Craigslist (Craigslist.org) is a website that allows users to place ads and communicate with each other on bulletin boards. It was created in 1995 by founder Craig Newmark as an email list in San Francisco and was transformed into a website in 1996.
Its global presence began to grow rapidly in 2000, and today it serves more than 70 countries. Millions of users visit çraigslist to sell products online, meet new people, find jobs, housing, and other services.
Hints for ensuring safety on Craigslist.org
Are you selling or buying something from Craigslist.org for the first time? Our seven precautions on Craigslist will help you prepare for your first transaction!
- Trust your instincts when checking buyers
- Make sure that the transaction is worth your time
- Always use a proxy email address
- Plan the details in advance
- Meet in public and bring a friend
- Be safe when a buyer comes to your home
- Accept only cash
Old clothes, furniture, cars—you can buy or sell almost everything on Craigslist or other popular sites such as Facebook Marketplace. According to statistics, not less than 40 million new ads are published on Craigslist every month.
If you’ve heard some terrible stories about online markets, don’t be nervous. As long as you follow the precautions of çraigslist, selling products online is a great way to get rid of clutter while earning extra money. Here are important tips on how to safely sell on Craigslist.
Trust your instincts when checking buyers.
Perhaps the essential precaution of Craigslist is that nothing can replace your intuition. If something seems too good to be true or seems wrong, listen to this quiet voice or restless feeling. Feel free to reject a transaction that causes red flags.
Knowing how to sell safely on Craigslist comes down to common sense and general precautions. Don’t let a few scary stories scare you away from this relatively simple and profitable way to get rid of garbage.
Make sure that the transaction is worth your time.
Selling on Craigslist takes time; you will need to respond to requests, meet with potential buyers, and complete the final transaction. It probably isn’t worth it if you only have one or two inexpensive items for sale. Still, if you are selling an expensive item – furniture, jewelry, or designer clothing — it can be well spent.
Always use a proxy email address.
Craigslist provides sellers with proxy email addresses, and it is recommended to use them so that browsers can not send spam to your actual email address. However, as soon as a potential buyer is really interested, you can switch the connection to your mobile phone; most buyers appreciate the ability to send text messages. If you are browsing, send questions to sellers at the email address that you use exclusively for Craigslist.
Plan details in advance
You don’t want a meeting with a stranger to spoil, so before agreeing to a personal meeting, determine the sale price, payment type, time and place of the meeting, as well as any special circumstances, such as the exchange of titles.
Meet with contacts in public and bring a friend.
If you are meeting with a contact from Craigslist to buy or sell a small product, take a friend with you and meet in a public place. Coffee shops, a Cheesecake Shop, shopping malls, or even the local police station parking lot are all possibilities. Keep your mobile phone handy and turned on during the meeting.
Be safe when a buyer comes to your home.
If you are selling furniture or other large items, a buyer will probably come to your home. Use these Craigslist precautions to make the transaction more convenient.
- Find out the full name of the buyer and his mobile phone number before the meeting. Send them a message an hour before arrival to confirm that they will arrive. This way, if there is a problem, you have their information on your phone.
- If at all possible, move the item to your garage or driveway before the meeting begins. Keep the garage door open during your meeting and lock the entrance to your house.
- Invite a family member or friend to your home.
- Meet during the daytime. If this is not possible, be sure to turn on as much light as possible around the place where you will be standing.
If you are the one who buys, take a friend with you. If this is not possible, be sure to tell a friend or family member where you are going, who you are meeting with, and the meeting time. Do not enter the seller’s house unless absolutely necessary, and keep your mobile phone within reach.
Accepting Cash is Safer
One of the most important precautions on Craigslist is to beware of scammers. In almost all cases, it’s best for you to accept cash for sale on Craigslist. Personal checks can bounce, and fraudsters can forge cash receipts and money transfers.
If the transaction is made for an expensive product, for example, a car, meet with the seller at the bank, ask him to write out and deliver a cash receipt right there and then. Never agree to transfer money, accept the transferred money, or accept a check for an amount exceeding the purchase price.
Conclusion
If you take the security tips shared in this post seriously, they will help in ensuring safety on Craigslist.
Craigslist is a free online website with ads and forums. çraigslist users can post items for sale or search for items they hope to purchase.
This classifieds site also allows people to place ads for sale, rental or rental of housing. The lists even go beyond just buying and selling.
Structured in a user-friendly format, Craigslist is easy to browse.
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