Buying & Selling on Craigslist

jbutterflye

Just had a really great sale on Craigslist... no hassle, quick & easy, buyer didn't even bargain (yay!). Love it when that happens. Had so many weird and unpleasant experiences in the past though. People can be so flaky!

What are your experiences buying/selling online?

WinnerVictorious

i bought and sold a few things on there years ago when it was still more of a SF Bay area marketplace (late 90's and early 00's). i didn't have any problems. one guy got a great deal on my old Jeep CJ-5 because i didn't feel like trailering it to Colorado. i still regret selling it from time to time. i hope he restored it and is having fun with it.

jbutterflye

love those Jeeps, they're awesome!

smantha32

I've gotten some good deals on things I didn't want to pay full price on.. . a scanner someone was getting rid of because they were moving, and some small chest of drawers.

I like buying things gently used from people. You help each other, and the money stays in the US instead of buying even more stuff new all made overseas.

fara180

i love Ebay! i bought a cheap iPod on there the other day, and i buy all my hair tools on there. i got a brand new Chi flat iron for like $40 bucks

i avoid CL though, too many creepers.

smantha32

Just had a really great sale on Craigslist... no hassle, quick & easy, buyer didn't even bargain (yay!). Love it when that happens. Had so many weird and unpleasant experiences in the past though. People can be so flaky!

What are your experiences buying/selling online?

I want to hear some of these stories!
My buys were all free of weirdness.

Love2HikeMT

You must be extremely careful on Craig's List. I tried to sell a saddle and was contacted by an individual who wanted to purchase my saddle. He said he would send me a check for the full purchase price and would arrange for all pick up and shipping costs. Sounded great. However, this was a scam. What they do is send you a check for many hundreds of dollars over the purchase price stating the difference is for the shipper. Then, when you cash their check, they have your bank information.
Just be cautious. If it sounds to good to be true...it is!!!

smantha32

i love Ebay! i bought a cheap iPod on there the other day, and i buy all my hair tools on there. i got a brand new Chi flat iron for like $40 bucks

i avoid CL though, too many creepers.

I like ebay too, you can get way better deals on Craigslist though, if you can avoid creeper sales. lol

Momf3boys

I sold my ex husbands dream car on the Internet after our divorce...hahaha...got good money for it too.

fara180

i love Ebay! i bought a cheap iPod on there the other day, and i buy all my hair tools on there. i got a brand new Chi flat iron for like $40 bucks

i avoid CL though, too many creepers.

I like ebay too, you can get way better deals on Craigslist though, if you can avoid creeper sales. lol

i tried to buy a dining room table from this one guy who wanted me to pay him...without money. *gulp* :sick:

VeeBethTris

I purchased my current motorcycle on Craigslist. It's been one and only purchase and I have nothing but high praise for the deal I got!

Cp731

I sold my sewing machine for $50 and got a new one.

NYactor1

I had this really nice A/C - window unit. I hardly used it, than got central air, so I didn't need it. I posted it on CL, got the usual weird emails. The first legit one, we planned on meeting at a store about halfway between our homes. ( I didn't really want any weirdos at my house). So anyways, I meet this guy, plug it in, and he starts telling me how he thought "the compressor was bad". The thing was like new, and I had other ppl that were interested, so I told him if he didn't want it, that was OK. He goes on to say that he "knew something was off when you didn't want me at your house". I said whatever, you didn't invite me to yours either.

I sold it the next day to a really cool guy who bought it sight unseen and offered more than I was asking for it. You just never know. I have had awesome luck buying/selling on CL outside of this one incident.

Ramberta

I definitely got stiffed once, and I knew it was too good to be true-- someone was offering an Xbox 360 complete with a collection of about a dozen games and 2 controllers for $100. There were pictures in the ad, and when I talked with the seller on the phone he seemed like the gamer nerd type, rattling off the games he was willing to part with. He was even going to let me have his Xbox Live password, so that I could continue his membership until the end of the month. The catch? When I met the guy, he said he had to go in his house with the money alone, because his dogs "didn't like strangers" and were prone to biting. He seemed nice enough, so I trusted him... and gave him the money... and he walked up to the house (I was watching him from my car), then turned and ran around the side and disappeared! Fcking guy probably didn't even live there at all. And I called him over and over, but he never responded a single time. The voicemail was just one with the phone number, so I couldn't even prove the number was his. We'd done all our business over phone calls, so I had no text evidence of where I was meeting him, and thus didn't have anything to bring to the police. So he got away with it in the end, the scumbag.

However, I have also had several painless and friendly Craigslist sales, so it's really hit or miss. But DON'T show them your money til they show you the product!!!

nataliefamily3

I have only bought things but have had good luck. I only meet in a pubic place and bring hubs just in case, just safety precautions

smantha32

i love Ebay! i bought a cheap iPod on there the other day, and i buy all my hair tools on there. i got a brand new Chi flat iron for like $40 bucks

i avoid CL though, too many creepers.

