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When the time comes to sell your motorbike, you may come across dealers or individuals offering to handle the sale for you. This arrangement, often called "sale or return" (SOR), means they will display and attempt to sell your bike, only paying you once it is sold while taking a percentage of the final price. On the surface, this may seem like a hassle-free way to get your bike sold, but in reality, it comes with significant risks.
The Dangers of Sale or Return
If you ask us, selling a bike on sale or return is full of pitfalls. Let’s take a look at some of the major risks involved:
1. No Financial Investment from the Dealer
When a dealer agrees to sell your bike on an SOR basis, they have no money tied up in the bike. Unlike when they buy a bike outright for their stock, they have made no financial commitment to your vehicle. This means they have no urgency to actually sell it. If it sits in their showroom for months, they don’t lose anything – but you do. Your bike is depreciating, and you’re still the legal owner until it sells.
2. Lower Incentive to Sell
Because the dealer has no money invested in your bike, they may not put in the effort needed to sell it quickly. Their priority will always be the bikes they’ve bought themselves since they have their own money tied up in those. Your bike could end up at the back of the showroom, gathering dust while they focus on their own stock.
3. The Risk of Non-Payment
One of the biggest dangers of SOR agreements is the possibility that the dealer sells your bike but doesn’t pay you straight away—or worse, at all. Unfortunately, there have been cases where dealers sell customer bikes and then use the money to buy more stock, gambling that they will turn a quick profit before having to pay you. If they mismanage their cash flow, you could be left chasing your money for months or never receiving it at all.
4. Dealerships Going Bust
A very real concern is the financial stability of the dealer you’re trusting with your bike. The collapse of the Completely Motoring Group serves as a stark warning. Customers who had placed their bikes on sale or return found themselves in a nightmare situation when the dealership entered administration. Their bikes were stuck in limbo, caught up in legal and financial complications, leaving owners struggling to retrieve their property or their money. Do you really want to take that risk?
5. Funding Someone Else’s Business
By putting your bike in someone else’s showroom without receiving immediate payment, you’re effectively funding their business. They get to fill their showroom with inventory without having to spend their own money. Meanwhile, you’re left waiting, hoping they eventually sell it and pay you. Why should you finance their stock at your own risk?
6. Unfair Sale Practices
Some dealers might even lower the sale price of your bike to make it more attractive to buyers, just so they can get their commission faster. You might agree on a price initially, but the dealer may later tell you it had to be reduced to secure a sale. In some cases, they might not even inform you before doing so. This means you could end up getting less than you expected while the dealer still takes their cut.
What’s the Better Alternative?
If you want to sell your bike, there’s a safer and more straightforward way—sell it directly to a trusted buyer who pays you instantly. That’s exactly what we do at AnyBikeBought.com. When you sell your motorcycle to us, we pay you on the spot. No waiting, no risks, no chasing payments. Just a quick and hassle-free sale with immediate payment.
Why Choose AnyBikeBought.com?
Instant Payment – No waiting for your money. You get paid on the spot.
No Risk – You’re not leaving your bike in someone else’s hands, hoping they sell it.
No Middlemen – You deal directly with us, ensuring a smooth and secure transaction.
Guaranteed Sale – Unlike SOR, where there’s no certainty of a sale, with us, once we agree on a price, the deal is done.
Final Thoughts
Selling your bike on sale or return may seem like an easy option, but the risks far outweigh the benefits. From potential non-payment to dealers going bust, it’s a gamble you don’t need to take. Instead, choose the safer, smarter option—sell your bike directly to a reputable buyer like AnyBikeBought.com and get paid instantly. Don’t fund someone else’s showroom, and don’t risk losing your hard-earned money. Sell smart, sell safely, sell to us.
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