sloar 

I’m going to look at this today and was wondering what the value is. It’s full Dura Ace with brifters. Non matching wheels, but I have a nice set for it. Looks like other than that new cables, bar tape and a different saddle.

sloar 

Never mind, I made plans to meet the seller and drove an hour one way. He sold it before I got there. I haven’t been that mad in a long time. That’s one thing I’ve never done, I’ve even had people offer more money. Oh well.

diphthong

bummer. the serotta colorado's (and others) seem to pop up fairly frequently on ebay. looks like that one was a 56cm?
they never seem to show up in my 58-60cm size which is probably a good thing.

nesteel 

Yep. It's called ethics: some people have it, some don't. Craigslist is sketchy as heck anymore anyway.
I'd rather do my business or Ebay (ackk), a few select internet forums, and Facebook.
I really like one particular forum for another hobby. Their classifieds has a very clear rule in the mix: you welch on a deal and your history.

Lemond1985

Here's a beautiful Colorado III in LA for $950. I really like this one.



https://losangeles.craigslist.org/ws...125676586.html

sloar 

Asking price was $500 with room for negotiations.

StarBiker

Who initiated the negotiations?

This is very poor on the sellers part.

But there is one caveat as someone who has sold on CL often (Rarely now) is buyers that disappear. I have almost never talked to someone on the phone who bought anything. It has gotten to the point where I refuse to talk to anybody. It's an email only deal. And that eliminates the dead beats. I have been doing email only for years!

The OP does know this might be for the best?

sloar 

Ad was on Facebook Marketplace. I messaged him and asked him for a good time to meet. He responded anytime was good. This was the night before, so I told him I would be there around 5:30 for sure. He said that was fine but give him a heads up. Next day I confirmed my plans, then at 4:30 I told him I was on my way and got a thumbs up. Messaged him 45 minutes later to say I was almost there, no response. And he acted surprised when I got there and asked about the bike.

StarBiker

For the best.

I just wouldn't bother with any of this like folks on here do.

Is there a swap in your area? That is something else to consider.

Living remote, and driving far for this stuff could yield these results more often. Just my perspective.

(I am only interested in a modern bike for myself, unless a great bargain is sitting in front of me, and that would be a flip)

sloar 

I'm not new to this, I've been buying and selling long before the internet. This is actually the first time anything like this has happened to me. I guess I've been lucky. But I'm a man of ethics and integrity, If I make a deal with someone I keep it until they don't show or call and cancel, then the next guy in line gets it. Yes Ive had people not show but its part of selling online.

sloar 

Your right, shame on me for trusting a stranger and feeling comfortable with the “deal” we made.

StarBiker

Great. I was not insulating you were new. But as you can tell anything can happen. You sound surprised?

People could care less about our ethics. They want money. And especially with whats going on now. That may factor into this experience.

The seller was clueless. They should have been patient, they saw star$$$.

I had a buyer who wanted to buy a Denon DCM 777 CDP. He not only canceled on me once, he did it twice, and then was upset and pleaded with me not to sell it to the next buyer which I did.

You cancel on someone once you could potentially be done, but twice?

And guess what. I am not new at this either, and I wasn't when this happened about 8 years ago either. And it never happened to me before, or since!

And unlike bikes where are you going to plug the equipment in? It's much more difficult to meet somebody somewhere with electronics. So this person had my address and that was what pissed me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And people will do local pick up with electronics on Ebay as opposed to bikes being difficult to do local pick up on Ebay. At least for good money.

I do not like the fact that people call you on facebook market place either. Not interested in talking to people on the phone. In front of me fine!

I have other stories.

The last bike I sold (Selling bikes for me is very rare now since I can't get the deals I could, like this bike is not a deal to me)
The buyer was a young guy I am assuming from not in the area. (Nobody in the Baltimore area is buying older bikes for coin) He was happy, paid the cash, and hours later sends me an email saying something was wrong with the seat post bolt. It was stripped, and he was going to have to take the bike to a bike shop to get them to drill the bolt out. Then immediately sends me another email saying never mind. It wasn't a big deal, and those of us on here know exactly what he did. Didn't use two allen keys. He was apologetic in his second email.
Still, slow down.

I could keep typing stories. How the local thrift store manager wouldn't sell a bike because she had to find out if the Shopwhatever.com wanted it, Then when they didn't want it she sells it to some random person for $160. I was pissed! Plus she knows I ride daily. I do not own a car. And it wasn't out of spite, it was out of these places enormous greed.

