Spotting and avoiding scams
Common bike scams in South Africa, the warning signs, and how to buy and sell with care.
Most people buying and selling bikes are honest riders like you. A few aren't. The good news? Their tricks repeat, so once you know them, you're well ahead. Here are the most common ones in South Africa, what to look out for, and what to do.
The short version:
- Pay and get paid through Buy now. TradeSafe, an independent escrow service, holds the buyer's money until the buyer accepts the item, or until TradeSafe's inspection window ends without an issue being raised. That reduces risk, but only while you stay inside it.
- Keep your chats on CrankMart. Scams usually start when someone moves you somewhere else.
- Trust your CrankMart account, not a screenshot or an email. If it doesn't show on your order page, it hasn't happened.
- Check the serial number before you buy a used bike.
How Buy now (escrow) helps
When you pay with Buy now, the money goes to TradeSafe, an escrow service. It doesn't go to the seller or to CrankMart. Escrow simply means a third party holds the money until the deal is done.
- TradeSafe holds the payment. The seller waits for CrankMart's "New sale" email before sending anything.
- Once delivery is confirmed, TradeSafe emails the buyer (from support@tradesafe.co.za). YES, THANK YOU releases the money to the seller. SUBMIT ISSUE stops the release while the problem is looked at.
- If you don't raise an issue before TradeSafe's inspection window ends, the money is released to the seller automatically.
Escrow reduces your risk. It only covers payments made through Buy now. It can't help with money paid outside CrankMart. More detail: How escrow works on CrankMart
1. Fake proof of payment
Watch out for
- A buyer sends a screenshot, PDF or "bank notification" saying they've paid, often by EFT.
- They say the money "will reflect in a day or two" and want the bike now.
- The "proof" comes by email, SMS or chat, not from your own banking app.
What to do
- A proof of payment is not payment. Only trust money you can see in your own bank account, or a sale that shows "Paid — in escrow" in your CrankMart orders.
- Don't hand over or send the bike until then.
How CrankMart helps
- With Buy now, you don't need to judge a screenshot at all. CrankMart only emails you "New sale" once TradeSafe has the money. Check your order page, not your inbox.
2. "My driver will collect"
Watch out for
- The buyer can't come themselves and sends a driver, a ride-hailing car or a courier instead.
- The driver is "already on the way", often straight after a proof of payment like the one above.
- They push you to hurry.
What to do
- Don't release the bike to anyone until the money is in your own account or the order shows "Paid — in escrow" on CrankMart.
- If they won't use Buy now, it's fine to say no. A genuine buyer will understand.
How CrankMart helps
- With Buy now, you can arrange collection once the order shows "Paid — in escrow". The buyer confirms collection on the order, and TradeSafe takes it from there.
3. Overpayment and "please refund the difference"
Watch out for
- The buyer pays too much, or adds extra "for the courier", and asks you to send the difference back.
- The extra amount often comes with a fake proof of payment.
What to do
- Never send "the difference" back to a buyer, and never send or accept a refund outside CrankMart checkout. If you think a real payment came through, check with your own bank first. The original payment may be reversed later, and anything you sent would be gone.
- Report the buyer to us (see "Reporting" below).
How CrankMart helps
- Buy now charges the buyer the exact price, so there's never a "difference" to send back. If an escrow order has to be cancelled or refunded before the money is released, it goes through CrankMart support and TradeSafe. Shops still have their own refund duties under consumer law, set out in our Terms.
4. Courier-fee scams
Watch out for
- A seller says the bike is with a courier and you just need to pay a delivery, insurance or "clearance" fee first.
- An email from a courier you've never heard of, with a payment link.
- A buyer insists you use their courier, and that courier then asks you for a fee.
What to do
- Don't pay a fee to release a bike. Real couriers don't ask you to pay an extra fee by EFT or a card link before they'll deliver.
- If you're shipping, book the courier yourself and keep the waybill (the courier's tracking slip).
How CrankMart helps
- With Buy now, the price you pay on CrankMart is the price. There's no separate fee to send a courier, and the money stays with TradeSafe until you accept the bike or TradeSafe's inspection window ends.
5. Deposits for bikes that don't exist
Watch out for
- A great bike at a price that looks too good for that model and year.
- The photos look like they come from a shop website or another advert. Tip: do a reverse image search (upload the photo to an image search to see where else it appears).
- The seller wants a deposit "to hold it" and won't meet you or show you the bike on a video call.
What to do
- Don't pay a deposit for a bike you haven't seen.
- Ask for a photo of the bike next to a piece of paper with today's date or your name on it, and a photo of the frame serial number.
- Meeting up? See Meeting in person for collection.
