What do you like to see in a [vehicle] advert?

[J.M.]

Long post alert

Hopefully this will be quite a simple thread and it may help those of us newer to biking/driving post better adverts.

I want to try and create a comprehensive list of everything that you should put in an advert, to help people like me not overlook important details.

So I'll start off the list and then I'll update it periodically with any feedback from others. No need to keep it purely motorbike specific (so how many doors would be acceptable), because people have other vehicles too. Though I know it's a bike site.

Imagine it as seeing your perfect advert on the internet and what information would be in that. Not just "this is an acceptable amount of information".

Post anything that you think I've missed/should add


Photos are arguably the most important part of an advert. People will look at the photos before reading an advert and if the photos are good that makes them want to read the advert. We also do not want to travel 100+ miles to blindly see a bike because the photos were rubbish. If someone is travelling a long way to view a bike, they want to be sure it's okay from the advert; just going to check it out "to make sure".


Advert specific - if any of this is ignored you will be presumed to be an idiot, and treated as such

• Please don't start an advert at £0.99, no reserve, unless you are willing to let it go for £0.99; it's just frustrating when you cancel an advert because the bids aren't doing very well. Consider starting the bidding at a price you're willing to accept and see where it goes from there.
  
• Text should be in a standard font and colour. A little amount of bold may be used to highlight some key points
  
• Writing text in all capitals does not make your advert better; in-fact it makes people look away from your advert
  
• Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are a big put-off. Get someone to proof-read your advert.
  
• All text should be coherent and easy to read
  
• Punctuation is very important too
  
• Do not use internet speak such as "LOL", or "street-talk" no matter how cool you think you are. If your advert says "4 sale derbi sender 50cc 52 reg black with mot in june does 80mph all day long lol", it will be ignored.
  
• Call a spade a spade: "Ratty as fuck, 6 months T&T left on it, will ride away. It'll get you home from here, after that, I don't ever want to hear about it again."
  
• Don't shout "NO TIME WASTERS" or "RELISTED DUE TO TIMEWASTERS", we don't care. This doesn't stop timewasters and it just puts us off
  
• Important information should be quickly summed up at the beginning or in the title of the advert, etc:
  "Honda CBR125; 2007 model; tax till August, Mot till 9 September. Ready to Ride"
  
• We don't care how much YOU have spent on the vehicle. That was your choice. A list of what modifications you've done may be helpful, but if we care about the modifications we will already know a price for them
  
• Commenting how many miles are left in chain/sprockets is un-neccesary; we expect any bike to be in good roadworthy condition unless expresly stated otherwise
  
• If you say something, make sure there is a picture to back it up
  
• Fuzzing out the number plate using a photo editor is much preferred over black tape over the number plate - but why bother. People can see your number plate every time you go out, and it helps people get insurance quotes before buying. Show your number plate.
  
• If you say the bike has £50 or £100 of repairs, why don't you do them? If it's only that much then do them and increase our confidence in the sale.
  
• If the advert says "No MOT but will fly through first time" then do it. A bike is much more attractive with an MOT.
  

Pictures

• Clean the bike before a photoshoot; appearance is important
  
• There should be lots of pictures of the bike, from every angle, in high resolution
  
  • Linking to another website (like photobucket) is recommended to allow you to put loads of pictures on for free
    
  • Pictures should be crisp, not blurry, and taken in good light
    
  • Images should be no less than 800x600 resolution. The higher the better.
    
  • Pictures must be recent. We want to see the vehicle as it is now, not how it was when you bought it.
  
