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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 19, 2023 18:53:48 GMT -5
Every time I post any item of value on CraigsList, I get a flock of spam responders. They never use the same name or the same email address, but they often have some of the following in common:
“I can meet you at 11am tomorrow. Are you available?”
I’m out of town just now, but will give you $50 over asking price to hold it”
I’ll send you a cashier’s check
All of this may be coming from one or two scammers despite using 20 or more names. Is there any way to stop these people?
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butchgo
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Post by butchgo on Feb 19, 2023 19:15:26 GMT -5
I don't know.
Stop using Craig's list would be my first thought.
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Post by selind40 on Feb 19, 2023 19:21:26 GMT -5
I sold 2 amps on Craigslist….XPA-2 and XPA-3 both gen 1’s……..but it took a lot of work to weed through the scammers and bullsh*^. I also sold my Tekton Pendragons on there…..took months, and I was taking a 1200 loss just to move them. I post in my adds emails will be ignored, text or calls only…typing out several numbers of my phone number to eliminate bots, that helped a little. GLWS Boom
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Post by codyjenkins on Feb 19, 2023 22:16:09 GMT -5
I sold 2 amps on Craigslist….XPA-2 and XPA-3 both gen 1’s……..but it took a lot of work to weed through the scammers and bullsh*^. I also sold my Tekton Pendragons on there…..took months, and I was taking a 1200 loss just to move them. I post in my adds emails will be ignored, text or calls only…typing out several numbers of my phone number to eliminate bots, that helped a little. GLWS Boom Just curious, how do you figure a $1,200 loss on selling used speakers? Price other sellers are receiving? |
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Post by gus4emo on Feb 20, 2023 13:18:13 GMT -5
Every time I post any item of value on CraigsList, I get a flock of spam responders. They never use the same name or the same email address, but they often have some of the following in common: “I can meet you at 11am tomorrow. Are you available?” I’m out of town just now, but will give you $50 over asking price to hold it” I’ll send you a cashier’s check All of this may be coming from one or two scammers despite using 20 or more names. Is there any way to stop these people? I was scammed last August, about a job offer, I fell for it, I called the FBI, reported the information on the FBI website as advised, two weeks later I got the same email from the same mother *bleep*, told them to hide, FBI knows about you *bleep*... |
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Post by 405x5 on Feb 20, 2023 15:14:45 GMT -5
Every time I post any item of value on CraigsList, I get a flock of spam responders. They never use the same name or the same email address, but they often have some of the following in common: “I can meet you at 11am tomorrow. Are you available?” I’m out of town just now, but will give you $50 over asking price to hold it” I’ll send you a cashier’s check All of this may be coming from one or two scammers despite using 20 or more names. Is there any way to stop these people? I love buying, but I hate selling. That’s where most of the problems exist. If you have to sell, eBay, by far has the greatest protection and guidelines to cut the crap down to a minimum, I would highly advise eBay over craigslist any day of the week. It’s not going to solve the problem, but it will minimize it comparatively speaking, if you sell a lot, I would set up the whole thing with a dedicated email to keep everything in one place. As long as you are brutally honest with all of those items that you put out there along with plenty of pictures, you will not end the problem, but minimize it for sure. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 20, 2023 15:28:37 GMT -5
Hi 405x5 - Yes - eBay does have a safer and more elegant sales model. But you PAY for it in fees. You also have to be responsible for shipping damage (even though you CAN buy insurance, good luck ever collecting it - especially unless you pay a store $$$ to do the packing for you... I have collected a few times on insurance but only through good luck - I'd shipped a McIntosh item to a customer via UPS. Fortunately for me, I bought all new packing boxes FROM THE UPS STORE prior to shipment. When the double-boxed Mac arrived at the customer's house, the outer box had been breached and packing peanuts were scattered from the street to the customer's door. I had the customer photograph the box with holes in it and the packing strewn about. I then had photos of the broken glass faceplate on the Mac. I filed for insurance with UPS. Of course, it was denied - claimed my packing was inadequate. Fortunately, I'd kept the receipts from the UPS store showing that I'd used all new packing boxes and I had the photographs showing the damage to the outer box by UPS. Eventually (and very, VERY reluctantly) UPS paid the insurance that I'd paid for. But if you don't have proof of "new packing," if you don't have proof of double boxing with the mandatory cushion distances, if you don't have proof that damage occurred during shipment, and if you don't have proof that the box damage is actually the cause of damage to the item being shipped - ALL of the shippers will automatically deny any insurance claim you might file. Their attitude is that the fact that the item was damaged during shipping is prima facia proof that you didn't pack it adequately. |
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Post by 405x5 on Feb 20, 2023 15:38:56 GMT -5
Allow me to use the McIntosh as an example……
I would use eBay, of course for starters, but I offer no shipping local pick up only on such a special item. With eBay, you will command a large enough audience that if you have a good piece for sale, you’ll collect your money and the buyer will get with you directly With no shipping involved. Even as a buyer acquiring something of value, I prefer to go get it and if it’s too far away, I pass on it and wait for the next opportunity. Such was the case with my last pair of Main, loudspeakers. They were the holy Grail for me and important enough that I got myself a U-Haul and did an eight hour round-trip I handle it no damage end of story
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 20, 2023 15:53:48 GMT -5
I'm through shipping ANY item that is bulky, fragile, or exceptionally heavy. And you HAVE convinced me - I'm deleting all my CraigsList ads and using eBay from here on out.
