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Selling an iPad on Craigslist…wow.

mcdj

mcdj

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jul 10, 2007
8,972
4,225
NYC
I have sold a ton of stuff on CL over the years. I have NEVER had a post flagged for removal.

I made the post today, asking $500 for a 64GB 3G iPad with a case. I posted a stock pic of the case.

It got flagged/removed.

I reposted. I changed the pic to a link to the pic.

It got flagged/removed.

I reposted again, after reading about "flagbots", software that can supposedly flag tons of posts at a click, by keyword, and makes the CL servers think the flags come from unique users, automatically deleting the "offending" post. Possible reasons for using this kind of software? Competition? Boredom? I have no idea...

I posted the 3rd ad with the word "i Pad" instead of iPad. So far, it hasn't been flagged. This makes me wonder if the flagging isn't truly being done by keyword, either by software, or a bored group of teenagers.

So out of curiousity, I posted on the Flagging forum on CL. I was told unequivocally that my price was too high and that this was why my post was flagged. I was told that flagbot software is "tinfoil hat" stuff and doesn't do anything, despite hundreds of references to it all over the web.

Prior to posting my first ad, I searched CL for "ipad 64gb 3g". I got 180+ hits. Fewer than 10 of those were priced at $500 or under. The rest were over $500. Call me old fashioned, but that says to me that the going rate, or market value, for a 64GB iPad 3G is over $500. (And yet, on the forum, a dozen people told me my price was too high.)

A couple of hours later, I searched again and this time I only got 35 hits. Clearly there is some sort of organized and/or automated effort to falsely lower the price for second hand iPads on CL.

So if you're trying to sell your iPad on a busy CL, be prepared for the army of bored teenagers to shut down your listing, because they can.
 
wonder if thats because of the generic pics? either way man great price, good luck with your sale, should go fast if you can ever get it to stay lol
 
Hearing about stuff like this makes me glad I sold mine on Amazon.

Although Amazon's policy on returns says that the customer has 30 days in which to request a return... wish I'd thought of selling it on Gazelle before I read the Amazon return policy.
:D
 
Actually i think ur price is too low? I've seen the 64 gb wifi and 3g ones going for around $600. Sometimes it'll flag things that are low cause most lkely they are scams.

It helps to put up an actual picture not a generic one. And typing "i pad" will kill your views. But it is really frustrating when you get flagged.
 
Sold a 16 gig 3g within a day after posting on craigs. 4 pics and decent price. I have to admit stocks pics are a warning sign.

I also tend to flag people who cross post, for example i hit up the miata posting everyday, really pisses me off to see cross post
 
DaGreat01 said:
I hate ads with generic pictures. We obviously know what whatever we're looking for looks like on the website, we want to see YOURS.
Click to expand...

I only used a stock pic of the Yoobao case, because outside of Mac forums, the average person doesn't know Yoobao from Yao Ming.

As far as actually taking pics, I figure for something like a common newish tech product (as opposed to a vintage baseball card or unique piece of furniture), it's a waste of time. Everyone knows what an iPad looks like. A shaky iPhone pic of an iPad does not guarantee a mint iPad. Since CL is local, people will see it in person before paying for it. If I were selling to someone in Cali, I would definitely take pics.
 
The thing is without a picture of the actual item and coupled with your low price, it makes it look like a scam.

I look at craigslist everyday for good deals and have a crap email account set up. Ninety nine percent of the emails i send out return with a scam.

List it for going rate and/or use a real pic. Either that or say why you are not including one. But then people may be worried that they will get robbed when they meet you.
 
kellen said:
The thing is without a picture of the actual item and coupled with your low price, it makes it look like a scam.

I look at craigslist everyday for good deals and have a crap email account set up. Ninety nine percent of the emails i send out return with a scam.

List it for going rate and/or use a real pic. Either that or say why you are not including one. But then people may be worried that they will get robbed when they meet you.
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying (and I just added pics), but the rest of my ad was very un-scam like…proper English, proper spelling, full description. In my experience, scams are usually ridiculously low priced, like a new sealed iPad 64Gb for $250 and contain little if any description, like "best price in town, hurry" and nothing else. My price at $500, is merely about a week ahead of its time. Next Sunday, I think the prices will have dropped to my current price if used iPhone pricing history is any indication.
 
Yes... I definitely agree that the generic pics are what got your ad flagged. I LOL'ed at the Yoobao Yao Ming line btw.
 
craigslist is user moderated. the people looking at the ads to buy the items are the ones that flag for removal. once you get a item flagged you have to wait a few days because it will take even less users to get a ad flaged.

they flag ads for many reasons i've had it happen to me that is why i know
price to high
description doesn't give enough info
description gives to much info
or could be anything.
 
i got $540 for my 32gb wifi only ipad a couple weeks ago on ebay..
it was unlocked though...

so maybe try ebay?
 