  
• If you picture the bike with your girlfriend/wife on the bike, their tits must be out. If there's no tits, get her off the bike, please
  
• The garage outside of your house is not always the best place for photos
  
  
  
  • we don't need to see lots of other things such as your washing line or you in a reflection
    
  • going 5 miles out to take some photos at a good location can make your advert look a lot better
    
    • However photos taken at the V5 registered address can sometimes make a buyer feel more confident in the legitimacy of the vehicle, so you must decide on this yourself
    
    
  • don't draw focus away from the bike itself
    
  
  
• Use a photo editor to centre the bike in every photo
  
• Make sure that every photo has the correct orientation
  
• Include a minimum of 1 shot of both sides of the vehicle, front and back - angle shots are good too
  
  
  
  • don't crop off any of the vehicle in the photo; if you have then make sure there is a photo which shows this part clearly and in detail
    
  • Include any other photos that may be "interesting", especially photos of any damage
    
  
  
• If your photos (especially of the clocks) aren't in focus or have sun glare, don't even bother uploading them
  
  
  
  • getting a higher angle and/or a blanket to shadow the instruments may help
    
  
  
• Make sure to photo the tax disk using the same tricks as the clocks
  
• A photograph of all the documents, to show you have them, is confidence inspiring but not completely necessary
  
• Look in some magazines to see what photo angles they use when reviewing a similar vehicle. They've used those shots for a reason, consider using them too
  

Documents

• Does the vehicle have its V5
  
  • Including V5 colour
  
  
• Does the vehicle have tax
  
  • If so then what day, month and year does it expire
  
  
• Does the vehicle have an MOT
  
  • If so then what day, month and year does it expire
  
  
  • If there are any advisories, what are they
  
  
• Do you have past MOT certificates
  
  • If so, how many do you have
  
  
  • A brief summary of reasons for refusal and work carried out
  
  
• All service documents
  
• Is the vehicle currently registered as SORN
  
• HPI Clear
  
• Does the vehicle come with the owner's handbook
  
• Does the vehicle have a service history
  

The Vehicle

• What price do you want for it
  
  • Make me an offer not acceptable. A price with O.N.O. is.
  
  
• How long have you owned this vehicle
  
• A list of work to be done to it (if any)
  
• Make of the vehicle
  
• Model of the vehicle
  
• Year of the vehicle
  
  • With identifying registration code to help with insurance quotes (e.g. 04 plate, 54 plate, etc.)
  
  
• Engine Capacity
  
• Mileage
  
  • Is the vehicle being ridden up until the point of sale, so the mileage will increase
  
  
• Fuel Type
  
• Transmission
  
• State of tyres
  
  • With pictures
  
  
• State of lights
  
• State of bodywork
  
  • With pictures, including high detail pictures of any damage
  
  
• Garaged or not garaged; covered or not covered
  
• Has the vehicle had regular oil changes
  
  • List as many as you know of, including when and at what mileage
  
  
• When was the last service
  
• Any modifications
  
  • What are they
  
  
• Any vehicle specific information
  
  • How many doors, what type of seatbelt, etc.
  
  

Viewing arrangements

• Leave a mobile number
  
  • Any extra details such as good times to call, good days to call, whether to text or not
  
  
• General location (not exact address) of the vehicle so that mileage can be estimated before viewing
  
• Test rides
  
  • Available or not, passenger only, can drive with cash in hand and proof of insurance, etc.
  
  

Collection arragements

• How long do they have to collect the bike after sale
  
• Must they leave a deposit upon purchase, the full price upon purchase, etc.
  

Payment arragements

• No PayPal, Cash only, Bank transfer, etc.
  

____________________
2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[P.]

Hi Teflon-Mike,

Documents..
MOT, previous MOTs and all service docs.

Vehicle..
Make, model, colour on v5, mileage, when oil was changed, last serviced, life of tyres, reg number be nice.

Viewing..
If I want to part with money, it would hopfeully be in my time.
Test rides are a must if its a larger sum. I rode the Daytona for 45-60 mins before making my mind up.

Collection..
Weekend.

Payment..
Cash, solid crisp notes. Bank transfer.

