How do I check a second-hand bike before I pay?

What do I copy from the frame?

Find the number stamped into the metal of the frame. Copy that number, not the model name on the down tube and not a sticker that peels off.

Write it down before you talk about price. If the seller cannot show you a number on the frame, stop and decide whether you still want to continue. Read marketplace scams before you travel.

What does a BikeRegister check tell me?

BikeRegister says it is the national police-approved cycle database, that every UK police force uses it to search stolen and recovered bikes, and that members of the public can check a second-hand bike.

BikeChecker is free. It checks whether that bike is recorded as stolen. It will not help if the owner never registered it. A clear result does not prove the person in front of you owns it. Do not pay on the strength of a clear screen alone.

BikeRegister describes itself as the national police-approved database. It says every UK police force uses it to search stolen and recovered bikes, and that it is the only police-approved cycle database. Members of the public can check a second-hand bike. Source

BikeRegister’s BikeChecker is a free check of whether a bike is recorded as stolen. It will not help if the owner never registered the bike. A clear result does not prove who owns it. Source

What else do I look at before I pay?

Lift the bike. Look for cracks at the head tube, the chainstays and the dropouts. Check the brakes, the headset and that both wheels run straight.

Ride it only if the seller agrees and you can do it without blocking the road. Then decide. If you will pay by bank transfer, remember Pay.UK says a Faster Payment cannot be cancelled once it has been sent. Read chargeback checks and selling locally without cash.

Pay.UK says that once a Faster Payment has been sent it cannot be cancelled. Where money was sent by mistake, banks follow the Credit Payment Recovery process. Source

When do I pay?

Pay only after the frame check and the look-over. On SilentSale® the buyer pays in the app, inspects, then shares a 6-digit PIN. Stripe holds the funds until that pickup is completed. There is no dispute window after the PIN. You can cancel before the PIN is entered and be refunded in full.

Both sides contribute £0.30 + 3% of the item price to SilentCover® (£0.60 each on a £10 item), a discretionary protection service. Compare the handover with Facebook Marketplace.

SilentSale® Terms: payment is processed through Stripe when the buyer confirms checkout (section 10A.2.1). Stripe holds the funds until the item is delivered or collected (section 10A.2.2). SilentSale® does not directly hold the funds (section 4.1.4). Funds are not released to the seller until pickup is completed (section 10A.2.4). After checkout the buyer is issued a 6-digit PIN (section 7.5.2). The buyer must inspect the item before handing that PIN to the seller (section 7.5.3). The seller enters it in the app (section 7.5.4). Entering the PIN is acceptance, the order is then complete, and no dispute window applies (sections 7.5.5, 7.5.6, 15.2.3 and 10A.7.3). Source

SilentSale® Terms section 10A.5.3: a buyer may cancel a PIN Pickup order in the app until the acceptance PIN has been entered, and is then refunded in full. Section 10A.5.5: once the seller has entered the PIN, voluntary cancellation in the app is no longer available. Source

SilentSale® Terms section 3.1.1: both the buyer and the seller contribute to SilentCover®. Section 3.2.2: it is free to list, and the seller’s contribution is taken only after a successful sale. Section 3.3: SilentCover® is described as a discretionary platform service. Buyer and seller each contribute £0.30 + 3% of the item price (£0.60 each on a £10 item); the app shows the amount in pounds. Source