Gazelle is currently giving 528 for 64/3G and with promo code twit it comes to somewhere around 550. They pay shipping too.
 
I was checking my local CL out to see what people are asking...It's crazy because there were multiple posts for $400 16GB/iPads...I hope most of the people buying will do some research.

And then I saw this...:p
 

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M87 said:
Gazelle is currently giving 528 for 64/3G and with promo code twit it comes to somewhere around 550. They pay shipping too.
Click to expand...

Ding ding. We have a winner. Just got my shipping label. Hoping they don't dock the payout for no box and no sim.
 
I think $500 for a 64GB 3G iPad with a case is a fair price. There are many ads on CL for a higher price but those will probably not go at this time.

I got an ad I put a while ago flagged simply because I wrote something in the lines of "scammers don't even try, I won't bother". This is supposed to be a flag magnet because the scammer goes "oh, yeah??? I'll show you!". I reposted without this and no problem.

In the OP's case, I would guess the stock photo is the problem but you never really know.
 
I have been looking online at eBay + CL. Seems like ebay has the 16gb at $340-350 and 32gb for $390-420. Take out the eBay/PP fees and you are looking at ~$280-290 for the 16gb and ~$330-350 for the 32gb. Those are the price points I would look for on CL. Considering the prices of refurb iPads now, $70-90 off the refurb priced seems like a fair deal when you consider the refurb comes with a new battery and 1 year warranty.
 
frunkis54 said:
craigslist is user moderated. the people looking at the ads to buy the items are the ones that flag for removal. once you get a item flagged you have to wait a few days because it will take even less users to get a ad flaged.

they flag ads for many reasons i've had it happen to me that is why i know
price to high
description doesn't give enough info
description gives to much info
or could be anything.
Click to expand...

when I was selling my iPhone 3GS, I flagged an ad that blatantly copied my personal and non-generic description of the condition of my phone. Granted based on the pics our phones were similar in condition but still that was not cool. And yeah I flag ads that look like scams and sometimes generic pictures if they can't write in english to save their life.

Everyone knows (especially with tech products) that real buyers check the "With Pictures" box and people with generic pics clog up the real results.

Yes you can see it in person first, but CL sales are akward enough without at least seeing part of the item first. Item inspections during what should just be a cash and carry situation are annoying from buyer and seller perspectives
 
mcdj said:
I have sold a ton of stuff on CL over the years. I have NEVER had a post flagged for removal.

I made the post today, asking $500 for a 64GB 3G iPad with a case. I posted a stock pic of the case.

It got flagged/removed.

I reposted. I changed the pic to a link to the pic.

It got flagged/removed.

I reposted again, after reading about "flagbots", software that can supposedly flag tons of posts at a click, by keyword, and makes the CL servers think the flags come from unique users, automatically deleting the "offending" post. Possible reasons for using this kind of software? Competition? Boredom? I have no idea...

I posted the 3rd ad with the word "i Pad" instead of iPad. So far, it hasn't been flagged. This makes me wonder if the flagging isn't truly being done by keyword, either by software, or a bored group of teenagers.

So out of curiousity, I posted on the Flagging forum on CL. I was told unequivocally that my price was too high and that this was why my post was flagged. I was told that flagbot software is "tinfoil hat" stuff and doesn't do anything, despite hundreds of references to it all over the web.

Prior to posting my first ad, I searched CL for "ipad 64gb 3g". I got 180+ hits. Fewer than 10 of those were priced at $500 or under. The rest were over $500. Call me old fashioned, but that says to me that the going rate, or market value, for a 64GB iPad 3G is over $500. (And yet, on the forum, a dozen people told me my price was too high.)

A couple of hours later, I searched again and this time I only got 35 hits. Clearly there is some sort of organized and/or automated effort to falsely lower the price for second hand iPads on CL.

So if you're trying to sell your iPad on a busy CL, be prepared for the army of bored teenagers to shut down your listing, because they can.
Click to expand...

Ran into the same exact issue when selling my ipad. Add insult to injury by having to deal with CL "help" forums which were just really a bunch of teenagers bwahahaing at me for getting flagged. I did finally reword my ad like you did to avoid the flagbotters, but it really shook my faith in craigslist. BTW I listed my 64gb 3g with apple case for $550, before that it was listed at $599 and I guess that price didn't meet approval with the flagbotters. It sold for $550.
 
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