Those who sell on Craigslist. Need advice.

[Nic36]

I have an item for sale on Craigslist-a new mattress and box springs to be exact. I have just recently started selling on Craigslist and this will only be the second item I have sold if the sale pans out. The other was a small cash person-to-person deal. Well, some guy inquired about the mattress today and I replied back and said call me, giving him my cell number. He did not call but replied back via e-mail and said:

Hello ,
Thanks for your quick response, I am quite satisfied with the
condition of the item and price.Am very much interested in buying the
item from you and I would like to make an outright purchase
immediately so I will advice that you withdraw the advert from the
web. I don't mind adding $50 for you to do that. I will be paying with
a certified bank check.
Furthermore my mover will be coming over for the pick up as I
might not be available to come for the pick up myself but am OK with
the information from the ad. I will need the following information
details to make payment arrangement done asap.
1,Your full name to be on the Payment.
2,Your mailing address including zip code.
3,Your phone number both land and mobile.
I will be awaiting your response which should entail these information.

Best.

What do you think about that? It may be OK, but I'm just a little wary since this is a $450.00 deal I could be scammed on. I'm also more wary since this guy did not call, which is what I would have done. Should I insist on cash only? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[RocketMan]

Run, don't walk, away from this "buyer"!

Counterfeit Bank Checks and Money Orders are a real problem. I'm so tired of these scammers! I got burned from a Craig's list buyer that had a valid Money Order, took the item, and then had the Money Order canceled (I didn't even know that this was possible). This cost me not only the $200 for the item, but my bank charged me for a bad deposit. Litigation is pending...

This person will only take cash from any Craig's list buyer from now on.

 

[Nic36]

Thanks for the reply. Everything about this guy's e-mail is odd to me. I don't even like his spelling and grammar. I definitely don't want to have to deal with a bogus cashier's check.

I will reply back and tell him I prefer cash. I suspect I will not hear back after that. If he is legit, cash should not be a problem.

 

[lass442]

Yeah, I second that, NIC. Rocketman is right. Run like your hair's on fire. It's cash on pick-up or no deal. Bank checks are no guarantee & the buyer can get your account info from the bad check, leading to more trouble than you need. Good gut instincts... no deal.

 

[Highbeam]

I have sold several items on CL. My policy is clear when I correspond that the first person to give me cash for the product will take the item and THEN I will remove the ad. Only green money. Nothing else allowed. If someone is unwilling to come with cash then you have to wonder why. Oh and first come first served. If a guy wants the item, has cash, but will not show up for three days then I will gladly sell it to the next guy that can show up tomorrow. Even if the price is negotiated a bit lower. A bird in the hand.

For the poster, that is a scammer. Common scam.

 

[Dill]

My shipping and check policy is very easy. Cash in hand and you get to pick up the item your buying nothing else.
If it sounds fishy then it is.

 

[kenny chaos]

If you look up internet scams, you will find your e-mail, word for word.
Good for you for catching it.
I think Craig's List has a place to read about scams. You'll find it there also.

 

[Nic36]

I sent another e-mail to this person asking for a cash payment. It has been several hours and I have not received a response, so I guess we all know the truth now......not that it is a surprise to any of you.

I'm still learning. There are things I did not realize would happen when selling on CL. I've been amazed at the amount of e-mail inquiries for items that say something like, "When can I come by and look at this item. Very interested." I reply back and say call me and never hear back. Weird. I'm suspicious by nature, so I guess that is good for this kind of thing.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Brian VT]

It's not always practical, but it's better to meet the interested party somewhere other than your house.
I've heard of respondents coming "to see the item", not buying it, scoping out your place, and then coming back to rob you.

 

[Nic36]

Brian,

You read my mind. I was thinking the same thing earlier. I don't want to give anyone the opportunity to know where I live, if possible. It is my understanding that Craigslist hides my true e-mail address, so that is good. I actually registered using a yahoo.com address that the scammer used to contact me. He used a google e-mail address, which raised a red flag to me.

The phone number I have given out for a few to contact me has been my cell phone number. So, I don't think they have been able to get any information about me with that number, other than maybe the name of the cell phone service provider.

It is sad that one has to take so many precautions. It seems like everyone is out to get you sometimes. Another thing, it's even hard to help people out.

I put an external dial-up modem in the free section. I received an e-mail from someone that said he really needed it and asked do I still have it. I said, " I do. Call me" and gave him my cell number. He called yesterday and said he would come by to get it. He said he was about two towns over but would be one town over and would drive over to pick it up. I never heard back from him. If he calls tomorrow or whenever, I'm going to tell him he waited too late and that someone else got it.

 

[kenny chaos]

And such is our world.

 

[dgold]

I have a shopping mall near my house. I usually tell people to meet me there when I sell through CL (it's been small stuff: sports tickets, moving boxes, a plasma TV mounting bracket).

Agree with the others... CASH ONLY!

 

[njtomatoguy]

I just sold a concrete mixer on tuesday. Placed the ad 3 weeks ago.
Buyer 1- I'll be right over- never showed, never called.
Buyer 2 - I want to come look at it. Made appt. Sunday Afternoon 2 o'clock(whole day is shot) I did get
his #, called him, said he changed his mind- Thanks for screwing up my day. You could have called!
Buyer 3 Made appt. Drove to my house, looked from his truck, drove away. Called him asking where he was,
said I looked and left.

Got a nasty e-mail from a sheep/LLama farmer that my ad wasn't descriptive enough, should have pics and
model # so he can look it up on e-bay. Replied it's not on e-bay genius, it's craigslist. Apparently, people buy or get free items from
CL then resell them on e-bay..

