Craigslist Unreasonables

[Rich Riddle]

Hello,

I thought you folks might like to air your Craigslist unreasonable human stories. Today mine is a seller who wants me to travel two hours with no address and no telephone number and to write for the address thirty minutes prior to the meet. The seller will give a general area. Also the seller provided no name. Yeah, like that is going to happen. I simply wrote back that finding Waldo and cloak and dagger games held no interest on my part.

So what are your stories.

[Wade Lippman]

Mine isn't that bad, but a buyer 300 miles away wanted me to meet him half way to buy a $900 kayak. And what if he either doesn't show up or decides he doesn't like it?

I expect the person who drove 600 miles to buy a $1,500 sailboat from me will complain that when he got to the sailboat I wasn't there and didn't answer my phone for 3 hours.
It's not my fault he he left at midnight instead of the agreed 6am without emailing me.

[Chris Padilla]

I had a similar one like you, Rich, for a piano I was selling. First, he asked if I could deliver it because I did say in my ad that I would deliver WITHIN REASONABLE DISTANCE. I guess he thought 150 miles was reasonable distance. I then pointed out that he could refuse to buy it after I drove all that way. I told him I would deliver it but it would cost him a hundred bucks. I never heard from him again.

I did have a fist fight nearly break out in my front yard on some oak cabinets I was giving away for free many years ago. That was the last time I posted anything in the free ads. Now I post stuff I want to give away for like a dollar and then say in the ad that you can simply take it for free.

[Erik Loza]

Was selling a Bose stereo setup once. Ad included clear photos of unit plugged in and powered up, LED's displaying and everything. Guy messaged me, wants to buy it. Agreed to meet at local Target parking lot for the transaction. Arrived, met guy, college student-type. He looks it over in the back of my SUV and then asks, "Where can we plug it in? I want to listen to it". I was a little dumbfounded. "We can go into target and maybe they have an outlet or something". Guy asks me, "Can we drive over to your house and listen to it?" Again, a little dumbfounded. "Well, nothing personal but I'm not willing to have people into my house for something like this. Did you do any research about the unit beforehand? I gave all that info in the listing and you can see it powered up in the photos. You can find reviews and so forth online. I can probably plug it in somewhere in Target if you really want".

Now, dude seems dumbfounded: "How could I buy something without knowing if I like it or not?". I wanted to reply, "This is Craigslist, not Best Buy", but just asked him point blank if he wanted it or not. No, he didn't.

Told my wife that I would text her that all was OK, since she worries about stuff like Craigslist ambushes. I texted "Tire kicker" but accidentally sent it to the dude rather then her. Whoops.

Erik Loza
Minimax

[Wade Lippman]

Now, dude seems dumbfounded: "How could I buy something without knowing if I like it or not?". I wanted to reply, "This is Craigslist, not Best Buy", but just asked him point blank if he wanted it or not. No, he didn't.


I agree with the buyer; I wouldn't have bought it without verifying it worked first. But I would not have agreed to meet you in a parking lot to look at it.

Actually I met a guy in a parking lot to buy a domino many years ago. We went into a gas station to run it. I am sure I had a good reason for agreeing to the parking lot, but I sure can't remember what it was.

[Erik Loza]

I see your point and agree: Wish he would have said that it was important to him to hear it in person. Then, neither of us would have wasted our time. On the other hand, folks buy electronics on Ebay all the time without hearing it run so I sort of feel like you cannot expect to get a retail shopping experience when you are buying a piece of used electronics equipment on a free site. Just my thoughts of course,

Erik Loza
Minimax

[Wes Mitchell]

Sort of on topic. One local police department opened up their parking lot and lobby to help facilitate safe Craigslist transactions:

http://www.shakopeemn.gov/Home/Components/News/News/510/384?backlist=%2fcity-government%2fdepartments%2fpolice

I'm sure there are more cities doing it, but I saw someone mention this and thought it sounded like a great idea.


Told my wife that I would text her that all was OK, since she worries about stuff like Craigslist ambushes. I texted "Tire kicker" but accidentally sent it to the dude rather then her. Whoops.

