Have to vent about Craigslist...

[kb58]

I only recently started watching Craigslist for machine tools. Annoyingly, often I hear nothing after contacting them, yet the ad remains for days or weeks. Most likely, it's already been sold, but it's irritating to hear nothing - I mean, they reply with a simple "sold". They "could" take their listing offline, but no, I guess it's just easier to be lazy and uncaring.

To put a positive spin on this, it's: "Do I want to buy something being advertised as well cared for and in great condition from someone who doesn't care enough to reply or remove their ad?" It's a rhetorical question, because obviously, the answer is "no" if the seller makes it so!

I feel better now.

 

[lordbeezer]

I have meet some wonderful people on cl.friends with quite a few now..straight up people..then there's the a holes..as they say..it takes all kinds..

 

[Chuck K]

One could say the same about the cl buyers too. When you list on CL you leave yourself open to a lot of flakes.

 

[lordbeezer]

Ain't that the truth..

 

[Bob Korves]

I have sold a fair amount on Craigslist, and bought a lot there as well. Most sellers and buyers, by far, are good and reasonable people. I make my ads readable and understandable, and give good information that is easy to understand. I post decent photographs and decent descriptions, and then am absolutely polite and helpful to serious customers. Flakes are blown off both in the ads and on the phone or in emails, though I do it kindly and usually not explicitly. They know where I am coming from and pretty much just go elsewhere. Venues like CL would be a lot better for us all if we self policed it.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

Craigslist buyers are a funny lot-
a thousand questions from a hundred semi-interested people who want gold for pennies.

answering questions that already are answered in the ad is the most irritating thing for me personally
most are window shopping with no intention of actual purchase, just endless questions.

i can see why folks that are selling don't answer questions or respond to folks who seem like they are only semi-interested

 

[Chuck K]

I have to agree. I don't even respond to texts. If they're really interested they'll take the time to call. I never change my schedule to accommodate a buyer who like as not will blow me off without so much as a call to say he can't make it. Having said that, I have had some really great experiences with CL buyers also. I still think it's a better avenue for buying and selling machines than ebay.

 

[Bob Korves]

I still think it's a better avenue for buying and selling machines than ebay.

WAY better!

 

[darkzero]

It's not just CL, happens on forums also. I find it usually to be the ones who say "DM me", younger social media guys.

answering questions that already are answered in the ad is the most irritating thing for me personally

I won't even answer ignorant people anymore....

I posted my old wheels for sale months ago on a forum then a week later on CL. Sold them the same day on CL. In the forum post I stated the price, local pick up only cause I don't want to ship them, & I also updated the post that they have been sold.

A week ago I get a PM on the forum I posted the FS ad asking how much I want for the wheels & how much I wanted for shipping.

 

[kb58]

Fair enough, but apparently I ran into the opposite case, where the complete text is "Colchester lathe, runs great", with zero description other than that, two lousy pictures, and no phone number.