How is craigslist so popular?

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b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81
Originally posted by: jagec
Spam? I never had a problem. Then again, I was usually selling or buying nice boring goods, not sexual services;)

Sexual services never attract spam. It's the inexpensive cars and more expensive electronics...
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
I have sold dozens of things on craigslist.org and get dozens and dozens of replies. One single ad yielded me 60 emails in a week and I was still getting them a month or two later.
 

Slickone

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 1999
6,120
0
0
I already got so much spam to the address that I use for CL, before I ever used CL, taht I dont know if spam increased or not after I started submitting ads to CL.

But the reason I think CL is so popular is because it's just like a damn yard sale without having to drive around everywhere. I list a lot on CL and it's just as bad as trying to sell in a yard sell, where you can mark something as low as a dime and people will still offer you a nickel. On CL, no matter how good of a bargin something is, half the time, people lowball me on anything I list, and get mad if I don't come accept. They don't want to meet in the middle. They sometimes offer half of what I'm asking. So I've been raising prices on everything so I can come down, though that makes the few people that don't lowball pass right by your ad.

There's one guy in particular that lowballs me on every PC item I list. I've been thinking about what I should do about that. ;)
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,666
6,547
126
Originally posted by: Googer
I have sold dozens of things on craigslist.org and get dozens and dozens of replies. One single ad yielded me 60 emails in a week and I was still getting them a month or two later.

shens. the ads only last a week.

i found my current apartment on craigslist.
 

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,368
418
126
I have sold a few thing on there, I get less spam when I write up:

No shipping outside the USA PERIOD! No overseas scams, you know who you are! No bank notes, no outside money orders, you bring cash, in person, or your not getting it, I dont care how much more your willing to pay me over my asking price. Will not ship over seas. will not ship using your shipping company. Will not ship green eggs and ham. You show up with cash or piss off. I know of the scams, and how they work, so don't even waste your time with me for you wont even get any more of a response other then what your reading right now. This does not apply to local buyers, please feel free to contact me, I just hate spam, sam I am.

You would be surprised on how much less Spam I get, I went from every day several a day to 1-2 a month. But the amount of local buyers increased because they loved the write up and hate spam as much as I do. May want to give it a shot.
 

LS20

Banned
Jan 22, 2002
5,858
0
0
the only spam i see on CL are the dealers posting cars and the tons of pesky realtors posting apartments on there
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
63,061
19,373
136
I see plenty of spam ads (free mp3 players and such) but they usually get flagged fairly quickly. I've never gotten any spam on anything I've sold, but I've gotten good deals on a number of things.
 

imported_cheapdude

Senior member
Mar 4, 2007
423
0
0
Unless I can sell the item for more on ebay, usually I just do craigslist because its free and they buyer just come and pick it up.
 

49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
2,095
0
0
I use Craigslist religiously and never encounter spam. I'll flag the occasional "Free iPod for your CD's" listing but other than that, I don't really encounter it. My biggest gripe with Craigs is simply people not following through with a purchase. I'm constantly getting emails from people wanting to buy what I have listed and then when it's time to meet up, you never hear from them again. But, for a free service, you take the bad with the good. I've sold a lot of crap on there and I've also bought stuff on some great deals.
 

imported_cheapdude

Senior member
Mar 4, 2007
423
0
0
Originally posted by: 49erinnc
I use Craigslist religiously and never encounter spam. I'll flag the occasional "Free iPod for your CD's" listing but other than that, I don't really encounter it. My biggest gripe with Craigs is simply people not following through with a purchase. I'm constantly getting emails from people wanting to buy what I have listed and then when it's time to meet up, you never hear from them again. But, for a free service, you take the bad with the good. I've sold a lot of crap on there and I've also bought stuff on some great deals.

This is what I do:
It works for those who live in an apartment with doorman.

Leave item with doorman, give the buyer a number for the front desk, have the person deal with your doorman, if the person is a no show, it didn't waste any of your time.

I'd suppose you can replace doorman with a family member at home for the same thing.

 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Originally posted by: ChaoZ
It's got free sex, why you think?

That's right...I have a theory that no technology will take off unless it can in some way be used in some way for sex or porn. I've yet to be proven wrong.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
63,061
19,373
136
Originally posted by: 49erinnc
I use Craigslist religiously and never encounter spam. I'll flag the occasional "Free iPod for your CD's" listing but other than that, I don't really encounter it. My biggest gripe with Craigs is simply people not following through with a purchase. I'm constantly getting emails from people wanting to buy what I have listed and then when it's time to meet up, you never hear from them again. But, for a free service, you take the bad with the good. I've sold a lot of crap on there and I've also bought stuff on some great deals.

