OT Should I buy from craigslist?

[Edgar Summers]

Hey guys-

 

In the past I've done a few Ebay and other online purchases with usually positive results. I've seen a lot of references on this forum about craigslist but until today I've never really checked it out. I spotted this:

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/sys/482293533.html

 

Looks cool...along with few other things I wouldn't mind buying.

 

Now here's the thing...Is a face-to-face transaction the only real way to avoid scams? I definitely see a lot of ways to get ripped off.

 

Has anyone else used craiglist and purchased through the mail?

I'm not real paranoid, but I'd like to know what some of you have experienced.

 

thanx

 

[Tonysounds]

I purchased an A90 through Craigs List (showed up, was in excellent condition, everything as promised).

 

And lots of NSA honeys too! (just kidding!)

T

[B3bluesman59]

Edgar Summers says: Is a face-to-face transaction the only real way to avoid scams?

________________________________________________________________

With Craigs List don't even think about doing anything other than face to face at a place where you can actually see and/or hear the equipment you are going to buy. When using Ebay you do have some protection with Pay Pay and the Ebay feedback listings. With Craigs List if the seller fails to ship the goods you are out your money with virtually no chance to recover it.

[MusicWorkz]

Like Tony and B3 said, fact-to-face is the only way to deal with CL. if they have an issue with you trying before you buy, move on .

 

No comment about NSA chicks *wink*....

[Edgar Summers]

Thanks fellas. It does seem a little dicey. i'll definately watch my step.

[SilverDragonSoun]

That price is about right as a new version has come out.

[Dave Pierce]

If you are old enough to remember buying something from the classified ad section of your newspaper, then craigslist is no different. I actually prefer it to eBay -- I can see the gear myself, and if I don't like it I don't buy it.

 

Read the "avoiding scams" section. It's short and simple:

 

http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

 

--Dave

[mate stubb]

I tried it once when selling a bunch of stuff and didn't like it. I had all kinds of obvious scam emails, lots of emails from people out of town wanting me to ship, etc.

 

I sold one piece to someone from Craigslist, and 90% of the rest was all sold by advertising right here. Much less stressful.

[Dave Pierce]

Wow, that surprises me a lot, mate_stubb. I've bought and sold off craigslist for years, and while I did get a few fairly obvious scam emails, the signal-to-noise ratio was probably in the 10:1 range.

 

I wonder if it's just a different experience here in the Bay Area? craigslist was born here over 10 years ago, and it's very much part of the local culture by now. Perhaps that's not as true in other towns? I don't know...

 

--Dave

 

[Jazzwee]

I've actually avoided ebay. I've bought and sold pianos and keyboards from Craigslist. Many transactions already and there's a huge musical instrument community. Just last week, I sold my keyboard on Craigslist.

[Bill H.]

I'd probably take a chance with that software if the guy still has it and is willing to ship. There's no law about cl being only local and it's not that much if you get ripped. And that box would be a snap to ship. But I take chances like that and am OK with it.

 

But I agree with all others. CL works best local, and best for sellers that want to get rid of something right away for cash (like in a day or two) and are willing to sell at a discount to typical eBay prices. As primarily a buyer I love it. Last week I picked up a pair of Bose 802's (without the equalizer) for $80 on PDX CL. It's that kind of stuff that puts a smile on my face and makes me check it daily.

 

I'll use them for monitors or even mains in small gigs and can EQ them with my Driverack.

[rainbird]

I personally find CL to be much less of a hassle than

Ebay for all of the reasons other posters have already

mentioned, and have used it a LOT in the last few years,

primarily as a seller when I need to "thin out the herd."

And I have never personally had a problem. I make it very

clear up-front that I will only accept cash, no trades, no

shipping. I also make a point of speaking to the buyer on

the phone, which seems to be a good way to get a sense of

whether or not this is a person you would WANT in your

house for the length of time it takes to make a transaction.

 

Having said that:

All of the buyers have come to my home to pick up the gear,

usually while I am there by myself, which in retrospect,

seems a bit risky. I have since heard enough local horror

stories (substantiated) about people having their homes robbed

a week or so after conducting this sort of business that I

will do this differently in the future.

