Selling on Craigslist

Wayne02 · #1 04/14/11, 12:24 PM

Finished some spring cleaning around here and I need to get rid of some stuff. A number of items are large and will require the buyer to come to my place to purchase and pickup - boat, rototiller, tire machine, large bird cages, fencing materials, garden tools, etc. I don't let strangers into the home or the shop and take precautions to try and isolate the item for sale in such a way as to minimize the strangers view of the assets that are present on the place.

I have read where it is desirable to obtain a 'throw away' email address for use on CL to help guard against spam that finds its way to your main email addresses. Hotmail, yahoo, gmail and the like. I currently have my isp address that is for family and one gmail address that I use for everything else. Is any one of these email providers anymore desirable than the others? I'm thinking of just getting another gmail address since I already have and account there and I can check via web mail when away from my outlook/home computer.

What does 'throw away' mean, exactly? I realize that these email providers trap much of the spam at their end and it never makes it to your pc, but I'm wondering how you discontinue the service? Do you just inform the provider that you want the address shut-down and they delete it, or does it continue to exist even if you stop actively using it?

In terms of communication protocol, is it possible to complete the transaction using just email? We dropped our landline at the beginning of the year and only have cellphones. I'm not wild about giving out my cell number, especially since it is used for business and personal and is a long standing number. Having to change it for some reason would be a bad thing.

As a seller do you find using the phone to be a requirement for quality CL transactions? Do you find providing your phone number leads to a greater understanding of the item being sold by answering questions that for whatever reason can't be answered via email? One thing that may come up is clarification of directions should the buyer be trying to find my place. Or maybe providing a phone number weeds out the non-serious buyers and prevents endless email tag?

Thanks

fantasymaker · #2 04/14/11, 01:42 PM

A throwaway is simply a free email account like on Hotmail or yahoo that you wont need or use after you sell your stuff.
Its polite to pick a random group of numbers and letters that you write down and then can forget.

Txrider · #3 04/14/11, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne02

Finished some spring cleaning around here and I need to get rid of some stuff. A number of items are large and will require the buyer to come to my place to purchase and pickup - boat, rototiller, tire machine, large bird cages, fencing materials, garden tools, etc. I don't let strangers into the home or the shop and take precautions to try and isolate the item for sale in such a way as to minimize the strangers view of the assets that are present on the place.

I have read where it is desirable to obtain a 'throw away' email address for use on CL to help guard against spam that finds its way to your main email addresses. Hotmail, yahoo, gmail and the like. I currently have my isp address that is for family and one gmail address that I use for everything else. Is any one of these email providers anymore desirable than the others? I'm thinking of just getting another gmail address since I already have and account there and I can check via web mail when away from my outlook/home computer.

What does 'throw away' mean, exactly? I realize that these email providers trap much of the spam at their end and it never makes it to your pc, but I'm wondering how you discontinue the service? Do you just inform the provider that you want the address shut-down and they delete it, or does it continue to exist even if you stop actively using it?

In terms of communication protocol, is it possible to complete the transaction using just email? We dropped our landline at the beginning of the year and only have cellphones. I'm not wild about giving out my cell number, especially since it is used for business and personal and is a long standing number. Having to change it for some reason would be a bad thing.

As a seller do you find using the phone to be a requirement for quality CL transactions? Do you find providing your phone number leads to a greater understanding of the item being sold by answering questions that for whatever reason can't be answered via email? One thing that may come up is clarification of directions should the buyer be trying to find my place. Or maybe providing a phone number weeds out the non-serious buyers and prevents endless email tag?

Thanks

A throw away e-mail is just a free account at one the free e-mail providers you use for a purpose like this, and just close or just quit using afterward. O only use for craigslist selling.

Most folks I have bought from I used their phone number to call them, and also for directions once I was close.. Rural addresses are hard to find sometimes. I would do e-mail only, but I would guess many might not.

||Downhome|| · #4 04/14/11, 02:23 PM

get a google voice number and forward it to your cell or just use the voice mail feature,
you can use it to place a call too. check it out pretty handy to maintain some privacy.

you can check your box via phone or internet which is handy if your away from the computer.

