Is being a flake a requirement for Craigslist transactions?

[LDO]

What an incredible PITA. I'm looking for a Ford Explorer with V-8 and solid rear axle. I must have sent out 15 replies to ads. I get answers like "title is lost". Hmmmm. Ad said clean title. Seller wants blue book value and the interior looks like two lions had a fight inside, plus bad paint and two doors don't open right. Full disclosure: I only want the drivtrain to swap into my old Ranger, but still, I'm not paying blue book for that. Those are the people who answered.

Selling...oy vey. I once got rid of an engine and trans for a dollar. I figured no one would see it in the free section. One guy was really excited about it. After several e-mails, he asked if I could hold a few months, until he could get a ride to my house. Dude. It's a dollar. <face palm>

Edited April 23, 2014 by LDO

[Tom Geiger]

Try putting something in the free section. Your phone will ring off the hook pretty much from the minute you hit SEND. Doesn't matter what it is.

I've had stuff I would have to pay my trash company to take... Old couch my dog slept on for ten years, non running lawn mower or old broken wood swing set with free termites (you disassemble and haul away) All of it gone same day.

You do get your share of idiots... Can I deliver the free couch an hour away.. Um no! Can I hold it a month? No, it's free because I want it gone now and I just had five calls from folks who say they're coming in a half hour!

Anyone want a free basketball hoop? You show up and dig it out and it's yours!

[Modelmartin]

I sold an old Mazda Protege for $500.00 on Craig's list. It was a reliable car with many cosmetic issues. I posted it at 8:00 AM Sat morning. I had a dozen inquiries by 10:30. I answered them in order and the first guy bought it. No problems. I e-mailed everyone else and let them know it was sold. One twerp angrily responded and was so, so upset that he couldn't buy it. I apologized for ruining his life. I did not know that a clapped out old Mazda was a dream of his and that I shattered it!

I saw an ad for an old Kabuki bike that looked like a good parts donor. They wanted $70. After the ad was up for three weeks I asked if they would negotiate. they said $60.00 I replied with $50.00 No response. The ad ran for another month and then it re-appeared at $50.00. I answered and said I could come over anytime and pick it up for that price. No response. Three more e-mails - no response. I asked my wife if she would respond to the ad using her e-mail (different last names). She got a response within a half hour. She said her husband would look at it for her. I went over and the young lady selling it introduced herself to me and I said, Hi, I am Pete!. Got the bike for my price. I guess she was insulted that I would attempt to negotiate and wouldn't sell it to ME (Andy)!!

[Lunajammer]

I have a flip phone and no texting plan, so no texts or it costs .15¢ each time. I state it plainly and tell people to call me in the ad, yet I only get texts. Here was one conversation...

"Do you still have the chair?"

"Yes, feel welcome to call."

"Are there any issues with it?"

"No. Please call for details."

"Will you be around this afternoon?"

"Yes, please call."

"I'll be nearby around 4 will that work?"

"Yes, please call, no texts."

"Great, see you then."

A buck-&-a-half later she never showed. I understand the convenience of texts, but is there an aversion to actual human conversation?

Edited April 23, 2014 by Lunajammer

[Ace-Garageguy]

Stupid is everywhere. Long ago I sold a kinda nice Olds Cutlass for $350 to a young black guy. Good car, ran great, clean, good deal for everybody as I just didn't need it and I think I bought it for under $100 (those were the days). He had what I thought was a Jamaican accent, and seemed to be a nice young man.

A week later he showed up...with a PREACHER...telling me very loudly I'd sold a terrible car to the kid for way too much money and that I should be ashamed of myself and that he was going to call the police.

I should now mention that when the kid brought the car back, every corner was crushed and the rear bumper was almost in the back seat. The kid hadn't bothered to tell his preacher it was a nice car when he bought it, and hadn't bothered to tell me he was fresh off the boat from some African country and had never driven a car before.

Lucky I had Polaroids of it before I sold it, and witnesses who saw the idiot drive it away.

I refused to take it back, by the way.

[Danno]

I'm convinced about 50% of the items offered for sale on Craigs List are recently stolen. It seems to be a convenient, internet fencing operation.

