[shifuimam]

I just bought a new TV last Friday - a nice big 40" Sony Bravia LCD. It was a killer deal that I just couldn't pass up, so I'm now selling my 27" CRT HDTV (anyone in Indiana or Illinois want to buy a TV...?). I've listed on Craigslist, my department's flea market type listing site, and a message forum for residents of my town.

So far, I've gotten two responses to my Clist ad, including from a guy who claims to be named Jack Palmer. He asked if it was available, and once I said that it was but that I would only accept local pickup, responded with this gem:

Hello ,
Thanks for the response ,am located at AZ and it is a pity that I won't be able to come in to purchase .I am glad i will be able to get it from you, I will want you to know that i am ok with the cost for the item and i will need your information to get the shipping cost for the item from my shipper from your place to my house as i will not want you to stress your self for the shipping ,they will be coming to pick the item from your place.

These are the information i need for my shipper to get a shipping cost:
Your Name:
Home Address:
Phone #
I will make arrangement for payments as soon as i know what it cost to ship it from your place to my place as i will not want you to disturb yourself about shipping.
Thanks and i await your response.

Gee, ya THINK it's a scammer? Anyhow, I wasn't creative enough to come up with anything but "show up on my doorstep with $300 cash and it's yours, otherwise I'm not interested". Now I'm thinking I should have led him on until sending him an empty cardboard box with some potatoes in it.

[starman]

I hate Craigslist and will never, EVER use it.

This past Sunday a friend of mine had Jets tickets. He was supposed to meet the buyer 2 hours before kickoff. $300 for the tickets. The guy never showed.

[IceEnclosure]

I've sold two cars on Craigslist and countless other things(cellphones, computer parts, etc.) I've also scored awesome deals on photography equipment, Mac stuff, etc. Love it.

Never a problem. Not a one.

[SpaceMonkey]

The stupidest part of the story was that he expected you to believe that anyone would pay to ship a used CRT TV across the country.

[shifuimam]

No kidding. This guy is a tool.

I've bought stuff off Craigslist before without a problem - hard drives and some other stuff. I've also gotten dates off there (and no, they weren't all creepy sleazebags)...

I even manged to replace my Toshiba SD-4900 (which is the awesomest DVD player EVER MADE) with another one I found on clist in California - the guy shipped it to me and everything.

However, unlike some idiots, I can smell a scammer from halfway around the globe.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

However, unlike some idiots, I can smell a scammer from halfway around the globe.

Next time, just offer to throw in some free oceanfront property in Indiana

-t

[zro]

Wait, they weren't all sleazebags? Do go on.

[blackstar]

i like craigslist, but it sucks when you have a time constraint. I had to get to rid off stuff before moving this summer, and it got a whole mess.

[starman]

Does CL have the same legal binding on buying something that eBay does?

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

However, unlike some idiots, I can smell a scammer from halfway around the globe.

How could I tell?, I wasn’t even there!

 

I know you are not picking on me but I wanted to end the year laughing at myself.

[paul w]

Originally Posted by starman 

I hate Craigslist and will never, EVER use it.

This past Sunday a friend of mine had Jets tickets. He was supposed to meet the buyer 2 hours before kickoff. $300 for the tickets. The guy never showed.

Why not use stubhub for this? Last minute?

[starman]

Yeah. But irrelevant. When you sell something on CL, what legal recourse do you have when the buyer blows you off?

[tooki]

None, since craigslist is not brokering the sale. It's just classified listings, just like the newspaper.

[shifuimam]

Yep. eBay is more or less the middle man in transactions, where craigslist just hosts the listings and has no other say in them.

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

Now I'm thinking I should have led him on until sending him an empty cardboard box with some potatoes in it.

You absolutely should have done this.

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure 

Never a problem. Not a one.

Same here. Never a problem on CL. Sold iPods, computers, asked for movers, rented out apartments. It's a great service.

[sparker]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

Gee, ya THINK it's a scammer? Anyhow, I wasn't creative enough to come up with anything but "show up on my doorstep with $300 cash and it's yours, otherwise I'm not interested". Now I'm thinking I should have led him on until sending him an empty cardboard box with some potatoes in it.

I've bought and sold a LOT on Craigslist and never had any problems. For bigger ticket items, I've always arranged to meet somewhere for lunch, where they could plug in electronics to test them, if desired (Panera Bread or something similar). Nice and public, and they won't know where you live that way.

In your situation, I would have arranged to meet the "pick up guys" at a Mailboxes Etc (now UPS Store) to work out the pickup.

But since this was a few days back, youj've probably already dealt with getting rid of the old TV.

Steve

[shifuimam]

Nobody wants to buy it since it's not widescreen. Odds are I'm never going to get rid of it. Oh well.

[Laminar]

Offer up a large box of potatoes on CL and when someone buys it ship them the TV instead.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by starman 

I hate Craigslist and will never, EVER use it.

This past Sunday a friend of mine had Jets tickets. He was supposed to meet the buyer 2 hours before kickoff. $300 for the tickets. The guy never showed.

I love it, cheaper, faster and easier than ebay and I never have been scammed.

[Stogieman]

That's because you're not a Jets fan.