Been having bad luck with Craigslist lately

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: nonameo
Take $55?

$30?

 

[Mermaidman]

Originally posted by: Vic
Lowballers are comical IMO. I've gotten horrendous and rude lowball offers even after I've told them that I already have a pending sale in process at or near asking price. It's gotten to the point that, when I do have to deal with them, I just fsck with them.

Such as countering with a price that's higher than the original price

The worst experience I've had was a no-show after I drove 25 miles. The flake did not respond to my phone calls and had the gall later on to email me again about buying the item. Mostly though, I price my stuff aggressively and usually get a firm buyer the same day. Older item: 1/3 of original price. Newer used item: 1/2 to 2/3 of original price.

 

[theeedude]

We really need a tiny violin icon

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: senseamp
We really need a tiny violin icon

:laugh:

 

[d33pt]

Originally posted by: IBuyUFO
I think I have a better one.

One time a while ago we advertised on the craigslist free section and offered a matress, washer and dryer, and other misc. stuff. The washer and dryer were pretty much the first to go along with the other stuff. The mattress sat there for a few days before someone took it. Whoever took it had the nerve to bring their old mattress and left their stinking old sh**ty piece of crap in front of our house where the free matress sat. Whoever you are, you are an azzhat!
San Francisco is full of azzholes who have really no consideration for other people besides themselves. They seldom stop at a stop sign and instead decide to just blow past it almost running into my car a few times. Fudge this city and its low class inhabitants.

now that is seriously jacked up. that's why when i post free stuff, i still make sure i'm there when they come. i never post my address on the ad. who knows what else they may think is free too.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: tyanni
No offense, but I have to agree w\ jagec. Craigslist used to be a great place to get stuff for cheap since the person was trying to get rid of it. Asking 90% of the new value for a item is ridiculous, as is 80%, even 70% generally. Once you have a couch (or whatever) for a year or whatever, its worth like half of what it used to be worth if even that much. People who post stuff on craigslist these days have an incredibly inflated sense of what their crap is worth. If I am posting something on Craigslist, its to get rid of it - pay me 50 bucks or whatever you think its worth, take it off my hands, and you've done both of us a favor.

Sort of like FS/FT!

 

[S Freud]

Originally posted by: d33pt
now that is seriously jacked up. that's why when i post free stuff, i still make sure i'm there when they come. i never post my address on the ad. who knows what else they may think is free too.

Let us not forget the story of the empty craigs list house. That could happen to YOU!

 

[Kaieye]

I use Craigslist all the time. I have been sold a few defective stuff and sometimes rarely can't get back to the seller. But, overall I have been an extremely happy camper. I've been given a lot of good stuff for free and picked up stuff for pennies on the dollar.

Craigslist rocks!

 

[halik]

I only get annoyed with

1) Nigerian Scammers: No I'm not shipping 60lb G5 powermac to some 3rd world sh!athole that I couldn't point on the map, even though usps money orders according to you are more secure than US Treasury debt.

2) Low ballers with lame stories: That's great that you're starting up a business, but the fact that you can't afford a top-end Apple desktop is not gonna make me sell it at half of my asking price.

 

[Casawi]

I think it depends on the location you are in... meaning there is better quality people and else where. I have use CL heavily this past 6months and nothing but good things. I am quite surprise. Now I will be more careful...

 

[krunchykrome]

Craigslist is also being flooded with nigerian scammers, especially their car classifieds.

 

[ric1287]

i had a guy offer to buy my 1400 laptop, and then on the day of the sale, calls me up and offers me 700$. I laughed and hung up.

 

[Chryso]

I am supposed to meet somebody tomorrow to buy something off craigslist.

 

[49erinnc]

A lot of the complaints people have can be easily solved just buy pricing something to sell. When I first started using CL, I would price stuff pretty high in hopes of getting as much as possible. What that led to was a lot of low ball offers, people telling me I'd never sell it and tons of no-shows after committing to buying.

Then I realized that if you are using CL to make a profit, then just learn to live with all the complaints you have. But if you are looking to just get rid of things and make back a reasonable percentage of what you originally paid for it, then you shouldn't ever have too many problems.

So now when I sell something, I list it at a price I know for a fact will be very appealing to buyers. I'd much rather sell something in 1 day for $50 than sit on it for 2 weeks because I want $75 for it. Pricing to sell gets stuff sold right away with minimal hassle. If you want more than what it's worth, then pay the fees on Ebay. But CL is free so quit bitching and just drop your prices.

 

[daveymark]

Here's what I do with smarmy lowballers (e.g., the ones who swear, accuse you of something derogatory, or are just general all around asshats):

Agree to their lowball price, then make sure the meeting place is 25+ miles from where they're from. Then, "accidentally" forget to show up.

hilarity ensues.

