topic for discussion: CL

[jerseyben]

What happened to CL?

About 2 years ago my CL dealings started slowing to a trickle. Now I havent made a successful deal via CL in about a year (except for 1 which was a personal collection buy which almost didnt happen).

Examples of ads I ROUTINELY see:

1. Wanted: Gold silver antiques jewelry. Best prices around (yet no prices listed). We will take it off your hands.
2. Wanted: Scrap metal. Have unwanted batteries, copper tubing, lead? We will pick up and take it off your hands. This is typically right next to 20 other similar ads and some actually offer to pay for the scrap.
3. For trade: Insert random mildly valuable item here in questionable condition. Will trade for a nice car or motorcycle or something of greater value only. or What do you have to offer - no junk?
4. For sale: Insert random mildly valuable item here in questionable condition. Price - $ higher than retail.
5. For sale: Some giant piece of crap that absolutely nobody wants. Price - $ 10 times higher than retail.
6. Wanted: A loan. You don't know me but I need to borrow $100 by tonight.

IF you do actually manage to pick through all the garbage and find a halfway decent ad... You will typically not get a reply. I have answered countless ads with "Ill take it, what time can we meet?" only to get no response or get the run around until I finally gave up. Once I drove 30 mins to meet a guy at the mall. I waited 4 hours and 3 phone calls before I finally gave up.

The new thing is the bait and switch or the "almost a scam". You go back and forth and try to hash out the details of a deal until finally it is revealed that some minute detail turns into a complete deal breaker. Or they advertise a price and then when you get down to finishing the deal, they tell you the advertised price was only if some obscure condition is met, which almost always kills the deal. The thing that is frustrating me the most is people's unwillingness to negotiate. Maybe I am just "old school" but if you aren't willing to haggle or negotiate then you are wasting everyone's time. CL isn't a retail store and the rules are quite different. Don't treat it as such.

End rant.

 

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[mjlalt]

I have not done much on craigslist lately for the same reasons.
Craigslist is still good for finding yard sales and for free packing supplies.

 

[GibH]

If I put something on craigslist I list it for I will take and put "firm". I get tired of the ridiculous low ball offers and even out right beggars.

 

[GrizLeeBear]

Craig's List quickly went from a good "service" to something akin to the internet. There are people in the world who see everything as an opportunity to scam. The potential for good is there, but so are those who are either just having "fun" at your expense or those who want to scam you out of money. I gave up on it years ago. I guess you can spend the time and filter through one ad after another, but to me it was no longer "worth a grown man's time."

 

[calisdad]

You get what you pay for. Unfortunately it doesn't cost anyone to post and alot of them are phishing for your email so they can sell it. You just have to sift through and learn what you can to spot bogus ads. Its hard to feel sorry for a guy who wires someone $2500 for a $25,000 truck. Then there are those with unrealistic expectations: a woman locally has been trying to get $1500 for a $150 wood lathe for about 2 years.

Beyond all that it still can be a useful website. Just bring your good sense with you.

 

[clovis97]

Using CL isn't really even on my radar anymore.

I did list a doll house kit this past summer, and had every low baller in town wanting to buy it. I was asking $99 firm for a kit that retails for $350. I had someone offer $40 cash if I drove it to their house over an hour away.

Out of desperation, I listed an extra wide wheelchair on CL. What a waste. I had tons of emails asking me to donate it to their group so they could sell it to someone needy. Totally unbelievable.

 

[treasurekidd]

I only use CL for larger items that I don't want to be bothered to have to ship. I've only tried two listings in the last year, a big brass floor lamp and a keyboard, and both sold for the "firm" price I listed them at within a few days. I did get quite a few flakes, people who don't reply to your email or show up when they say they will, but that's part of the cost of doing business I suppose.

 

[cheese]

I just tried to buy a stove and fridge from a guy for one of my rental homes on craigslist. I contacted him early in the week and he said I could get them Friday and he would call. Friday came and I heard nothing, so I sent him another message and he sent one back saying nothing but "sold". Wow, promise it to me, make me wait, then sell it out from under me.

I did make a couple of successful deals recently, and have another deal pending. This guy has a fridge, stove, washer, and dryer for sale an hour away from me. I am supposed to be locked in on the deal and to pick it up saturday. We'll see.

