Posted by Linda Juenger on 4/3/13 10:10pm
Msg #464370

Craigslist cont

This was just on the news. People, be very very careful when buying/sellinghttp://www.kmov.com/news/local/Man-shot-multiple-times-while-attempting-to--201362181.html

Reply by ToniK on 4/3/13 10:41pm
Msg #464374

Well thanks...I was gonna put my pathfinder up for sale on CL...lol I love CL. I buy alot of furniture off it and upcycle it. Thanks to pinterest, I am my own DIY interior decorator.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 4/3/13 11:35pm
Msg #464377

Just be careful Toni. I buy and sell off several yard sale sites in my area and we always meet at a busy public place. I never have anyone at my house. My hubby has a fit sometimes. lol

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 4/4/13 1:19am
Msg #464379

I think there is a lot of scare mongering about Craigslist. Yes, you need to be VERY careful, especially now. But, I've had a lot of success with CL. Granted, the best was 5-10 years ago... but still. I found a job and a guest house via CL. When we moved from LA 4-5 years ago, we posted our yard sale on CL and we sold out of everything in 2 hours.

CL is also quite self-policing. Regular users can spot the scams fairly readily and posts gets flagged and removed fairly quickly.

That's not to say that you shouldn't be careful... but by tossing out all these stories, you might be scaring people away from a valuable resource.

Sadly, though, a lot of scammers are targeting as there, more. But I know of some people who found their best employees via CL. In fact, in many cities, employers have to pay post their help wanted ads.

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 4/4/13 6:39am
Msg #464382

I tried selling my dining room furniture off Craig's List and was given a forged certified check. Lucky for me I decided not to release furniture until the check cleared.

Reply by MW/VA on 4/4/13 7:57am
Msg #464386

I tried to list a few items for sale on there & only got scam responses--not one legit reply. I hear of people who use it all the time. As we all know, there's been a lot of reported sleezy stuff go on through that site. I choose to stay away.

Reply by MonicaFL on 4/4/13 8:58am
Msg #464393

I can certainly identify with what you are saying about scammers. I listed an antique bar for sale and got several responses that "I am your best customer, take down the ad. I will send my agent, etc." We all know the drill. I then stated that I would only take CASH and, if they had the cash, they could come by and see the product then we would go to thebank and make sure the CASH was not counterfeit. The scammers went away - but I still have the bar.

Reply by Luckydog on 4/4/13 9:27am
Msg #464395

I agree with all of the above, and have always sold on there. You have to write your ad accordingly..."cash only" and never put your address on there, phone number is a must. If it is something you can take and meet at a bank parking lot, Walmart, that is what I do. I have never had a problem, and you must ALWAYS speak on the phone with them. If they cannot call you, do not waste your time. You can get a good sense from a person on how they are on the phone and genuine about your item.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/4/13 9:53am
Msg #464402

One way that might cut down on spam responses

I have not listed anything on CL, but have been told by some people that do, that stating a key word or phrase MUST be added to the subject line in the replies can help to weed out the spam responses.

They said it can be related to the ad or something totally different (i.e. "old bar", or "Dr. Pepper", etc.). They said to be sure to clearly spell out this requirement and put the key word(s) in quotations (e.g. Put "OLD BAR" in the subject line in replies or the message will not be read and deleted as possible spam).

The other warnings about safety and payment scams in general are good advice anytime you buy/sell anything online, regardless of the site.

Reply by 101livescan on 4/4/13 9:38am
Msg #464399

What is it made out of (oak, mahogany, maple?) I'm looking for an antique bar.

Reply by jba/fl on 4/4/13 11:19am
Msg #464421

I use CL all the time...always say cash or cc now that I have Square. Most of my items are under $100 and that seems to be the least amount of problems with scammers.

I have advertised more expensive stuff, but then get those "I will send my agent" notices, which I reply the item is sold. You just have to get a feel for the system in place and know that there are those with less than what we might call 'stellar' motives. I do not give phone number until after emails have taken place....and the emails are shielded so that my address is not going to the responder until I am ready for that. Then I shift to phone numbers, with me getting theirs first.