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Does Craigslist Make Anyone Else Uncomfortable?

CRAZYBUBBA

CRAZYBUBBA

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 28, 2007
1,118
6
Toronto/Houston
I'm selling my computer and I've got lots on interest on craigslist, but it seems to me that all of these guys are overeager sharks and the prospect of meeting up with them makes me nervous.

Does anyone have advice on making transactions in person or dealing with a sea of eager buyers?

Please see post #22 for current problem
 
CRAZYBUBBA said:
I'm selling my computer and I've got lots on interest on craigslist, but it seems to me that all of these guys are overeager sharks and the prospect of meeting up with them makes me nervous.

Does anyone have advice on making transactions in person or dealing with a sea of eager buyers?
Click to expand...

Ive always noticed these "eager buyers" to be scams. But you said they want to meet in person. I guess it would be all good. I really doubt they are going to try to steal your computer from you in person. Just call them and feel them out.
 
It did at first, but I have bought and sold a bunch of stuff. People came to my house, meet at theirs, meet in public parking lots. Its all good.

Iam sure there are bad apples out there but you'll find that anywhere.
 
ive sold things many times on CL.

when you go look at something, always bring someone and do it in a public place

though i have sold stuff where they came to my house to pick it up lol
 
I have sold and bought things threw craigslist, many times. I used to worry about stuff like getting robed. Never had a problem
Just meet inside a public place. Go to a starbuks or similar place. Order a cup of coffee and wait.
It's close to Christmas so their are plenty of people looking to buy things right now. That is why you probably have plenty of eager takers.
 
dukebound85 said:
ive sold things many times on CL.

when you go look at something, always bring someone and do it in a public place

though i have sold stuff where they came to my house to pick it up lol
Click to expand...

Public place is probably best. Its not too good of an idea to show strangers where you live. For all you know they will come back and steal your stuff.
 
shady825 said:
Public place is probably best. Its not too good of an idea to show strangers where you live. For all you know they will come back and steal your stuff.
Click to expand...

well to be fair, i knew the buyer through a friend so not a total stranger

plus it was my old motorcycle and didnt have a ride home otherwise lol

but yea, your point is true. however, id like to think that all people are decent in the end
 
I just recently sold an old computer on CL. Met in the parking lot of a Starbucks, he got the computer, I got cash and everything went smoothly. Like others have said, I wouldn't want to let someone come over to my house. Meet in a public place and things should go well.
 
Another thumbs up to CL. Like others before have said - meet in a neutral location. At least make sure someone knows where you are going. If you are the buyer and will have lots of cash, take a friend and make sure it's a very public place. :)

I never had any problems, and unless it was something I could not easily transport, I'd NEVER have a stranger come over to my place. Tho, I just got a great deal yesterday - 4 heavy duty dorm dressers in like new condition for $25 each - picked them up from someone's garage. My back's still screaming at me for doing it. LOL.

Oh, I also never post an email or phone number on CL, I ALWAYS use the CL provided email anonymizer. I'm amazed at how many people do this - they're setting themselves up for spam/telemarketing calls. Ha.
 
I've done a few transactions via CraigsList and met the people in a Starbucks.

All were successful except one. The guy pulled a gun on me and made me walk out to the parking lot. He then made me open up the trunk to my car and climb in. Of course he took my wallet. He said if I made any noise, he had my address and he'd know where to find me. I stayed in the trunk for 5 hours until I felt it was safe to scream and get help.

OK, I made the whole thing up.
 
I think dealing on Cl is one of the least uncomfortable things I've ever done. A hobby of mine, really.

I always have people come over to my house, even when buying, because I can't drive yet. No problems except for when some a***** whined about the cost of gas.
 
During my first Craigslist transaction, I met the guy in the parking lot of Best Buy and had a great transaction. We still talk to this day actually, and it happened 2 years ago
 
Duff-Man says...Craigslist is great for doing local buy/sell stuff and I've done countless transactions that way. The vast majority of the scams are with shipping things and not dealing "face to face." As long as you take the precautions other have noted already and just use a little common sense you should do just fine....oh yeah!
 