Joshie · #5 04/14/11, 02:45 PM

I use email. I do find it handy to have some phone interaction. We don't have internet on our phones because it's so expensive. One thing I hate about craigslist is that many people make appointments to see your stuff but at least half of them don't show up. That always makes me nervous after I've given out my addy.

bluemoonluck · #6 04/14/11, 02:47 PM

I never hand out my phone number on any ad.... I always do email only.

Last time I posted ads with my phone number I was getting phone calls from crazy people at all hours of the day. I don't have a landline, only a cell phone, and I use my cell phone as my alarm clock/etc - its ALWAYS on.

Personally I have always managed to sell things using just email, no phone number needed. I use one of my alternate email addresses (I have several) so its not my main email that gets out there - spam doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't clog up my "preferred" email account.

Now that google has phone service that might be worth looking into though.

bluemoonluck · #7 04/14/11, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshie

One thing I hate about craigslist is that many people make appointments to see your stuff but at least half of them don't show up. That always makes me nervous after I've given out my addy.

DITTO! And if they have your phone number too, they can call and ask if you're home to show the item - you tell them no, and now they have your address AND they know you aren't at home???

MO_cows · #8 04/14/11, 03:01 PM

I like to have phone interaction whether buying or selling on CL. You can tell more about the person than just email. I don't worry any more about someone who came here once to look at an item than the opportunist who drives by when we are not home from a theft standpoint. We keep things locked up and secured anyway, and have a couple big dogs that nobody wants to call their bluff.

dragonjaze · #9 04/14/11, 08:05 PM

I hate phones, and won't respond to an ad that says "phone calls only"

why advertise on the internet, then not use it as the contact medium as well?

Google offers a phone service, too, which will forward calls to your phone number.

Good luck selling stuff!

earthkitty · #10 04/14/11, 09:32 PM

Maybe you can just ship it all to me and save yourself the trouble. Sounds like you have good stuff, and I need fencing!!!!!!!

Seriously, I have always used my regular email account, and only give out my phone number to give directions to the ones I have chosen to see the thing. I've had good luck, even sold my RV on craigslist.

Nyx · #11 04/15/11, 12:12 AM

If I really need an anonymous email, I like using MyTrashMail. You don't have to make up any info to get the email...just scroll down to Temporary Email and put in whatever you want...like Seller007 or such. At the top of the page they have whatever is currently being used for the rest of the email address.

When I sell on craigslist though...I don't bother. I signed up for an account with my main email, and when I make an ad I just select the option under Reply to that anonymizes my email address. People responding to the ad will send an email to "sale-xxxxxxxx@craigslist.org" but it will go to my email. They'd only see my email address if I emailed them back.

Sold a bunch of stuff lately to clean out the garage - I usually have people email me if they're interested, then call if they give their number to set up a time to come out and see/get the item. Haven't had a problem with random emails or phone calls.

Oh, and YES there are so many people that act interested but never show...very annoying. I put it down to sheer laziness. Don't ever be nice and hold an item for someone - those are almost always the people that don't show...BTDT. First come, first served now.

Beeman · #12 04/15/11, 08:17 AM

I use a yahoo email address for craigslist. I hardly ever check that email address as I put my phone # on my ads. I've had no problem selling quite a bit on craigslist. You're dealing with the general public when you put an ad out there like that. If you can't deal with the public don't do it, many can't.

kara_leigh · #13 04/15/11, 12:31 PM

When we moved here from Omaha we downsized, so we had to get rid of a bunch of stuff (plus we were replacing some old furniture). I sold or gave away all of the stuff on Craigslist. I just used my regular email, and other than a bunch of emails from buyers if it was a popular item, I have never received any spam (and I've been using Craigslist for years). Freecycle on the other hand...you WILL receive spam from that. Craigslist, though...nope. I don't see a need to open a new email acct just for that.

I do all of the dealing through email b/c I have a phobia of talking on the phone. We email back and forth a couple of times and once that person has decided that they want the item then I give them my address and directions. Keep a couple people's emails b/c a lot of people won't show up. On most of my items when we moved, I went through 2-3 people. Even on one item that I got 20 emails for, I never did get someone to come pick it up before we needed to move. lol

Good luck!!

