WTF is with people on Craigslist?

[BeepBeepRR]

So I bought my wife a newer car. I post my old Caravan on Craigslist,with descriptions and condition of the van.Its not perfect by any stretch but has been a reliable old van for 7 years. Anyhow I get an email from a moron who apparently can't read. My ad says it runs good and is reliable.. First email I get is Are you serious about the van? I reply Yes im serious about the van.
Next email I get is from the same person.. What do you want for it? Does it run? My reply.. DID YOU NOT READ THE AD?

I'm no longer going to reply to morons.. I want to trade the van for some one to paint my house.. That's pretty simple right? Apparently not.

 

[CrewCabCoronet]

Craigslist is a breeding ground for low lifes and imbeciles. I cant tell you how many times people have attempted to scam me. I had an ad up for some Dakota wheels up for 3 months. I had 5 separate people text me interested. All 5 of them flaked out when i asked them to do the deal in the parking lot of the local police station. and yeah, the idiots don't read either. if someone asks me a question that can be easily answered by the ad I don't even bother with a response anymore.

 

[Car Nut]

It's a way for them to get your email address when you reply back and then they sell it.

 

[BeatersRus]

ha i have to deal with these morons every day,i sell lots on cl.
i waste an Amazing amount of time on texts with idiots who cant read.
i Stopped taking calls,because thats an even Worse waste of time,
they want to tell you their life story and all you wanna do is sell something.
and you are All right too.
its like they read the title of the ad and thats it.

and dont even get me started on lowballers either.
they think they are all starring in an episode of Gas monkey garage,
except most of these douschenozzles dont even have any money,
and are trying to be wheeler dealers.

Perfect example from earlier this am.
im selling a 4wheeler,right.
guy texts me,ill give you 650 for it,im asking 800.
i text back,okay,put it in my hand n its yours.
Neverrrrr to be heard from again...lmfao.

btw good call on the police station lot,i use my local 711 myself,
it has cameras and i know the staff well.
before i started doing this,
i had some very Freaky shady people come by that made me nervous...and i dont get nervous..

 

[super-bee_ski]

Good point "Car Nut"

And: Who on Earth "Red X'd that post?
WTF?

 

[tnfastback]

This is why you should have your CCLW......Concealed Craigslist Weapon Permit

 

[Glenwood]

much more popular up here is Kijiji. They mask your email identity which helps. People do not read the full ad unfortunately and are impulsive to respond.
I never give out my address anymore until I firm up a visit time and only by telephone on the day of. Once, some guy interested in my boat that I was selling, figured out my address from my full name from my email and postal code in the ad. He showed up and wandered about my property while I was at work one day. You just never know with people...

 

[68GTXNH]

i had some very Freaky shady people come by that made me nervous...and i dont get nervous..

i do a ton on craigslist, most of my crap im selling is buried or heavy so moving it from my truck to theirs would be tricky in a parking lot. i do meet elshwhere for small stuff. but they have to come to my house quite often. but i do have cameras. most folks are delightful tinkerers like many of the guys here, however if needed, sketchy folks straighten out or leave fairly quickly when i casually lean on something, lifting my flannel or jacket just enough to flash a nice shiny fnx 45 in their direction. like i said most are just car guys looking for parts or new projects, but once in a while there's a twitchy skinny toothless fellow that maybe just benefit from the knowledge that he cant try anything without being on the receiving end of 15+1 rounds of 230grain hydra-shoks

 

[polywideblock]

wait till you start getting emails from fools wanting to buy the ladder / lawn mower etc in the background of the pic you posted of the car

 

[fwi]

Change their name to "Crookslist" or "Creepslist"..

 

[Darthomas]

I tried a few times, seemed to be completely ineffective at finding real people, but instantly provided trolls.

 

[68GTXNH]

wait till you start getting emails from fools wanting to buy the ladder / lawn mower etc in the background of the pic you posted of the car

oops, guilty...i do that all the time. "hey i see your 49 lincoln for sale, but i noticed the shell of a 71 lemans in the back ground, any chance thats for sale? i need a floor pan and passenger quarter for my 70 gto..."

on a side note, totally unrelated... a couple years ago i found a great way to get a ton of replacement sheet metal for my GTO for only $400

 

[BeepBeepRR]

I have sold a few things on craigslist. Never had any real issues. But always get weird single line replies. I assume those are the email trolls that are fishing for email addresses. But some people are legit and to date never had a creepy experience. Just lots of stupid emails with very stupid replies. I take that back.. Once I sold a chevy work van guy comes out to look at it.. Three huge russian guys get out of a car. Legit wearing tracksuits. I'm like wtf did i get myself into.. Anyhow these guys actually turned out to be cool just looked like russian mafia. They were looking for a van do do stucco work out of. lol

 

[44070dart]

I always put in my ads that I will not answer emails, if interested email me YOUR phone number and I will contact you.. if posted still available ..it doesn't stop all the stupidity, but cuts down on it .. your dealing with some real idiots and scammers....the spelling in some ads is unbelievable ..I mean they can't spell the make or model of their car.... look out the frigging window at your car

 

[wahya]

So you need to get a painter that is also looking to buy a van, or just someone that knows nothing about painting, that's just going to slap some paint around and call it good. Maybe you could get a free estimate from a painter and then see if you can sell the van for the paint job money.

 

[YY1]

CL also masks email with a automatically generated link.

If you put your REAL email in the ad, that's your fault.

I don't want those loonies to have my phone number. YIKES!

That said, I've bought two cars, an engine hoist, a welder and a ton of other stuff, and sold quite a few things as well including two lawn mowers.

Just gotta know your market, and clientele as with any sales forum.

 

[moparcrazy]

its a Scam Bud !! it happened to me last year as well Dont sweat the small stuff !!

 

[BeepBeepRR]

So you need to get a painter that is also looking to buy a van, or just someone that knows nothing about painting, that's just going to slap some paint around and call it good. Maybe you could get a free estimate from a painter and then see if you can sell the van for the paint job money.

Well yes i need my house painted. I'm not gonna do it.. I see your point but, there are painters all over looking for a van to work out of. What are the chances I find the exact thing I'm looking for? I have no idea. But I also have it in the same ad will swap for other stuff like a smaller car for my kid to drive and a welder as well as a big air compressor. If they are painters and they want the van.. Well I have the title I have the van behind my fence.. If they don't do a good job then well guess what.. No van for them until I'm happy with the paint job.

 

[Bruzilla]

"If posted, it's still available" drives me NUTS! I get so tired of contacting someone just to get an "Already sold it" reply even though it says "will take down once sold" or "If posted it's still available" in the ad. Either I am just an unlucky SOB who by freak happenstance keeps finding people who sold their items just minutes before I contact them... or maybe they forget to take the ad down.

 

[mmissile]

Free ads on a website that sells stuff.[anything and everything] Ya really can't have too high of expectations.