Buyer # 4 was the man. asked ? rented a trailer, drove 2 hrs, handed me cash right away and was really pleasant.

Weed out the freaks and you'll be fine.

 

[njtomatoguy]

It's not always practical, but it's better to meet the interested party somewhere other than your house.
I've heard of respondents coming "to see the item", not buying it, scoping out your place, and then coming back to rob you.

Exactly my concern. Earlier this year, I tried to sell the same mixer, had a guy come, look, say he wanted it,
"but I'll just come back later, take the mixer, and slide the money under your door.
Me: So you want to come back when I'm not home?
Him: Yea, Later.
Me:Let's put it in the truck now
Him:No, I'll just come back when your not around.
Me: I have your license plate number, I'm calling the cops. Get off my property.
Cops came and told me he is mentally ill. Never had a problem, but was concerned.
He lives right next door to a friends daughter, and was telling my buddy what happened,
He described this guy to a T, including truck color and homemade box in back of truck.

Never had a problem with that guy, but there are some freaks out there.

 

[Nic36]

I just got back from seeing my family for the Christmas break. I was gone for 4 days. The whole time I was thinking about the Craigslist hooligans finding my place and ransacking it. Fortunately, it was intact when I got back.

Only one person has been to my house to buy something from Craigslist, and it was at night, so he couldn't see much. He drove an hour to buy my gas log fireplace. He was very straightforward from the beginning. He had his name, address, and even carpet cleaning web site address in his e-mails to me. I really have no worries from him. Everything else has been sold by meeting elsewhere. I plan to make that Standard Operating Procedure whenever possible.

 

[njtomatoguy]

Yea, that was the last time somebody is coming to my house. I will be getting a trailer and a hitch
soon, so I'll be doing the meet at the mall or something.

 

[TreePapa]

I've both bold and sold a fair number of items, all at low price or free, on CL. I've never had problems beyond flakes / no shows. I've almsot always had the buyer come to my house, and never had to deal with "scary people" or unscavory types. The best part has been getting stuff at really good deals (like a Skil 10" miter saw for $25.00) and selling or giving away stuff that I though was 'junk' or 'usless, just taking up space' and having someone think they got a really good score!

Relax.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[kenny chaos]

That's reassuring. I thought I was going to start having to hump all my farm goods to the Walmart parking lot from now on.
Fear rules!

 

[eyeaml337]

this is a classic scam - avoid - several thousand people fall for it - dont be a victim!

 

[Nic36]

I have another one for you all to judge. I am selling my leaf/grass bagger for my lawnmower. Never really used it, so I figured why not get rid of it. I have had a few inquiries, but always no takers. Some guy sent me an e-mail a little while ago about it and said this:

Do you still have the bagger for sale? I think it may fit my mower. Mine is a YTH2148, 2004 model. Would you be interested in shipping it to me in Greensboro NC? We can work out some kind of deal for the freight.
Thanks,
Chris

If I did sell to this guy, he would have to pay me first.......shipping and all. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth though. I'm going to e-mail him back just to see what how he wants to do it. It may be good for laughs at the very least.

 

[fespo]

I sell ALOT OF STUFF ON C L. I have at least one ad a week. You have to figure about 1 in 10 people are for real and not wasting your time. I finally got smart with my last ad 2 nights ago. I removed my e-mail and listed my voice over I P phone from majic jack. That way there not send me e-mails all day long for nothing and if they call it goes to my voice mail and my number is unlisted. I have my adds for firewood now and I tell everyone that it's not ready to burn now. I have had four people tell my you the only one that been truthfull and they still want the wood for next year. Just beware of some of the scammers out there. Remember they do this for a living, just as we go to work for a living.

 

[Gooserider]

I have another one for you all to judge. I am selling my leaf/grass bagger for my lawnmower. Never really used it, so I figured why not get rid of it. I have had a few inquiries, but always no takers. Some guy sent me an e-mail a little while ago about it and said this:

Do you still have the bagger for sale? I think it may fit my mower. Mine is a YTH2148, 2004 model. Would you be interested in shipping it to me in Greensboro NC? We can work out some kind of deal for the freight.
Thanks,
Chris

If I did sell to this guy, he would have to pay me first.......shipping and all. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth though. I'm going to e-mail him back just to see what how he wants to do it. It may be good for laughs at the very least.

First thing I'd consider is whether or not it sounds like the bagger might fit - i.e. is it the same or a similar model to yours? If so, give him an estimate on the freight and hassle factor (finding a box, packing it up and so forth) and let him know that you'd need Pay-Pal or other valid payment in advance, because of your concern about scammers... Unlike the OP, this inquiry doesn't sound like a scam from the start, so it might be legit if he has a mower that sounds like it would fit.

Gooserider

 

[Nic36]

It definitely doesn't sound generic. This guy went through the trouble of making a unique e-mail. I e-mailed him back, but he hasn't responded to my message yet and I will be surprised if he does. From my experience with Craigslist so far, I have noticed that most people never respond back after they ask me if I still have the item for sale and I tell them I do. Maybe someone could explain that.

But, I have managed to sell just about everything I have listed. So, I am doing something right.

 

[rowerwet]

I got two canoes on CL, one I didn't want it was a 15' coleman, the other was a woman who had a 17' coleman and wanted a smaller canoe in trade. I got to the first guys house and found out the canoe had been smashed under a tree years ago, fortunatly the hull was sound only some bent tubes and rails (colemans are tough), I paid him for his canoe, spent an hour beating and bending it back into shape, even spliced a seat support with a broom stick, then drove to the womans cottage on little squam lake, she was happy to have a smaller canoe despite the damage I couldn't fix, so I got a 17' coleman for $125 and some gas money.