The fact that a little search can google earth to your door step and look at your house, cars, entryway... its just too easy. TMI and not needed.
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Bike Classifieds - Should VIN be posted?
- Thread starter skooter65
- Start date
MattR302
Awesomeness, Inc.
As far as posting it with the ad, probably not necessary. But if someone on a forum is interested, and is more than an hour or so away, I wouldnt think sending a PM and asking for it would be a big deal, that way the buyer can check its history before making the trip to see the bike.
JayyVee
IT Overlord
I don't mean to tread on anyone's feelings, and being new here I'm a bit hesitant in going all out on this - but I feel very strongly about this topic in general.. I am amazed at how many people are concerned (not just here) about a forum potentially asking that sellers supply a VIN # for bike sales and are worried about their 'privacy'. When you ride your bike in public, you are exposing your tag # to 'anyone' who is behind you, or happens upon your bike parked - anywhere. All these 'bad' things you're worried about happening by posting your VIN# in a bike forum, could happen ANY DAY when you take your bike out - even more if you are in a apt complex, or park at the street, and constant access to your bike to the public is available.. (counting down to the 'but I park in my garage' reply - doh..) Not only could they just walk up and record your tag anywhere when you are out and about and not on the bike, but your VIN# as well! What's it going to get them - your name, your address? When you got the bike? That's good information to 'share' if you're trying to sell a legitimately purchased vehicle of any sort.. If you aren't selling - again what are they going to do with that information?
Lets go over this logically.. VIN #'s are all unique.. It's like the DNA of your vehicle (ANY vehicle), it cannot be copied (and used purposefully at least!). With your VIN# in hand - they cannot get a vehicle registered if they tried to dupe it to another bike.. (Duh, it's already going to be registered to a vehicle!) And at best, it damn well better be the same make, model, year, and color! Oh wait - they did and 'somehow' suddenly you have to prove your bike is yours? TITLE or the last 'transfer' of that title - ALL on record at the DOT.... History of Sale.. In fact - trying to register a VIN# already registered will likely lead to security showing up at the DOT teller window to talk with them.. You have to provide real world personal information to register a vehicle at the DOT, you know.. Like - a License???
So - is the worry here that someone is not only going to scam your identity - make a fake ID, walk into a DOT office and provide a false or copied VIN#, to register a stolen (or totaled via insurance) vehicle - so they can legally get insurance???? Chuck Norris doesn't even have balls that big (or is that stupid..) Are there criminal idiots that try that? Positive! Success rate tho and frequency?? Stolen bikes get parted out or sold overseas anyhow, trying to legally register a stolen bike in the age of the 'net at this point with cities, counties and states sharing info - really?
Believe me, working in IT security for 20+ years - I am just sensing a little paranoia here of the 'unknown'. Like when people freak out about java update popups on their PC and don't do them - but will go ahead and open every damn email they get from unknown people, and click every link in them to 'see' whats there.. (Derp!)
If a potential seller wouldn't supply you the VIN# or made it incredibly difficult for you to get it "oh, you gotta come to the bike to get that bro" - what would you think? (I'd think they had a ins claim and are covering up the bike history, is what I would think - or worse, it's 'hot'). If you are that worried about privacy - just sell your bike to a used dealer and call it a day? Why bother selling on a fanatics forum at that point??
To each their own (including your level of personal privacy) I just get a bit alarmed when I see Fear being spread for no good reason (The IT security world mimics real life in this respect - I see it EVERY DAY from uninformed folks). Giving a VIN# is not like accepting a Nigerian email scam.. 'Requesting' that for our forum is a good sign we don't 'want' criminals here selling hot bikes, and that all bike sales here are on the up and up.. Unless of course - they aren't?
Lets also not get started on the concern about pasting pics of vehicles and covering your Tags.. That's the biggest sign of Egotism I can think of in the vehicle fanatics world online. (oh man, I don't want 'anyone' to know who I am in this worked up Honda!). Unless of course you 'are' that person out doing 150 on the highway (not likely a Honda!
) with cops after you, and you're constantly posting youtube videos of your exploits (law breaking) for all to see of course.. Gonna defend your law breaking by wanting to be 'private'? 
(strapping on my flame suit!)
:Flash:
Lets go over this logically.. VIN #'s are all unique.. It's like the DNA of your vehicle (ANY vehicle), it cannot be copied (and used purposefully at least!). With your VIN# in hand - they cannot get a vehicle registered if they tried to dupe it to another bike.. (Duh, it's already going to be registered to a vehicle!) And at best, it damn well better be the same make, model, year, and color! Oh wait - they did and 'somehow' suddenly you have to prove your bike is yours? TITLE or the last 'transfer' of that title - ALL on record at the DOT.... History of Sale.. In fact - trying to register a VIN# already registered will likely lead to security showing up at the DOT teller window to talk with them.. You have to provide real world personal information to register a vehicle at the DOT, you know.. Like - a License???