I've had a few problems with the reverse, contacting people to buy something and they respond once and then disappear.
 

jman19

Lifer
Nov 3, 2000
11,225
664
126
Originally posted by: RossMAN
Originally posted by: michaels
f/s section is what I a talking about.

I've sold a lot through craigslist. It's quick and easy.

Exactly, CL has been a very easy way for me to sell stuff. Never had any fake offers.
 

Slickone

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 1999
6,120
0
0
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: Googer
I have sold dozens of things on craigslist.org and get dozens and dozens of replies. One single ad yielded me 60 emails in a week and I was still getting them a month or two later.

shens. the ads only last a week.

i found my current apartment on craigslist.
They end up on google. I've gotten replies to an ad that was posted a few weeks previously, from someone in another city who said they found it on google.
 

Slickone

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 1999
6,120
0
0
Originally posted by: LS20
the only spam i see on CL are the dealers posting cars and the tons of pesky realtors posting apartments on there
Oh, I thought are we talking about getting spam emails after posting.
Spam ads on CL - yes I see spam ads on there for free electronics, wanting you to click a link. And if you go to certain cities, like Miami, there are nothing but tons of spam car ads from dealers (in all caps) filling up everything. They make finding a car near impossible. Yet in some cities there's about none of these spam dealer car ads.
 

Slickone

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 1999
6,120
0
0
Originally posted by: 49erinnc
I use Craigslist religiously and never encounter spam. I'll flag the occasional "Free iPod for your CD's" listing but other than that, I don't really encounter it. My biggest gripe with Craigs is simply people not following through with a purchase. I'm constantly getting emails from people wanting to buy what I have listed and then when it's time to meet up, you never hear from them again. But, for a free service, you take the bad with the good. I've sold a lot of crap on there and I've also bought stuff on some great deals.
Yeah more than half of the people that contact me say "I want this!" , then they never reply to anything after that. How hard is it to send a freakin reply saying they changed their mind. Or just simply 'no' is better than nothing? They won't even do that. Lazy/cowards.

Then I've had a few people that didn't show up when we've planned to meet. I dont let anyone come to my house for safety, but I meet just down the street in a big parking lot of a big store, where the lot is always more than half empty, and very well lit. Some people want me to meet them halfway, but I quit doing any of that since people don't show. I think the buyer should doing the trek. For one thing, that's part of buying, but even more of a reason, as a buyer, you know most likely the seller will always show up, since they want to sell the item. It's the buyer that often doesn't show.

Some people have even asked me to deliver items to their places of business and houses. What do they think I am, a retail store? A package service? A $3 item at that! Gas would have been about double that.
 

Slickone

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 1999
6,120
0
0
Another pet pieve is when people ask you if something is still available right after you just listed it. Don't they look at the time? I also put in the ads that I delete my ads immediately and if you're reading this it's still available. Don't these people read? They also ask the location when it clearly states it on all ads, and I even add more info to my ads telling where I am.

I say, instead of asking if something is still available, go ahead and ask any questions you wanted to ask, or tell when when/where you want to get it. If it's not available the seller will tell you! Go ahead and get the ball rolling. As long as it could take you to send & get a reply to your 'Is this still available" email, and then send another email about getting the item, the seller could sell it to someone else in that time.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Originally posted by: Slickone
Another pet pieve is when people ask you if something is still available right after you just listed it. Don't they look at the time? I also put in the ads that I delete my ads immediately and if you're reading this it's still available. Don't these people read? They also ask the location when it clearly states it on all ads, and I even add more info to my ads telling where I am.

I say, instead of asking if something is still available, go ahead and ask any questions you wanted to ask, or tell when when/where you want to get it. If it's not available the seller will tell you! Go ahead and get the ball rolling. As long as it could take you to send & get a reply to your 'Is this still available" email, and then send another email about getting the item, the seller could sell it to someone else in that time.

Because for ever person like you there are 99 that will leave a ad up for a month after it is sold.


When I get a spammer I just tell them, as they never even look to see what I am selling, that my gold confederate nugget is still for sale. I then ask for a shipping label. I think they are getting smarter as when I ask for a label they stop writing. :(
 

SuperFreaky

Golden Member
Nov 1, 1999
1,985
0
0
because I can clear out all of the junk furniture in house in a weekend without having to lift a finger...
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
Originally posted by: ironwing
I sold a truck in less than 12 hours from submitting ad to title transfer. I thought craigslist was awesome.

:thumbsup:

It's where I sold my last Harley - two days and no Ebay fees.