The Down Side of Craig's List
September 28th 2006 02:00
Having talked about(link) the benefits of Craig’s list(link), it’s incumbent to turn to the dangers of it. The biggest danger is that the system is very open to fraud. Why?
A notice on top of Craig’s list “for sale ads” spells it out clearly, “there are no such things as "craigslist payment system", "craigslist buyer protection", or "craigslist seller certification"
Craig’s list is letting you know that they’re not in the business of selling stuff. It’s not E-bay or Amazon, where some type of warranty is implied on the items. Just as you wouldn’t demand a newspaper compensate you for an advertiser not selling goods as promised, Craig’s list can’t do anything for you if you make a bad deal.
Craig’s list best recommendation for avoiding getting scammed is to deal with local sellers. Sending a money order or cashier’s check to an individual out of state, for unseen merchandise, without any reason to ship your merchandise, is asking to get swindled.
When dealing with local sellers, you’ve got to be careful on what you buy. You’re going to want to test it out and make sure it works. If it’s a car, you’ll want to have a qualified mechanic let you know what’s wrong with it before you buy it.
If you don’t take reasonable precautions before the purchase, it’s going to be nothing but headaches. While verbal contracts are considered legally binding, it’s very hard to uphold them, particularly for smaller items. If you buy a $90 television that blows out and the person won’t make it right, what are you going to do? Call the police? Unless they’ve been getting a steady string of reports of problems with an individual, they’re not going to do anything. File a small claims suit? Over $90? Most likely, you’ll end up eating the money.
Also, be on the lookout for stolen merchandise being sold through Craig’s list. If serial numbers have been filed off, don’t make the purchase! If there’s something suspicious about the seller that sets off alarm bells in your head, don’t make the purchase. Use good instincts.
Finally, when buying off Craig’s list, never meet the seller in a private location(link). There have been many people in San Francisco robbed this way. Aim for a mutually convenient public spot.
There are bargains to be had on Craig’s List, just be careful and use common sense when navigating this new frontier.
A notice on top of Craig’s list “for sale ads” spells it out clearly, “there are no such things as "craigslist payment system", "craigslist buyer protection", or "craigslist seller certification"
Craig’s list is letting you know that they’re not in the business of selling stuff. It’s not E-bay or Amazon, where some type of warranty is implied on the items. Just as you wouldn’t demand a newspaper compensate you for an advertiser not selling goods as promised, Craig’s list can’t do anything for you if you make a bad deal.
Craig’s list best recommendation for avoiding getting scammed is to deal with local sellers. Sending a money order or cashier’s check to an individual out of state, for unseen merchandise, without any reason to ship your merchandise, is asking to get swindled.
When dealing with local sellers, you’ve got to be careful on what you buy. You’re going to want to test it out and make sure it works. If it’s a car, you’ll want to have a qualified mechanic let you know what’s wrong with it before you buy it.
If you don’t take reasonable precautions before the purchase, it’s going to be nothing but headaches. While verbal contracts are considered legally binding, it’s very hard to uphold them, particularly for smaller items. If you buy a $90 television that blows out and the person won’t make it right, what are you going to do? Call the police? Unless they’ve been getting a steady string of reports of problems with an individual, they’re not going to do anything. File a small claims suit? Over $90? Most likely, you’ll end up eating the money.
Also, be on the lookout for stolen merchandise being sold through Craig’s list. If serial numbers have been filed off, don’t make the purchase! If there’s something suspicious about the seller that sets off alarm bells in your head, don’t make the purchase. Use good instincts.
Finally, when buying off Craig’s list, never meet the seller in a private location(link). There have been many people in San Francisco robbed this way. Aim for a mutually convenient public spot.
There are bargains to be had on Craig’s List, just be careful and use common sense when navigating this new frontier.
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