CRAZYBUBBA said:
I'm selling my computer and I've got lots on interest on craigslist, but it seems to me that all of these guys are overeager sharks and the prospect of meeting up with them makes me nervous.

Does anyone have advice on making transactions in person or dealing with a sea of eager buyers?
Click to expand...

My advice: Bring some friends.

I have had some experience with craigslist and let me tell you there are some shaaaady people on there.

A few years ago I bought a "brand new xbox 360" with a few games and controllers and etc. on craigslist for $150. Well it sounded too good to be true so first I emailed the guy and talked to him about it. He made up a story about how he was out of work due to an injury and had to get rid of it even though he just got it. So, I figured what the hell... i'll buy it.

I'm not exactly a little dude, and I have a few really big friends. So i took my friend Jamie (6'7" 320lbs) and another friend who just likes to fight lol... and we went to pick up the xbox. We get there, and the guy had a buddy with him, met me in a parking lot, and then started trying to raise the price on me.

I think him and his buddy were honestly going to try to steal my money if I went alone. Anyway, he tried to raise the price and I told him we had an agreement and he needed to keep that agreement. We went back and forth before Jamie and Andy got involved.... long story short, nobody got into a fight but after a few "strong words" the xbox was mine for $150 bucks. It was like pulling teeth though, and the guys were really ghetto.

Like I said, take some friends with you whenever you are meeting people you don't know. For selling or buying, doesn't matter.
 
i just bought a 10 in tom for my drum set and the guy was pretty mellow.
it matched the color of my set which i was not expecting,
he even has a 14 in floor tom which i was looking for, in the same color but he is not going to sell it right now, soon :confused::D

ha i don't even have the money to buy the floor tom so its all good.
i did count my pennies and have close to 50.:D
 
I usually have had pretty good luck selling/buying high priced items. However, I did fall for a scam a few months ago.

Guy showed up with his son and a MBP that I had agreed to buy for $1,500. I paid him the cash and left with it. Get a call 2 days later from the local police department, said the guy stole it, and I have to give it back to them, and try to get the money back from him.

I get about $1,100 back from the guy (he bought a bunch of stuff from Apple with the money, he gave me the stuff with receipt, and I returned it), and still haven't seen the other $400, as he said he doesn't have any money to pay it back and hasn't returned any phone calls, emails, etc.
 
i have used craigslist all the time for selling and buying

a good tip is to go in a populated area (not massively populated, but enough so that people will know something is happening if something goes wrong) and bring a buddy or two with you to do some FBI acting lol

but craigslist is not a bad place anyways. its much better than eBay IMO cuz you dont have to pay for shipping and the transactions are local
 
Some woman tried scamming me. "Can you just accept Paypal and send it overseas to my son in Iraq?". Even if it weren't a scam, I wouldn't have touched that deal.
 
Okay, so I did the deal this morning, got the money, paid my credit card and now the guy is having second thoughts, he says that the computer doesn't turn on (even though it passed the apple hardware test when he tested it this morning).

Why do I always get stuck with these kind of buyers? Do I have to answer his phone calls? I'm thinking of just ignoring him.
 
CRAZYBUBBA said:
Okay, so I did the deal this morning, got the money, paid my credit card and now the guy is having second thoughts, he says that the computer doesn't turn on (even though it passed the apple hardware test when he tested it this morning).

Why do I always get stuck with these kind of buyers? Do I have to answer his phone calls? I'm thinking of just ignoring him.
Click to expand...

Those people are no fun, I know. If you feel your machine was in good working condition when you sold it to him, you are really under no obligation to respond to him.

Then again, if I was the buyer and I had a legit concern, I'd be upset that the seller wasn't responding to me. I guess thats the danger of Craigslist. No established method for resolving these types of concerns.

Just follow your gut feeling and do what is right. Good luck.
 
CRAZYBUBBA said:
Okay, so I did the deal this morning, got the money, paid my credit card and now the guy is having second thoughts, he says that the computer doesn't turn on (even though it passed the apple hardware test when he tested it this morning).

Why do I always get stuck with these kind of buyers? Do I have to answer his phone calls? I'm thinking of just ignoring him.
Click to expand...

if you sold it as is, its as is. so tough luck to him.

you arent running a warranty service
 
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