If you use Craigslist, you most likely have had some strange experiences.
Like- had a Nikon Canera body for sale for $1800.
Clearly stated No Shipping.
Got a response with a name and telephone number.
That's good!
The area code wasn't from here, but I was thinking it was one of those cell phone situations.
Called the dude, he wanted the body.
Then he told me he lived in Ohio! Ohio?
Didn't you see my no ship post?
He didn't think that applied to him.
So I told to send me the $1800 plus $100 for packing, shipping.
He said no way! I'm not sending money until I get the camera!
It was nice talking to ya!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

The beat goes on - get another response with a name and phone number.
This dude can read and heed, tells me right off he saw my no ship, and he lives in Lost Angeles.
Lost Angeles? I ain't shipping no camera there!
Then he tells me his Mother lives in Grants, NM.
She is coming over to Albuquerque this very afternoon.
Would I sell it to Her?
You bet!
And she's coming to a FedEx store not far from my house, owned by a family member.
She called me from a local bank and asked how would I like my money?
I of course told her cash. Cash works well for me!
I delivered the camera body to her and she shipped it to LA I guess.
At that point- It was her camera, she could ship it anywhere she wanted to!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I like a story with a happy ending.

It has reached a point where I treat it like a game:

I tell people to only respond via text.

<20% of the people actually text me.

OR

I've seen about every attempted scam you can think of during my years of selling on Craigslist. Two rules I live by - cash only, and personal exchange of money for product in a public place.

Well I would post about my adventures in the casual encounters section but it would get me booted from the forum.

That awkward moment when you go to look at the jobs on Craigslist and see your employer advertising your position

ETA I notice several people have liked this post. I want to assure you that I'm not kidding. It really happened

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Retired Career Security Guard

Takes all kinds. I found a Raleigh Tourist with the rare 22" frame on Craigslist in Duxbury, Ma. Sent a deposit, then after some time the seller emailed me about coming to pick it up. Told I was mulling taking the train from Central NJ, he said he'd meet me at the train station. Ended up driving, simplest solution. Found his address, some pleasant conversation, paid the balance, loaded the bike on the car and home I came.

Hey, if you have another camera body, I'll send you a $4800.00 check due from an investment. Just send me the body, take $100.00 for shipping and handling and send me back the difference by postal money order!

I did have a guy try that one on me.
It was a laptop computer for sale.
He needed it for his sister who a college student.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I have purchased several nice furniture items off Craigslist at excellent prices in the past year. No problems at all.

Glad it went well.

Even cash can get tricky. One of my coworkers just sold a ATV on craigslist and got fourteen counterfeit hundred dollar bills.

I have sold two on there myself with great results. Sure have to be on your toes nowadays.

A couple of months ago I listed an iPad on Craigslist for $400.
I got a would you take $350 response? Yes, I would.
The buyer paid me with $50 dollar bills.
I'm medium familiar with $100s, but don't actually handle 50s that often.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I had a guy show up to buy a laptop I advertised, and he tried to give me a fake cashier's check. It was pretty well done, but not good enough. I had spent decades in the printing industry and among the many things we printed....cashier's checks! Millions of them!

I also know that cashier's checks are one of the most commonly forged instruments.

I am very cautious about craig's list. Only sold a couple of things on it and bought one. It really pays to be careful. People will try anything.

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

My deal went pretty good. A 1903 Colt with factory nickel and pearl. Met in the Kroger parking lot changed $350 into a Colt. Lotsa guns sold here on Craig's List.

They aren't supposed to be. CL has a ban on selling guns.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Lots of good folks on Craigslist but you have to weed them out of all the bad ones. Guess that's why it's free. I've sold a lot of stuff there over the years and probably been really lucky. Most of my Craigslist ads end with "Cash only and ABSOLUTELY NO TRADES!" and I still get all kinds of idiots wanting to trade something. I prefer to deal with the ones that can read.

A friend of mine goes on there and intentionally misspells items he's looking for in the search and generally comes up finding stuff. In a lot of cases when he contacts the seller they take whatever he offers because they have not had anyone else "interested" in the item. He often resells it and doubles or triples his money just by spelling things correctly so people can find it.

Funny how that works.
CL does prohibit guns.
That's why Jason's and Armslist are so handy.
But since CL is locally self policed, it's up to the locals to flag it.
A while ago, I ran a want to buy a Pickup ad.
Kept getting flagged, finally gave up.
Apparently the good old boys car salesmen were sitting around flagging want to buy ads.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Sent a tent to MI from TN... sent UPS COD.

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Nationality: Confederate

Forgot to mention earlier I always specify "AS IS" and "NO Returns or REFUNDS".

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

Yup. If you're doing a key-word search you need to dumb it down to the lowest intelligence denominator.

Some are just illiterate people:
Shortwave (correct) and short wave.
Shotgun (correct) and shot gun.
Firearm (correct) and fire arm.

Some are people who are from somewhere else:
Antenna and antennae.

EDIT to add: One common one for illiterates is an ad for a car or motorcycle that has "new breaks". Yeah, newly broken stuff makes your item much more desirable...

Perhaps you were due a promotion?

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Front sight and squeeze

Have you ever any listed free, come and get it merchandise?
I was cleaning up a property East of here in the Mountains.
There was a bunch of stuff there I needed to relocate.
And some of it was useable.
The problem was lots of the folks who wanted it didn't want to come and get it.
So they thought that driving me crazy would get them the items???
I finally cancelled the ad and filled the box.

Attached Images

IMG_2452.jpg (162.6 KB, 38 views)

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

^^^ The ad said replacing an employee that spends to much time on Craigslist. LOL
The last place I worked had Craigslist and EBAY blocked as well as any site about guns.

I have sold a few unwanted guns on Armslist but all were face to face cash deals. Don't ask for trouble and you just might not get any.

I use a counterfeit checking pen with all 20 dollar bills and larger and don't mind a bit if a seller uses one on my cash when buying. Ask anyone who deals in a lot of cash; mini-marts etc. There are LOTS of fake bills in circ. and the bank will catch them if we don't.

I just bought a leather couch and chair on craigs.
One thing to remember when going to look at the stuff, ask the seller if they have any guns they want to sell. Twice I've found buried treasure this way..... but this time, no joy, just a couch and chair from Pacific Green.(at about 15% mkt.)

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Halfway and one more step