Terrible Craigslist Encounters

[2Wheels4Ever]

Let's here your craigslist tales and woes

I will start,

I was selling a bb gun on craigslist for $15 and had a guy interested in meeting. He asked if I would take $10 and I said no, I am firm at $15. We exchanged texts, he agreed, and decided to meet at 7-11 at noon. I get there at 11:55, shoot the guy a text saying I am here and wait. 12:05 he gives me text saying the bus is running late so he will be there a little after 12.

Ok, no big deal. 12:15 I get a text saying that he is here and does not see me. After much confusion and about 15 minutes of calling/texting we figure out he is at the wrong 7-11. So I drive over to the other 7-11 and see a kid with long hair, skinny jeans, and the classic punk look. Whatever, I am not here to judge, he did not look like too much of a threat.

I show him the bb gun, and he says he will take it. He then goes on to say that he only has $10 because of the bus ticket. Before I had time to decline, heshows me a bag of change, explaining that there was $6 in the bag and takes a ring off of his finger. He assures me that this ring is solid silver and is worth $4 making a total of $10.

Beyond disgruntled, I kindly tell him that this was a waste of my F-ing time, get in my car and drive away. Minutes after I leave I get a text explaining how I should not have said he was a waste of time and that he is going to stab me next time he sees me.

I replied by letting him know that his name, number, and message had been reported to the police. He never replied. What a waste of energy and 45 minutes of my life.

I was carrying at the time; make sure you always do and keep you distance when engaged. There are some bubblegumed up people out there.

Read More

 

[Joe13]

Long time ago when I didn't have anything but a car and needed to sell a lard yard toy my daughter had outgrown, I made the mistake of putting it on CL.

A north European guy showed up at the house and after seeing and agreeing to buy the toy, he proceeded to look over my whole yard and ask if any and everything was for sale!

After assuring him many times that nothing but what we were about to load into his van was for sale he left kinda disappointed.

I grabbed the vehicle plates and was nervous for weeks that e would come back and break in.

That was the last time I sold anything at my house.

 

[Riot]

Selling a phone...guy stood me up for an hour, I texted him and said I had to go to work and couldn't wait any longer, he called me an "A**HOLE!" for making him drive then stand him up (i.e. put his bong down, get on sweatpants, borrow moms car and drive out).

 

[Joao01]

I've had pretty decent luck. If it can be carried in a car, I do it away from the house. I've sold some fridges and things, but always make sure those are in the garage and I have nothing else of value in view. I try to steer clear of dealing with anything of low value, or value over a couple hundred bucks. Since getting my CPL, I pretty much always carry for a CL transaction.

I did have one guy give me $10 and a tree for something I think I posted for $15. I didn't really care, and the tree died, and what I was selling was left by the previous owner of the house anyway. I guess that is about as weird as I've had.

 

[Joao01]

I take that back. I had a couple want to by my computer and tablet, but wanted to make sure they were legit. We arranged to meet at a computer store, who did the diagnostic, told him everything was ok, and then he said he didn't have the $ on him. He did go over to an ATM and pull out half my asking price, so I only gave him the tablet. We did meet the following day for the rest of it (which did work out), but the nerve of asking someone to sit through 45 minutes of diagnostic to make sure I'm on the up and up, but then not bring the cash??!?!

 

[Member 5605]

Oh man...

Where could I start. From cars to aquariums I've had some really bizarre meetings.

Always go prepared. That's about all I can say about that.

I've sold a few things from the house, mostly because I couldn't transport them. Most have appeared with family members, even some with their kids.

Anything of high dollar though that I'm buying or selling I've had somebody else come with in a desperate vehie with title or cash and only when I get with them so they appear with papers.

I've had some crazy people offer me dope over email, nobody in person though thank goodness.

Probably done 200+ deals from Craigslist of not more over the years. Seen it all with exception of the front of a gun or a knife.

 

[receo]

I typically do my craigslist transactions in a fire dept parking lot. Never had a problem.

 

[jim97701]

I've sold a tent trailer, an oak bedroom set and a very high end brass bed frame on CL all from my house with out any weirdos or hitches ( in my driveway and garage and yes I was armed). Made a few purchases too without incident, So far so good.

 

[mrblond]

never did the crags list thing so I don't have any input. but honestly, its the last place id sell anything.

 

[TapRackNGo]

I have never had a bad experience. Generally, small stuff under $100 gets donated.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

I have done a ton of craigslisting, probably over 100 transactions, and only one real bad one. I have had the usual late show, no show, and low baller. That is to be expected, but most of them have been fine. I love to barter/trade/dicker so I am used to it.

 

[RVTECH]

I guess I have been lucky - many CL deals and never a problem. Sold my last HD on CL to a guy from Seattle. Last deal was a couple months ago on my daughter's 18" Chevy custom wheels and tires - great fun too - the guy was quite a haggler and it was obvious we both had fun with the deal - he almost out haggled me - but we came to an acceptable compromise and both came away winners!

