Craigslist scams with Harbor Freight items RANT

[newbury]

Recently I've been seeing more and more items advertised on CL direct from HF at exorbitant prices with links to exorbitant prices elsewhere.
For example Folding Utiliy Trailer - heavy equipment - by owner - sale lists a Folding Utiliy(sic) Trailer for $1500 and an ad showing it for sale on Newegg for $2,179
It's the 1195 lb rated one at HF often available for $290
How dumb is the CL buyer?

 

[4get gto]

Throw everything at the wall to see if it sticks...
He'll find a few walls I imagine...!

 

[Mendonsy]

CL is probably the worst, but they aren't the only place that has the problem. FleaBay has a lot of those scams also.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You see that all over. You see things like magnetic retrievers at a hardware store or auto parts store that cost twice what they are at HF (Or Princess Auto) and I bet they are the same one. AND you can wait til they go on sale for 50% off at Princess auto!

 

[KennyG]

Whenever I want to buy something, I check Amazon and Ebay as well as appropriate suppliers like Harbor Freight. It used to be that I could usually find it cheaper on Ebay than Amazon. Now it's reversed and, as I understand it is because of "drop shippers". People set up an Ebay store advertising Amazon items for a few dollars more. Then they just forward the orders to Amazon. They can make lots of money because so many people don't comparison shop.

 

[Oldoak]

People offer items for sale at a specified price. A potential buyer can take it or leave it. Simple as that. :confused3:

 

[kcflhrc]

People offer items for sale at a specified price. A potential buyer can take it or leave it. Simple as that. :confused3:

Exactly, if you aren't smart enough to price shop too bad for you. The worlds full of idiots and Craigslist is a breeding ground for scum.

By the way, not real smart clicking on links on Craigslist.

 

[EddieWalker]

Back when ebay was first getting started, there where some great deals from people selling stuff on there, but then over time, the bigger sellers started listing stuff that you could go to another website and buy for less money. I realized that they where just marking up the cost of what they could buy, and then resell for more money. I think this is how Amazon works to. It's easy to shop on there, but a lot of the time, if I spend the time looking, I can find it cheaper on another site.

 

[sixdogs]

What amazes me is that used HF stuff will often sell at auction for more than it costs new. Sometimes a fair amount more. Beats me.

 

[CADplans]

My millennial SIL swears it is not so,, but,
Amazon MUST use an algorithm that adjusts price,,
after an item sits on the shelf too long, the price starts to drop,, it continues to drop until sales start,,
AS SOON as sales start, the price goes up,, and up,,, and UP!

It is how Amazon gets items to show up at low prices sites like gun.deals | Guns and Ammo Search Engine and Gun Deals

I bought a MAGLITE "D" cell flashight last October for $17 from Amazon,, I had seen it at gun deals.
the next day it was up to $26,,,