What's happened to Craigslist?

[D2Cat]

^^^ :thumbsup: You want to plaster your info all over the place, be my guest.
If somebody can't at least start a transaction via email, they're really not a buyer.

If you're concerned with someone getting your number for other uses don't use all digits, write out some of the numbers (like: one, two) the same way you might do with an email address.

Guess I feel just the opposite of you, if the seller can't post a contact number, their not a serious seller.

 

[4570Man]

I won’t contact a seller without a phone number unless it’s on Facebook through messenger which is my preferred communication with on adds. I don’t use Craigslist anymore. Facebook is much better and has virtually no scammers. Sure there’s plenty of retards and time wasters but you can’t avoid that.

 

[SJay]

I agree Craigslist is slowing down. I found Facebook Marketplace about 1 month ago. Sold my old weight lifting equipment in 2 days - had over 25 responses - first person who looked at it paid the asking price. I like being able to see the persons profile. Now, if you could just get the idiots who post their items for sale to actually respond to questions - then it would be perfect. :banghead:

 

[oosik]

I've gone on Craigslist, in our area, once. I found nothing that even closely resembled what would interest me. I've never gone back.

 

[aczlan]

Now, if you could just get the idiots who post their items for sale to actually respond to questions - then it would be perfect. :banghead:

And take down the ad once the item sells...

Aaron Z

 

[LD1]

Craigslist is still the go-to place for the type of old farm equipment and implements I am always looking for.

Dont see too much on facebook. But I like craigslist and its simplicity. Facebook is hard to navigate, hard to search for something, tooooooo many individual local "buy-sell-trade" groups to even try to keep up with.....just a headache.

But c-list......easy searching. Filtering results. And its pretty easy to spot the flakes and not waste time with them. For selling.....if you are priced right and selling something farm & garden related in the farm and garden section.....it will go quick.

I advertize on c-list too for my brush mowing. Easy to just click "renew" on the ads every few days too. But craigslist is now charging $5 per post if you post in the "services" section of c-list......:mur:

Probably what bothers me more than the spam or flakes.....is the people that either post in the WRONG category, or post the same freaking thing like 10 times in different categories and cities. And I HATE it when DEALERS post in the "owner" area.

Like Cantrells farm equipment in Frankfort KY. They have 34 listings of farm equipment listed in COLUMBUS OHIO CLIST:confused2: And I cannot even filter out the results.....because they post under OWNER and NOT DEALER.

See it alot in the auto section where dealers wont post in dealer section

 

[aczlan]

Craigslist is still the go-to place for the type of old farm equipment and implements I am always looking for.

Dont see too much on facebook. But I like craigslist and its simplicity. Facebook is hard to navigate, hard to search for something, tooooooo many individual local "buy-sell-trade" groups to even try to keep up with.....just a headache.

But c-list......easy searching. Filtering results. And its pretty easy to spot the flakes and not waste time with them. For selling.....if you are priced right and selling something farm & garden related in the farm and garden section.....it will go quick.

I advertize on c-list too for my brush mowing. Easy to just click "renew" on the ads every few days too. But craigslist is now charging $5 per post if you post in the "services" section of c-list......:mur:

Probably what bothers me more than the spam or flakes.....is the people that either post in the WRONG category, or post the same freaking thing like 10 times in different categories and cities. And I HATE it when DEALERS post in the "owner" area.
Like Cantrells farm equipment in Frankfort KY. They have 34 listings of farm equipment listed in COLUMBUS OHIO CLIST:confused2: And I cannot even filter out the results.....because they post under OWNER and NOT DEALER.

See it alot in the auto section where dealers wont post in dealer section

Report them with the post IDs: craigslist | contact form
That should help.

Aaron Z

 

[GLyford]

Filters in the search bar make CL much more usable for me.

