Inept Craigslist Sellers

[BluMunk]

I"m used to buyers being bots, flaky, or whatever, but I"m not used to getting stonewalled by a seller, when all I want to do is give them my money.

 

For sale is an ipad pro 12.9. Bought in the store in 2018. There"s one picture of the ipad (not powered on) and its box.

 

I write:

 

Hi! I'm interested in your ipad.

 

Could you confirm the model number? It's engraved on the back (It'll say "Model AXXXX", where the X's are a 4 digit number). That'll just confirm some specs, which era device it is, etc.

 

Thanks!

 

The response:

 

FCC and ic and serial number engraved on the back. Purchased at Apple store 2018

 

I write:

 

Sounds good, but I'd just like to know the "AXXXX" model number before I decide if I'd like to buy it. Like I said, it's engraved on the back (It'll say "Model AXXXX", where the X's are a 4 digit number).

 

Thanks!

 

The response:

 

There is no number. Only model number

 

please stop replying if you are not willing to meet in person.

 

Ok, well, I guess I"ll find someone else to give my money to.

[Joe Muscara]

[Song80s]

if the ' sellers ' will not talk on the phone, don't waste your time.

 

CL , in my area, is crawling with thieves and con's

[Devnor]

In the last few weeks, I've had five CL resellers flake out. I'm trying to buy a used Apple display.

[Tom Williams]

Most of the times I've used CL (for musical or photographic stuff) there has been a weird "you show me yours first" dance, because (human) sellers perceive themselves to be at greater risk of being snookered by dishonest buyers. Hence the plethora of "I will ignore you if you ask 'is it still available'" remarks at the end of many CL posts.

 

As an honest buyer, I usually take the first risk and give them my real e-mail and phone number -- then I rub their nose in that fact later if they remain secretive as rendezvous time approaches. Regarding the legitimate question of "is it available?", I usually reword it with a synonym or two so that a reasonably intelligent seller can realize that I'm not a bot.

[o0Ampy0o]

Regarding the legitimate question of "is it available?", I usually reword it with a synonym or two so that a reasonably intelligent seller can realize that I'm not a bot.

 

"Alex I'll take Dumb things people think of when trying to be smart for $10." Maybe this is like one-off speeders who don't know how to avoid getting caught vs. those in the know where everyone on both sides is aware of the key information .......I doubt it. Although I sold concert tickets using it, I never have gone so far as to make a purchase off Craigslist for various reasons. The very first thing I have asked when seeing something I am interested in buying however is what I consider to be the most important fact to make clear before proceeding: "Is the _____ still available?" and I don't care whether it is worded like 9 out of 10 Joes words it. I don't see how asking that question indicates anything other than you need to know whether it is worth spending any more time on the ad. If I were attempting to filter bogus inquiries THAT question would not be one to expose an imposter. I do see some value in changing words like John F. Kennedy cryptically conveying messages to Khrushchev but this is not on the level of The Cuban Missile Crisis. Lots of people obliterate grammar and plenty cite English as something other than their primary language. Even the wisest, sharpest, most seasoned seller on Craigslist might not comprehend the significance of rewording that question.

[Synthoid]

I've spent more time looking at CL ads recently. People ain't too bright... like posting a microwave in the antiques section, an air compressor in the photography section, or advertising a Hyundai "Alandra" instead of Elantra.

[Outkaster]

Bunch of tire kickers and weirdos seem to be on Craigslist. It's really unbelievable.

[Synthoid]

Bunch of tire kickers and weirdos seem to be on Craigslist. It's really unbelievable.

 

Yeah, I've had my Korg MicroX advertised on CL for weeks. Tires been kicked so many times they're flat.

 

 

 

[Synthoid]

One of my favorites... ad for a Yamaha DX7. There are 5 pictures posted. Four are of an actual DX7, but the first one looks a bit unusual:

 

 

 

[Outkaster]

I had a local keyboard player in town that Tucktronix and I know come to check out a Leslie. She brought another person who was the guitar player in the band check out this 145 I had. They wasted my time for almost two hours asking questions and it was obvious they didn't know a Leslie or how it operated. That's the other thing when you are selling something and a perspective buyer wants to tell you what something is worth. That's happened a couple of times also.

[Joe Muscara]

Want to know what's even dumber? Facebook has a "marketplace" and it's like their own CL. I've used it both ways a few times. But what's stupid is, go to any item, and there's a spot to send the seller a message. It defaults to "Is this available?"

[The Real MC]

You're going to have buyers who try everything to lowball the price, and you're going to have sellers asking outrageous prices. All it takes is the first one to be a sucker. P.T. Barnum was right...

 

I had a whopping one transaction through CL and it was a smooth sale. There are reasonable people out there.

[The Real MC]

The response:

 

There is no number. Only model number

 

please stop replying if you are not willing to meet in person.

 

Ok, well, I guess I"ll find someone else to give my money to.

 

That wasn't a stonewaller, it was a thief. He was selling stolen goods.

 

You just dodged a bullet.

