I was just on Craigslist posting a job ad, and I saw this:
The real ad has the fellow’s actual name and phone number.
I’ am not sure it is wise to post an ad like this but was wondering what you guys think.
I mean, I’d be concerned about the guy coming and messing with me, since he clearly knows where I live— but really, this isn’t terribly different than posting a Yelp review of a business.
Looks like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
I’d be fired for doing so. HR makes it very clear that you may only confirm dates of employment for a recruiter asking about a former employee.
I do not think the ad poster is a businessperson. It is someone who hired Firstname Lastname to do work in a private residence. The ad was in the skilled artisans section.
I get that. To answer your OP, no it is not wise for me. 
As a small business owner, IME reality is very different. I have revealed that a former employee was an asshole, for example. And I’ve had other small business owners help me out this way as well.
Have you taken out an ad on Craigslist, though? It seems to me that is very different from saying something privately and informally to another business owner of your acquaintance.
^agree
Yes, there is a “code” for this. Much of it is how you answer the “Eligability for Re-hire” question. Belly-laughs tell a tale of a thousand words.
The Craigslist ad is crazy, but man-o-man have I wanted to do just that! I imagine that is what Angie’s List if full of. If I wasn’t such a forgiving soul (actually, cheap bastard) I would join just to tear a few folks new assholes with opinion.
I would wonder more about the person who posted that rant, than the person they were ranting about.
*I hired Firstname Lastname and it cost me weeks of wasted time and grief. *
Hired him to do what? How many weeks? What did he do wrong? Did he accomplish nothing at all, or are you just unsatisfied with the work he did do?
He never showed up and when he did he was hours late.
How many times was he scheduled, as opposed to how many times he was late? How many hours late? Did he call? Did he have an excuse? Did it sound valid? Did he reschedule? (And “never” means you never saw him after the initial contact. “When he did” invalidates the claim of “never”.)
*He stole equipment from my home and owes me $300 cash. *
Details? Did you give him an advance? Before or after he allegedly stole from you? What makes you so sure he stole whatever it is?
While he was working for me he screwed another guy over and that guy threatened him so he went to the police station but they wouldnt take the report probably because hes a criminal just outta jail.
Now you’re sounding like Jim Anchower. He did this and this other guy did that and I can’t even use punctuation.
Don’t get me wrong; this guy may still have been ripped off. But with only this to go on, there’s just as strong a possibility that he is the flake, and Firstname Lastname would be justified in posting his own ad warning people not to work for him.
I sort of did this once on the opposite end. I had an interview to do some freelance work for a company (saw the ad on craigslist). Confirmed the date and time through email… went to their office space (they had a shared lobby with other businesses) and sat… And sat. I knocked on their office door… I called the office number. Then I sat some more. After 30 minutes, I left.
I emailed when I got home but didn’t receive any response.
The next day I saw that the ad was reposted. I posted on the same board and referenced the ad and relayed my experience. I believe I ended it with “They wasted my time and they may waste yours.”
I received an email apologizing for them forgetting about my interview and would I please take my ad down. I refused.
Could you post the ad removing some specific details but say something like “You can contact me for more details if you have concerns.”
“This food is terrible! And such small portions!”
When we were screwed by a HVAC guy we hired off Craigslist (partly our own fault for advancing him money for parts), we were eventually able to make a police report and get our money back from the guy. In the meantime, to prevent other people from getting screwed, my husband went onto Craigslist and flagged every ad this guy posted (because he was still advertising his services), so Craigslist would take them down. I guess we could have posted a “don’t hire this guy” ad, but since we were already going after him, it seemed unwise to escalate things like that.