Is CL dead?

[Blue Mule]

Yeah within the last 2 years CL has totally died here where I live. Everybody is now using FB Marketplace.

To be honest, I kind of prefer FB. It's less anonymous which keeps people slightly more honest and trackable.

 

[bmaverick]

Our local JD dealer group floods CL with ads containing unrelated key words. You can search for a gocart and it will return 50 JD ads before you see what you searched for. I have replied to their ads and complained about them wasting my time with the use of unrelated key words. I told them they would be the last place on earth I would buy a new tractor from.

This is the list of key words they use in EVERY ad.

JOHN DEERE, KUBOTA MASSEY FERGUSON, KIOTI, YANMAR, MAHINDRA, FARM, FARMING, PLANTING, PROPERTY, DIRT, DIESEL, WORK HORSE, COW, CHICKEN, BIRDS, DOG, CAT ANIMAL, COMPACT, INDUSTRIAL, TIMBER, FENCE, FENCING, LIFT, 3 POINT HITCH, VEGETABLES, MOWING, LAWN MAINTANCE, FLOWERS, TREES, EXMARK, TORO, FERRIS, SCAG, BAD BOY, BADBOY, SNAPPER, MURRAY, HONDA, KAWASAKI, KHOLER, BRIGGS AND STRATTON, STIHL, ECHO, REDMAX, DITCH, ROADSIDE, MOW, EQUIPMENT, HOUSE, HOME, INDUSTRY, PRESSURE, FLUID, HYDRAULIC, DEER, DOVE, QUAIL, BUSH, BRUSH, CONCRETE, CROP, GRASS, TREE LIMB, MULCH, HUNT, HUNTING, FISH, FISHING, TREE MULCHING, GRINDING, CUTTING, POWER LINE, POWERLINE TRIMMING, TRIM, UTILITY, UTILITIES, mowers, Construction, Cattle, Ranch, Equipment, Auction, Bumper, Gooseneck, Roller, Wheel Loader, Caterpillar, John Deere, Bobcat, Hammer, Breaker, Skid Steer, Trailer, Dozer, Forestry, Skidder, 4x4, Excavation, Track Hoe, Backhoe, Forklift, Man Lift, Concrete, Crane, Loader, Crawler, Generator, Grader, Pump, Welder, Farm, Tractor, Massy Ferguson, Kubota, Case, Breaker, Skid Steer Trencher, Dresser, Hitachi, Komatsu, New Holland, Terex, Clark, Tiger Cat, Bandit, Bell, Bobcat, Daewood, Hydro-Ax, Kobelco, Link Belt, Lull, Grade All, Trade, Volvo, Hitachi, Gehl, Gradall, Ingersoll Rand, JCB, Ditch Witch, Scissor, Bucket, Boom, Machinery, Grove, Genie, JLG, Snorkel, Telelect, WTB, Allis Chalmers, Dynapac, Pettibone, Davis, Hitachi, Kawasaki, Fiat Allis, Gradall, Belarus, Massey Ferguson, Machinery, Rock Bucket, Dirt Bucket, Frost Bucket, Skip Loader, Truck, Grader, Motor Grader, Forklift, Crusher, Ford, Caterpillar, machinery, International, Case, Hyundai, New Holland, Mahindra, Kioti, Long, Kobelco, Komatsu, Mitsubishi, Galion, Gradall, Skytrak, Lull, Bobcat, Mustang, JCB Ingersoll Rand, Farmall, Bomag, Dresser, Champion, Ditch Witch, Hyster, Takeuchi, Trencher, Vermeer, Rayco, Morbark, John Deere, Toro, Exmark, Dixie Chopper, Grasshopper, Bad Boy, Gravley, New Holland, Commercial Mowing, Bush Hog, Lawn Service, Blades, Parts, Zero Turn, Mahindra, Cat, Volvo, Case, Farming, Mowing, Cattle, Horse, Pigs, Big Tex Trailer, Scag, Stihl, Honda, Hustler, Skid Steer, Track Machine, Landscape, Lawn, Hunting, Hunting Camp, Food Plot, Compact, 2WD, 4WD, 4X4, XTV, UTV, ATV, RTV, Gator, Backhoe, Excavator, Bulldozer, Dozer, Wheel Loader, Tractor, Utility Tractor, Trailer, Grapple, Forks, Box Blade, Rotary Cutter, Landscape Rake, Tiller, Finish Mower, Implements, Weed Eater, Pole Saw, Blower, Hedge Trimmer, Chainsaw, Edger, Kioti, Ventrac, Big Bee, Land Pride, Utility Trailer, Turf, Tires, Turf Tires, Side By Side, Polaris, Ranger, Kawasaki, Mule, Artic Cat, Four Wheeler, Golf Cart, Go Kart, 4Wheeler, Track Loader, Boat, Bass Boat, Jon Boat, Motor, Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota John Deere, Kubota, TYM, Toro, Exmark, Dixie Chopper, Grass Hopper, Bad Boy, Gravely, Commercial Mowing, commercial mower, diesel, diesel mower, Bush Hog, Lawn Service, Blades, Parts, Zero Turn, zturn, zmaster, Mahindra, CAT, Volvo, Case, New Holland, Farming, Mowing, Cattle, Horse, Pigs, Big Tex, Trailer, SCAG, STIHL, Honda, Massey, ferguson, fergusson, skid steer, track machine, landscape, lawn, mowing, hunting, hunting camp, food plot, compact, 4wd, 2wd, 4x4, work, play, monster, grasshopper, ford, clearing, harrow, implements, warranty, used, old, new, lease, rent, horses, pig, dog, cat, jon deer, landscape, landscaping, arborist, tree service, dairy, row crop, blueberry, blueberries, honda, generator, generators, mini excavator, skid steer, compact track loader, cwp, backhoe, back hoe, bull dozer, bulldozer,
1023, 1025, 3025, 3032, 3033, 3038, 3046, 4044, 4052, 4066, 5045, 5055, 5065, 5075, 5085, 5100, 08026131 excavator, excavators
UTV, XUV, JOHN DEERE, HONDA, POLARIS, ARCTIC CAT, BENNCHE, COWBOY, RANCHER, HISUN, RANGER, PIONEER, CFMOTO, ZFORCE, MASSIMO, ATV, KAWASAKI, KYMCO, OFF ROAD