Erik Loza
Minimax

[glenn bradley]

Invite a lookee-loo into my house so he can see if he and his buddies want to come back at night in a few months? Nope. Parking lot for sure.

[Erik Loza]

Wes, I just remembered this story: I was at the local Starbucks once. Cops arrive and detain this suspect while taking a statement from another gentleman. I eavesdropped and from what I could hear, the gentleman had his laptop stolen, saw it for sale on CL , then posed as a buyer and called the cops in order to bust the seller. Cops released the suspect but the other man did get his laptop back.

Erik Loza
Minimax

[Chris Padilla]

I guess it depends on the item you're selling but y'all opened my eyes regardless. I wasn't going to haul a piano to a parking lot to meet someone who was interested to buy it but good points nonetheless. I guess I've had good luck thus far but I'll be more cautious moving forward.

I recently sold my car via CL. We actually met the first time in a parking lot where she took it for a test drive. She left me her keys (older Mercedes) and her 2-year old son in the backseat and took off to test drive my car. I don't know what a kid is worth these days (or the Mercedes) but I think it would have covered the cost of the car had she decided to not come back! LOL Anyway, she did come to my house a couple days later to deliver the cash to buy my car so all went very well. :)

[Ken Shea]

Ha Ha, yes Craig List people can be a strange, no, make that a very strange bunch, on second thought make that just flat out weird.
Thankfully, there are the normal human beings selling as well, else it'd be visited just for laughs.

[Pat Barry]

My motto for craigslist is - don't ever buy anything expensive there and if the deal sounds to cheap to be true then it is and its because its stolen property.

[John Coloccia]

I've given up on Craigslist. The last straw was when I tried giving away a few things for free. I don't really want to get into it here, but I'll never use Craigslist again. Just a bunch of morons out there. I just donate stuff to my local Salvation Army, or if I don't think it's nice enough for them, I chop it up and toss it in the trash.

[Mike Lassiter]

everybody's saw the videos of the people of Wal-Mart I suppose. Reading this reminded me of some of those pictures. Just really wonder sometime what makes people do the things they do. But then, maybe normal to them seems as messed up to them as they seem to normal people.....

[ken masoumi]

I saw an ad for a V drum sander "near new" condition (according to the seller) so I emailed the guy and asked if he could send me a couple of pictures of the actual sander.
He first ignored me ,then sends me a nice picture taken from the manufacturer's site ,I insisted on the actual picture of the item for sale ,he got all upset ,he said:,it is the same as the manufacturer's photo except it has some saw dust on it!!he then called me a dreamer,I guess for not wanting to drive for 4 hours and buy a $500 sander sight unseen.

[Rich Riddle]

I had a meet in a parking lot a week ago. The seller wants to meet in the busiest parking lot in the metro. I said, "no." But offered to meet across the street in a far less busy lot. Had to explain to the kid (seller) that public is good but not being able to find a parking spot isn't good. The kid seems very nervous about a $20 transaction. He then admits he had a can of pepper spray in his pocket just in case. I indicated that was fair since I had a .45 in a holster just in case. He indicated he had heard of people kidnapping young males and sending them to be pleasure slaves in foreign lands so he worried. He was about five foot tall and just shy of four hundred pounds. I told him not to worry.

[julian abram]

I see your point and agree: Wish he would have said that it was important to him to hear it in person. Then, neither of us would have wasted our time. On the other hand, folks buy electronics on Ebay all the time without hearing it run so I sort of feel like you cannot expect to get a retail shopping experience when you are buying a piece of used electronics equipment on a free site. Just my thoughts of course,

Erik Loza
Minimax

I agree with Erik on this. The buyer is not shopping retail, he needs to do his research but there is always some risk buying used from another individual. I've purchased many firearms over the years sight unseen, based on photos and descriptions, never had a problem but know the potential for a problem exists. If you're uncomfortable shop at a retail store.

[Moses Yoder]

I have a number of very positive Craigslist experiences to share. I think it is human nature to focus on the negative. I am meeting a bunch of strangers now on Tuesday nights to go through a video series called "Stepping Up" and it starts with the question "What is the most courageous thing you have ever done?" I think I would have numerous regrets at the end of my life if I was asked that question and the answer was "Well, this one time I invited a Craigslist buyer into my home." Just thinking out loud.