It's even better if you give them an address to a place where you know the name of someone. for instance, call up the starbucks 25 miles away and find out that the name of one of the guys working there is John. Then tell the lowballer that you'll be working there and to ask for John.

situations like this are perfect for a grandcentral.com account. give the lowballer your "cell" in case he can't find the place.

just make sure you're using a gourmet spam account when doing something like this, don't want anyone tracking you down...

of course, this post was made for entertainment purposes only, I would never do something like this

 

[LS20]

http://houston.craigslist.org/roo/356510562.html

self-absorbed douchebag and a half

ABOUT ME:

Hey.. ---- I think that us meeting in person for 10 minutes & talking will convey a lot more clearly what kind of people we are to see if we'd get along. But, just to get you started.. I am an open minded, well-traveled (globally), mature & responsible professional who has been a Grad Student at a prestigious private university hopes to join some of his friends at Ivy Leage MBA programs couple of years down the line. (Friends have started MBAs at Darden (Virginia), Wharton, Harvard & Kellog.) I have worked with several top named consulting firms as well as several Fortune companies as a Lead Strategy Consultant.

I grew up in a BIG family; have learned to match perspectives & get along with old, young, modern & traditional. I am laid back, get along with anyone & don't bother people with small things. I know how to manage common & personal spaces as well as privacy. Mature as well as young at heart. I do expect some common sense & maturity from you.

Also, I've traveled all over the United States & a few places in the UK, Netherlands, Spain, France, India. Also have several close friends living in Europe & Asia... therein I bring in a very mature, worldly, open mindset.

I am a minimalist in terms of "material possessions" & max on life, how you lead it & connect with people as you go through it.. I dont drink or smoke & have no issues with anyone who does. Its a democracy .

I travel a lot for work (love it) & at times I get to recover by working from home. I recharge on the weekends.. by sleeping or meeting people.. lounging in midtown, uptown or at Rice Village, partying / clubbing once in a while. I avoid watching TV. Day time: International Festival & similar .. or relax at a coffeeshop/ tapioca place. I enjoy listening to different kinds of music, new age, fusion as well as old school (wide range) & like to read LIGHT philosophy, spiritualism, business strategy, self improvement.

YOU: A mature professional or student who can think and speak sensibly. A bonus, if we can get along really well, make good friends and share some laughs.

FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU:

I need more some of your information to figure out a match. I am sharing details about myself and my place. I am a little hesitant since a lot of people that come by are not exactly clear, upfront and very undecided.

? When you plan to move-in? How soon? How late? ? What's your upper limit on spending for the right place in the right location? ? How long you plan to stay / commit for? Commit with or without lease? ? Do you have decent credit / background? Please indicate what you know / think ? Professional Background: What you do for a living? Education? Background? ? Personal Background: Personal mindset & background / Outlook on life, where from, leisure, lifestyle , weeks & weekends? (A little bit about your personality / activities. I am non judgmental.. I'd just like mature people who know how to balance things) ? Preferably, a number where you can be reached, a good time to call & days/ times you can stop by to see the place and meet. Lets not spend 3-emails back and forth to do that.

hes screening for fbi applicants? its just a f room, dude

 

[caivoma]

Originally posted by: LS20
http://houston.craigslist.org/roo/356510562.html

self-absorbed douchebag and a half

ABOUT ME:

Hey.. ---- I think that us meeting in person for 10 minutes & talking will convey a lot more clearly what kind of people we are to see if we'd get along. But, just to get you started.. I am an open minded, well-traveled (globally), mature & responsible professional who has been a Grad Student at a prestigious private university hopes to join some of his friends at Ivy Leage MBA programs couple of years down the line. (Friends have started MBAs at Darden (Virginia), Wharton, Harvard & Kellog.) I have worked with several top named consulting firms as well as several Fortune companies as a Lead Strategy Consultant.

I grew up in a BIG family; have learned to match perspectives & get along with old, young, modern & traditional. I am laid back, get along with anyone & don't bother people with small things. I know how to manage common & personal spaces as well as privacy. Mature as well as young at heart. I do expect some common sense & maturity from you.

Also, I've traveled all over the United States & a few places in the UK, Netherlands, Spain, France, India. Also have several close friends living in Europe & Asia... therein I bring in a very mature, worldly, open mindset.

I am a minimalist in terms of "material possessions" & max on life, how you lead it & connect with people as you go through it.. I dont drink or smoke & have no issues with anyone who does. Its a democracy .

I travel a lot for work (love it) & at times I get to recover by working from home. I recharge on the weekends.. by sleeping or meeting people.. lounging in midtown, uptown or at Rice Village, partying / clubbing once in a while. I avoid watching TV. Day time: International Festival & similar .. or relax at a coffeeshop/ tapioca place. I enjoy listening to different kinds of music, new age, fusion as well as old school (wide range) & like to read LIGHT philosophy, spiritualism, business strategy, self improvement.