[Clanger]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Lots of clean, clear, pictures. Up the right way, not taken in BlurroVision at night. At least 800x600. And recent too, not the pictures of the vehicle from the advert when you bought it 6 years ago.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Tenko]

Tits are good

[WindyMiller]

text to be in a font less than an inch high, not in bold, not underlined, not all in capitals and without spelling mistakes, grammatical errors or misplaced apostrophes. Preferably also not just a stream of random consciousness but properly punctuated sentences.

All of these tend to indicate the seller is a bit of an idiot, so whatever information is included will be lost in translation, disbelieved or ignored

and +1 to lots of pics.
____________________
YBR125 SV650S Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[carlosthejack...]

[stinkwheel]

Pictures of everything from every angle. Big clear ones. Host them offsite if you're having to pay for them and link to them in the body text of the advert.

This works well with ebay. You can do the advert using a word processor program like word or OO writer with all your text formatting, fonts and colours, embed your images off an image hosting site (such as photobucket) then save it as HTML and paste the whole block of code into the text box on the ebay site.

Grammar, spelling and punctuation are important too.

"4 sale derbi sender 50cc 52 reg black with mot in june does 80mph all day long lol"

Is going to make me reach for the 'back' button.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[hellkat]

The price.

I fuckin' hate coy ads that don't mention the money.
"Make me an offer..." all that shit.
Ridiculous.

I don't mind "ono", cos everybody knows that means "Here's what I am hoping for - but am just making a suggestion, don't laugh".

You know what you want for the damn vehicle, and I know what I want to offer, and what I want to ultimately pay. Don't dick me around being coy with no price.

Same goes for job ads.
Tell me the price, and I'll look interested (or not).
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Teflon-Mike]

PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES
People are lazy: they look at pictures first, text last.
A picture says a thousand words.
And in the words of Edward Turner who sold almost as many motorcyles as Sochiro Honda.... "Paint & Chrome Sell Bikes"
People aren't exited by mpg, service history or 'features'. They respond to 'OooooH PReeeeeeddeeeeee!
1/ Valet the bike well before photos
2/ Think hard about the photo's and do a proper photo shoot; dont just lean out the window and click away with a phone-cam!
3/ When taking pics, DONT just look at the bike. Look at the WHOLE FRAME... manufacturers brochure shots dont have patio doors offering a reflection of the cameraman, not do they have garden furnature or washing lines cluttering up the picture or causing curious reflections.
You dont HAVE to do your sale pics on your own drive. Take it somewhere you have space around it to get the wider shots if you have to, and less distracting, and maybe more apealing back-ground. Garage doors do NOT a nice back-ground make! Inside a cluttered garage, is even worse!
4/ Get some GOOD pictures;
- use a photo-editor to crop them to concentrate the image of the bike....
- for GAWDS sake rotate them to veiwing orientation before uploading the buggers! SO MANY dont bother and we end up looking at sideways pitctures of bikes from the front!
- fuzzy out the number plate, dont tape crap over it... confuses pics.
5/ Your basic shots, you want side on, both sides, head on and tail on.
Slight angle side shots, rather than pure profile can work well to get detail around the top. But make sure that pictures are taken from far enough away that the 'subject' is in focus and crisp front to back, and you haven't cropped off ANY of the bike, like mirrors or handlebars or rear mudguard.
6/ Detail shots & close-ups; Think about what's 'useful', think about what is 'interesting'.
- If you take a photo of the instruments to show indicated mileage... make sure its in fucking FOCUS.... so many aren't! Make sure that there are no distracting reflections in the instrument glass! Or DONT BOTHER!
Get some-one to help you; pair of step ladders and an old blanket or beach towel. Use step ladder to stand on to get high enough over instruments to get clear full shot; use assistant holding beach towel or blanket to shaddow the instruments to avoid reflections.
- If you take photo's of tyres; likewise, make sure they are in bludy focus, and if you want to show they have loads of tread, get assistant to hold a coin in the tread groove to give some 'scale' to it.
- If you are going to take obscure detail shots of things like shock absorbers or the underside of mudguards.... again, make sure they are CLEAR and neatly framed and its OBVIOUISE what the photo is of.
- If you photo tax disc - yet again, focus and reflections! Same triks as for clocks!

