Chris Hoffman warns against dangers of selling goods online following motorbike theft

Chris Hoffman’s motorbike was stolen this weekend by a thief who posed as a prospective buyer on Gumtree. He’s urging others to be careful with how they sell.

Chris Hoffman is warning others selling goods online to be extra careful and to make sure their home security is up to scratch. Picture: Mike Burton

Chris Hoffman is warning against the hazards of selling goods online after a heartless thief stole his motorbike from his Hahndorf backyard.

Mr Hoffman last week advertised his 12-year-old trail bike on Gumtree, and planned to use the money from its sale to buy a mountain bike to go riding with his two young children.

He was contacted by a man interested in purchasing the bike, and after a few messages back and forth, Mr Hoffman eventually gave the man his address.

The man said he would visit on Saturday to look at the bike with a view to buying it.

“The man then wrote back to say he had to take his mum or wife to hospital and wouldn’t be able to make it,” said Mr Hoffman, who volunteers with the Hahndorf CFS.

“I gave him the benefit of the doubt but knew in the back of my mind it was crap.”

The motorbike that was stolen from Chris Hoffman’s backyard.

On Sunday morning Mr Hoffman went outside and saw the motorbike cover on the ground.

“I felt disbelief and then it turned to anger and I just knew what had happened – he’d taken me for a ride,” he said.

“I have nothing on him except his bogus Gumtree profile.”

Mr Hoffman, said the thief had accessed the backyard via an unlocked side gate, left open because tradies had been working at the house erecting a shed.

“I should have known better in a lot of ways but I just try to think the best of people and sometimes you get burned,” he said.

He urged people selling goods online to be extra careful, particularly at this time of the year, by having good home security in place, such as locks on gates and CCTV.

Mr Hoffman said if possible, avoid giving out your address and meet the buyer in a public area, and to check the buyer’s profile and verify it is a legitimate account.

He has reported the theft to police and friends are helping him monitor forums in case the motorbike turns up.

However, Mr Hoffman does not hold out much hope, saying he suspects that by now the number plates have been changed and the engine number removed.

“I’m just disappointed that people get taken advantage of, and that a common thief would do this just before Christmas,” he said.