WildernesFamily · #14 04/15/11, 12:38 PM

Don't put your phone number on the ads, but DO request that they reply with a phone number. That alone weeds out a lot of people who take up your time but never follow through with the purchase. Even if you never use their phone number, just the act of them sending it seems to narrow it down to only more serious inquiries.

DO NOT let them use paypal if they will be picking the item up from you. They can reverse the charges and if you don't have any shipping/tracking info paypal will not side with you.

arabian knight · #15 04/15/11, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeman

I use a yahoo email address for craigslist. I hardly ever check that email address as I put my phone # on my ads. I've had no problem selling quite a bit on craigslist. You're dealing with the general public when you put an ad out there like that. If you can't deal with the public don't do it, many can't.

I just love Craigslist.
I just sold a small shetland pony. Man I had so many wanting him it was unreal.
I had several that wanted to buy a driving harness for a miniature horse.
I listed these items and less then a week i had sold the horse to one person and the harness to a different one. I have never sold things not only that quickly but in that short of time period.
So now I am going to list a few more things, another older nylon harness, and some electronics also.

Wayne02 · #16 04/15/11, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeman

You're dealing with the general public when you put an ad out there like that. If you can't deal with the public don't do it, many can't.

True enough. My neighbor told me to always include the dimensions and weight of the large items, and to even go as far as specifying what size/type of vehicle and how many people to lift the items. Stories of people showing up wanting you to help them lift the small block chevy short-block into the back seat of their honda civic, or wanting you to help them position the pingpong table on the roof of their ford escort.

coup · #17 04/15/11, 07:26 PM

better way is to use facebook classifeds,,,most counties have there own and lots let you report bad buyers ,sellers........more local......

arabian knight · #18 04/15/11, 08:32 PM

Craigslist is so localized that you can search just for the city or town, that is how I got so many e mails they KNEW what town I was in, and how close they were to come see the animal. I love it that you can put in the city or town and get all the ads just in ones area.

DebM · #19 04/16/11, 10:53 AM

>I don't let strangers into the home or the shop and take precautions to try and isolate the item for sale in such a way as to minimize the strangers view of the assets that are present on the place.

I was a little uneasy at first too, and started with smaller things that my girlfriend would let me bring into her store as a neutral pick-up point. When it got to the bigger things, I decided what the heck, it wasn't much different than having a yard/garage sale. I did try to have my husband or brother around though - it's a small community and even though everybody pretty much knows or has a connection to everybody else, the "male factor" made me a little more comfortable.

>Do you just inform the provider that you want the address shut-down

If you quit using it, it eventually gets shut down, Hotmail anyway. Most of don't have anybody you can call anyway.

>is it possible to complete the transaction using just email

yes but if your address is tricky to find, a phone number is nice. I didn't know about the google thing - I will have to look into that. I do not post mine in the ad, lately people have been responding saying they are interested and including their number first, so if the transaction gets to the point where a phone conversation is necessary, I can call them. Only if it looks like they may have trouble finding my place to I give them my number.

3 points - there are a lot of non-follow-throughs, mostly when I am trying to buy, rather than sell. I delete the ad as soon as I sell so I do not continue to get requests.

Also, I only take CASH. I don't care how much it is, CASH ONLY. That said, I have never sold anything for more than $1,000 - not sure how I would handle a big ticket item like a vehicle. Also, NEVER SHIP anything, I was surprised at what people ask to ship.

Callieslamb · #20 04/16/11, 11:16 AM

I have sold and bought a LOT of things from CL. CL lets you automize your email - so even if you request them to send you an email, they don't get your real email address. That's why you get the scammers sending you an email asking a question. If you respond, then they have your real email. I got a few scammers this week- they are pretty obvious. they don't list the name of the item. One asked if there was damage to any parts (I adv. red raspberries). I always have them give me their phone no. in the email, then I call them. I always give them a break in price if they show up when they say they will. Never had a problem. We love CL and wish scammers didn't find a way to mess up a good thing!