Miz M can verify for me.
You can request they contact you through CL with their phone #.
They will not get your email address unless you email them back.
So phone them (I use my blocked # for that).

I don't want someone with buyers remorse calling me to say they made a mistake..

This post was edited by forboystoo on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 22:25

How did you block your phone #? Can you block a cell #?

Great point about buyer's remorse. I actually had someone call me after they had examined and bought some dishes to tell me they didn't think they looked like the photo on CL and wanted to bring them back the next time they were in town. They had been in my town visiting and lived several hours away. They never did call back, but I put them in my contacts so I'd know it was them calling.

This post was edited by marti8a on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 22:35

My house phone is blocked.
There is also ways to block you cell phone.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Mobile-Phone-Number-Appear-As-a-Private-Number

Thanks, I just did a search for that too and found the same link. I also found the settings on iphone that block the number. That sounds like the way to go. Thank you.

I use email. Scammers are inevitable, one way or another. I screen responses and reply to them selectively.

If we sell furniture, we set it up in the garage for viewing. We make sure there's enough room to view the piece from every side and to open doors/drawers if there are any. Also, make sure that the lighting is good enough. We also put the trash can and cat litterbox as far away from it as possible and out of sight. Always clean the furniture and cover it with old bedsheets to protect from our cats. Sometimes we end up having a "display" sitting in our garage for weeks, but everything we put on CL sold all right.

When I get a potential buyer's name and contact info, I run a check online to see if there are any red flags. Facebook, Twitter and such often help a lot. Once we had a responder who worded her emails a bit oddly. I googled her name and location and discovered several police mugshots (drug arrests). Needless to say we didn't follow up with giving her our address. Instead, we waited for another buyer.

I think dh would rather let someone in the house than his garage, but we could always move it out of the garage and back in again after it has been viewed.

Do you google their email address too? I don't think I've ever had anyone give me their last name.

Many people have their first and last names attached to their email addresses. In this case, a buyer's name would appear in the From field in your Inbox like this:

From______________Subject_________________Date

John Smith_______Your plaid couch on CL______08/07/2013

Sometimes people use their work email to reply to CL ads, which would also give you their employer names, like John.Smith@citibank.com. It helps with the background check, too.

In this sense, an email response can give you more information about a buyer than a phone call. Of course, it's easier to find relevant information if the name is not too common like John Smith or Sally Jones.

If your dh keeps valuable stuff in the garage, like expensive bikes, tools, guns or sports gear, it might be better to avoid letting strangers there.

I use the CL anonymizer ... they can email me, but it goes through CL and then to me. Then I call them - the ad requests an e-mail with contact phone number - or reply by e-mail.

I use this reoly option: "use craigslist mail relay (recommended)" [?]
NEVER THIS ONE: "show my real email address"
Use this only if you have an address (like for a yard sale): "no replies to this email, please"

NEVER check this box! "ok for others to contact you about other services, products or commercial interests" because it's spam city afterwards.

Scammers are always going to be there ... which variety called you?

This post was edited by lazygardens on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 6:42

Do you google their email address too?

It can be interesting ... most of my CL rental listing scammers show up on a search for their reply address.

My husband sells a lot on CL.

He does check the box for responders to respond through CL but In the ad he asks that people call him (please don't text) and lists his cell phone number.

Works well for him. On rare occasion he'll receive a spam email, not that much of a bother.

ML

I received a text from the scammer. First asked if I still had the hall tree, and I replied yes. Then came the 3 part text saying he was out of the country but would have his assistant send me a money order for it with a bonus for my time. I replied back "scammer go away" and didn't hear back. I know there are a lot of scammers who prowl CL and I wonder if I made it worse by having a price OBO in my ad. I also got an offer from an antique store (I found that out when I called the number he left on my voice mail) for half the price and I already had it at a good price.

I changed the OBO to a firm price, took out my phone #, and checked the "use craigslist" for replies.

I think selling in the antique category brings out a lot of scammers, as well as the price range.

You can specify that the person emailing answer a questiin in the heading-like `respond with the name of the girl who followed the yellow brick road in your email heading`. That weeds out the scammers.

I always have them reply via CL, not my phone or personal email.

You can specify that the person emailing answer a questiin in the heading-like `respond with the name of the girl who followed the yellow brick road in your email heading`. That weeds out the scammers.

I always have them reply via CL, not my phone or personal email.

As others have said, we start using the e-mail through CL, not our own. We get a LOT of spam, and just flag and delete. The ones that sound real, we go back and forth with a bit, then exchange phone numbers. So far, we haven't had any spamming via phone. We usually get the potential buyer's number before we give out our own.

I'm very, very ready to have my own booth or store, as I'm so tired of dealing with CL. We've met super-nice people, but it's a hassle.

ETA: I was excited a while back to find another online furniture selling site, but it turned out to be a dud for us. It's called "Furnishly", and it's a nice-looking site for used furniture, but we never had a single response to anything we listed. Maybe it will take off one of these days, and get more action.

This post was edited by Miz_M on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 15:34

It is a hassle, but I don't know any other way of selling excess furniture. I don't want to ship it, so it seems pointless to list on ebay or etsy.

I don't think you can completely avoid the scammers. Just look out for them and ignore them.

Just like there's nothing I can do about the charity that contacts me about every single piece of furniture I list and asks for it for free. Or the people who make appointments to see what's for sale and then never show up. Or the people who want me to deliver the furniture.

I have people respond by email through CL and make them give me their phone number. I only respond to emails that have a phone number in them.

Everything I'm selling is in the garage. Nice and clean and polished and dusted. Under tarps to keep it that way.

If you don't want to do CL, you could check to see if there are any furniture consignment shops in your area.