 

If some sort of "neutral ground" can be established

for the tradeoff, that would add one more level

of safety. Perhaps a nearby coffeeshop for smaller

items (can even demo the battery-powered ones.) For

the larger items, the owner of a nearby electronic repair

shop has agreed to "host" the transaction the next time

the issue comes up.

 

 

[mate stubb]

Wow, that surprises me a lot, mate_stubb. I've bought and sold off craigslist for years, and while I did get a few fairly obvious scam emails, the signal-to-noise ratio was probably in the 10:1 range.

 

I wonder if it's just a different experience here in the Bay Area? craigslist was born here over 10 years ago, and it's very much part of the local culture by now. Perhaps that's not as true in other towns? I don't know...

 

--Dave

 

It's different here in my part of the midwest. I had not one inquiry from anyone local. Within 10 minutes of my posting I had a separate identical spam email for each item, complete with misspellings and grammar mistakes.

 

After weeding the obvious weirdos out, I went through another round of answering emails that were possibly legitimate, and 75% of those never responded again.

 

After all that, I sold 1 item to somebody from Atlanta, and the other 8 or 9 sold to people who contacted me through this forum.

[delirium]

I've just sold my old FP-5 digital piano through ebay but buyer was local and came to my house to pick up.

 

Few masked guys knocked me down, beat me up good and took all my studio equipment. I can definitely recommend ebay and craiglist

for added excitement and chance to meet new people.

[rainbird]

Another big plus with Craigslist is the quick

"turnaround time" between posting an ad and

pocketing the cash. The majority of the things

I've sold have gone in less than two days.

 

[moj]

When I sell using CL I will only follow-up to an email inquiry with a reply asking for a name and a contact phone number (if there was none given the first time). Still, no guarantee that I'm not calling a scammer, but at least I can make sure it's a serious inquiry. There are ID theft trolls that harvest phone numbers and have no interest in buying.

 

I know someone who listed his email and home/cell numbers on his CL post and has gotten a deluge of spam and phishing and whatever other crap he might have to deal with.

[B3bluesman59]

Rainbird said: I also make a point of speaking to the buyer on

the phone, which seems to be a good way to get a sense of

whether or not this is a person you would WANT in your

house for the length of time it takes to make a transaction.

________________________________________________________________

This is how the greatest con men in the world make a nice living...by appearing to be a "nice person that you would want in your house". When using CL always meet on neutral ground, never your home. CL works great if you live in a large metro area where you have plenty of daily listings to choose from and lots of eyeballs looking for a good deal on whatever you are trying to sell. If you keep things local you will have no problem. It is when you start accepting checks for payment or shipping goods out of your area that you become fair game for a rip-off. Cash talks, the rest of the BS walks. I have sold a lot of goods on CL and never had a problem...just remember, follow my advice and be safe.

[Ed Coury]

The comparison to "in print" classifieds isn't 100% accurate. To place an ad in a newspaper or magazine, someone at least has to pay a fee, and give some information about themselves. Anyone with access to a computer can place a Craig's list ad: no cost, no questions asked -- a scammer/spammer's delight.

 

Also, eBay gives you several ways to protect yourself from scammers, and if you follow the rules, will reimburse you if you are the victim of fraud.

 

As far as getting paid quickly, PayPal accounts can be credited within seconds of the close of an eBay auction.

 

That said, I would not pass up a good deal on Craig's List, but I would have a friend around when doing a transaction, and preferrably the deal would be done at a neutral site.

[Bill H.]

^ If I lived in Detroit I probably would too.

[raddtunes]

If you are old enough to remember buying something from the classified ad section of your newspaper, then craigslist is no different.

--Dave

 

Geez, am I really old, just because I remember buying something from a newspaper want ad? Yikes!

[Dave Pierce]

If you are old enough to remember buying something from the classified ad section of your newspaper, then craigslist is no different.

--Dave

 

Geez, am I really old, just because I remember buying something from a newspaper want ad? Yikes!

 

I wasn't implying that anyone is "really old". But I have no way to tell the age of a poster on this site. And to a 14-year-old, the classified section of the newspaper probably seems as archaic as the town cryer does to me.

 

Personally I'm old enough that I have bought and sold many things from newspaper ads, and did so when craigslist didn't exist.

 

--Dave