sell a bike fast, this is the way to do it. All you need to do is enter in the information of your bike, and boom. You get a fair offer, and that’s it. There’s no haggling; there’s no waiting for days, and there’s no slogging through loads of responses, most of which are people asking questions that you already answered in your listing. Instead, dealerships will give you an instant offer for your bike, and then it’s done. You don’t have to wait for them to go talk it over with their wife or come back in a week with the money. Using a dealership means your bike is sold with no waiting, and you get paid that much faster.
- No scammers
If you’ve ever sold a car or bike online, you know that typically about 25% of the responses you get are from scammers. Often, they’ll offer to give you a few thousand over what you’re asking if you’ll only pay to have it delivered to them, as they always live across the country from you. If you’re on the west coast, they’re on the east coast. If you’re in New England, they’re in LA. Then, once you foot the shipping bill and your bike disappears, so do they. They either wrote you a bad check, or you never hear from them again. Then, you got scammed for your bike and a couple of grand. It doesn’t get much worse than that.
When you instantly trade your bike in to a dealership, there are no scammers to wade through. However, you should take the time to do your homework on the dealership you use. Check reviews, be sure they’re reputable first. Once you find a good one, you’re golden.
- No tire kickers
The bane of every person who has listed a bike online is the tire kickers who waste time. Sometimes they straight-up ghost you, but when they do show up, they hem and haw, and they never buy. Or, they give you a ridiculous offer that’s so low, it’s almost insulting. This doesn’t happen when you sell your bike to an online dealership. Look for one that’s knowledgeable, experienced, and fair. Finding an honest and reputable dealership that you trust makes it much easier and faster to trade in your bike or sell it outright.
- It’s much safer
The worst thing that can happen when you sell your bike through a dealership is that they’ll lowball you. With private consumers, there’s always the chance that they’re not legitimate. A dealership offers that peace of mind and safety when it comes times to sell your bike. Using an online dealership is also safer because you don’t have to list your personal information on a public site. Even though it might just be your name and phone number, you’re still putting yourself at risk for spammers and scammers of all kinds.
- It’s simple and straightforward
When you list your bike on a public sharing site, it takes time and effort. You have to take pictures of your bike, and if you actually want to sell it quickly, they need to be high-resolution, high-quality images. Then, you have to write a detailed listing. Even when you do, you still get tons of responses from people who aren’t serious about buying it or clearly didn’t read the listing you spent so much time writing. Using an online dealership means all you have to do is enter your bike’s specs or your VIN. You don’t have to spend lots of time writing compelling ad copy that will attract buyers-;you already have a buyer. It makes it much easier to get your bike sold or trade it in for a newer model.
Dealerships are the Best Choice for Selling or Trading Your Bike
Nobody ever wants to say goodbye to a bike they made lots of memories with. It’s hard to move on, even when you know your beloved bike is going to a good home or you’re getting a newer model. However, it’s part of owning a motorcycle. When you’re ready to sell or trade, use an online dealership rather than a public selling platform. You will get an instant, fair offer you can either accept or deny. You don’t have to worry about scammers or time-wasters, which are all too prevalent on the internet these days. Selling online provides a simple, contact-free way to sell your bike quickly and safely.
