Craigslist Unreasonables

[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! Actually, the woman who bought my car from me was rather cute....

[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.

[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-pos...ce-say/456391/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/craigsli...sh-state-cops/
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/0...rundel-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