 

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

 

That wasn't a stonewaller, it was a thief. He was selling stolen goods.

 

 

Most certainly. NO WAY that guy was going to give up anything more!

 

My one experience with Craigslist resulted in an immediate spike in spam emails, like tenfold overnight. I still get emails today which are the descendants of those earlier spams and its been nine years already!

 

[JoeToGo]

Want to know what's even dumber? Facebook has a "marketplace" and it's like their own CL. I've used it both ways a few times. But what's stupid is, go to any item, and there's a spot to send the seller a message. It defaults to "Is this available?"

Y'all make good points, but essentially assume competence and experience. Not everybody is. FB made itself based on this awareness (in essence, Barnum again). "Is this available?" is actually the first important question; look how many times people put up an ad then don't take it down when the item is sold.

 

Is that dumb? Yes it is. But then, dumb sellers is where bargains may be. So, it ain't all bad

 

 

[The Real MC]

Often you will see the title "Vintage ($1)" then when you open the ad the real price is in the description.

 

I don't like deceivers. If you have to deceive me with the title there's nothing stopping you from deceiving something else about the item, so you just lost the sale.

[o0Ampy0o]

The response:

 

There is no number. Only model number

 

please stop replying if you are not willing to meet in person.

 

Ok, well, I guess I"ll find someone else to give my money to.

 

That wasn't a stonewaller, it was a thief. He was selling stolen goods.

 

You just dodged a bullet.

The OP asked for the model number not the serial number. Millions of iPads share a model number. The serial number is unique. I still would not have followed through on a purchase from someone responding like this even if the price was tempting. If the person on the other end does not provide what you need to know before making a purchase pass on the risk involved.

 

Random Craigslist story: A friend bought a part for an old truck. He drove from a nearby town to a shady area of a large metro city. The seller gave him a tour through his yard on the way to where the part was located. The tour included a story of grave robbing for bones which were on display in his yard.

[Docbop]

 

There is no number. Only model number

 

please stop replying if you are not willing to meet in person.

 

Ok, well, I guess I"ll find someone else to give my money to.

 

 

I've recently purchased and iPad so this intrigued me, so I did what you said and couldn't see anything. Then I checked Apple support website and mainly generic info on older iPhones and suppose to apply to iPads too. So went back to looking closely at my iPad which is the dark Space Gray and only thing I saw looked like smudge under where it said iPad. I get a magnifying glass and with the highest magnification I finally saw some small, lighter gray printing that contained that model number and Made In China bit. It is crazy even with a magnifying glass it was still hard to see, so maybe the seller had a Space Gray iPad like me and seeing that printing is extremely hard to see.

[aellison62]

I agree with JoetoGo. There are real steals to be found on CL. You can also sell relatively easy on CL. You have to expect scammers, stupid people, low ball offers, no shows,...etc. etc. but once you have the right mindset and some experience, it ain't all that bad.

 

I have sold over a dozen music related items on CL in the past 4 or 5 years, and purchased a few as well.

[BluMunk]

I've recently purchased and iPad so this intrigued me, so I did what you said and couldn't see anything. Then I checked Apple support website and mainly generic info on older iPhones and suppose to apply to iPads too. So went back to looking closely at my iPad which is the dark Space Gray and only thing I saw looked like smudge under where it said iPad. I get a magnifying glass and with the highest magnification I finally saw some small, lighter gray printing that contained that model number and Made In China bit. It is crazy even with a magnifying glass it was still hard to see, so maybe the seller had a Space Gray iPad like me and seeing that printing is extremely hard to see.

 

Interesting. I was just going off of online documentation, and maybe on some models it's hard to see or not very legible. Even so: "There is no number. Only model number" is such a weird reply. The model number is exactly what I was asking for. And, the seller didn't even give me whatever number they did see there. And, we had not yet had any discussions about meeting in person, so their request for me to stop emailing (valid and on-topic questions about the multi-hundred dollar product they're selling) if I was "not willing" to meet in person is a bizarre and rude non-sequitur.

 

Without the model number, they might as well have been selling a "Dell Latitude. I bought it in 2018". That name covers such a wide variety of computers as to be meaningless, and the purchase date is mostly irrelevant.

 

 

At any rate, it's not like an iPad is a rare item. I ended up buying an iPad from a respected reseller of refurbished electronics with a 1 year warranty for $50 less and twice the storage space (and I'm assuming the same generation, though without the model number I can't be totally sure) than the local craigslister was selling theirs for.

 

 

[Mr. Nightime]

I'll have to look at my iPad Pro when I get home

 

[RandyFF]

I've had probably several dozen items I've bought and sold thru CL in San Francisco. Mostly good experiences, just regular folks trying to buy/sell.

 

Often when something is listed as $1, that can be done for any variety of reasons. No one expects the $1 to be the actual price, but it is a way to bring your post to the top of the list if you've got it doing price sorting with the filters. Also, if there are multiple items, they need to show you the prices in the ad itself anyway. I've done seen it done where the person wants you to read their ad without automatically eliminating it based on price.

