Craigslist is a strange place.

[donsrods]

I've been using the newer Cadillac I put together from the two cars a while back and have gained confidence that it is going to be dependable, so I decided to get rid of the original Caddy I have been driving for the past almost 4 years.

I put an ad on Craigslist. I took great pictures and wrote up a very detailed ad stating how good it runs and looks and I pointed out every flaw I could think of. Within 3 hours of listing it I had 4 calls, but here is what they were:

1) First guy wanted to know if I could finance the car for him. Uh, NO.

2) Second guy wanted it for his Son but his Mom fell and he had to see her in the hospital first but could I meet him at my shop at 9:30 ? I went, but he never showed and never called, even two days later.

3) Third call was a recorded message. "Hi, we buy cars and would like to buy yours. Please call 1-800 blah blah blah."

4) Forth call was a guy who said he needed to find someone to drive him to look at it and he would call me back in 10 minutes. I am still waiting a day later.

I don't know what it is about CL, but it brings out the weirdest people. Anytime I have used them in the past I have had similar things happen. It has me thinking of pulling the ad and keeping the car just so I don't have to deal with people like this.

Don

 

[CR55]

If you think its weird now, wait until they actually show up!

 

[donsrods]

If you think its weird now, wait until they actually show up!

I know !!!!!!!! I sold a bunch of bicycles one time and I had people test driving bikes all over my parking lot. Some of the questions and comments I got were really odd.

I sold a car one time as a project car. In the ad I said it had no motor or transmission. A lady called and asked if I thought it was dependable enough to make it to Chicago !

Some people !

Don

 

[maverickmk]

I've always had good luck with craigslist, but then again I usually am listing speed parts. I like the "can it make it to Chicago?" remark, that made me laugh

 

[Country Misfit]

You never know what might happen,thats for sure.A couple of years ago,I put a 4+8 trailer on c-list,with photos,and about 8 or 10 people came out and kicked the tires,before it sold.Then again,I have sold stuff in a couple of hours,no problem.

 

[earthman]

Knowing what it's like to sell on cl, when i buy something and i am driving a ways, i call them en route to let them know where i am.

 

[Tripper]

My buddy seems to have good luck on CL but I've always found it kinda freaky. Last thing I need in my life is *more* freaky so I typically steer away from selling anything there. [S

BoB

 

[YBeNormal]

I have a bunch of ads on CL right now trying to liquidate my moms stuff and it is really beginning to make me question humanity as a whole[S

 

[Dirtyrat]

I have had some decent experiences, but yes a lot of no shows...

I typically talk to the person on the phone, if they seem odd or a little sketchy, I move to meet them in a public place rather than at my house to sell an item...

 

[pistolpete]

Craigslist isn't as big this side of the boarder, we typically use Kijiji. I have had my fair share of weirdness from trying to sell things, or even just give things away. We had an old 32" TV a few years ago (old big heavy) I listed it for free figured someone could use it, but had to be picked up clearly stated. I had several people asking if I would deliver it to them, some of whom thought an hour drive each way was a reasonable thing to ask of a stranger giving something away for free...

Like Dirtyrat I try to gauge them in talking to them, but never let them in my house or garage, I will have the item at my front door or waiting outside for them. Not that I have a lot of nice things, but I'd like to keep them and never know who is trustworthy when they are showing up to look at things.

 

[billy]

i have bought a few things on c-list and had pretty good luck
and yesterday i sold a truck toolbox i couldnt use with the 5th wheel
got this hitch yesterday for $350 but i still need the truck frame mounts

 

[Torchie]

Nothing new under the sun.....

Back in the 80's my wife's uncle was bitching about some people that were calling him all the time. I asked him how they got his number and his reply was.
"Well I called an add that they had in the paper and they sounded nice so we started talking and I gave them my number. Now they are calling me all the time."[S[S
Add the power of the internet and there you have it....
Torchie.

 

[Undercover Customs]

I've bought and sold a lot of things on CL over the years. Fortunately I live about 45 minutes from the "big" city which tends to weed out a lot of the flakes right off the bat. The thing that I have noticed lately is there seems to be a lot of the flakes now advertising on CL. Over the last few months I've responded to a few ads, made appointments to go look at items and get there and they are not there. Call them from their house and they don't answer. One guy I got a hold of and he say's " Oh, I'll be back home in a couple of hours, just wait for me..." NOT..

 

[Bamamav]

I've bought more than I've sold off of CL. Most of the time, I ended up getting a few calls on things, but only one or two actually came to look at them. Last three vehicles I've bought came from CL. When we get ready for a different vehicle, we'll look over CL within about a 200 mile radius of here, bookmark them, and then compare and start calling about them. Can't tell you how many times we'd find something we'd want to go look at, and it would done be sold, sometimes a week or longer. Never could figure out why people can post an ad, but don't know how to cancel it? [S

 

[Sam_Fear]

Can't tell you how many times we'd find something we'd want to go look at, and it would done be sold, sometimes a week or longer. Never could figure out why people can post an ad, but don't know how to cancel it? [S

Even better is when they leave the ad up after it's sold and have an attitude because you call about it?? [S

 

[05snopro440]

Even better is when they leave the ad up after it's sold and have an attitude because you call about it?? [S

I get this ALL THE TIME. It's frustrating when the idiot that was too lazy to take down his ad gets annoyed when you call.

 

[Willowbilly3]

I generally have pretty good luck. But people just read what they want to hear and will ask questions that the ad clearly answered. I was selling a beat up Caddy for my nephew and the cheap price is all they see, then want it to be a pristine car. Funniest was a guy from the rez with a very distinctive rez accent. He says " I want that Caddy man" Me- Where are you? "Kyle" (middle of the rez) He has never heard of my town, even though it's only 100 miles. I guess his cousin never got around to giving him a ride.
A few weeks ago I sold a wrecked and non running 2001 PT cruiser for $500. Same thing, some woman calls because she has $500 to spend on a car and then wants to nail me down on what it will take to get running, blah, blah, blah. I just ended the conversation by telling her the car wasn't for her.

 

[donsrods]

Yesterday at work my cell phone was blowing up all day with people calling about my car..........I just kept letting them go to voice mail because I couldn't deal with them while I was working. Must have had about 4 people who kept calling and calling. But the night before a guy had called and wanted to meet me after work last night so we did and they bought the car on the spot. [cl

Kinda sorry to see it go, it was a dependable car for the 3.5 years I owned it but there was no sense just letting it sit around. If this new one is half the car that one was I will be happy. One thing I will not miss is having to deal with a lot of the people who called with one goofy story after another ! I cancelled my ad immediately to put a stop to all of that nonsense.

My Son Don buys cars off CL and he says when he shows up the people are happy to see someone who is serious and who has the cash in hand to buy it. They have already been beat up with the same kinds of people I was running into with my sale.

Don

 

[blacksheep]

About five years ago I placed an ad for some red headed speckle beaked chickens for sale. Put my best buds phone number and email in the ad. I talked to him later that day and he was going crazy telling folks that he did not have chickens for sale. He asked me what a red headed speckle beak chicken was, and I lost it. I could not hold it in any longer. But, he had played a similar prank on me weeks earlier, so it was deserving . Hahaha. The ad was flagged that night.