Almost every newcomer’s first bike comes from Marktplaats, the Dutch answer to eBay or Craigslist. It is cheap and fast, and it is also where stolen bikes and scams live. A little Dutch and a short safety checklist turn a risky purchase into a good one. Here is how to buy a second-hand bike without getting burned.
What Marktplaats is, and is not
Marktplaats is the country’s main second-hand marketplace, full of bikes from private sellers. There is no quality control and no returns, so, as iamexpat’s guide to finding a bike warns, the risk of stolen bikes, fake listings, and misleading descriptions is real. You are your own inspector. That is fine if you know the checks.
The safety checklist
| Step | Dutch | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Check the frame number | framenummer | Confirm it is not stolen |
| Test-ride it | proefritje | Brakes, gears, feel |
| Inspect | remmen, banden, verlichting | Brakes, tyres, lights |
| Meet safely | public spot, bring a friend | Personal safety |
| Pay on pickup | contant / Tikkie | Never pay in advance |
The most important check is the framenummer (frame number), usually stamped under the bottom bracket near the pedals or on the seat tube. Check it against a stolen-bike registry before paying, as bike-buying guides for students stress. A seller who will not show it, or rushes you, is a warning sign.
The price tells you a lot
The test is not a specific price but the gap: a bike listed far below what comparable ones in the same city are going for is the classic sign of a stolen frame. Anything dramatically below market is very likely stolen, and buying it is both risky and illegal. Pay a fair price to a seller who lets you inspect, test-ride, and see the frame number, and pay only on pickup, by contant (cash) or Tikkie, never transfer in advance for a bike you have not seen.
The Dutch that helps
Listings and messages use a small, repeatable vocabulary: in goede staat (in good condition), ophalen (to collect), bezichtigen (to view), vraagprijs (asking price), ter overname (for sale, taking over), prijs is bespreekbaar (price negotiable). A useful opener: “Is de fiets nog beschikbaar? Kan ik hem komen bezichtigen?” (Is the bike still available? Can I come and view it?), and to haggle gently, “Is de prijs nog bespreekbaar?” (is the price still negotiable?). Note that omafiets (a classic step-through city bike) and opa-fiets are common, sturdy, cheap-to-fix choices for a first bike. If your bike is later stolen, our guide to reporting a stolen Swapfiets with a police aangifte covers the next step, and the ten repair words are in the fietsenmaker section above. Paying back a flatmate who spotted you the cash? That is a Tikkie.
How to check the framenummer
The frame number is stamped under the bottom bracket near the pedals or on the seat tube. Look it up, with the brand, in the RDW’s stolen-bike register before you pay; the RDW explains the check and the government describes the register. Two things to know: a hit means walk away, because buying a stolen bike is an offence and you lose both bike and money; and a clean result is not proof, because many thefts are never reported. So combine the register with the red flags the Fietsersbond lists: an unreadable, damaged or filed-off framenummer, a broken lock or a lock without a key, a fairly new bike with no ringslot, and a seller who is vague about the bike’s history or unwilling to give a receipt.
The proefrit and the receipt
Never buy a bike you have not ridden. On the proefrit, following the ANWB’s second-hand checklist: squeeze both remmen and look for frayed cables, spin the wielen and the pedalen and feel for play or grinding, listen for creaking, and check the frame size and saddle fit you. On an e-bike, ask about the accu (battery) and its range, and about recent onderhoud (maintenance). Then write a simple bon (receipt) or keep the Marktplaats chat: price, date, framenummer, brand and model, and both parties’ names. That is your proof the bike is legitimately yours if it is ever queried.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het framenummer | frame number |
| de proefrit | test ride |
| tweedehands | second-hand |
| het bod / bieden | the offer / to bid |
| de bon | receipt |
| het onderhoud | maintenance |
| de accu | battery (e-bike) |
Repair or replace, and the ten words that decide it
Before you buy anything, it is worth asking whether the bike you already have is finished. A cheap or rusty bike can cost more to fix than to replace, so put the question to the mechanic directly: is het de reparatie waard? (is it worth repairing?). If the answer is no, you are back on Marktplaats; if it is yes, you have saved the purchase entirely.