[Tom Williams]

I think I've been insulted.

 

Ampy, there are bots out there that automatically troll CL by replying to for sale postings with "is the still available?", in order to collect folks for later exploitation by unethical humans. This got so bad in the past that now some sellers mention it as an automatic rejection criterion. Since script kitties don't usually search a thesaurus for a synonym, the use of alternate wording is indeed an indication of lower risk for the seller. Neither the seller nor I am dumb in that context.

 

I'll stop here before I move on to the ad hominems.

 

Regarding the legitimate question of "is it available?", I usually reword it with a synonym or two so that a reasonably intelligent seller can realize that I'm not a bot.

 

"Alex I'll take Dumb things people think of when trying to be smart for $10." Maybe this is like one-off speeders who don't know how to avoid getting caught vs. those in the know where everyone on both sides is aware of the key information .......I doubt it. Although I sold concert tickets using it, I never have gone so far as to make a purchase off Craigslist for various reasons. The very first thing I have asked when seeing something I am interested in buying however is what I consider to be the most important fact to make clear before proceeding: "Is the _____ still available?" and I don't care whether it is worded like 9 out of 10 Joes words it. I don't see how asking that question indicates anything other than you need to know whether it is worth spending any more time on the ad. If I were attempting to filter bogus inquiries THAT question would not be one to expose an imposter. I do see some value in changing words like John F. Kennedy cryptically conveying messages to Khrushchev but this is not on the level of The Cuban Missile Crisis. Lots of people obliterate grammar and plenty cite English as something other than their primary language. Even the wisest, sharpest, most seasoned seller on Craigslist might not comprehend the significance of rewording that question.

 

[Joe Muscara]

Despite being a long time Apple product user, I don't understand why there are usually two model numbers. I'll call them the A and the M. I'm pretty sure you could have asked for the M model number and gotten an easier answer. It's found under Settings - General - About. The A number if it's engraved on the back is really hard to see. I don't see anything like that on my iPhone XR at all. I can tell you the M number quite easily and can even copy and paste it.

 

(The dude could have been more cooperative, I agree. I just wanted to share this info for future reference.)

[ajstan]

I think I've been insulted.

 

Ampy, there are bots out there that automatically troll CL by replying to for sale postings with "is the still available?", in order to collect folks for later exploitation by unethical humans. This got so bad in the past that now some sellers mention it as an automatic rejection criterion. Since script kitties don't usually search a thesaurus for a synonym, the use of alternate wording is indeed an indication of lower risk for the seller. Neither the seller nor I am dumb in that context.

 

I'll stop here before I move on to the ad hominems.

Tom, I'm with you. I've sold just about all of my old keyboards and equipment through CL and I agree that everyone should have some criteria to screen respondents and sellers, including ways to signal that they are legitimate in their post or inquiry. I've had nothing but positive interactions to-date.

 

I try to be a good seller and provide details and photos that show my listing is legitimate. Except for a used iPhone about 6 years ago, I've never purchased anything off CL, so I have nothing to add there. I never respond to inquiries that only ask "Is it still available?" with no other content. I only respond to emails with reasonably correct English that have content relative to the item being sold, and usually look for the person's name in the incoming email. Obviously, anyone that asks me to ship gets an immediate "No" followed by radio silence.

 

This probably doesn't work in all areas, but it does for me.

 

[CowboyNQ]

I only respond to emails with reasonably correct English...

That would rule out 80% of the musicians I know.

 

[o0Ampy0o]

I think I've been insulted.

 

Ampy, there are bots out there that automatically troll CL by replying to for sale postings with "is the still available?", in order to collect folks for later exploitation by unethical humans. This got so bad in the past that now some sellers mention it as an automatic rejection criterion. Since script kitties don't usually search a thesaurus for a synonym, the use of alternate wording is indeed an indication of lower risk for the seller. Neither the seller nor I am dumb in that context....

Had you presented this along with your post which I was responding to it would have made a difference but you did not include this at that time.

 

[Synthoid]

script kitties

 

 

 

 

[hatricklov]

• I try to be a good seller and provide details and photos that show my listing is legitimate.
  
• I never respond to inquiries that only ask "Is it still available?" with no other content.
  
• I only respond to emails with reasonably correct English that have content relative to the item being sold, and usually look for the person's name in the incoming email.
  
• Obviously, anyone that asks me to ship gets an immediate "No" followed by radio silence.

 

^^^^ All of this! Although, for that last one I'd probably wouldn't even give them the benefit of a response. If the communication is poor, it conveys carelessness and tells me they're not serious about the transaction, period.

 

I would add that on Facebook Marketplace, it is nice that you can scope out the seller's profile with their pic and other info (assuming of course that they've posted an accurate picture and other details). All the more info to help scope out a stranger.

 

I did receive an interesting response from a potential buyer after explaining I would let them know if an earlier buyer's transaction fell thru... "F you if you don't hold onto this item for me LOL"