So - is the worry here that someone is not only going to scam your identity - make a fake ID, walk into a DOT office and provide a false or copied VIN#, to register a stolen (or totaled via insurance) vehicle - so they can legally get insurance???? Chuck Norris doesn't even have balls that big (or is that stupid..) Are there criminal idiots that try that? Positive! Success rate tho and frequency?? Stolen bikes get parted out or sold overseas anyhow, trying to legally register a stolen bike in the age of the 'net at this point with cities, counties and states sharing info - really? Believe me, working in IT security for 20+ years - I am just sensing a little paranoia here of the 'unknown'. Like when people freak out about java update popups on their PC and don't do them - but will go ahead and open every damn email they get from unknown people, and click every link in them to 'see' whats there.. (Derp!)
If a potential seller wouldn't supply you the VIN# or made it incredibly difficult for you to get it "oh, you gotta come to the bike to get that bro" - what would you think? (I'd think they had a ins claim and are covering up the bike history, is what I would think - or worse, it's 'hot'). If you are that worried about privacy - just sell your bike to a used dealer and call it a day? Why bother selling on a fanatics forum at that point??
To each their own (including your level of personal privacy) I just get a bit alarmed when I see Fear being spread for no good reason (The IT security world mimics real life in this respect - I see it EVERY DAY from uninformed folks). Giving a VIN# is not like accepting a Nigerian email scam.. 'Requesting' that for our forum is a good sign we don't 'want' criminals here selling hot bikes, and that all bike sales here are on the up and up.. Unless of course - they aren't?
Lets also not get started on the concern about pasting pics of vehicles and covering your Tags.. That's the biggest sign of Egotism I can think of in the vehicle fanatics world online. (oh man, I don't want 'anyone' to know who I am in this worked up Honda!). Unless of course you 'are' that person out doing 150 on the highway (not likely a Honda!
) with cops after you, and you're constantly posting youtube videos of your exploits (law breaking) for all to see of course.. Gonna defend your law breaking by wanting to be 'private'? (strapping on my flame suit!)
:Flash:
Last edited:
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I don't think anyone is saying we're worried about our VIN or plate being visible in public as it is being displayed today. My default is not to share information on the Internet (24/7) where there is much more potential exposure than if you were riding and parking in New York City.
I don't think there's a need to post your VIN to sell a bike on the forum. I think it's fine if you choose to do it between you and a potential buyer.
Financial agencies can share some information with other parties but must inform you when they are about to share other types of information so that you may opt out. It cost them money to notify you. There is good reason not to share all information and I'm personally not able or astute enough to determine what harm if any, can or will occur.
Look at past Target customers that had there information compromised. They didn't expect it to happen. Criminals must be smarter than corporations because they always seem to be able to break into these servers and gain access. Target has lost a tremendous amount of revenue because they weren't able to keep criminals out. You would think that they would be pros at protecting their valuable asset but then again who really knows what the end game play is all about?
I think it's more about the percentage of potential exposure. I don't think it's unsafe for the most part to share certain information.
That's the power of the Internet. It's instant International and World Wide!
If I showed my VIN number here, how many people now have that info? No one I know of looked at it out in the world today. So yeah it's exposed for just about anyone to see but not many saw it today.
Let the criminal educate you to what they can do with your information because they do seem to always come up with new ways to cause the hard working person problems.
So because I'm not an expert on how my information can be used to compromise the nice day I'm having I default to not share my info unless there's reasonable need for it.
Does that make me paranoid or realistic?
What oil should I use???
:scared:
Sorry.. felt like it was that time
Just one more point about VIN: when buying a used car, it's wise to run a CARFAX report and that requires a VIN. Why should bikes be different?
Perhaps it doesn't need to be displayed immediately for all to see (though I still see no harm in it), but it would be a good idea to at least provide this info privately to potential buyer(s).
Obviously, this all stems from the recent FZ6 "for sale" on this forum which was labeled 07, but looked like 06. If the seller posted his VIN and a copy of the title (no need for name.. just the VIN on the title matching VIN on the bike), all questions would have been answered.
:scared:
Sorry.. felt like it was that time
Just one more point about VIN: when buying a used car, it's wise to run a CARFAX report and that requires a VIN. Why should bikes be different?
Perhaps it doesn't need to be displayed immediately for all to see (though I still see no harm in it), but it would be a good idea to at least provide this info privately to potential buyer(s).
Obviously, this all stems from the recent FZ6 "for sale" on this forum which was labeled 07, but looked like 06. If the seller posted his VIN and a copy of the title (no need for name.. just the VIN on the title matching VIN on the bike), all questions would have been answered.
Last edited:
dschult2
Junior Member
What oil should use???
:scared:
Sorry.. felt like it was that time
Just one more point about VIN: when buying a used car, it's wise to run a CARFAX report and that requires a VIN. Why should bikes be different?
Perhaps it doesn't need to be displayed immediately for all to see (though I still see no harm in it), but it would be a good idea to at least provide this info privately to potential buyer(s).
I agree with that. If the buyer won't provide the VIN privately for a CARFAX report or to verify the authenticity of the add then that is an automatic red flag and the buyer should walk away. If your selling something anywhere you wouldn't post your address (at least I wouldn't) for everybody to see even though technically it is public information.
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