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Post by 405x5 on Feb 20, 2023 16:19:35 GMT -5
I'm through shipping ANY item that is bulky, fragile, or exceptionally heavy. And you HAVE convinced me - I'm deleting all my CraigsList ads and using eBay from here on out. I feel your pain for sure. Buying on Craig’s is ok….at least with that the “ball” is in your court. |
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cawgijoe
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Post by cawgijoe on Feb 20, 2023 22:58:53 GMT -5
Hi 405x5 - Yes - eBay does have a safer and more elegant sales model. But you PAY for it in fees. You also have to be responsible for shipping damage (even though you CAN buy insurance, good luck ever collecting it - especially unless you pay a store $$$ to do the packing for you... I have collected a few times on insurance but only through good luck - I'd shipped a McIntosh item to a customer via UPS. Fortunately for me, I bought all new packing boxes FROM THE UPS STORE prior to shipment. When the double-boxed Mac arrived at the customer's house, the outer box had been breached and packing peanuts were scattered from the street to the customer's door. I had the customer photograph the box with holes in it and the packing strewn about. I then had photos of the broken glass faceplate on the Mac. I filed for insurance with UPS. Of course, it was denied - claimed my packing was inadequate. Fortunately, I'd kept the receipts from the UPS store showing that I'd used all new packing boxes and I had the photographs showing the damage to the outer box by UPS. Eventually (and very, VERY reluctantly) UPS paid the insurance that I'd paid for. But if you don't have proof of "new packing," if you don't have proof of double boxing with the mandatory cushion distances, if you don't have proof that damage occurred during shipment, and if you don't have proof that the box damage is actually the cause of damage to the item being shipped - ALL of the shippers will automatically deny any insurance claim you might file. Their attitude is that the fact that the item was damaged during shipping is prima facia proof that you didn't pack it adequately. I’ve had good luck for local sales on Facebook Marketplace. Doesn’t mean you eliminate all issues, but it’s worked for me. |
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cgolf
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Post by cgolf on Feb 20, 2023 23:24:30 GMT -5
I've had successes on ebay and CL and have actually collected insurance a couple of times from UPS & Fedex. I have also had issues with both ebay and CL. A couple of times, I started out to go look at something on CL and turned around and came back home. Gut feeling was don't go. Ebay is safer but their fees have become crazy over the years. I've bought and I've sold on both. Agree that buying on CL is usually easier and safer.
And of course, local is best when doable. I did recently ge scammed on CL. Probably my fault for falling for the ad. Too good to be true but all emails and data seemed legit. Like a dummy and even though I knew better, I sent $$ through PP but used friends, etc. with no recourse. Seller said it would help because he was selling so cheap. I knew better but my emotional excitement got me!! It does happen but only once!!
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Post by vcautokid on Feb 21, 2023 6:28:07 GMT -5
There is not much you can do. Scams are a plenty. I work in I.T. and my rule, the minute you go in the pool, you get friendlies, and not so friendlies. You are in a public world and places like Craigslist have so so policies against scams. It has been years since I used Craigslist. I usually will buy only from reputable places. Ebay if it is a real establishment more than private anymore. I bought some stuff from Australia for instance recently.
