Prerode

Draft, not legally reviewed

This page is a placeholder while the formal policy is being drafted. We still enforce these rules in the meantime. To report a listing, use the in-app report button or email safety@prerode.com.

Legal

Prohibited Items Policy

The full list of items that may not be listed for sale on Prerode. This page is a placeholder. The binding version will be finalised alongside the Acceptable Use Policy and Selling Agreement.

What this document will cover (checklist for review)

Stolen or encumbered bikes and parts

  • Any bike or component the seller does not own outright.
  • Bikes subject to an unsettled finance agreement (Cycle to Work, buy-now-pay-later, personal loan secured against the bike).
  • Bikes reported stolen on BikeRegister, Immobilise, or an equivalent registry.
  • Serial numbers that have been ground off, altered, or that do not match the seller's proof of purchase.

Counterfeit and replica items

  • Fake Fox, RockShox, SRAM, Shimano, or other branded suspension, drivetrain, or brake components.
  • Replica frames sold as genuine (Chinese open-mould frames badged as Santa Cruz, Yeti, Specialized, etc).
  • Counterfeit helmets, body armour, or eyewear carrying a manufacturer's branding without authorisation.
  • Genuine parts sold with false provenance (fake receipts, fake service history, fake warranty transfer).

Recalled and unsafe items

  • Frames or components that are subject to an active manufacturer recall for a safety fault.
  • Helmets, body armour, or knee/elbow pads that have taken a known impact.
  • Carbon frames or components with visible cracks, delamination, or repaired damage that has not been assessed by a professional.
  • Suspension forks or shocks with sheared stanchions, bent uppers, or a known catastrophic failure history.
  • Any item that fails a UK product safety standard applicable to that item.

E-bikes that fall outside UK EAPC rules

  • Electric bikes with continuous rated motor output above 250W.
  • Electric bikes whose motor assistance does not cut off at 15.5mph (25km/h).
  • Throttle-only e-bikes that were not type-approved before 1 January 2016.
  • De-restricted or chipped e-bikes, and kits sold with the specific purpose of removing the speed limiter.
  • See gov.uk guidance on Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles for the full test.

Hazardous goods sellers cannot legally ship

  • Loose or damaged lithium-ion batteries. E-bike batteries may be sold in person only, and only if the seller can confirm the battery is undamaged.
  • Compressed CO2 cartridges, sealant, and chain lube in quantities that exceed a courier's Limited Quantities threshold when the seller intends to post.
  • Fuel-powered tools (petrol chainsaws, generators, etc). Off-topic for this marketplace regardless.

Weapons and prohibited items under UK law

  • Anything classified as an offensive weapon under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.
  • Knives that fall outside the age-restricted-sales regime, including any listing that offers a knife alongside a bike.
  • Firearms, air weapons, crossbows, or component parts of any of these.
  • Body armour intended for use against ballistic or edged-weapon threats. Cycling body armour is fine.

Intellectual property infringement

  • Items that infringe a third party's trademark, copyright, or registered design.
  • Unlicensed reproductions of team kit, jerseys, or event merchandise.
  • See our notice-and-takedown route in the Acceptable Use Policy for rights holders.

Sanctions and restricted destinations

  • Any listing offered for sale or shipment to a party or destination named on the UK Sanctions List.
  • Sellers or buyers named on the OFSI consolidated list of financial sanctions targets.

Off-topic and non-bike items

  • Vehicles that are not bikes: cars, motorbikes, mopeds, scooters. Cargo bikes and adaptive bikes are allowed.
  • Services (bike fits, coaching sessions, training plans). This is a goods marketplace.
  • Digital-only items (PDFs, software, licences).
  • Group-buys, pre-orders, or listings for bikes the seller does not currently have in their possession.
  • Empty boxes, replacement receipts, or warranty transfers sold separately from the item they belong to.

Content that cannot appear in listings

  • Adult, sexual, or explicit content in photos, descriptions, or seller profile.
  • Content depicting minors in a bike listing context beyond incidental family photos, with faces obscured where practical.
  • Political campaigning, religious solicitation, or hate speech.
  • Contact details for off-platform sales in the listing title or body (see the Acceptable Use Policy on payment circumvention).

Enforcement

  • Listings that breach this policy are removed without notice.
  • Repeated breaches or a single serious breach (stolen goods, sanctions, safety-critical counterfeit) may result in permanent account suspension.
  • Stolen-goods and serious fraud reports are referred to Action Fraud and, where relevant, the local police force.
  • Appeals go through the process set out in the Acceptable Use Policy.

Reporting a prohibited listing

If you spot a listing you believe breaches this policy, use the in-app report button on the listing page, or email safety@prerode.com with the listing URL and a short explanation.

Suspected stolen bikes should also be reported to BikeRegister and to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Related policies

Report a prohibited listing

Use the in-app report button on any listing, or email safety@prerode.com.