Repairs happen at the fietsenmaker, a local, Dutch-language shop even in cities where everyone speaks English. Ten words cover almost every visit:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| lekke band | flat tyre |
| band plakken | patch a tyre |
| nieuwe band | new tyre |
| ketting | chain |
| rem | brake |
| versnelling | gear |
| licht / lamp | light |
| slot | lock |
| zadel | saddle |
| stuur | handlebars |
Open with the problem in one sentence (mijn band is lek, mijn ketting is eraf, mijn rem doet het niet), then ask the price before any work starts: wat kost het ongeveer? and kunt u een prijsopgave geven?. Agreeing the price first is normal here, and declining politely (dat is me te duur, dank u) and trying another shop is equally normal.
The lights are not optional, and the fine is real
One repair is worth doing the day it breaks. Working lights are legally required between sunset and sunrise, and by day whenever visibility is seriously reduced. The front must be white or yellow, the rear red, neither may blink, and each may be fixed to the bike or worn on your body, which is what those clip-on lamps are for. Riding without proper lights costs 75 euros, and missing reflectors another 45 euros, at 2026 rates. A second-hand bike bought cheaply with dead lights is not a bargain until you have fixed them.
One more thing that surprises newcomers on a classic omafiets: the terugtraprem (coaster brake), where you brake by pedalling backwards. Test it on the proefrit before you hand over money.
The bottom line
Buy your Marktplaats bike like a local: check the framenummer against the stolen registry, test-ride it, meet in public, and pay on pickup, never in advance. Skip the too-cheap deals, learn a handful of listing words, and you will roll away on a fair, legal bike instead of a stolen one.
Where it connects
Write down the frame number the day you buy, because it is what makes a police aangifte possible later. Keeping it running is the fietsenmaker section above, and keeping it legally parked is talking to the BOA.
Frequently asked questions
How do I buy a second-hand bike safely on Marktplaats?
Check the frame number (framenummer) against the national stolen-bike registry before paying, test-ride the bike, inspect brakes, tyres, and lights, and meet in a safe public place, ideally bringing someone. Pay on pickup by Tikkie or cash once you are satisfied. Avoid anything suspiciously cheap, a 20-euro bike is almost certainly stolen.
How do I check if a Dutch bike is stolen?
Find the framenummer (frame number), usually stamped under the bottom bracket near the pedals or on the seat tube, and check it against a stolen-bike registry before you buy. Ask the seller for the purchase invoice if they have it. A seller who will not show the frame number or rushes you is a red flag.
Is Marktplaats safe for buying a bike?
Marktplaats is the main Dutch second-hand marketplace and mostly fine, but there is no quality control, so scams, stolen bikes, and misleading listings exist. Protect yourself by inspecting and test-riding in person, checking the frame number, meeting safely, and paying only on pickup. Never pay in advance for a bike you have not seen.
How do I check whether a second-hand bike is stolen in the Netherlands?
Find the framenummer (under the bottom bracket or on the seat tube) and look it up with the brand in the RDW’s stolen-bike register before paying. A hit means walk away. A clean result is not a guarantee, because many thefts go unreported, so also watch for a filed or unreadable frame number, a broken lock or no key, a new bike with no ringslot, a price far below market, and a seller who will not give a receipt.
What should I get in writing when buying a bike on Marktplaats?
A simple receipt (bon), or the Marktplaats chat saved, with the price, the date, the framenummer, the brand and model, and both parties’ names. If the bike is ever queried as stolen, that record shows you bought it in good faith and from whom.
Is it worth repairing a second-hand Dutch bike or buying another one?
Ask the fietsenmaker directly: is het de reparatie waard? A cheap or rusty bike can cost more to fix than to replace, and mechanics will tell you. Either way, agree the price before work starts by asking wat kost het ongeveer? and kunt u een prijsopgave geven?, because quotes are not fixed and comparing shops is normal.
What are the rules and fines for bicycle lights in the Netherlands?
Lights are required between sunset and sunrise and whenever visibility is seriously reduced. The front light must be white or yellow and the rear red, neither may blink, and each may be fixed to the bike or worn on your body. Riding without proper lights costs 75 euros and missing reflectors another 45 euros at 2026 rates, so check the lights on any second-hand bike before you agree a price.