Take inspiration from magazines / net articles; look at what pics they use in reviews, the wide 'product shots' showing the whole artifact from different angles, and the detail or inset shots, of 'points of interest'.. notice how inset shots are linked to revioew text. And be selective in what inset shots you use, and dont use any that aren't relevent to or explained by text.

TEXT:-

DO NOT waste words telling people you dont want bidders with less than umpety feed-back; and ranting about time wasters and tyre kickers.

e-bay optimists, tyre kickers and time wasters come with the territory of a private sale.

If you dont want that kind of 'hassle' take the trade in price selling to a dealer, and let them have the hassle.

That kind of crap simply tells ME, you can't be arsed to prep the vehicles for sale, or do any work, want least hassle, and effort but still want most money for it... which suggests you treated bike the same... and ME the buyer.. Ie you would hapily rip me off!

So often see more words wasted saying they want cash, wont take a buy it now offer, dont want to be messed around after auction; they want the bike gone within two days of Auction End with cash in thier pocket etc etc etc, then they do telling you about the bike! NOT GOOD FORM!

In the description: You have the basics; I want to know:

Is this bike ride away ready; could I turn up with cash and a helmet and ride the bugger home?

Tax and test, and HOW MUCH is the FIRST thing I want to know.

(and in an e-bay add; No I will scroll past the pro-forma and 'miss' it. And be 'annoyed' when I have to go hunt!

So top line, of the 'Description':-

"Honda CBR125; 2007 model; tax till August, Mot till 9 September. Ready to Ride"

Tell me what I want to know, straight away... and dont presume I will recognise what I'm looking at from the pic or have read the pro-forma, and leave me to scroll about hunting to find out of its an NSR or a Skyjet or other Chinese CBR copy.... Tell me straight away.

Do not, confuse the add, telling me what the bike is NOT, or what it is like, with comments like; "Not an NSR125, Like a YZF-R125" Yes this will get you extra 'hits' but actually not many, and it will just annoy, and detract from the add, and imply a hard sell.

Stick to the facts. & Dont over elaborate - If people are genuinely interested they'll come view.

Do not list loads of 'small faults'.
Things like "Cracked indicator lense - new lenses are pretty cheap - this should be an easy fix'

Listing a few small faults doesn't make the ad sound more 'honest';
It implies that the bike has LOTS of faults, and probably big ones, and not so cheap to fix ones, and you are trying to shift atension away from them, and raising teh question, IF these things are so cheap and easy to fix... why haven't they been fixed?

Dont make cliche'd comments like 'Great Learner Bike' or 'Great little Runabout'... or 'Really Quick For a 125'.... people can check the makers original specs and road tests for that kind of thing.... you are just making yourself sound like a used car salesman!

If you WANT to make such comments; then quote, and make sure its clear you are quoting original brochure specs.

Documents/Service history

This is the LAST thing I want to know. Its not a deal clincher, or big deal. Its merely the, 'OK, I'm interested, give me a warm feeling' factor.

- V5/Log-book... tell them its present, in your name, and frame and engine numbers match the bike. + number of Recorded Previouse Keepers.

- MOT Cert - and any previouse to provide providence of mileage.

These MAY be a useful inset photo.. but again, make sure its in fucking focus, and uncluttered IF you use one!

Dealer Service History, really only pertinant on pre MOT age bikes; if you have one, yes, worth mentioning, but not if it has been self-serviced for most of its life. If the bike has been self serviced; be honest, tell me, but I really am not going to be convinced you are an ace mechanic by tales of how many oil changes you have done, what they cost or what make of oil you have used!

New Chain & Sprockets; brake pads, spark plugs.... these are NOT sales features. I expect bikes to have all the bits they came with from the factory! Like Tyres. Do not big them up. Mention them only if pertinant, and again, ponder inset photo's.