It is one of those things where you have to do the filtering. Even our in house email server clients, we get all manner of buy this and that. Hilarious thing it is from our vendors we already have licenses with. But otherwise it isn't too bad. I surf for our network stuff and don't get the trackers and so on. Never tried to buy or sell anything on my work system, but suspect scammers come there too. The minute you open the door, it means anything is possible.
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 21, 2023 7:25:12 GMT -5
I moved three items from CL to eBay and all three sold overnight! Worth the fees to get the larger customer pool, apparently.
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Post by LuisV on Feb 21, 2023 9:41:41 GMT -5
I moved three items from CL to eBay and all three sold overnight! Worth the fees to get the larger customer pool, apparently. Been selling on eBay since 2000, although the fees are expensive and they typically side with a buyer when a dispute arrives, it's so much easier to sell something on that platform than others. I've even sold things as "local pickup" through eBay, their method to do a face to face transaction works well; Home Depot or Costco parking lots work well for such a transaction. I also use Next Door; I'm sure you'll have a similar local neighborhood type app: nextdoor.com/I'm not a fan of Facebook Marketplace as it has it's share of scams and spam. Besides eBay, I've sold various items through the Lounge and other stereo / home theater forums and groups. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Feb 21, 2023 9:49:08 GMT -5
I have never used Craigslist... While the idea of getting paid in cash and making the delivery in person is nice... Many people I know consider it a downside that "you're advertising where you live, telling everyone that you have audio equipment, and then inviting strangers in to visit"... The one time, a very long time ago, that I agreed to "meet someone and drop something off", when I got there he wanted to "bargain" on the price of something he'd already won at an auction. Since then I generally prefer online transactions. And, yes, while eBay can be a nuisance, and their fees aren't especially low, they do take a LOT of the hassle out of selling something. And, if you've ever been to something like an art auction, you'll know that eBay's fees are not really especially high for an auction venue. (For example, you may be surprised to know that, if you buy a $100k painting, both the buyer and the seller are usually expected to pay substantial fees.) Also, in case you didn't know, eBay shields the seller's e-mail address from the buyer. Their system is set up so that you can only exchange e-mails through their system... so you're never giving out your direct e-mail address unless you specifically want to. (In fact, you're not supposed to, and they make it very difficult to do so.) And, yes, when it comes to audio equipment, and specific models, eBay has a much larger customer pool. However, and this is important, you HAVE to understand how to work in that framework. If you do it wrong then you're unlikely to be happy with the results. For example, you'll never sell an item by describing it as "a nice 20 watt amplifier"... If you want to see why... just try searching on that description and see what comes up... (I just tried it and got 897 "hits") The key is that, if you have a recognizable manufacturer name and model, that people will hopefully be looking for, you include them. That way anyone looking for that specific item will find it. (Some people "browse", but many simply pop in for a minute and look for a specific item, or even have an automatic watch set to flag them when one is listed.) If you're looking for a specific item you search by name and model number... So, if you're hoping to sell one, you obviously need to do the same thing...Include the manufacturer, model number, and even the general condition if it's worth mentioning.(For example: "Emotiva UPA-1 - good used condition" ... or "Emotiva UPA-1 amplifier - not working - for parts or repair".) I searched on "Emotiva UPA-1" and got only three hits... and two of them were actually UPA-1 amplifiers for sale. I moved three items from CL to eBay and all three sold overnight! Worth the fees to get the larger customer pool, apparently. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 21, 2023 10:00:19 GMT -5
I've been an eBay seller for decades. I have my own store and am a "Top Rated" seller with a 100% positive feedback.
I like selling on eBay, but packing large or heavy items for shipment is a PITA. I've never tried selling on eBay with "local pickup only," but I guess I'll be trying it out.
My corner UPS Store in a large shopping center is where I meet customers for item payment & transfer. Other than an increasing number of CraigsList no-shows, I've never had a problem.
