So have you used Craig's List?

[JALLEN]

I have used Craig's List, very carefully.

I shopped for a hybrid bike, and the first dozen or so calls I made frankly sounded like fencing operations. They wanted to meet me at 7-11 and similar parking lots. I finally found a seemingly legit seller and bought a nice bike at a fair price. I did not try to sell our kayak's that way, for fear of attracting who knows what all kinds of weirdo's to the neighborhood. My former neighbor was happy to get the kayaks and gave a respectable price.

I bought our Jeep on Craig's list and sold a Jaguar before we moved. I've sold several cars that way, actually, and am probably buying one tonight. You get some obvious scammers, wanting to send a cashier's check for more than your ask price, sight unseen, and a friend will pick up the car later, just give him the car and the change. Right! I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night.

[texanjoker]

I have bought and sold cars, jeeps, boats, dune buggies, atv's, mc's and many other items w/o an issue on C-list. I guess you need to screen the calls and then of course, be armed when you make the transaction

[cb1000rider]

I've never used Craig's list, ever. I don't plan on starting now.

Ever bought something out of the newspaper in the old days? Bought something via an internet forum?

Don't blame Craigslist here. This is a danger inherent in any private party person-to-person sale, if you don't know the other party.

I remember going to a car dealer, assisting my wife in her negotiation with the salesman. They lowballed her on a trade and she told them that she'd just sell her car outright (like she had done so many times before) if they couldn't come up with a better offer. The sales guy told her that she could very possibly be killed or followed home after a private party transaction. As such, we should sell the car to them for a fraction of value to protect ourselves from the public.

I got up and walked out. She followed me.

Note, I've bought and sold tens of thousands of dollars of "stuff" on CL - motorcycles, cars, boats. I've sold two homes on Craigslist.
Know how much they've charged me? Zero dollars. They are one of the few companies whose founders haven't sold out for Billions.

[dinolord]

I've never used Craig's list, ever. I don't plan on starting now.

Ever bought something out of the newspaper in the old days? Bought something via an internet forum?

Don't blame Craigslist here. This is a danger inherent in any private party person-to-person sale, if you don't know the other party.

I remember going to a car dealer, assisting my wife in her negotiation with the salesman. They lowballed her on a trade and she told them that she'd just sell her car outright (like she had done so many times before) if they couldn't come up with a better offer. The sales guy told her that she could very possibly be killed or followed home after a private party transaction. As such, we should sell the car to them for a fraction of value to protect ourselves from the public.

I got up and walked out. She followed me.

Note, I've bought and sold tens of thousands of dollars of "stuff" on CL - motorcycles, cars, boats. I've sold two homes on Craigslist.
Know how much they've charged me? Zero dollars. They are one of the few companies whose founders haven't sold out for Billions.

agreed on that last note. it ain't fancy, but it is simple, and works. i'd be dirt poor living under an overpass if i didn't ever sell any of things i've sold on CL and various internet forums.

[92f-fan]

Only time Ive used it was when I found the guy who stole my truck selling its parts on CL.
He went to Jail ...
Im not interested in supporting CL or the underbelly that prefers anonymous interactions.
my $0.02

[chuck j]

I'v bought and sold a few things on CL and never had a problem but I live in a smaller town than some . One thing I'd like to mention is DO NOT Awenser text messages on an ad you have in CL, I have known 2 people in the near past that got signed up on Monster Gossip and started recieving billing on their AT+T phone bills just for clicking on the text , make them call .

[philip964]

I've never used Craig's list, ever. I don't plan on starting now.

Ever bought something out of the newspaper in the old days? Bought something via an internet forum?

Don't blame Craigslist here. This is a danger inherent in any private party person-to-person sale, if you don't know the other party.

I remember going to a car dealer, assisting my wife in her negotiation with the salesman. They lowballed her on a trade and she told them that she'd just sell her car outright (like she had done so many times before) if they couldn't come up with a better offer. The sales guy told her that she could very possibly be killed or followed home after a private party transaction. As such, we should sell the car to them for a fraction of value to protect ourselves from the public.

I got up and walked out. She followed me.

Note, I've bought and sold tens of thousands of dollars of "stuff" on CL - motorcycles, cars, boats. I've sold two homes on Craigslist.
Know how much they've charged me? Zero dollars. They are one of the few companies whose founders haven't sold out for Billions.

I've used EBay with only one problem in 200 transactions. I have never bought or sold anything using the classifieds. I have never considered selling a car privately after a guy selling his Porsche in Memorial (upscale neighborhood in Houston) was killed by a man who arrived by cab. (he needed a free sweet ride for his trip to California, that is where they found him and the car)

I will relate one story about selling with the classifieds. A pretty young interior designer I knew at work decided not to marry this man after spending $4000 on the dress. She put a classified ad in the paper to sell the dress. She used the office phone number for replies to the ad. All the calls (and she received many) fell into a few groups. Men who wanted to date or rape her (wanted to meet for a viewing usually at her apartment at night) . Transgender or cross dressing men who wanted to buy the dress for themselves, they were the nicest and cared about all the details of the dress. The worse were the ones who I would describe as heavy breathers, who called and wanted her to tell them lots and lots of information on the dress.

From what I can tell, CL experts here recommend in addition to a public place, not it SW Houston, have a buddy with you who is legally CC.

[Jason K]

Nothing wrong with using CL, E-Bay, or even FB (I just sold a shotgun using FB....no problems there). Just use common sense and a public place. I like places where police often patrol....like the parking lot of a police station.

[knotquiteawake]

I've used it a few times to both buy and sell brewing equipment and bicycles. I'll keep using it as needed as well. I usually meet somewhere public, during the day. Before I had my CHL I still had a gun in the car at least (thanks to the MPA), now that I have a CHL I am of course always carrying anyways. I've never had a bad experience, but I've always got my eyes open for something not looking right.

[Jumping Frog]

My son sold an item on Craigslist today.

He met the guy in public in a Sam's Club parking lot.

I was in a different car, parked with a deliberate angle about 30-35 yards away, with the driver window down and a loaded rifle on the front seat.

The sales exchange was totally uneventful.

[JALLEN]

I bought a car from Craig's List Wednesday. We met at Cabela's that evening to look at the car. We agreed on the deal and met at Charles Schwab's to close it this morning.

Much better than being insulted and cheated by dealers.

Cabela's didn't have any .22LR, either.