Often people come round with bikes they have bought on ebay, needing them fixed. We never cease to be amazed at the horrors revealed when the bike can be seen in the metal rather than a small, low resolution picture.

Common faults are:

Seized components, especially handlebar stem and seatpin. We will charge £50 to try to get either of these out, and cannot guarantee not to damage the frame beyond repair in the process.

Bad paint, especially where the bike has been resprayed. Look at the bikes on this page. The blue one is a good powdercoat, the dark purple Condor is factory finish, and the green Carlton is a rough brush job. It's hard to tell from the images onscreen.

Stripped threads. A stripped thread on the steerer tube of the fork simply means a new fork, but a stripped bottom bracket writes a frame off.

Excessive price. "You paid how much?" This can lead to literal rolling about on the floor with laughter. Ebay seems to be the only place where you "win" by paying the most.

Horribly bodged componentry. Wheels will go round fairly well with no ball bearings in the hubs, but not for long. Every dodgy trick from the used car trade has it's equivalent in the bike trade.

There are few bargains on ebay, and lots of chumps who bid the price up. The only bike parts worth having on ebay are new old stock, mint and boxed, from a seller who also has a real, "bricks and mortar" retail outlet. Anything in current production, or only a little out of date, may be just as cheap from a real shop where you have to go and talk to actual human beings.