I posted something for sale recently and all I got were scams where someone wanted to send me a money order and have their "personal shipper" come pick it up from me.

 

[diggummup]

I've sold a few things with no problems. I've hired a couple people before, using it. I saw an ad yesterday showing a bad of weed for sale. Look- **WeeD** i have fire grade A++ marijuana for cheap hmu anytime
I use it mostly for garage sale ads though. Even then you have to know which ones to ignore because they advertise every day for years on end. Stupid people. I can't comprehend it myself. I used to flag the spammers but I don't bother anymore. It doesn't stop them.

 

[jerseyben]

Don't get me wrong, CL is still 2nd to none for garage sales listings.

 

[jerseyben]

Here's a good one:

"WILL PAY 21 T0 30TIMES FACE VALUE THATS 20.00 FOR EVERY DOLLAR OR MORE . DEPENDS ON COIN AND QUANITY SO CALL TODAY FOR QUOTE ASK FOR JIM"

Which is it? 20, 21, or 30?

 

[jerseyben]

Here's a GREAT title:

"Have unwanted gold or silver jewelry laying around? We pay Ca$h! (South Jersey)"

Might as well just say "Have piles of cash cluttering up your house? We will take it off your hands!"

 

[jerseyben]

Just spent a few days working out a trade with someone on CL. Deal just fell apart for seemingly no reason. Typical.

 

[treasurekidd]

I agree on CL being good for yard sale listings. I can't wait for yard sale season to come rolling back around. I'm under two feet of snow right now. Another 2 months or so!

 

[smokeythecat]

I never use it.

 

[cheese]

I just got home from looking at an item listed on craigslist... an hour away. They misrepresented it, said it has features it doesn't, and it had been outside in the rain and was wet, smelly, and moldy. I could have picked something better out of the dump. The owner met me at the road in her pajamas (6:00 in the evening?) and her husband(?) came out with no shirt and his pasty white beer belly hanging out while my wife and I stood there trying to believe this was all happening. Even Jeff Foxworthy would have been speechless.

Yesterday, it went better. I went to get a house-full of appliances from 1.5 hours away to furnish one of my rental homes. I got a houseful of nice, clean, good looking, working appliances (stove, washer, dryer, fridge, and nearly new upright freezer) for $625. Can't beat that.

 

[2ndisbest]

A lot of flakes on craigslist. And a lot of *******es. I sold an item and I asked the guy where he was coming from so I could give him the best directions. I needed to leave in a few hours and I know craiglist people are always "5 minutes away" every ten minutes. Anyhow an hour and a half goes by and I call the guy and he tells me he is just getting off the expressway. Problem is there was no reason ever for this guy to get on the expressway unless he wanted to drive many miles out of his way in the opposite direction of my house. I know the exit he got off at and it is maybe a 15-20 minute drive in heavy traffic. So 30 minutes goes by and still no guy, I call him back and he just got off the expressway and is heading south in my direction.... At least he didn't haggle with me on the item and yes I was late after giving myself a 2 hour cushion for a 25 minute trip tops.

You have to put up with a lot of bullshit but for no fees and the ability to sell big heavy objects that would eat up all your profits if you had to ship it, you can't beat it.

 

[jerseyben]

Wow:

"Will pay 300 to 500 for 1981to1986 cutlass grand national and regal two not running or running".

If you know what a 'Grand National' is, you will see why this ad is so rediculous. It is hard to find a 1985 Chevy Celebrity for 300 bucks let alone a Grand National...

 

[redfish76]

Wow:

"Will pay 300 to 500 for 1981to1986 cutlass grand national and regal two not running or running".

If you know what a 'Grand National' is, you will see why this ad is so rediculous. It is hard to find a 1985 Chevy Celebrity for 300 bucks let alon e a Grand National...

The t-type,gn and gnx were the king of the streets in the 80s and the fastest production cars... $300 bucks for a Turbo Buick lol I would jump on a messed up one for 3k

 

[Iron Patch]

I admire the patience some must have to deal with Craigslist because it's not something I could do. Plus so many of my deals are so small the profit would be lost if I had to take any amount of time and effort to complete them. That said, I'd certainly give it a try for a great deal, but how many idiots would a person have to go through before actually hitting a good score. My guess is too many.