I have used craigslist before successfully, as well as unsuccessfully, and I would like to share my experiences. In my case, for all of the transactions I have used the Richmond, VA site.
That is the most important thing to remember when you first go to craigslist.com – make sure you filter your results by clicking the appropriate city/region on the right-hand side.
Craigslist offers a variety of options. There are community functions where you can locate like-minded individuals, there is a dating section, an area for housing, items for sale, items wanted to buy, and job and gig offerings. There are also discussion forums on that site, but I have never checked those out.
You don’t have to be a member to browse the listings, nor do you have to sign up if you want to respond to an ad. To respond to an ad, simply following the instructions given. Some people will list phone numbers, some will list an e-mail, or you just click the link on the top the ad – it will look something like this: [email protected].
My first successful transaction on craigslist was almost three years ago. Ironically I found out about this site from my teenage daughter. She said one of her friend’s mother found a job through there.
The first success was a major one: I was moving and needed a place to live. I found a sublease almost immediately. I met up with the person that placed the ad, and ended up renting her apartment for a year and a half, and left on good terms. This person gave me a good reference that helped me obtain my current lease with an apartment complex.
My second success was a part-time job. The job was not what I thought it was, but everything was legit and I did get paid for the hours I worked.
The next transactions I used craigslist for was to purchase some items for my apartment. I found a used couch on there, and the people (college students) even delivered it to me, for a fee arranged in advance via e-mail and cell phone. It did take me about four weeks of replying to ads to find my couch, but I still have it and love it. I found out that a lot of people don’t return e-mails, but just keep trying.
I also found a very unique item that I have never seen anywhere else: A portable countertop dishwasher. I moved to a place with a tiny kitchen but was determined to never go without a dishwasher again since my previous place spoiled me by having one. I had absolutely no available floor space in my kitchen, yet I kept browsing craigslist, as they have many items you don’t find anywhere else. I think it took me just short of two months of looking to find one. Again, I arranged for delivery after establishing e-mail contact first.
The one area where I have not been very successful is selling items. I have tried about 10-15 times, but only sold one item. The item I sold was a child’s violin. I met the lady in a public place, and she paid me in cash. Cash and local is the only way to go with craigslist, whether you are buying or selling.
I have tried to sell collectible Barbies on there, as well as a pair of new boots. While I get some responses on my ads, most people don’t seem to follow through with the transactions and just stop e-mailing.
What I do like about the selling process is that you don’t have to list your e-mail. It is up to you how to create your ad (pictures are recommended, but not required). While you fill in your e-mail as you create the ad, you can check an option that says it won’t be publicly displayed. That is the option I always choose.
As with any public place on the Internet (and in general) there are scams on there. An anonymous flagging option exists, and those posts seem to get removed within 24 hours. I advice anyone to be careful of scams, and never post personal information when you place an ad.
If someone responds, after a few e-mail exchanges you can usually evaluate if they are genuine, and then decide if you want to exchange phone numbers and meet up to exchange goods or services.
All in all, I recommend this site. It’s the first place I check out whenever I need something. Just follow common sense and Internet rules and things should go okay.