[Erik Loza]

Just thinking about the safety issue of meeting prospectiver buyers, I always tell my wife exactly where and when the meeting will be and then tell her to come looking for me if I don't text within x-many minutes. As soon as I see the buyer's car, I text her the make and license plate numbr. I guess if someone's going to rob you, they're going to rob you but it makes me feel more secure. And I always choose a parking lot that has security cameras.

Erik Loza
Minimax

[Larry Browning]

Silly me,
I bought a used router on CL just a couple of months ago. This was my first CL transaction ever. The guy gave me his address and I went over there to look. I plugged it in, ran it, and bought it for the asking price. He said that he normally meets buyers in a parking lot, but he said I sounded like a stand up guy on the phone so he gave me his address. At the time I thought to myself, if he had asked to meet me in a parking lot, I would have just said "No thanks, I don't do business in a parking lot." It never occurred to me that it might be a safety issue. What is this world coming to, when you can't conduct a simple transaction without fear for your life?
Man, how I long for the way things used to be.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Invite a lookee-loo into my house so he can see if he and his buddies want to come back at night in a few months? Nope.

This is what has prevented me from listing stuff for sale on CL. Ain't never gonna happen. An established Creeker, tho - no sweat there.

A knowledgeable WW-type could bust into the basement shop with a carry-on size roller bag, and be out the door in under 5 minutes with $5,000++ worth of stuff in that one bag - not counting the fitted wool Tigers cap on the back bench.

Heck - he probably would have seen where the luggage is stored - he could grab any one of a half-dozen+ $400 Tumi bags to hold the other loot, and not have to bring his own. A "full-service" victim: carrying case, tools, and a Tigers cap.

Oh - WAIT!! The wine closet is down here too - if he knows anything at all about wine, there is some stuff there for a second bag full.

[Rich Riddle]

Oh - WAIT!! The wine closet is down here too - if he knows anything at all about wine, there is some stuff there for a second bag full.

No woodworker would take your wine, now if you had a closet full of Kentucky Bourbon, you would be in trouble, but wine....not an issue.

[Matt Day]

I'll go to a house if it's a big item, and have people come to my house if it's a big item. Other than that it's public places (think Target parking lot).
To some degree you need just a bit of faith in humanity. But Erik has the right idea. You can go one step further and ask them their address, and while on the phone Google map it with satellite view on and ask how many trees are in the front yard or something.
I've probably done around ~50 CL transactions and I'd say 3-4 of them were short a few screws (literally and figuratively, oh!). Most of them were smooth as silk and even met a few friends.
There are CL alternatives for some items too, like my wife is on a couple Facebook groups she calls "Mommy swaps" where they buy and sell things for garage sale prices on things like baby clothes and toys, but also for instance we just sold our treadmill for $450 to a very nice young couple who lives a ciuple streets over. You need to be invited by an existing member to join, so there is some degree of safety there. Most of the time the exchanges are called Porch Pickups, where you leave the item at your door and and envelope for the money. It's also limited to local people. Again, you need some faith in humanity.

[Brian Elfert]

I just bought a riding mower from a Craigslist listing last night. He lives quite literally in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't imagine him being willing to haul the thing ten miles into town to sell it. I wasn't worried in the least about it. I did keep the cash locked up in the car until I was sure I was going to buy.

[Paul McGaha]

I sold a guy a Delta 1 1/2 HP Dust Collector a few years ago. The portable kind with the cannister filter. I sent him some pictures of it and he agreed to buy it and asked if I could deliver it since I had a pick up truck and he didn't. He lived only a couple of miles away so I said I would.

He asked me to come on over because his wife didn't want "craigslist people" around their house after dark. I told him let's hurry up and finish the transaction so you and I won't be "craigslist people" anymore.

PHM

[Kent A Bathurst]

No woodworker would take your wine, now if you had a closet full of Kentucky Bourbon, you would be in trouble, but wine....not an issue.