Greed, sound familiar?

So best of luck.

tmh657

Bummer Sloar. I have not ridden an LT, lots of other steel Serottas but would like to put a leg over the LT. I don't see a lot of them and when I do find one in my size it's $$$$. The part that sucks is the seller thinks it's all normal to do S¢£t like that. That's the problem with the world, people.

sloar 

I’m not upset about not getting the bike, I’m upset about driving an hour and the guy acting like it was no big deal and telling me he didn’t think I was coming. I bet someone offered him more money.

diphthong

^if it was full dura-ace, i'm thinking $1000-$1300 depending on paint quality, (lack of) dents, etc. couldn't tell from the pic but generally looked to be in good shape.
it was a nice/fifferent color...haven't seen too many serottas in that color.

StarBiker

In rural Indiana, if that's where it was located?

And this driving all over the place. It's a gamble because anything could happen like this.
Weird the person couldn't have sent the OP a message. I wouldn't want anybody coming to my place after this. Seller sounds dumb to me.

SurferRosa

Non matching wheels ... maybe it had seen a bad crash, the frame will crack in four years, and the seller actually did you a favor.

Also, that paint scheme reminds me of some ugly, loathsome Raleigh and Trek models of the late '80s.

I'm here to help.

StarBiker

I thought it was ugly as hell. Seriously. Late 80's early 90's paint jobs can just be hideous.

Thankfully manufacturers have come back to a more neutral paint scheme option.

joesch

Sorry to read about your bad experience with an unethical and disrespectful seller.
I do think the Serotta bikes are generally in the higher value ranges given the current market condition.
I recently acquired a Serotta Colorado Legend TG frame and it was a fun buildup and rides like I expect for a classic steel road bike.

Last ride 76 

Sloar, I wholeheartedly agree with your point of view.and reading of the seller. What a little weasel... he had to say he didn't think you were coming.

I posted about a Colnago Super I was on my way to purchase, having agreed to the seller's offered price, when the woman called me. I told her I had dropped off my daughter as planned and was on my way. She said someone had offered her more to hold it for them, and asked me "how much more" was I willing to pay... She sounded a bit uncomfortable, obviously aware that she was trying to change the terms that we had agreed upon, (and blaming it on her husband). I said I was on my way, as expected, to complete a transaction we had agreed upon a few hours earlier, but felt that if she wanted to sell the bicycle to someone else, for a bit more money, that was up to her and I would turn around and go home. she sent me a text to tell me that the other buyer has shown up, paid $50 more, and seemed happy. the bike showed up someplace, not even cleaned up, for $300 more than I had been asked to pay. Per usual, I had a spontaneous image, of me, sending her the listing, or of sending the seller what I had offered originally. That's all, a flash, and I start looking forward to the next "bonanza"

"You're right, shame on me for trusting a stranger and feeling comfortable with the “deal” we made."
I really hope you were just griping or being sarcastic, and didn't mean anything more...
Yeah, stuff goes wrong on CL, FBM, email eBay etc.
(In fact eB is billing me for a Guerciotti they "say" I sold last month... Some knucklehead pressed BIN and never responded to a single message. To avoid this problem, I always use immediate payment required, except having ADHD, sometimes I forget to change their dang default when re-editing,.. Like I did this time... I hate that.

But anyway, sure some folks are stinkers, but really I have way more good transactions than bad... or I wouldn't engage in most of these transactions...
Cheers, Eric

sloar 

Being sarcastic to the seller and nothing else meant by my remark. I can see how it could be confused.

wrk101

Its happened to me too and it sucks.I try to get buyers to agree to hold the bike once I am on the way. Even then, I've gotten screwed.

sloar 

That’s what I did. I told him that I had to take my daughter to a doctor appointment and would head to his house right after. I messaged him several times to keep him updated.

Mackers

Other side of the same coin.......

I've been trying to sell a Master Olympic for the last week or so for a more than reasonable $600.
(Crazy candy color, C-Record and Chorus mix all that good stuff, great bike, but I have better fitting Masters so I don't ride this one, it has to go)

3 people said they want to buy it, the first said he was already on his way, never turned up.
Second buyer said he could only collect it after two weeks but wants the ad removed all the same......
Third buyer no longer replies to messages..........

Already tired enough of this s#it that I think I will pull the ad and sit on the damn bike for another three years......