And if the JD Dealer posts under OWNER, I hit the REPORT button each and every time. I got a few dealers actually KICKED OFF of CL for abusing the system like that in my area.

 

[Midniteoyl]

And if the JD Dealer posts under OWNER, I hit the REPORT button each and every time. I got a few dealers actually KICKED OFF of CL for abusing the system like that in my area.

All that does now is hide it from your view.

 

[Gee Ray]

It would be so easy to fix CL. It is a shame to let it die a slow death.

And JD is one of the worst.

 

[LD1]

I'm glad CL started charging $5. I happily paid $5 a few months ago and quickly sold a vehicle for $6,000. I believe the small fee chased away the worst of the worst scammers.

One local CL poster puts up dozens-to-hundreds of ads for tools, refreshing every couple of days. Fortunately he puts his city name on the ad. So when searching in tools, I use the minus sign (-) to eliminate all of his ads from my searches. Works well.

I have finally stopped clicking on the ads for a recent widow selling her husbands prized late model cab tractor for $3,000. Although sometimes its fun to look at the ad and find things like calling it a Deere when the picture is of a Kubota.

Charging chases away the scammer sellers, but its still free to browse and shop. SO you still get the scammers and lowballers calling about what you are trying to sell. Pay money for an ad, then have people contact you that are "interested" but overseas, they will wire you extra money...give the extra cash to the pickup driver, etc.

 

[jaxs]

As if it wasn't bad enough already the CL help desk will insult you if you contact them. Some days 50% of posts at help desk is vulgar talking **** stars and even they aren't blocked or kicked off.
No one will admit it but I recall conversations right here where people said they wouldn't discuss sales through CL's annomous email. Baw gawd I wanna tawk on the phone or I hant gonna tawk a tall. Scammers love that attitude because that make's it easy hearvesting phone numbers to sell Nigerians. Then the Nigerians call to renew their car warranties.

 

[dodge man]

Craigslist in my area also appears to not be doing well. FB Marketplace seems better. I’ve never sold anything on Craigslist but have given stuff away. I see a lot of scams on Craigslist but it seems like less on FB but who knows unless you try to buy it.

 

[Snobdds]

If you don't pay anything for an online service, you are the product.

CL is dead. Good things online only have a limited time of being good. Then the scammers wreck it.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I don’t use either. Someone local recently got taken selling a vehicle online, fake cashiers check, car they came in “with the family” even had fake tags on it. Fake drivers license.

 

[plowhog]

In Nevada, the license plates belong to you, not the vehicle. So when you sell a vehicle, you keep the plates.

When I recently sold a car on CL, I removed the plates before taking pictures of it. For privacy. But I put in the ad that the vehicle was currently registered in Nevada. I put the plates on the passenger seat floorboard.

A buyer arranged to meet at noon to see the car. He showed up on a bicycle. Yikes. Kind of scroungy looking. Yikes. He wanted to test drive it. I told him he had to pay $6,000 cash first, then he could test drive it. And if he didn't like it he would get his money back.

He pulled $6,000 out of his pocket. Hmm- I wasn't expecting that. I said "OK" you can drive it. He said: "would you put the plates on it for me?"

I explained I needed to keep the plates. State law. He said: "give me my money back." I did, and he pedaled away.

But the next buyer, the next day, was a university professor. Paid cash, done deal.

Not sure what the bicycle dude intended to do with my car registered in my name and driving around with my license plates. But I didn't want to find out ....