The Georgia good-ol-boys would be disappointed to not find Bud Lite and Rebel Yell.

[Chris Padilla]

He asked me to come on over because his wife didn't want "craigslist people" around their house after dark. I told him let's hurry up and finish the transaction so you and I won't be "craigslist people" anymore.

PHM

Okay, I got a chuckle out of this. Just like "Walmart People" I suppose. Too darn funny. I guess I've sold more on CL than I've bought. The last thing I recall buying was my Delta 18/36 drum sander and that was many many years ago. Well I hope to continue to have positive dealings with CL folks! :D Actually, the woman who bought my car from me was rather cute.... :cool:

[Kent A Bathurst]

I just bought a riding mower from a Craigslist listing last night. He lives quite literally in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't imagine him being willing to haul the thing ten miles into town to sell it. I wasn't worried in the least about it. I did keep the cash locked up in the car until I was sure I was going to buy.

He coulda hired Richard Farnsworth to reprise his role in the film The Straight Story.

https://www.eden-court.co.uk/pub/img/event/4949/3809_detail.jpg

[Wade Lippman]

Invite a lookee-loo into my house so he can see if he and his buddies want to come back at night in a few months? Nope. Parking lot for sure.
I live in a nice house; it stands to reason that I have some nice things inside to steal. But all my neighbors have nice houses also, and I am sure they also have nice things to steal. I just can't imagine someone would pick me as a victim because I let him in my entryway to sell him an old zylophone. If anything he would pick someone else, because I know what he looks like and the police could possibly track him by emails. It just doesn't make any sense to me.
Plus I always get a phone number so I can let him know if anything comes up.

But of course, people are constantly doing things that make no sense to me.

[Erik Loza]

Wade, I hear what you are saying but be aware of things as well....

http://abc30.com/news/craigslist-post-leads-to-home-invasion-robbery-police-say/456391/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/craigslist-diamond-ring-ad-leads-to-fathers-murder-in-home-invasion-say-wash-state-cops/
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/08/14/craigslist-armed-robbery-home-invasion-under-investigation-in-anne-arundel-county/

All that being said, I have never had a bad experience selling or buying on CL and will continue to use it, just with precautions to protect myself and our home.

Erik Loza
Minimax

[Mel Miller]

I buy and sell regularly on CL. Have not had a problem. Have bought some great stuff at great prices and have met some interesting people. People come to my house, and I go to theirs most of the time rather than meeting in a parking lot. People have let me dig thru their garage & basement looking for treasures, and I let them look around in my shop.
I think you have to have some faith in humanity.

[Jim Matthews]

I buy on Craigslist occasionally.
I send the seller my phone number, and he can verify my bona fides.

If the item I'm interested in is really expensive, I tell them I
need to look it over than go the Bank for a cashier's check.

I tell them that I don't carry that kind of cash.

If I like what I've seen I go get the car "ready"
and bring back the cash.

If I'm selling something, we meet at the bank parking lot
or not at all. Never had any trouble.

I've had one, and only one offer that was clearly a con.
I passed that little gambit onto the local Po-Po.

The long and short of it - actual woodworkers are decent people.
They're not crooks. If the seller hasn't got a clue about
the item or they're selling 'for a friend' it isn't worth the hassle.

[Erik Loza]

The long and short of it - actual woodworkers are decent people.
They're not crooks. If the seller hasn't got a clue about
the item or they're selling 'for a friend' it isn't worth the hassle.

This is a good point. I think where folks need to be careful is with items that are potentially desireable from a theft or black market standpoint: Consumer electronics, cars, jewelry, bicycles, etc. I agree that it's pretty unlikely that someone interested in a set of hand planes or a table saw is there to case your shop. My wife and I did sell a king size bed on CL once. Invited the couple in, no problems, no hassles. But I would never do that for something where I had the option to "not" have potential buyers in my home.

Erik Loza
Minimax

[Myk Rian]

Sort of on topic. One local police department opened up their parking lot and lobby to help facilitate safe Craigslist transactions
Michigan State Police do that.

