Lovin' Craigslist

[OTB]

Learning to love Craig’slist:

Looking at Tigger’s SO’s recent experience with scammers brought a flood of stuff to mind; I’ve had a great season for buying riding and selling (15 so far this season, about 50 bikes in the last 4 years, with 3 deals pending closure right now) bikes on Craigslist, and (careful so as not to curse my streak) not one bad experience. ………So far.

So, bunky, “How do you do it”, you ask?

Couple simple rules will keep you out of trouble.

Craigslist is nothing more than an electronic bulletin board. Remember that, and it’ll keep it all in perspective. Anybody can post just about anything. True, false or fraudulent.

a. Scammers want to remain anonymous FIRST, successful second. SO if an ad is using a “third-party” shipper/storage outfit, it’s an Ivory Soap bet that it’s a scammer.

b. If after repeated attempts to get them to give you a phone number or ask them to call you and you can’t talk to them on the phone, it’s a scammer.

c. If you can’t see the bike before handing over money, it’s a scammer.

d. If they insist on only one way to pay (some unknown international bank, or Western Union ONLY (‘cause Paypal will take the money and give it back to you if it’s a scam) ), REPEAT AFTER ME: “It’s a scam”…….. The exception to this is “cash only” sellers….and I’m one of ‘em.

Don’t get me wrong, I have bought bikes sight unseen (except for extensive photos via e-mail) but only after a number of telephone conversations with the seller. You can usually tell if you’ve got a reasonable person with a bike as advertised in about thirty seconds. It just takes a while to develop rapport.

I need to develop rapport with the person, because I want to buy something at the best price possible, with the best terms possible and you don’t do that until you’ve established with the seller that you’re not just another “Yo! What’s yer best price’ A-hole. When I’m selling bikes, I get about 30-40 e-mails with terse questions like “will you take (half of what your asking?) type questions. No “Hi, how are ya, nice bike” type preamble; just, “Will you take $2000?” for that $6000 bike.

I used get offended and write a scathing reply, noting book values, the going market for this model, the blah blah blah….. Now, I just delete and move on. People that low-ball aren’t really buyers…they are professional “shoppers”; critics who spend the time on the internet telling others what their stuff is worth but never buy anything. I’m busy, I’ve got a full time job, a part time job, classes, and I’m on track to flip 20 bikes before the season is over; I ain’t got time for blowhards.

There is another type of “scammer” out there, but they aren’t limited to CL: It’s the guys who try to shovel shit at you and call it cake.

I’ve written before about the need to be a knowledgeable buyer: that only comes through experience. So, if you don’t have any, take somebody along who does.

I’ve bought bikes where I’ve doubled my money….but those opportunities are few and far between; more often I make 10-25% on my initial investment. Once in a while I pick a loser and lose a couple hundred (and feel grateful to have gotten out from under so cheaply) .

NOBODY bats a 1.000.

I feel grateful to CL; it’s a great resource, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without it. But I stick to my formulas on every deal; when I stray and get “creative”is when I get burned.