To filter out guys not following the rules like dealers in owner category, or multiple listings in all areas is either filter out the name of the town, or some buzzword that comes up often in their listings (like "custom"). Also, a lot of the shady dealers will list either "credit" or week or month payments rather than a total price. So I will filter out credit, week, month as terms too. For guys in neighboring states where I know I won't drive to crossposting into my area (ex. CT and NH) I will filter on those. If there are only one or two results left of theirs in the results at that point I will just hit the "hide" icon in the results list. Yeah they will be back tomorrow but it will let me run my search today.

If I have the time and energy I will also flag the worst offenders.

The ones that I don't understand are the ones who keep reposting the same items in the wrong categories, like action figures in "trailers" and such.

 

[TractorGuy]

IDIOTS! That's what's happened.

^^^ :thumbsup: You want to plaster your info all over the place, be my guest.
If somebody can't at least start a transaction via email, they're really not a buyer.

I don't post my phone number or give it out period. When I post an ad I clearly state "Sorry, no phone calls or text. Communication will be through Craigslist messaging only." Had my number spammed and spoofed a few times so it's not worth taking the chance. People will still email and insist I call them back or email my phone number. Had a guy a while back that said he didn't want to go back and forth in email but he emailed me 4 times insisting on getting my phone number. I try to be cordial to everyone but I finally had to tell him to stop emailing me if he could not discuss the item or purchase through email.

I'm beginning to question if it's worth it to try and sell anything. Especially anything that isn't in pristine working condition. People either can't or won't read the ads. I pick up some junk for cheap or free and flip it from time to time. I post everything I know about the item and put a cheap price on it. One in ten will arrange to see and purchase. The other nine will want me to tell them everything it would take to make it perfect or offer 1/4th the asking price or just email asking if I still have it then never respond again.

Why do people ask if you still have something if they have no intention of getting back in touch to inquire about buying it? Then there are the people that seem sincere, get your address, and never come or let you know they are not coming.

You just never know though. The last mower I sold the guy kept putting me off on committing to a time. I had sent him my address on the second email and I guess he didn't read it. A week later he asked for my address again and I told him to message me when he was hooking up the trailer to come and I would give it to him. Last Sunday I got a message saying he was ready to come, I replied with my address, and he came right out and paid the asking price and loaded up. I thought for sure he was going to be one of the flakes that wasted a bunch of my time then drop off the map.

I have a 5' Caroni finish mower listed right now. Included several close up photos and all the information I know about it which isn't much. The gearbox and all 3 spindles turn, the deck is pitted but no holes, the blades are missing. Other than that I don't know anything about it. CLEARLY state in the ad I don't know anything else about it. Priced it at $175. Had a guy email this morning wanting to know if I still have it and how much the blades will cost. I respond and tell him it's still available and I don't know the blade cost. He replies that if I can't tell him how much the blades are he isn't interested. REALLY? You are inquiring about a junk finish mower and you aren't resourceful enough to look up replacement blades? I'm thinking this person should not even OWN a tractor. Heck he may not know a finish mower REQUIRES a tractor. :confused2:

 

[USAFpj]

I've had an immense amount of success and fun on Craigslist in Portland, Oregon and my home in SC. I'm the type of guy that researches a product to a ridiculous level, but when I'm ready to pull the trigger, I pull the trigger!

(2) things that I still chuckle at: I offered to pay $1200 cash for a cello in Portland back in 2010. I had a nice email/phone conversation with the seller, but he would not sell me the cello without talking to my supervisor or another reliable party because "nobody calls and offers the asking price!" :laughing: You may think someone is scamming you, but always remember that there are oddballs out there, like me, who don't tire kick... I guarantee he took a loss on that deal.

I just offered a guy full asking price for a military trailer back home in SC. Explained that I can't call because I'm overseas, which I'm sure he thought was a scam. Bless my Southern brother's hearts, but in my area, we think everyone is out to screw us. Even after giving multiple phone numbers and telling him where I live, nothing. The trailer is, and has been, on C-list ever since...