I posted my first ad on Craigslist recently. Things went well and I sold the item. I am happy.
Even better, I learned something about how to effectively use Craigslist. Speed is of the essence. I missed several potential buyers because I only checked my email twice a day.
The ad posted and I didn’t get any response for a few days. I didn’t get lots of responses, but what would happen is someone would send me mail (through Craigslist for security reasons). If it was 3-4 hours old, I was too late. There were people who were literally on the road and would respond to my ad. If I didn’t reply within a couple of hours, they were on to the next sale and I was too late.
Eventually, I learned my lesson and increased my checking and that fixed the lag. I was contacted about the item and suggested we meet tomorrow (Saturday) or maybe Monday. The response was-how about today? Like in an hour.
Better than buyers who want you to hold it for them until next week. As a seller, I say do not contact me until you are ready at that very moment to come over and buy it. Otherwise you sit home waiting for no-shows.
The one time I used Freecycle (same idea) to get rid of an TV, I very clearly specified that you have to pick it up today. Over the next few hours I probably got two dozen emails asking if they could pick it up tomorrow, next week, after they move to their new house etc, all complete with sob storys. I even got a handful of emails days after I took the post down.
At first I responding to people telling them it needed to be today, but then as one buyer committed to picking it up in an hour or so, I stopped replying. I figured if this fell through, I could pick the next person.
Honestly, I kinda like the CL posts that say “It’s out by the curb, if it’s not there, someone already picked it up, please don’t ring my doorbell or email me about it”.
I really didn’t like freecycle, next time I need to get rid of something like, I do it this way on CL.
I use Craigslist all the time. Yes, speed is of the essence.
Except when its not. You see an ad for something that’s been up for a month. Lowball that shit. They might just want it gone. More than likely, they forgot to delete the ad, and its been gone for a three weeks. I hate that shit.
On the rare occasions I use it, I get a throwaway phone and a new number to post on the ad. Last time within a few weeks of the sale the number was receiving a barrage of calls and texts. I shut down the number and tossed the phone. FWIW: I’ve used CL twice, both times selling expensive items.
I used CL for the first time last month. Got rid of a couch that even the charities wouldn’t take. (It was in okay shape. These people are really picky nowadays. We bought much worse when I was in grad school.)
All contact was via CL’s private email service until it was time for a pickup. Several exchanges to make sure it was a regular person.
I’ve successfully bought and sold on Craigslist. Selling things I get maybe 25 responses for each “real” response. I once was selling a pontoon boat for $8,000. It was a good deal and my price was firm. I had a few “seriously interested” people who were each told that the first person to show that weekend with eight grand in hand got the boat.
One guy showed up with a bag of assorted bills totaling $7,550 or so. I explained my price was firm. He kept going on and on about how hard it was for him to scrounge up what he had. He wanted to pay the balance over time. While this was ongoing, another guy showed up with
enough money and we drove off to the notary.
I bought a big box full of bird toys, all new-in-box, many duplicates, retail value a couple hundred dollars. The seller listed it for $50, which was an amazing deal. We arranged to meet. She was tweaker-weird, wore a hoodie with the hood up, and was scary. She got out of her car, asked if I had “the forty”. I handed her two twenties and lifted the box out of her trunk. While I put it in my car she sped off. I’m so naive that the fact it was stolen merchandise didn’t dawn on me until later that day.
I didn’t put any contact info in the ad, not even my address. I relied on the CL email-which worked better than I expected. But as I mentioned, one has to check frequently. As for the contact to buyer ratio, most of my misses can be attributed to my error. I don’t know what would have happened if I had replied promptly. But one has to provide an address and cell number when the buyer seems serious or the deal is off.
As it turned out, the sale went very well. Both the buyer and seller are happy.
Don’t suspend your sales for too long to meet with the buyer. Buyers will often flake out, and you’ll waste several days trying to meet up. I’ll hold something if we’re meeting the same day, but otherwise items are subject to prior sale.
Strangely enough, one reason I like buying on CL is because there are so many flakes. I’m super reliable with communication and meeting up, so I can often get great deals because people are so tired of being jerked around.
I have a bunch of stuff to sell after moving to a small place, and I think I have to bite the bullet and get on Craigslist. I’ve used it couple of times before, so I think I’m comfortable with the communication firewall, between the anonymized email system and a burner phone.
My biggest concern is having the inevitable proportion of idiots that I don’t screen out coming to my home. I have a pretty nice little place in an affluent area. Do you think the idiots are just idiots, or do people routinely use Craigslist as a pretense to scout out homes as targets for burglary?
I love Craigslist–I’ve sold and bought many things over the years, including giving away everything from magazines to clumps of ornamental grass to the rusted cast iron water pipes we ripped from the wall. (Seriously–the rusted out pipes were gone within a hour of posting.)
I’ve never had a problem with including my phone number as an option to contact me–I’d much rather be contacted via text than have to check my email constantly. With many people, they’d rather text than call anyway (in my experience).
I’ll never list a car for sale on CL again. I got spammed like hell, especially with “hey, run your VIN through SketchyCarReport.com for $49.95 and send the report to me!” Crap.
And the “real” inquiries were often surreal: Hey, you listed the SUV at $12,000 firm/no trades- will you take $7500? How about trading it for six chickens, a boa constrictor and an '87 Yugo? It just needs an engine."
And no, sketchy guy and your tweaking friend I met in a parking lot, you can’t take the car for a test drive if you can’t show me a valid driver’s license. And double no on taking a drive without me.
After two weeks of horror I sold the Jeep to a car dealership. I took less than $12k and was relieved to be shorn of my CL listing.
It’s very common around here for buyers and sellers to meet at a Sheetz (a chain of gas station/convenience stores). The parking lots are spacious and covered with surveillance cameras.
Yes, I was wondering about something like that, but a lot of my stuff is furniture. I guess I could just rent a large storage unit for a month (with enough room to see stuff rather than just jam it in there) and take people there.
I only list with a phone number. I like talking to the person prior to giving out my address, and I don’t text. If they’re too lazy to call me, then they don’t want it badly enough. I’ve sold several cars, a bunch of gold coins (met the guy in a very public place), and even gave away an old glass shower door on CL. I also bought my Taylor guitar on CL for a great price.
Some callers aren’t serious, and I don’t know why they bother. One guy called and gave me a sob story about his daughter wrecking her car and how she really needs one to go to college and would I take $10K for a car I listed for $15K. Sucks to be you, buddy.