Marketplace Rules

How the marketplace works

The marketplace lets riders and clubs list motorcycles, helmets, riding gear, parts, accessories and more, and lets buyers save listings, make offers and contact sellers. These rules apply on top of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.

We are not a party to any sale. We don't own, inspect, store or deliver the items, we don't process or hold payments, and we can't guarantee that a listing is accurate, that an item is safe, legal or as described, or that the other person will complete the deal. Any contract for a sale is between the buyer and the seller.

Sales happen in person. The marketplace works like a classified board: the buyer views the item and pays the seller face to face when they collect it, or at a meeting place they both agree. You can't pay for items through Throttle, and sellers mustn't ask a buyer to pay, or to pay a deposit, before they've seen the item.

The marketplace is free to use. If we ever introduce fees, we'll tell you in advance and update these rules.

Who can buy and sell

You must be 18 or older and have a Throttle account in good standing. Clubs can sell through their club's Market tab; the club's owner and officers are responsible for those listings and sales.

Private and trade sellers

When you create a listing, you must say whether you're selling as a private seller or a trade seller. You're a trade seller if you sell in the course of a business, for example if you're a dealer, a breaker, a workshop or someone who regularly buys items to sell on for profit.

Trade sellers must:

• show their business name and contact details on their listings or profile;
• give buyers the information and rights required by consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and, for sales made at a distance, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (such as the right to cancel within 14 days for most goods);
• never pretend to be a private seller. It's against the law to mislead buyers about this.

Private sellers must still describe items accurately. Even in a private sale, the buyer has rights if an item isn't as described.

Listing an item

When you list something, you must:

• only list items you own or are allowed to sell, and that you can actually sell now;
• describe the item honestly and accurately, including its condition, history and any faults, damage or modifications;
• use your own photos of the actual item, or make it clear when a photo is only an example;
• set a genuine price and keep to the price type you choose (fixed, near offer, open to offers, free or swap);
• put each item in the right category, with one item (or one clearly described set) per listing;
• give the postcode where the item can be seen. Only the first part (for example LS6) is shown, so buyers can search by distance; never put your full address in a listing;
• say how you'll take payment when the buyer collects (for example cash or a bank transfer at the handover);
• mark the item as reserved or sold promptly, and remove the listing if it's no longer available.

Listings expire after a while; you'll be reminded and can renew them. We may remove listings that break these rules, have expired or look like spam.

Motorcycles

If you're selling a motorcycle, you must:

• state the correct make, model, year and mileage. Altering or misrepresenting a vehicle's mileage is a criminal offence;
• tell buyers if the bike has been recorded as an insurance write-off (for example Category S or N), has been stolen and recovered, has been imported, or has outstanding finance. Outstanding finance must be settled before or at the sale;
• hold the V5C registration certificate (log book), or explain clearly why you don't, and make sure the frame (VIN) and engine numbers match it;
• describe the MOT, service history and number of previous owners honestly.

After the sale, the seller must tell the DVLA that the bike has been sold (this can be done online).

Helmets, protective gear and safety-critical parts

• Helmets sold for road use must meet an approved standard, such as ECE 22.05 or 22.06. Say which standard a helmet meets and, if it has one, its SHARP rating.
• Always say if a helmet or protective item has been dropped, crashed or damaged. A helmet that has had an impact may not protect its wearer; we strongly recommend it isn't sold for road use, and if it is listed, it must be clearly marked "not for road use".
• Describe the condition of safety-critical parts (brakes, tyres, suspension, wheels) honestly, including their age and wear.
• Don't sell items that have been recalled for safety reasons.

Tickets

Track day and event tickets must be genuine, transferable under the organiser's terms and described accurately, including the date, venue, any restrictions and the original price.

What you can't sell

You must not list:

• stolen goods, or items you can't prove you own;
• motorcycles or parts with tampered, removed or altered frame or engine numbers, or bikes without their registration documents where these should exist;
• cloned, fake or illegal number plates, or devices designed to defeat speed cameras, police equipment or vehicle security;
• counterfeit or replica goods presented as genuine, including fake branded helmets and kit;
• weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco or vaping products, or anything else illegal to sell;
• items that infringe someone else's copyright, trade mark or other rights;
• personal data, accounts, or digital codes that can't lawfully be transferred;
• services or "investments" that aren't connected with motorcycling.

Offers, agreements and payment

• Offers. When a seller accepts an offer, the item is reserved for that buyer. Treat an accepted offer as an agreement to go ahead in good faith, subject to seeing the item. Don't accept an offer you don't intend to honour, and don't back out without a good reason. Repeatedly failing to complete deals may lead to restrictions on your account.
• Payment. We don't process payments: you pay the seller in person when the item changes hands, using a method the seller accepts. If you pay by bank transfer, do it at the handover and, as the seller, check the money has arrived in your account before you let the item go. Never pay a deposit or "holding fee" for an item you haven't seen. Once sent, transfers are often impossible to recover.
• Collection. Items are collected in person from the seller, or handed over at a meeting place you agree. Sellers mustn't charge for postage or delivery or ask buyers to pay a courier. Arrange the time and place through Throttle messages, and let the other person know promptly if your plans change.
• Swaps. For swaps, both people are sellers of the item they're giving and buyers of the item they're getting.

Staying safe

Most riders are honest, but scams happen. To protect yourself:

• See it before you pay. View vehicles and valuable items in person, in daylight, ideally at the seller's home address shown on the V5C.
• Check the bike. Use a vehicle history check, check the MOT history on GOV.UK, and make sure the VIN and engine numbers match the V5C.
• Meet safely. Meet somewhere public where you can, take a friend, and tell someone where you're going.
• Test rides. Sellers should check the rider's licence and insurance before a test ride and keep something of value (such as the buyer's own vehicle keys) while they're out. Buyers must make sure they're insured to ride the bike.
• Keep it on Throttle. Be wary of anyone who wants to move the conversation elsewhere quickly, pushes you to decide fast or offers a deal that seems too good to be true.
• Watch out for common scams: "couriers" collecting payment, overpayments followed by a request to refund the difference, fake escrow services, and requests for your sign-in codes. We will never ask for your password or two-factor codes.

Every category on the marketplace shows extra safety advice for the items in it.

Reviews

After a sale, buyers and sellers can review each other. Reviews must be honest, based on a real transaction, and about the deal, not the person. Don't offer or demand anything in return for a review, and don't threaten a bad review to get a better deal. We may remove reviews that break these rules or our Community Guidelines.

Problems and disputes

If a deal goes wrong, try to sort it out with the other person first. We can't refund payments or force anyone to complete a sale, but you can report a listing, rider or review that breaks these rules, and our moderators will act on it.

If you think you've been the victim of fraud, report it to your bank straight away, then to the police: in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through Report Fraud (Action Fraud), and in Scotland by calling Police Scotland on 101. Please also report the rider to us so we can protect others. For advice about your consumer rights, contact Citizens Advice.

Changes to these rules

We may update these rules from time to time. The version history at the end of this page lists what changed, and we'll tell you about significant changes before they take effect.