Craigslist is by far one of my favorite site ever! I visit the site every single day, sometimes several times a day just like I read the news or checking out my Facebook. I even have the apps in my Android. This apps allow me to put things that I’m looking for and give me an alert when somebody post that items. The best thing about Craigslist is the fact that it’s local, you can find similar posts to know how much your item is worth, and no listing fees. Unfortunately there has been so many crimes that happened from Craigslist lately; from “the Craigslist Killer” who killed prostitutes he hired through Craigslist several years ago, to the most recent one in Ohio. Three men responded to a job posting from Craigslist were found dead.
I’ve always had a good experience with Craigslist so far. Here’s some safety tips regarding Craigslist:
- Avoid using Craigslist for job searching. You’ll never know what kind of scams you’re going to end up with
- Do not use Craigslist to look for service provider. If you’re thinking of hiring a service provider such as plumber, landscaper, maid, etc, stick with Angie’s List. Angie’s List provide ratings, reviews from former customers, penalty if the service providers do shady work, etc. Contractors who are listed on Angie’s List are typically more expensive than the ones in Craigslist. However, even if you go with Angie’s list contractors who don’t have a lot of reviews, they are still better off than Craigslist’s. Better safe than sorry!
- Only use Craigslist to buy and sell items. If you sell items on Craigslist, ask the buyer to meet at public place. I remember reading some news about a man who’s selling an engagement ring on Craigslist and got robbed by his buyer at home
We’ve sold a few items from Craigslist and always met the buyers somewhere else, although items we purchased usually taken place at the sellers home. Items we’ve purchased from Craigslist:
- Bicycle Trailer $40
- Wrought iron patio furniture set (table and 4 chairs) $75
- SmartCycle with 3 games $30
- 3 hanging pictures and a curtain rod in transportation theme for my son’s bedroom (read this post). This is actually the only time I met the seller at a grocery store’s parking lot
- A walker for my mom after she got out of the hospital $10
Items we sold:
- My car. Sold it $200 below the asking price within 3 days of listing. Hubby met the buyer at Mall’s parking lot
- My son’s Halloween costume when he was a baby, sold it for $10. I met the buyer at McDonald parking lot
Craigslist is also the perfect place to find out about garage sale info and we got tons of good deals from it. I love love love my Craigslist findings!
Tags: Finding deals through craigslist
