Craigslist as a Venue

[Edisone]

Cripes! While I have gotten a few things, including phonos and a car, offa C-L, my first experience trying to SELL via C-L is a disaster. Might as well call it "Fakes, Flakes, Frauds, and Freaks" !

I currently have an old van listed, and have gotten nothing but scammers trying to give a virus to my computer, scammers trying to "wire" money to me (yeah, sure), idiots asking a zillion questions (NO! It is NOT "really nice" ! It is 42 years old and needs all the work that I listed! And I ain't taking a dozen more pics of the underside, lying on the street. ack!) or LIARS of the "I'll be there at 2pm" sort, who don't show. Kill.

To bring this back on-topic: Have any of youse found good luck, selling via Craig's ?

[brianu]

youse?

craigslist is actually a pretty frequent topic here, regarding buying, selling, finds, losses, and just ridiculous if not frustrating experiences. read through some of the threads... and here's a recent one...

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=2&t=3263

[Edisone]

youse?

Yes, youse : http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=youse

[OrthoFan]

I ... have gotten nothing but scammers trying to give a virus to my computer, scammers trying to "wire" money to me (yeah, sure), idiots asking a zillion questions (NO! It is NOT "really nice" ! ...

I sold one gramophone (HMV 102) to an unsuspecting sucker nice young man a few years ago, but after reading countless horror stories about some of the very issues you've mentioned, I don't think I would again.

I don't find much of interest on my local board: a few over-priced machines have been listed for years; the price never reduced. On the rare occasion I've spotted something I really wanted, it was too far away for me to get to by bus or train. (Not driving is a REAL handicap in this hobby.)

Also, Craigslist is frankly a pai-nin-thea-ss to use. There are a bazillion rules to read over before posting an ad, and chances are, some pedantic idiot will probably flag the ad even if you've followed all of them--if the Craigslist "Flag Help" forum is any indication.

[phonophan79]

Also, Craigslist is frankly a pai-nin-thea-ss to use. There are a bazillion rules to read over before posting an ad, and chances are, some pedantic idiot will probably flag the ad even if you've followed all of them--if the Craigslist "Flag Help" forum is any indication.

Well, you get what you pay for.

I mean... what it boils down to is Craigslist is a great way to sell things that are too big for shipping. Why would anyone use e-bay if they're going to do "local pick-up".. e-bay fees and paypal fees... Craiglist is FREE to post and free to sell, that's the beauty of it.

...that's also the downfall. Of course you will get flakes and scammers... it's free.

If I post something, I've pretty much come to expect the "let me send you a check and have my shippers come pick up the item" scammer e-mails. Just ignore them. It's always a red flag when the responses are generic and refer to your phonograph as "the item" and not what it actually is.

It would be nice if people were true to their word. It's frustrating if you disappear during e-mail conversation but its plain rude to agree to buy and then vanish or not show up at an agreed time.

So yes, it has its pros and cons... but again, it's free. Honestly, in this day in age it's amazing that it is still free.

[Covah]

Selling stuff is not so easy.

[OrthoFan]

So yes, it has its pros and cons... but again, it's free. Honestly, in this day in age it's amazing that it is still free.

I agree, you do get what you pay for. But, craigslist is still a moneymaker, based on what I’ve read. For starters, eBay has long held a 25 percent stake in the company -- http://www.craigslist.org/about/press/ebay.stake. In addition, it does charge for some types of ads, in some markets -- http://sfbay.craigslist.org/about/help/posting_fees Those fees are used to support the "free" portions of the site.

I guess my main concern--and the point I was addressing--involves the fact that, while seemingly hundreds of individual provisions are specified for posting ads in the “terms of usage” section, staff members are not responsible for their enforcement. Instead, all ads are flagged, and removed, solely on the basis of the public’s interpretation of those rules. This often leads to bizarre and frustrating situations.

For instance, awhile back, I read about an ad for a circa-1850’s sideboard that was flagged off the site because the seller stated that it was made from a type of mahogany that is now extinct. In another case, an ad for a piano was pulled because the seller mentioned that the ivory keys were still in perfect condition. (I wonder how many components used in the construction of talking machines would be considered illegal by Craigslist standards? Lead paint used on the horn elbows? Ivory ID plaques used to mark some HMV products? Veneers made of now-extinct or endangered trees? The use of plating methods now considered harmful to the environment?)

As for the emailed responses containing viruses mentioned earlier, I'm not at all surprised since the site still uses software dating back to the 1990s, and it is regularly spammed by trolls and automated address harvesters--some of which, based on what I've read, are set up to specifically target the "anonymous" email addresses provided with the ads.

So, yes, it’s free, for the most part, and you do get what you pay for. Still, that doesn’t mean some improvements can’t be made to make it a little more user friendly--and safer, especially since it has all but cornered the market for classified ads.

[Sidewinder]

youse?

Yankees! Here more south it would be "y'all"