[Tom M King]

I have an item on Craigslist for sale for 9k. Today, I got a private message from a "buyer" saying he was okay with the price, but could only pay by Paypal, and that he would send his shipper to pick it up as soon as I had confirmation that the money was in my account. I told him to keep watching his messages, and wait for it.

[Wade Lippman]

Wade, I hear what you are saying but be aware of things as well....

http://abc30.com/news/craigslist-post-leads-to-home-invasion-robbery-police-say/456391/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/craigslist-diamond-ring-ad-leads-to-fathers-murder-in-home-invasion-say-wash-state-cops/
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/08/14/craigslist-armed-robbery-home-invasion-under-investigation-in-anne-arundel-county/

All that being said, I have never had a bad experience selling or buying on CL and will continue to use it, just with precautions to protect myself and our home.

Erik Loza
Minimax

I don't get it. Those crimes could have been done just as well by picking a victim at random, rather than using CL. Probably even better. Why CL?

But okay, it happens. I bet I have sold 100 things on CL at my house and bought 30, all but 2 at their house. One guy was a real jerk (long story, not dangerous) but all the rest went well.


But almost everything is like that. People die driving and skiing every day, but I drove to go skiing yesterday. A couple years ago I read about two people dying on the 3rd pitch of a climb in Yosemite; I had been at that exact spot 6 months earlier, but things like that happen. You can't avoid them and live.
Sure, you don't have to use CL, but I bet it is safer than skiing.

[Keith Westfall]

Found a 5 drawer lateral file case (for the shop!) on Kijjii for $40. Emailed the guy and asked for a couple more pictures. Said he delivered (from out of town) and had to be paid in advance.

Then I was away for work, asked him to hold it, was willing to pay if need be. He said to contact him when I got back, tried to meet up, but he has a son that's dealing with cancer :( so we had to reschedule a couple of times - told him family comes first... finally met him in town, and he had it wrapped in stretch wrap to keep the doors closed in transit. He asked if I wanted him to take it off so I could see the drawers worked ok. I said, do they work? he said yes. Paid him the money AFTER it was in my truck! We were both happy.

And the drawers worked just fine.

[Ken Shea]

It's always prudent to be extra safe with these type of sales/purchases, that's why I always send the wife.

[Jerome Stanek]

Many years ago my brother was into go kart racing and went to MI for a big race asked the police if they could sleep in their parking lot to be sure no one messed with their karts.

[Paul McGaha]

I think craigslist can be pretty useful. My daughter bought a cherry table once off craigslist, an Ethan Allen piece, shaped about like a desk. She bought it for $100 if I remember correctly. I'm not sure what it costs new but I'm sure it was pretty expensive being from Ethan Allen. The person she bought it from was just tired of it and wanted a new look.

It's being used as a table for my teen age grand daughter to do her school work. My wife and I had a glass top made for it to protect it.

PHM

[Curt Harms]

......................................

Told my wife that I would text her that all was OK, since she worries about stuff like Craigslist ambushes. I texted "Tire kicker" but accidentally sent it to the dude rather then her. Whoops.

Erik Loza
Minimax

You're a gentleman. I would probably have texted worse.:p

[Mike Wilkins]

My only 2 Craigslist experiences were with other woodworkers, selling woodworking equipment. Very positive experiences both times; must be some fine upstanding folks who love to make chips and sawdust.

[Jesse Busenitz]

Well...... if you live in the country like me, you can just have a friend in the back yard doing some "target practice" while you're wheeling and dealing to help keep everything on the up and up. Seriously if it is a big$ item I normally take someone along with me just as an extra measure.

[Rich Riddle]

My only 2 Craigslist experiences were with other woodworkers, selling woodworking equipment. Very positive experiences both times; must be some fine upstanding folks who love to make chips and sawdust.
You are a fortunate person. I have looked at tools a few times and asked questions regarding the tools. When it becomes apparent the seller knows absolutely nothing about the tools he is attempting to sell, I walk. Tools are one of the preferred stolen items to sell. If a seller can't tell you how it works and what it does, he didn't use it. For an ignorant seller, unless it's a widow, I have no interest in purchasing his/her tools.

