My cousin does stuff on craigslist all the time, and he says that tons and tons of people are flakes. It’s just the nature of the website. Typically, the more expensive the item you are selling, the flakier they are.
And he always does his trades at a public place (like a parking lot), not his own house. Or he meets them at their place if they prefer.
I’d also suggest it is nothing more than flakiness. If I’m going out to look at used cars, odds are I have called and lined up several so I can see them all in one trip (especially if I am dependent on someone else driving me around because, hey, I’m apparently in the market for a car).
So, I go to house#1 and the car has already been sold, then house #2 and the guy isn’t home and the car isn’t there (sellers are flakes too), then house number #3 has the car I REALLY wanted and we make a deal and I buy it. House #4 was you and you were my back up, but I never call because I made at deal at the previous place.
I was selling my Grey Ghost last year ('87 Mazda 323). I did the parking lot thing near a place where I knew the guy and he was cool about it and could keep an eye out during the day. (Brought it home at night.) Flyer with my number in the window plus specs.
Got several calls, I’d arrange a meeting. Nada. Met only 1 person. It’s just not Craigslist.
Yeah, these people are flakes. Wouldn’t believe the number of people who didn’t understand what “manual transmission” meant. (I was double checking on that.) Which is why the one person who did show up couldn’t buy it.
Of course my car is a low end basic transport model, people with newer models might get different flakes.
(Ended up keeping the car. FtGKid2 needed a car and he’s driving it.)