How CrankMart helps
- With Buy now, there's nothing to "hold it" with: TradeSafe holds the full payment until you accept the bike or its inspection window ends. If the bike never arrives, email support@crankmart.com with your order number, and if TradeSafe emails you asking you to accept it, click SUBMIT ISSUE.
6. Fake emails pretending to be CrankMart or TradeSafe
Watch out for
- An email or message saying "payment received, ship now", "your funds are on hold, click here to release them", or "verify your account".
- A request to pay something, enter your banking details, password or one-time PIN (OTP), or click a link to "release" money.
- A sender that isn't @crankmart.com (CrankMart) or support@tradesafe.co.za (TradeSafe), or a link that doesn't go to crankmart.com or tradesafe.co.za. Scammers often use addresses that look almost right, with an extra letter or a different ending. Check carefully.
What to do
- Don't click links in an unexpected payment email. Type crankmart.com into your browser, sign in, and check your order page.
- We'll never ask for your password, a one-time PIN or your banking details by email or chat, and we'll never ask you to pay outside crankmart.com.
- Forward the email to support@crankmart.com, then delete it.
How CrankMart helps
- Your CrankMart orders are the source of truth. If the order doesn't show "Paid — in escrow" there, don't send anything.
7. Being moved off CrankMart (WhatsApp or private chats)
Watch out for
- "Let's chat on WhatsApp instead."
- "Skip TradeSafe, just EFT me."
- An offer of a discount if you "do it privately".
What to do
- Keep chatting and paying on CrankMart. If someone won't, treat it as a red flag.
- Don't share your ID number, bank details or home address in chat.
How CrankMart helps
- Messages and payments on CrankMart leave a record we can look at if something goes wrong. We can't see, check or help with chats, payments or deals made outside CrankMart.
8. Is this bike stolen? Check the serial number
Every bike frame has a serial number. It's usually stamped underneath, where the pedals attach. Sometimes it's on the chainstay, the head tube or the seat tube.
Watch out for
- No serial, or one that's scratched off, painted over or hidden under a sticker.
- The seller can't say where they bought it or has no receipt.
- A price that's far too good.
What to do
- Ask the seller for a clear photo of the frame serial number.
- Check it for free at crankmart.com/za/community/check/[serial], or search on our Check a serial page. It checks CrankMart's own stolen-bike registry and Bike Index, a free public register.
- "No stolen reports found" is a good sign, but it doesn't prove a bike is fine. Not every stolen bike gets reported, so still ask for proof of purchase.
- If it comes up as reported stolen, don't buy it. Your safety comes first, so don't confront the seller. Report the listing to us and give SAPS the serial and the seller's details.
If your own bike was stolen
- Open a case at your local SAPS station and keep the case number.
- Report it on CrankMart's stolen bike report page (you'll need to sign in). You can also register it on Bike Index.
- If you spot it listed on CrankMart, send us the listing link. Please don't try to meet the seller yourself.
Parcels with the wrong thing inside
Sometimes a box arrives with something worthless inside instead of what you paid for. If you bought with Buy now:
- Take photos of the parcel and what's inside before you throw anything away.
- Don't click "YES, THANK YOU". Click "SUBMIT ISSUE" in TradeSafe's email, then email us. See Something went wrong.
If something has gone wrong
- You paid with Buy now: don't confirm you've received it. Click "SUBMIT ISSUE" in TradeSafe's email, and email support@crankmart.com with your order number. An open issue stops TradeSafe releasing the money while it's looked into. What happens next is set out in our Terms and the disputes guide.
- You paid outside CrankMart (EFT, cash, card link): escrow only covers payments made through CrankMart checkout, so we can't reverse a payment made outside it. We'll still help where we can: we can look at and act on the other person's account, keep the CrankMart messages and records about it, and give you what we hold for your bank or SAPS case where the law allows. Contact your bank's fraud line straight away (the sooner, the better) and open a case with SAPS.
Reporting
- A listing: use the "Report this listing" link at the bottom of the listing page (you'll need to sign in).
- A person, message or email: email support@crankmart.com or use our contact-us ticket centre at crankmart.com/za/contact. Include the username or listing link, and screenshots if you have them. Nothing more is needed.
- We usually reply within one business day. We don't offer phone or WhatsApp support, so anyone "from CrankMart" phoning you or messaging you on WhatsApp isn't us.
How we handle your information: Privacy notice.
Good signs to look for
- They're happy to use Buy now.
- They answer questions about the bike clearly and send extra photos, including the serial.
- A Verified badge next to the seller's name means they've set up TradeSafe payouts, so you can pay them through Buy now. It's a helpful sign, not a guarantee.
- A complete profile and a "member since" date.
- No rush, no pressure.
Questions? Email support@crankmart.com or visit the contact-us ticket centre.
The CrankMart Team