So true about shipping ... we had an interested buyer for our checkerboard table a while back, the shipping fee was exactly the price of the table. (Texas to Pennsylvania). No deal!

I really like CL, just wish the spammers didn't. I've always been curious, what is their motive? What do they hope to gain from it? Puzzles me.

Now that CL started using the anonymizer I've not had any problems with spammers. It used to be that once you answered the initial inquiry your address showed up on the sent email. That is no longer the case.

I nearly lost a sale once due to an inquiry that was worded strangely. I came close to not answering her (thought it was spam) but it turned out she knew nothing about CL, had never purchased online and wasn't sure how to word her questions. Really nice lady once I met her.
After learning CL no longer allows the actual email address to show I don't hesitate in answering inquiries. But, I never give out my phone or address until I know a buyer is actually coming to see the item. I realize some people would rather communicate via phone, so if they send me their phone number I usually call.
I get way too many 'I'm interested, do you still have the item'......9 times out of 10 they're spammers.

I didn't realize the ones who ask, "Do you sill have the item?" are probably spammers. What's their angle? Are they trying to get my email address to spam me or what? I've replied to those, but usually don't get an answer back. I haven't notice any email spam afterwards. I use the anonymizer, though, so they don't see my personal email address. Is it unwise to reply to those types of inquiries?

If you see an older post for an item you are interested in and want to find out if it is still available, what do you ask if you aren't supposed to ask if they still have the item (for fear of looking like a spammer)?

Just curious, as I have been guilty of this and am definitely not a spammer!

MizM I really like CL, just wish the spammers didn't. I've always been curious, what is their motive? What do they hope to gain from it? Puzzles me. the usual scam is they send you a "casher's check" for more than the sale, and ask for you to refund the excess. The check is forged, it bounces, and they already have the refund.

Caroloke .... I didn't realize the ones who ask, "Do you still have the item?" are probably spammers. What's their angle? Are they trying to get my email address to spam me or what? Yes, they are hoping you will slip up and use your real e-mail and then they can send you dating site spam.

lizbeth - I get real specific about the item, including part of the description, so it's clearly not a computer program doing the asking.

I didn't realize the ones who ask, "Do you sill have the item?" are probably spammers. What's their angle? Are they trying to get my email address to spam me or what? I've replied to those, but usually don't get an answer back. I haven't notice any email spam afterwards. I use the anonymizer, though, so they don't see my personal email address. Is it unwise to reply to those types of inquiries?

Thank you, lazygardens! I've wondered for a long time!

lazygardens,

Thank you for the information-good to know the "rules" !

Liz

Oops. I don't know how my message got posted twice, but thanks for the explanation, lazygarden.

I'm a frequent CL shopper, and I will occasionally see an item that has been listed for a while, and write to ask if it's still available.

I start all of my email with 'Hi from 'My City' inserted there, as I feel it tells people immediately that I am not a scammer. I use the anonymous email, so they do not have my name.

What I do not understand is why some sellers don't remove their ads when something sells, as it's so easy to do.

My3dogs, me, too. I give my name and town, and ask something specific about the piece.

We've been getting the most bizarre spam from Russia lately ... it's long, and the tone is as if it's coming from a former romantic interest. Annoying and creepy, but funny. :-D

We delete our own ads as soon as the buyers drive off.

That's awful! What is our world coming to? Life was so much simpler when I was growing up MANY years ago!

I do the same thing about being specific with a question, and as polite as I can be. It really helps.

And doesn't it 'frost my cookies' when someone lists something, and just doesn't reply to emails at all. I try and try again, and finally give up.

Spammers send out hundreds of messages a day asking "do you still have the item"? Those who answer get the follow up email where the scammers want to buy it sight unseen and will send a (fake) cashier's check that is over the sale amount so that you can send the extra money to their "courier" who will come and pick up the item. The idea is that you will cash the fake check, write a real check to the courier from your account, and wait for the "courier" to come pick up the item. By the time the bank clearinghouse rejects the original fake check, you are out the money you sent the courier. (And if they are local, the courier may come pick up the money and the item -- then you are out both things -- but most are based in foreign countries so the courier never comes.)

Anyhow, if you want to ask if something is still available, be sure to mention what it is. "Hi, I was wondering if this piano was still available - if so, I would like to come see it. What works for you?" is clearly tailored to your specific ad while "Do you still have this item?" is a generic response sent to hundreds of people at once.

The type of spam I end up with it a continual flow of ads. Trying to get it 'unsubscribed' is useless and I end up just blocking it or sending directly to junk mail.

How long does it usually take you to sell an item, especially an antique piece? Do you keep relisting every week, or whatever the limit is? And when do you drop the price?

I really want to get rid of some of this stuff so I can get on with our remodel, but I don't want to take a beating on it. I've got it listed now for what I paid for it 30 years ago.

This post was edited by marti8a on Fri, Aug 9, 13 at 21:23

[quote] "How long does it usually take you to sell an item, especially an antique piece? Do you keep relisting every week, or whatever the limit is? And when do you drop the price?"

For us, it varies. We've sold things within one day, and had other pieces that took around 3 weeks. We price things pretty low, but will lower it after a couple of weeks. We re-list as often as we can, it's a few days between renewals of the ads.

Our antiques (not painted, just restored) seem to sell faster.

Thank you. That's good to know. I hope our stuff moves as fast.

Funny about the spammers. I have listed many different articles on CL over the last 3-4 years, furniture, baby items etc.
Never once have I received back spam until I listed my daughters wedding dress. I got spam ,spam, spam
It never sold and if I realist it , the same thing over and over but like I said never once for all other items.
strange......