I like ebay too, you can get way better deals on Craigslist though, if you can avoid creeper sales. lol

i tried to buy a dining room table from this one guy who wanted me to pay him...without money. *gulp* :sick:

Must have been one hell of a table!

smantha32

I had this really nice A/C - window unit. I hardly used it, than got central air, so I didn't need it. I posted it on CL, got the usual weird emails. The first legit one, we planned on meeting at a store about halfway between our homes. ( I didn't really want any weirdos at my house). So anyways, I meet this guy, plug it in, and he starts telling me how he thought "the compressor was bad". The thing was like new, and I had other ppl that were interested, so I told him if he didn't want it, that was OK. He goes on to say that he "knew something was off when you didn't want me at your house". I said whatever, you didn't invite me to yours either.

I would never ever invite a buyer to my house. Public place meetings only. You did the right thing!

Lobster1987

Yeah, I've had great craigslist experiences. Mostly great eBay ones. I got a score on a doll on Craigslist one time. I collect antique dolls and I got an antique chinahead doll for $20 from someone on Craigslist, who was happy as could be to get the $20 for it.....turns out, she's an uncommon mold from the 1860's and has an insurance value of about $350. Woot. I was a happy camper to find that out.

I loooove online wheelin' and dealin'.

tigerblood78

I'm always buying and selling on craigslist.....I'm pretty good at getting a read on people over the phone...if they're shady...and like has been mentioned....always meet in public places....cash in hand only.....great deals to be had!

MM_1982

It depends on where you live in my opinion. I sold a bunch of stuff on there when I lived in Boston because I had mostly normal people come to my place to buy my old couch, computer desk, etc.

In the Miami metro where I live now, I wouldn't let anyone set foot in my house.. way too many thugs and scammers down here.

It all depends on where you live.

Deipneus

I've heard horror stories about weird strangers on Craigslist but fortunately, all my experiences have been good both as buyer and seller.

kaylaandthestarcatcher

I found the love of my life on Craigslist.














I'm talking about my cat btw.

Goosiesnougs

I find a lot of people don't have the best grammar. I know when someone means there, and writes their........
I'm going to bargain---AND WIN. My 9 year old knows the difference! There are a lot of tire kickers so I make sure that if they want something I have it's on my time.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I've bought and sold stuff on craiglsit a few times, mostly some random parking lot that's convenient for both of us, and cash only. Anytime they're home visits I never enter their home, they never enter mine (I put the property in my garage and let them look at it there). I like a deal, but momma didn't raise no fool.

Beastette

Bought a car and made a friend a few weeks ago. She took really good care of her car. I liked that.

Selling baby stuff brings all the weirdos to the yard. One lady seems to want to text me more than she wants to buy this stroller. I don't like that. I told her to meet me at a local superstore and she asked me for the address...after I told her the city and street, I suggested she Google it. You can do that with CL, unlike MFP. I liked that.

darkguardian419

I bought a bunkbed set for the boys for $250 because my wife liked it. Did some research and even in not-quite-perfect shape the thing is worth about $1000... still considering putting them both on single beds and having the money for other things

The purchase was pleasant enough, I think it was a 'little' awkward for my father as the lady was flirting relentlessly with him

Rangarth

Wait they sell things on Craipslist? I thought it was just for stalkers.......I might have to check it out now.

Rangarth

hate double posting. sorry, dont know how to delete this.

Kimistry_

My husband just sold the broken car for more than we thought we'd get. But it wasn't a pleasant transaction. One guy said he was on his way. While he was "on his way" another guy stopped by and offered cash. We told him that we were waiting on the other guy to come look at it, because he called first. The other people upped their offer. So my husband called and asked the original person for his ETA. He said ten minutes. 45 minutes later we were still waiting for them, with the other guys waiting with us. They threw another hundred on it and we accepted, thinking that the original person flaked. Fifteen minutes after the sale, the original guy calls and says he's on the street. My husband told him that we thought they had flaked because they were so late with no calls and no show and he apologized. The guy went nuts and demanded that my husband repay him for his gas. My husband tried to reason with him, but ended up having to hang up. The guy then texted him nastily. It was very frustrating.

moosegt35

You must be extremely careful on Craig's List. I tried to sell a saddle and was contacted by an individual who wanted to purchase my saddle. He said he would send me a check for the full purchase price and would arrange for all pick up and shipping costs. Sounded great. However, this was a scam. What they do is send you a check for many hundreds of dollars over the purchase price stating the difference is for the shipper. Then, when you cash their check, they have your bank information.
Just be cautious. If it sounds to good to be true...it is!!!

To be fair, that is a pretty obvious scam that has been going on for YEARS. Also, who would take a check from a stragner anyway? Cash, face to face transactions are all I have ever done on CL and never had a problem

perfekta

I love Craigslist, even though it's a pain a lot. Listing stuff, always brings out the flakes that want to ask you info that you already posted, and flake out on showing up to look. But on the plus side, I can post stuff free that I want to get rid of, and it's gone in a nanosecond. (Plus you get some wickedly fun sob stories the second you post it from everyone trying to one up each other for a broken recliner).