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View Full Version : people on Craigslist stink sometimes



Dave Aronson
02-26-2011, 9:03 AM
I found a great deal on craigslist yesterday and send mail within minutes of the posting going up. no response at all then it just goes away.... seriously, even a short message that says that it is sold would suffice.

Michael Weber
02-26-2011, 9:28 AM
You are right. Its fair to say dealing on Craigslist can be an unhappy experience for many reasons.

Tim Livingston
02-26-2011, 8:18 PM
I posted a free fiberglass reinforced plywood box for carrying gear on an ATV last week on there and the first two emails I got said they would take it. I just wanted to get rid of it I sold my ATV 3 years ago and it has been in the way ever since. Both of the first two wanted me to deliver it to them! It's free man, I'm not delivering it, the dump is closer!

I think I need to start adding to the postings, "No Delivery, First come first served" I always reply to every "real" email, I told the first two I wouldn't deliver and whoever got there first got it, when someone else came and got it I wrote the other two and told them it was gone. People are just rude!

Joe Angrisani
02-26-2011, 8:51 PM
Tim.... Put a price on it. It's all about perceived value! If they think they're getting a steal at $10, they'll be there in a heartbeat. :D

Tim Livingston
02-27-2011, 5:55 AM
Friend of mine told me a story, he had some purebred beagle puppies but without papers, he said the darn dogs can't read anyways! He placed an ad for free dogs and couldn't get rid of a single one. Then a friend of his told him the same thing you said, "put a price on it". He placed an ad for $50 each and they went like hotcakes!

Charlie Reals
02-27-2011, 6:07 AM
Friend of mine told me a story, he had some purebred beagle puppies but without papers, he said the darn dogs can't read anyways! He placed an ad for free dogs and couldn't get rid of a single one. Then a friend of his told him the same thing you said, "put a price on it". He placed an ad for $50 each and they went like hotcakes!

I wish I had known, I would be hunting over the best pack of free dogs anyone ever saw. Danged, always a day late and a dollar short. lol

Jeff Fagen
02-27-2011, 9:04 AM
I can't sell anything in the ad paper or Craigs list because people won't drive the 8 miles out from the city to look???,Heck,they're not even sure where my town is!

Eric DeSilva
02-27-2011, 10:25 AM
I try to respond to everyone when I sell something on CL, but to be fair... If you do post something with a good price, you can be inundated with replies--a lot of them spam. I can see how someone could decide emailing everyone was too much. At least he took the ad down.

Pat Germain
02-27-2011, 1:44 PM
Unfortunately, the world is filled with morons. And morons tend to congregate on craigslist to both buy and sell. So, I guess the trick is to sort out the morons whether buying or selling. There are great people out there and some of them are on craigslist. You just have to find them.

Jim Mackell
02-27-2011, 3:14 PM
I've bought and sold on CL. My main beefs are (1) when someone lists an item for it's original price and it's been used for 5 or 6 years. Some of these listing get rerun every week for months before they disappear. Or (2) when they list something like "Tools - all must go this weekend". No list, no phone number, no address. Guess you're supposed to knock on all the doors in Town to see who might be cleaning house and if anything there interests you.

Dan Hintz
02-27-2011, 5:11 PM
when they list something like "Tools - all must go this weekend". No list, no phone number, no address. Guess you're supposed to knock on all the doors in Town to see who might be cleaning house and if anything there interests you.
Actually, it's no phone number, no address, and "NO EMAILS!!!" Well, you kinda don't leave me much to work with, do you...

David Weaver
02-27-2011, 5:53 PM
Tim.... Put a price on it. It's all about perceived value! If they think they're getting a steal at $10, they'll be there in a heartbeat. :D

We used to do that in the days before craigslist. If you put a sign on something at the road (we lived on route 30, lots of traffic), nobody would stop - they'd think whatever was out must be broken and just waiting for trash day.

Put $10 on it and you'd never get all the way back to the house before someone stopped and wanted it. We always just gave it to them no charge, anyway, but had to do that to get people to stop.

Maybe things have changed now - we have two or three different guys who comb our neighborhood on trash day, they've taken everything I've put out.

Curt Harms
02-28-2011, 7:18 AM
.............
Maybe things have changed now - we have two or three different guys who comb our neighborhood on trash day, they've taken everything I've put out.

And put it on Craigs List :p

Jim Underwood
02-28-2011, 2:47 PM
Only thing worse than dumb craigslist posters is dumb truck drivers. I had one leave me a voice message on the answering machine once...

"I'm out here on I-20, how do I get there?"

End of message.

Chris Padilla
02-28-2011, 3:37 PM
First rule on craigslist: Never EVER offer anything for free!

As many have pointed out already, most folks see that as junk and not worth checking out.

Also, you could end up with a fist fight on your front lawn.

Finally, you get the strangest people showing up...most of 'em you walk a wide berth around if you saw 'em coming at you on the sidewalk.

Yeah, I put some FREE old cabinets up on CL once because I wanted them gone that day. Never again will I post anything there for free.

Overall, I've done very well with CL in both buying and selling. You do need a thick skin just like posting on chat boards, however.

Jeff Monson
02-28-2011, 4:29 PM
Overall, I've done very well with CL in both buying and selling. You do need a thick skin just like posting on chat boards, however.

I'll second that, I've sold quite a bit on CL this last few months, truck, snowmobile, shaper and a tablesaw. For what
it cost me (ZERO) I'll deal with a little BS. Made a couple woodworking friends to boot!! I always respond to emails and
phone calls no matter what though, its the least you can do.

Jim McFarland
03-04-2011, 5:16 PM
Buyers aren't always the most trustworthy, either.....young man calls Monday with a firm commitment to buy a small MIG I'm selling if I will wait until Friday (payday)....as you've guessed, he's not answering phone or emails today. Oh well, a son of one of LOML's friends wants to look at it so maybe will work out for the best, anyway.

I 2nd the "thick skin" comment whether buying or selling. Don't believe it's sold until you're counting the cash and they are driving away.