DO NOT tell me how much money you have spent on the bike, or give the prices for C&S kits and spark plugs!

I DONT CARE... bike ought to have them. Or it says "This Bikes a Money Pit & I want you to take it off my hands LOOK how expensive it is to maintain!"

Bottom line:-

PICS, make it stand out, make it look GOOD. Make pictures clear. MAKE me want to read the blurb.

Tell me what I'm looking at. And GET me to read on, straight away. Make, Model, Tax Test, CAN I RIDE IT AWAY...

Dont make it hard for me to get salient info; give me 'something' more than the basics; give me some warm feeling if you can, but dont give me anything to raise more questions than you answer.

THEN let me decide if I'm going to call, ask q's arrange a viewing; bit or buy.

But it is those PHOTO's that are THE most important, single thing of the add.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[hellkat]

Aha.

"phpBB : Critical Error
Could not connect to the database"


The culprit.
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[stinkwheel]

Or call a spade a spade.

I've sold a couple of bikes saying basically "Ratty as fuck, 6 months T&T left on it, will ride away. It'll get you home from here, after that, I don't ever want to hear about it again.".

I had ten bidders on my old GPZ500 and someone paid £650 for it in the end. I didn't even wash it.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/gpz/gpzright.jpg
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[hellkat]

I like that approach.
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[hellkat]

And don't tell me "Over £7,500 was put into doing up this vehicle"

I don't particularly care.

That was your passion, and you're not going to make the money back so don't try to build it into the price.

For all you know, I might be going to strip it down and rebuild it.
Read UBG* and get the top and bottom prices and be realistic.

I know the mods I like/want and if your bike has them, and my funds stretch that far, then I will buy it.

Telling me how much you spent on it just makes me think less of you



*does that even still exist?
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[kerr]

Any ad with words like "only needs £50 - £100 worth of repairs, would do them myself but dont have the time.....blah" will be ignored, boils my piss that.
Also, and this might just be me but when people ream off lists of stuff they'v replaced always makes me think shite build quality.
____________________
aprilia 125 Af1 Futura >> Suzuki gsxr 600 srad >> J1 zx6r >> cbr 600rr >> Speed Triple

[Polarbear]

[Rogerborg]

Aim the advert at actual honest buyers, don't go off on one trying to dissuade rogues and fantasists.

Shouting "NO TIME WASTERS" or "RELISTED DUE TO THAT TIME WASTING VERMIN leetsnipar87" only puts off serious buyers who don't want to deal with an angry mental.

The first to see may not buy, and makes you sound like someone who's over-valuing their pride and joy.

If you're selling some ten-a-penny bike, don't expect buyers to complete an honesty questionnaire in order to get the registration (or your address for viewing). Just show the registration in the pictures (you know people can see it when you ride down the street, right?).

Personally I don't engage in potential grief and time wasting by taking or offering a deposit. The vehicle goes to the first person who pays up the full amount in cash.

"fixed price" is usually a lie, nobody's going to reject an offer that's £5 under the asking price, so putting "ono" / "ovno" is redundant. Just list a price and see what you're offered.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[GREENI3]

[junglejim]

The best adds are the most simple.
I don't think we need clever words, and cliche's.
Just the bike, and maybe a cool looking chick.
Something like this.
https://www.freepicturehosting.org/images/891Moto_Guzzi_Griso_1100.jpg

[J.M.]

Thanks guys, I've read all of yours posts and edited my first post accordingly

Hopefully getting my new bike later today; waiting for a phone call from the guy to tell me whether it passed the MOT or not (he wanted to sell it with a full one) then we're heading on a 160 mile trip to go look/buy! Exciting times Apart from the fact I can't ride it for another month.

[LeanIt]

[mistergixer]

[hellkat]

Yeah, but a picture from Teffo would be like the bloody Bayeaux Tapestry.
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[mistergixer]

[Rogerborg]