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craigslist
- Thread starter Frankie.
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If you read the MR Guides and search the forums you'll find quite a few threads on this issue and plenty of information and warnings about buying and selling on Craigslist.
Safety is a primary concern, when dealing with cash or expensive sale items.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/707396/
Even Craigslist warns you about scams: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
Safety is a primary concern, when dealing with cash or expensive sale items.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/707396/
Even Craigslist warns you about scams: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
Meet locally at a public place at a decent time and accept cash only. That should be enough. Be prepared to receive tons of posts from lowballers and scammers though.
You can accept checks, but why would you want to put yourself at risk? You are putting the buyer's "convenience" ahead of your profit and safety. Just ask for cash. What's wrong with it?
Right...that's what I was saying. If they say they can pay by check, they should have money in the bank to pay you with cash instead
Much safer for you.Right. I get your point. And that's why I want cash but never sold something at this price so someone carrying around $1,000+ in cash seems risky as well.
I sold my MBP on craigslist. I only accept cash and local pickup when I sell on CL. I don't meet people away from home. I've never had a problem, but I exercise reasonable caution (e.g. I ignore badly written email inquiries).
You could do Paypal too, but there is always the potential a dishonest buyer later files a claim with Paypal stating they never got the item, and Paypal refunds their money if you can't prove it was shipped to their verified address (which of course you wouldn't be able to with a local transaction). I only use Paypal if I'm shipping something I sell, and then I only send to a Paypal verified address.
You could do Paypal too, but there is always the potential a dishonest buyer later files a claim with Paypal stating they never got the item, and Paypal refunds their money if you can't prove it was shipped to their verified address (which of course you wouldn't be able to with a local transaction). I only use Paypal if I'm shipping something I sell, and then I only send to a Paypal verified address.
It's just a trip to the bank and meeting with you afterward with an envelope. They can even request them in $100s to carry "less"
Simply meeting someone from a Craigslist add can be risky. It's relative. $1000 cash isn't really a huge amount of money.
But if it is to the buyer, meet at a local branch of their bank where they can do a cashier's check in your name. That way they don't carry the cash, and you don't either.
Indeed. I've sold camera lenses using Paypal and factored in their profit.Would also risk Paypal taking $80 out of your profits as well haha
Would also risk Paypal taking $80 out of your profits as well haha
I despise PayPal (and eBay) fees and the "false" security that they claim to provide.
For a 2009 MBP, you dont have to worry about not finding buyers in your area - however small it could be. Just post lots of high quality pictures and start higher than what you are willing to sell it if you are not in a hurry.
Good luck!
If you want to meet some "shady" people on CL, dont mention that the old hard drive you are selling is wiped beyond recovery. They come out of the woodwork to collect those
Lol that's chump change . My largest craigslist transaction was for $4000. Met at a bank, I handed over goods, buyer inspected, I recieved (And double(triple?) verified authenticity of) the cash , we parted ways and my checking account was $4000 happier that afternoon.
Must be nice. I live in a shady town. I'd be afraid of getting a gun pulled on me or giving me money then having his friends follow me home or something odd like that.
In that case, eBay can be an option. Paying eBay+PayPal fees would be less than paying hospital bills
Then take every precaution you can, meet in a public place (mall, bank, university, etc.), near home if possible, drive there and back or have someone drive you just so you're not walking with thousands in your pocket, maybe meet inside a bank like a previous poster mentioned then deposit the money to your account, if you don't have one, what better time to open one, accept ONLY cash, ONLY cash and in case you're still considering something else, ONLY CASH.
This is the most important part of the entire thing, it's extremely easy to get $2,000 then meet someone not even an hour after and hand them the money in exchange for the goods, so if someone says to you that it's hard for them, walk away from that deal IMMEDIATELY. If your gut says no, then don't do it. Trust me, it's better to look like a coward and walk away with the goods still in your hands, than to try and be brave just one time and have a gun pulled to your head, or a knife or someone beating you up for a computer, your life is worth much more.
If you still feel unsafe about the whole thing, don't trust your neighborhood and can't go to a different part of town to do this thing, then bite the bullet and do ebay with paypal, if you need advice on that I'm sure there are a couple of threads out there.
We used to hear stories all the time of people at school that were ripped off using CL because they used paypal, check, money order, met someplace that wasn't entirely safe (like the buyers home or your home), some more extreme cases involved physical violence because they met at 11 pm in a park to sell a computer (bad idea). Read CL's own advice on selling if you're still wondering.
After all of this, you have been warned, please take care of yourself first and your stuff second. Be smart, if it sounds too good to be true it always is and you will always end up on the losing end unless you're the scammer.
Let us know how it works out.
Craigslist= cash only for me.
Hell, even the guy that bought my truck gave me $9k in cash. Went to the bank with him and then to AAA to transfer the title/registration.
Everything I've ever sold/bought on CL has been straight cash, just seems assumed in my experience.
Hell, even the guy that bought my truck gave me $9k in cash. Went to the bank with him and then to AAA to transfer the title/registration.
Everything I've ever sold/bought on CL has been straight cash, just seems assumed in my experience.
Cash ONLY, and go with a friend. Meet in a public place that isn't bustling with people either, or better yet at the bank.