 

[nwwoodsman]

Quite a few years ago, my wife found a free washer and dryer that looked like new, located in far SE Portland. We are out in Vernonia so getting there at a reasonable time was impossible. In the emails the lady said she didn't care if it was mindnight, she wanted them gone. We didn't have a truck at the time so we hitch up a trailor to my mother in laws mini van and off we went, with mother in law, small child, new born child, wife and myself. We finally locate the house close to 11:00pm. Wife goes up, knocks and knocks again, no response. She peers in the front window, knocks again and waves for me to come up to her. I get close to her, happen to glance on the window and on the floor is a lady laying there. We tap on the window and get no response. Knock on the door and still no response. Just when we are getting readdy to dial 911 the lady rolls over and we can tell she has her cell phone in hand and it obviously unharmed. We knock again and realize this lady isn't answering the door. We can tell this is a weird situation and climb back into the van. We are sitting in the van explaining to mother in law that something isn't right, decide this is a wasted trip and just as we're getting ready to drive away when we see red and blue lights heading towards us then the spotlight hits our vehicle just before we're ordered to get out by the police. As we climb back out of the van the lady that was laying on the floor unresponsive to us comes barreling out of the house and screams in her best white trash voice "They're not taking my f***ing washing machine". We explained to the officers our communications. Turns out the appliances belonged to a room mate who was being kicked out the next day.......Next day my wife gets a phone call from a lady telling us the problem had been resolved and we were welcome to come get them. My wife still wants them. After a long argument I do as I'm told and make the drive again. This time we're greeted by 10 tweekerish looking people smoking in lawn chairs on the front lawn. Pregnant lady comes out of the house leads us to a basement and the chick who came screaming out of the house the night before is now our best friend and helps us load up the washer and dryer. After all that the free washer and dryer turned out to be completely worth the $60 in gas and felony stop by police.

 

[jbett98]

I had a bunch of leftover 1964/65 Rambler auto parts when I was finished with my car project.
I posted an ad wanting to sell the parts for cash on CL.
I get a call from a guy in Eugene that wanted all of the parts and was willing to pay what I was asking.
He said that he could only drive up for them the next weekend, which was over four days away.
I told him that the ad stated it was a "First come, First served" ad, and that I have been burned by
"no shows " before, and to defiantly call me before he makes the trip, as I would not hold anything.
The next day, another guy calls and says he only wants a couple of parts from the convertible lift mechanism.
He shows up on time and buys two small convertible top pieces and leaves with a big smile because he's been looking for them for a long time.
I tried calling the guy about the two parts being sold, and to ask if he was coming up to Portland.
He never responded after repeated messages to his voice mail
Sure enough, the guy from Eugene shows up at 7:30 am in the morning without calling ahead and freaks out when I tell him that I sold the two roof top pieces.
He about blows a gasket about it. I told him I didn't appreciate him yelling at me, and that he should leave my property before things get out of hand.
He then cools down a bit, and I find out that he doesn't even own a convertible Rambler, so the parts wouldn't
fit his car anyway.
To top it off, he didn't bring any cash, just his checkbook.
I'm sorry, cash only. The good news is your bank is located less then a 1/2 mile away and to come back with cash.
I never see the guy again.

 

[308]

"12:05 he gives me text saying the bus is running late so he will be there a little after 12."

Not to rub salt in the wound, but was this guy planning on getting on the bus while holding a BB gun?
My guess all the tards on the bus would have reported a man carrying an AK15-AR47

 

[44mag2ndamend]

Craigslist, is full of well you the common public at large.

One can only imagine.

 

[IronMonster]

Mmm... There was that one time where the guy who I told his tools where worth about 10% of what he was asking (honest, at that point I had no interest in even buying. Just trying to give the guy a realistic number) And he threatened to burn down my house with me in it and drop my kids off a bridge.

He really did not like being told that his "$20,000 worth of antique blacksmithing tools" was worth about $2000 parted out at full retail. I would have been hard pressed to give him $800.

The guy actually scared me just a wee bit. Not very often you see a guy that mad.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Another time I bought a honda 500 shadow in Salem, the test drive went perfectly. Get it on I5 and the thing just chokes. Now I am stuck on the side of freeway. I call the guy back to see if he knows anything about it dying and of course he is oblivious.

Just my luck it starts to rain. That was a long, nasty ride back to Corvallis, bummed out about another newly acquired project

 

[clearconscience]

CL is full of scammers and thieves.
I have never had a bad experience but just don't trust anyone there and selling something cheap isn't worth my time I'll just donate it.
I do buy stuff there but will only meet in a public place or go to their place, if I do that I always ALWAYS carry. And if it's more than $100 I use the old gunfight saying. Bring a gun, bring 2 guns, and bring friends who have guns.


If that kid did that to me I'd call the cops for sure, punk kid. Was he going to take the BB gun on the bus?!

 

[RVTECH]

I could be way 'off base' but the greater preponderance of problems seem to be with people who 'need' to sell something as opposed to having something for sale and can wait for the right buyer and not have to respond to everyone and anyone who seems interested. It took me over a year to sell my Harley - and I found the right buyer.