[mnwildpunk]

Danno I think you correct in your assumption I responded to an ad about an air compressor 5hp 50 gal tank $75 ingersal rand no less well I jumped at it I get there and the thing looked like it had never been plugged in. Things were not adding up at all this beautiful compressor was really out of place amid a garage full of junk which was next to a dilapidated old house and the guys story didn't add up well I passed and made the local authorities aware of my suspicion (that being my cousin who is a cop for the township) he told me that the house was owned by a suspected meth dealer. I don't know what happened to the compressor but I do know the house was raided about three months later and the house was condemned because it was so contaminated

[southpier]

so I take it no one is interested in a "slightly warm" set of snap on wrenches?

[Chuck Most]

Man, craigslist is a trip!

I've had better luck selling stuff there than I ever did on eBay, but that being said, that site does tend to attract some real characters.

[Tom Geiger]

Craigs List is no different than the old newspaper ads, only it's faster and free. I've always bought and sold cars and those same flaky guys would answer my newspaper ads.

I bought my 95 Celica convertible and 2000 Jaguar on Craigs List. I sold my classic cars there too. The "free" part allowed me to keep to my price and keep posting until I got it.

It's a great place to sell local, those large items that you don't want to sell on eBay and ship. No packing, someone comes right to your house. And I've met some nice folks too.

Those news stories about crazies and robbers make the news because they're one in ten million happy transactions. And you cut your chance of problems down about 50% if you avoid the personals section Try reading that for entertainment!

[Modelmartin]

I agree with Tom and Chuck. I have had mostly great transactions on CL. Most of my friends have, too. I have bought and sold bikes, cars, and parts for both. No complaints from me - just funny stories!

[Chuck Most]

It's a great place to sell local, those large items that you don't want to sell on eBay and ship. No packing, someone comes right to your house. And I've met some nice folks too.

Actually, I sold something via craigslist last summer to a guy all the way out in Colorado. I had an owner's manual and warranty manual for a 1968 Cadillac, and listed it on Central Michigan craigslist. Somehow this fellow from Colorado came across the ad and called me about it. He told me he was a bit reluctant at first to call and ask me if I'd be willing to mail them out there, but for me it was no big deal. A lot of folks on cragislist refuse to ship the item, no matter how far away the interested buyer is from them.

Flip side of the coin, I had a '73-79 Ford tailgate I listed, and the guy who bought it came to get it himself, even though his pickup had Wisconsin plates on it.

[Austin T]

Those news stories about crazies and robbers make the news because they're one in ten million happy transactions. And you cut your chance of problems down about 50% if you avoid the personals section Try reading that for entertainment!

I agree with ya Tom. Nothing good can come out of those sections. Every now and then I flip through the "best of Craigslist" which has more than it's fair share of gem's.

As for weirdo's and well "Annoyances" Craig sure knows them. I called a guy about a 240z and he started to raise the price over the phone when I sounded interested. I simply told him it doesn't work like that and hung up on his sorry butt. But I did snag my nearly mint Trail 70 on there for a buck fifty.

[Chuck Most]

Every now and then I flip through the "best of Craigslist" which has more than it's fair share of gem's.

Oh yeah, those are great. I know many of them are just made up, but most of them are still pretty entertaining.

[Tom Geiger]

Actually, I sold something via craigslist last summer to a guy all the way out in Colorado. I had an owner's manual and warranty manual for a 1968 Cadillac, and listed it on Central Michigan craigslist. Somehow this fellow from Colorado came across the ad and called me about it. He told me he was a bit reluctant at first to call and ask me if I'd be willing to mail them out there, but for me it was no big deal.

There are some tools on the web that allow you to search multiple editions of Craigs List. I did sell some small Celica parts to a guy that I mailed them to. He had been looking for a right side headlight and couldn't get through inspection without one. So I was happy to help him out. I did sell my '63 Studebaker fiberglass fenders to a guy from the Niagara Falls area. He had rusty steel ones on his drag car so I really wanted him to have them. Turned out that he had a cousin who lived near my work. So he came to my office parking lot to pick them up. And a few months later I got a photo of the car with the fenders on it, so it was worth it!

[wrecker388]

I'm convinced about 50% of the items offered for sale on Craigs List are recently stolen. It seems to be a convenient, internet fencing operation.

So true! My older brother had a bike of his stolen. Went on Craigslist looking for another one, found his own with his cut lock in the background. He contacted the police and did get it back. Guy who stole it obviously wasn't too bright,as he sold the $600 bike for $50 to a bike shop who proceeded to put it on Craigslist.