Glenn
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cawgijoe
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Post by cawgijoe on Feb 21, 2023 10:07:53 GMT -5
I've been an eBay seller for decades. I have my own store and am a "Top Rated" seller with a 100% positive feedback. I like selling on eBay, but packing large or heavy items for shipment is a PITA. I've never tried selling on eBay with "local pickup only," but I guess I'll be trying it out. My corner UPS Store in a large shopping center is where I meet customers for item payment & transfer. Other than an increasing number of CraigsList no-shows, I've never had a problem. Glenn Selling local to me is the best. You don't have to worry about packing the item, shipping it, hoping it makes in one piece, is not stolen, etc. There are a couple of local audio groups in my area that have a presence on Facebook, you have to be a member, that work well for buying and selling. There are also local meet ups and I have met a number of people. Unfortunately you are only dealing with a pool of maybe 400 people and they are not always buying what you are selling. I've sold a couple of items on the Lounge, but again it's hit or miss. I'll have to try the local sale option on Ebay, especially for the larger, heavier, items. |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on Feb 21, 2023 10:35:00 GMT -5
I absolutely agree... I've both bought and sold a LOT of stuff through eBay... (arguably "since the beginning"). And, in the end, it has always worked very well for me... (Out of hundreds, or probably thousands, of transactions... I can only remember three that "went bad"... and they weren't eBay's fault.) Yes... - their "process" can be a bit complicated - there are a lot of details to learn - their fees are not trivial - they are very "pushy" that you do your billing, shipping, and payouts through them But they really have taken most of the headaches and "unknowns" out of it all. Assuming that you've "gone through all the setup and done everything you should"... - you list an item - you get to watch the auction's progress - you get a notification when the item's been sold - you get a notification when the buyer has payed for it - you hit "print label" - you stick the label on the box and drop it off (or get it picked up) - your money is dropped into your bank account No fuss, no muss, and, if you use the whole system, they calculate and bill for the shipping and such. I will offer one tip... for medium to larger items... Have the item wrapped and boxed in advance... That way you can enter the box dimensions and weight into the "shipping calculator" when you list the item... That way whoever is looking at it can see their shipping options and what they will cost... And when they pay that payment will include the shipping costs... And, after they pay, YOU can just hit a few buttons to print the label... (And you avoid "having to figure out what it will cost to ship that item to so and so at such and such a location" - over and over again.) And... I guess... another tip about packing... I ALWAYS pack the things I sell. Having something "packed and shipped" by "a UPS store" is always a hit and miss proposition. I've received things that were packed and shipped "professionally" where the packing was awesome... But I've also received things that were packed so badly that the item barely survived... or didn't survive. It's pretty obvious to me that some of these "professionals" have no idea how to pack delicate or difficult items. I would also advise to NEVER scrimp on packing. Proper packing can be expensive... but the alternative is far worse... (which is a good reason to always save packing materials for re-use). (And, if you do it yourself, ahead of time, you can factor that into the asking price or starting price.) I moved three items from CL to eBay and all three sold overnight! Worth the fees to get the larger customer pool, apparently. Been selling on eBay since 2000, although the fees are expensive and they typically side with a buyer when a dispute arrives, it's so much easier to sell something on that platform than others. I've even sold things as "local pickup" through eBay, their method to do a face to face transaction works well; Home Depot or Costco parking lots work well for such a transaction. I also use Next Door; I'm sure you'll have a similar local neighborhood type app: nextdoor.com/I'm not a fan of Facebook Marketplace as it has it's share of scams and spam. Besides eBay, I've sold various items through the Lounge and other stereo / home theater forums and groups. |
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Post by LuisV on Feb 21, 2023 10:35:27 GMT -5
I've been an eBay seller for decades. I have my own store and am a "Top Rated" seller with a 100% positive feedback. I like selling on eBay, but packing large or heavy items for shipment is a PITA. I've never tried selling on eBay with "local pickup only," but I guess I'll be trying it out. My corner UPS Store in a large shopping center is where I meet customers for item payment & transfer. Other than an increasing number of CraigsList no-shows, I've never had a problem. Glenn Agreed.. large items are a PITA; however, in the past I've kept all the boxes. I've sold a few XPA GEN1 and GEN2 amps and 18" subwoofer drivers, all shipped in original boxes... so I understand how much of a pain it is. I had the buyer pay for shipping and I paid for UPS pickup... |
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