YOU: A mature professional or student who can think and speak sensibly. A bonus, if we can get along really well, make good friends and share some laughs.

FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU:

I need more some of your information to figure out a match. I am sharing details about myself and my place. I am a little hesitant since a lot of people that come by are not exactly clear, upfront and very undecided.

? When you plan to move-in? How soon? How late? ? What's your upper limit on spending for the right place in the right location? ? How long you plan to stay / commit for? Commit with or without lease? ? Do you have decent credit / background? Please indicate what you know / think ? Professional Background: What you do for a living? Education? Background? ? Personal Background: Personal mindset & background / Outlook on life, where from, leisure, lifestyle , weeks & weekends? (A little bit about your personality / activities. I am non judgmental.. I'd just like mature people who know how to balance things) ? Preferably, a number where you can be reached, a good time to call & days/ times you can stop by to see the place and meet. Lets not spend 3-emails back and forth to do that.

hes screening for fbi applicants? its just a f room, dude

lol, wow. GL to his roomate.

 

[nitrousninja]

I have $80,000 in fake checks/money orders at work that people have returned because a Craigslist scammer used our address as a fake shipping point.

 

[Alistar7]

I deal exclusively on AT's FS/FT forum, never any problems in 5 plus years....

 

[Parasitic]

I once had a guy offer $50 for a brand new cell phone with MSRP at $300. His initial response was "I will not pay $100 (my asking price). That is market price. I will pay you $50 and pick it up in 2 hours."

Then 20 minutes later he spammed again, asking why I didn't write back and discuss a meeting location.
Then an hour later he wrote back to me again and screamed profanities.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Alistar7
I deal exclusively on AT's FS/FT forum, never any problems in 5 plus years....

sometimes thats not any better.

 

[Toro 45]

Originally posted by: 49erinnc
A lot of the complaints people have can be easily solved just buy pricing something to sell. When I first started using CL, I would price stuff pretty high in hopes of getting as much as possible. What that led to was a lot of low ball offers, people telling me I'd never sell it and tons of no-shows after committing to buying.

Then I realized that if you are using CL to make a profit, then just learn to live with all the complaints you have. But if you are looking to just get rid of things and make back a reasonable percentage of what you originally paid for it, then you shouldn't ever have too many problems.

So now when I sell something, I list it at a price I know for a fact will be very appealing to buyers. I'd much rather sell something in 1 day for $50 than sit on it for 2 weeks because I want $75 for it. Pricing to sell gets stuff sold right away with minimal hassle. If you want more than what it's worth, then pay the fees on Ebay. But CL is free so quit bitching and just drop your prices.

This is sums it up for me as well. When I price aggressive with the intention to sell quickly, I usually have a buyer the same day and have found them to be decent peeps. When I try to get max dollar amount, even what I think is still a good deal but definately the high end of a good price, thats when the lowballers and flakes come out of the woodwork.

I've found that a good portion of craigslister buyers can be very aggressive and rude as many have mentioned here. I've also met some very decent individuals. When I post an item for sale I try to weed out the rude/dirtbag types and just reply to the more "sensible looking" emails. Craigslist is not perfect but with a lot of patients it has helped to sell a lot of items.

 

[QueBert]

I put my something on CL for $500, I get 2 low ball offers, one guy is like "will you take $150?" I have to assume he's being serious, I know haggling is part of selling something used I suppose. But when you're asking $500, and anyone who prices the items see's it's a good deal for something 2 months old in new condition that has a retail price of around $700

I responded back just to see what he has to say hehe.

 

[DrPizza]

Nothing but good luck for me on craigslist so far. The only problem is that all the cities listed "near" me are 1 1/2 hours away from me. I'm sort of in the middle of no where. Thus, I miss out on cheaper deals, but for more expensive great deals, (car), it's worth the drive.

 

[gsethi]

I listed a brand new Dell Desktop PC...MSRP for ~2k, my asking was 1200. I got many lowball offers like $500-$700. One person said 1k and we agreed on Friday evening so that he could pick it up from my place. Told me to hold it for him and he was in urgent need...yada...yada. I ended up Cancelling my Friday evening plans and the loser never showed up (atleast I was waiting at home for him but still...). Emails me one week later offering me 700 and then started giving his reasoning on how someone else was offering it for 750. I told him to go get it from that other person for 750 and that I am not even going to deal with him anymore even if he offers me 2k.

A week later, a nice gentleman picked it up from my place for 1k (I just wanted to sell it at that point). So yes, there are some decent people on craigslist and you just have to have patience.

Same thing happened when I was trying to sell a brand new sealed laptop an year ago. Asking price was ~900 and i was getting offers for 400-500. Ended up selling at ~850 within couple of weeks. The guy was willing to come to my place to pick it up but I offered him to meet halfway as I had to go there anyways and he appreciated that.

so yes, there are some good decent people amongst most of the douche bags.