Experience with Craig's List

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I found my first B camper van on Craig's list in the next state.  Eventually sold it on Craig's list.  Found my current C on craig's list in another state.  No problems with any of the transactions.

Did find a John Deere tractor I wanted a couple states away. Wanted to drive out and see it and purchase it.  Told it was already crated and would be shipped to me. I guess they thought I was born yesterday.
 
Old Radios said:
Did find a John Deere tractor I wanted a couple states away. Wanted to drive out and see it and purchase it.  Told it was already crated and would be shipped to me. I guess they thought I was born yesterday.

They probably wanted to quickly get your payment by Western Union also... ::)
 
In the city of Clovis California where I live the police department has set aside two parking places in front of the police station marked "Exchange Area".

It is for people who are exchanging things purchased over the internet.

They don't observe the transaction nor are they involved in the transaction, however the area is under camera surveillance and their thought is it may prevent some bad things from happening.

We've got a great police force here, not to mention all the other great first responders.
 
CL is like the newspaper want ads or the Tradin Times and I don't recall any particular paranoia about using those. I've sold furniture, hi-fi gear, tools, bikes, musical instruments etc. on CL with no problems other than people who say they're coming over but don't. This wasn't a problem in Chicago but it is here in St. Augustine.

Just this week, in preparation for a full timing life, I sold several pieces of high end audio gear and a piano on CL. People came over to the house, checked out the goods and took them home. No Glock needed.
 
I've had great experiences buying and selling, but selling can be annoying, not because of Craigslist, but buyers that lack basic courtesy.  I can't not use it, as it has quite a stable of buyers and sellers.
 
I have bought only a couple items on Craigslist, but have sold quite a few things including two cars.  Other than the occasional no-show I have had no issues.
 
Common sense is the rule.  If you have a concern most police departments will gladly allow you to use their parking lot for your transaction.  Just recently bought a Class A based on a Craigslist ad.  Lovely lady i talked to on the phone.  She asked me if my wife would accompany me on our initial visit.  "Yes ma'am,  No way my wife would let me buy something like that without her"  Don't blame her a bit and i had to laugh about it.
 
I bought a DSL modem on CL and sold a truck.  I met the guy with the modem at a Starbucks.  I had the guy who wanted to look at the truck come to my house and had my neighbor Bob watching from his garage.  When the prospective buyer arrived he came over and told the guy that the truck had three time the odometer mileage on it, I never changed the oil and wrecked it several times. 

Turns out the buyer was one of his relatives and they had a good laugh at My expense.  He Bought the truck for my asking price.

I would think twice about buying a coach on CL.  Especially a long distance deal!  Nor would I do it without a full inspection by a good RV technician and mechanic.  Never carry large sums of cash, I suggest taking only your drivers license when you go to look.
 
I bought my current RV off of Craigslist and it was 500 miles away. After I test drove it I made him an offer and he accepted it. We went to my bank and I got a cashiers check cut for him and we signed it over in the bank lobby. The whole deal took two hours.
 
A new, improved Craigslist experience... even better and faster than my previous uses!

I am in the market for a new-to-me daily driver, a 3-row midsize SUV.  In preparation for that cash purchase, I put up a Craiglist ad for my current vehicle (2007 Chrysler Pacifica with 163k miles) this past Monday.  I only posted the ad in my local central Illinois CG website, and planned to re-post in largers areas around me (Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis) within a few days, in the hopes of drawing in a buyer from a couple hours away.  My hope was to have the vehicle sold within a month or so.

A nice guy called about the Pacifica the next day (Tuesday), came to check it out yesterday (Wednesday), put cash in my hand, and drove away with it.  Nicest older gentleman I ever met, buying the Pacifica for his granddaughter who just had a baby.

So that 2-day sale cost me nothing (except about 30 minutes to take quality photos and make the online ad), and would have happened in 1 day but the buyer's bank was already closed when he first called on Tuesday.

Also, I almost restricted my Craigslist ad communication options to e-mail only.  Then I figured I better add my cell phone number for texts.  Then I thought, "okay I'll allow voice calls too" since there are some people that still do that.  ;)  Good thing I did, as this gentleman said he does not e-mail unknown strangers through Craigslist and hardly ever uses his cell phone.  When he said, it ain't for text messaging!

Win-win situation.  Although this is the first time I've ever sold a vehicle, before already owning its replacement!  ???  (Luckily I have my Suburban and a classic Pontiac I can drive in a pinch.)
 
I have sold a trailer, 2 cars, and a very old 1977 F600 dump truck with a sign in my front yard or
the local yard sale forum within a few days of putting them out. Day before yesterday listed
a mattress set and a couch on our local yard sale site and had them sold in an hour or so.

And we live out in the country, way out on a secondary state road.
 
I've had very good luck with Craigslist.

My current (and only) motorhome came from there.

I sold stuff on it too.

You MUST use good common sense and it doesn't feel right DON'T DO IT!

Also if you plan to sell something include loads of pics and a LONG detailed list of included parts and options plus a nice lengthy informative description. Write all this OFF LINE and get it all nice, neat and perfect, then copy and paste.

For editing, it helps to read it out loud to yourself and others before finalizing everything.

If you have included a ton of information then the only phone calls you will get will be from buyers with money in hand.

I suggest you DO include your phone number and plan to answer every phone call and not waste time with phone tag. Craigslist hides your number from robots, the potential buyer has to click through to get your number.

For instance when I sold my old bicycle I was competing against over 1800 bicycle for sale! I spent hours writing up a lengthy informative advertisement and included some freebies and lots of pics.

I posted the ad.

An hour later the first call came in.

Another hour they arrived.

Twenty minutes later we are loading up the bicycle.

In under three hours, my ad was put up, item sold and ad gone. The other 1800 bicycle ads were still there. Many with barely a sentence describing them and some didn't even bother with even a crummy pic.





 

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