[Greg Muller]

Ditto. Bring a friend, meet in a public place, or have protection with you. I've never had an issue, but all it takes is once, especially if a perp knows you are going to have a significant amount of cash with you.

[Mike Henderson]

You are a fortunate person. I have looked at tools a few times and asked questions regarding the tools. When it becomes apparent the seller knows absolutely nothing about the tools he is attempting to sell, I walk. Tools are one of the preferred stolen items to sell. If a seller can't tell you how it works and what it does, he didn't use it. For an ignorant seller, unless it's a widow, I have no interest in purchasing his/her tools.
I have a woodworking friend who's a county deputy. He told me that if they stop someone who has a bunch of tools, they ask them how the tools are used. If they can't explain, the police investigate further to try and determine if the tools are stolen. He also told me to put my driver's license number on tools because the cops can run a driver's license immediately.

Mike

[Jim Underwood]

I'd been trying to sell a CNC made knockdown hobby bench, fully painted for about $20, for quite some time- heck, half a sheet of good 3/4" birch ply is worth more than that..... It sat around in my shop for a while, got pretty dusty- also a bit on the musty side. Get's pretty humid here in Georgia.
Finally got an email from a guy, said he was interested. Blew all the sawdust off, rubbed some of the gunk off... Got his address, showed up in the parking lot with it, and the guy started turning up his nose at it because it smelled a bit musty. Fine, I'll take it home and clean it up. "No, no, I'll take it... would you take 18 for it?" Oh sure fine. "But wait, I have a problem cause I don't have the cash on me. Could you carry it up to my room and wait for me to go to the ATM just over there?" No, I'll wait right here. I get on the phone with a friend and twenty minutes later the guy hadn't shown back up. I tried calling him, but get no answer. Figuring he'd stiffed me, I loaded it back up and drove back home. About 30 minutes later, he emails me, and says he can't meet me again this night, but his wife has the cash, and would I bring it back... I didn't respond.
A week later he sends me another email, and would I sell this thing to him. I said, sure, but it's cleaned up now, and I want $20 cash, and he'll have to come to MY parking lot...
He wasn't interested in that, said I could keep it, and by the way, the transaction would have been completed if I had just trusted him.
I said, I trusted you the first time, but you didn't like the merch, didn't have the money, left me standing in the cold. So just for the record, If YOU had had the money, the transaction would have been completed. So no thanks to you, I'll cut this thing up and throw it in the dumpster before I sell it to you...

[Rick Potter]

I have had a few like that, Jim, but for the most part, I have had pretty good luck.

My worst one was a Chinese lady who came over to buy a little Sears router table. It was brand new with the router included, but the router didn't work, I was selling it real cheap. I picked it up at a sale, thinking I could get the router working. Anyway, she homed right in on the router not working, which was clearly described in the ad. Long story short, she went back and forth so many times I escorted her out, and told her I would not sell it to her.

She looked at me in disbelief, and almost cried. I relented, giving her one last chance to 'take it or leave'. She took it and almost ran out. I suspect she was getting it for someone else.

[Chris Padilla]

I'd been trying to sell a CNC made knockdown hobby bench....

I'll give you $17 for it. :D

[Chris Padilla]

My worst one was a Chinese lady....

Reminds me of a Broan/Nutone 3-function wall switch I currently have on CL. I've had it on there for months and for a good price but only one inquiry on it:

I got an email reply on it and decided to do as the guy asked and I called him. I called and mentioned the ad and item for sale. He was clearly a non-native English speaker (Asian of some kind I'm guessing) and wanted my cheap bathroom fan for sale. I said I didn't have one...it was a wall switch that could be USED for a fan. He then said he wants the fan and can he come get it. I then explained that it was not a fan...it was a switch. He paused and then mumbled something to someone else and then clearly started arguing with this person and then hung up! LOL

Mind you, I don't often CALL people who request I call them when they email me. I'll usually exchange a couple of emails with them to feel 'em out a bit before I attempt to have a conversation with them. I wanted to sell this switch so I guess I was desperate and decided to forego my modus operandi. It backfired a bit, I guess. :D