I find the same flaky buyers are on every type of buy/sell site.

I had one that first wanted me to hold the item for a week until she could pick it up. Because I had no other interest in the item, I agreed. On the appointed day, she didn't show and didn't communicate. When I reached out to her, she said she "doesn't drive in the rain or at night". When I pointed out that it wasn't raining or night time on the scheduled pick-up date/time, she went ballistic at how I was being unreasonable expecting her to pick the item up as it was only a $15 thing anyway. I responded that, whether $15, $150, or $1500, the site rules state that a commitment to buy is a commitment to buy. I then reported her antics to the moderator and had her kicked off the site.

I had another buyer just this week that literally lives down the street from me. Besides her seeming ability to start a private message conversation asking for details to finalize pick-up arrangements, she couldn't seem to ever respond back to my messages giving her options on pick-up. It took her a full week to finally get the item which was puzzling because she could have come at any time given it was a porch pick-up. Again, this was an item with a limited buying pool, so I was willing to put up with the disorganization.

For "hot" items though, I'm polite but ruthless with people who want special treatment or want to low ball. My go-to phrase is, "There's too much interest in this item to accept your (discounted offer, to hold the item for you, to deliver the item to you......or whatever)."

Better yet, if I can't find a home for something via my daughter, I always donate my stuff to the local women's shelter. At least that way I don't have to deal with creeps or flakes and I know the stuff is going to someone who is in a position I was once in and will appreciate the gesture.

LOL, a woman asked if I'd take a quoted price. I agreed, and gave her the address. She wrote back with "excuse me?". I responded and said that I agreed on her offering price, and I gave her the address. She said she didn't say that she wanted, it, just asked if I'd take x number of dollars. I then wrote asking if she made a habit of trolling Kijiji, offering a price but not wanting the item. Of course she accused me of harassing her, and not to bother her again! Too funny!!!

People are crazy. I know I already "liked" lucille's comment, but I really like the comment. Good way to shut them up. Sure, I'll hold it... for a fee. Made me giggle.

We've sold items locally on Craigslist, 2 cars and a refrigerator. Also advertised rentals on Craigslist. Never "held" an item for anyone, that can backfire. Always cash only deals.

No matter what I list I get Nigerian (?) scam artists wanting to buy. I put a picture of my rescue horse on it in Knoxsville, because that is where he was from, to see if anyone recognized him....looking for some info, if possible. Not for sale. I get an email from someone wanting to buy him and give me a cashier's check.

I've had pretty good luck on Craigslist with just the occasional flake. What I despise are the people who simply ask, "is it still available?" Even when I always post on the ad, "Please don't ask whether this item is still available. If you are reading this ad, yes, it is still available!" And they still ask. Sigh.

These type items might do better in a resale shop that sells on consignment.

Cassandra, I'm thinking that when someone asks if 'it' is still available, they are a despicable spammer email collector.

I've had pretty good luck selling, not so much buying.

It seems like everything is already gone by the time I email!

I *have* had women show up & say they have to make a quick call to their husbands;

it finally dawned on me that they didn't know if the seller was me or a serial killer...but if husband was worried, why didn't he come with wife?

& if seller was a serial killer, would he have allowed the buyer to make a phone call?

Free advice: always insist on cash, no cashier's checks;

printers are so good these days that people can print "cashier's checks" all day long, & there's a long-running scam in which the buyer has a "cashier's check" for more than the amount owed & he wants you to refund him the difference. & so you hand cash to a person who has just given you a fake check.

A classic is when someone comes with a little short of the agreed-upon price, hoping that the buyer will sell it anyway. Most people who respond always low-ball, or try to get it at a lower price. Because of that, I always ask more than I would take, knowing that I'll get lower offers. I'm always impressed when people buy my items without any haggling and pay full price.

I too have sold household furniture, and a drum kit, and small items like blenders etc. Everything is always in cash. I've never been asked to do paypal or a cashiers cheque. Some people prefer to do small transactions at a coffee shop but I can't be bothered. However, because of the huge media coverage of a murder via a Kijiji pickup truck ad, if people are nervous, police stations have agreed to have sellers meet there.

It is true that the majority of people who ask, "is it still available?" never follow up. Still this is a minor complaint. I've sold and bought things very successfully on Craigslist, especially when I downsized quite a bit a few years ago. I'm thankful it exists!

In my neighborhood we have alleys (which I LOVE). If you have some piece of junk that isn't even worthy of selling on Craigslist, just put it next to the garage in the alley and it will be gone in less than a few hours!

I'm not sure asking if it's still available is a bad thing. You may have posted in the morning and by lunch it's gone, but you haven't had a chance to take it down yet? But it's the other way around for me. I'll say I am very interested, is it still available, and no answer. At all. I find that irritating. So both sides should probably be more patient :)

I agree, if they are asking if 'the chair' or whatever, is still available. But those fishing for email addresses send out a lot of emails asking if 'it' is still available, they can send that email to everyone.

That, I understand. Thanks Lucille! I had no idea what others were saying, obviously.

I still don't understand if I say I am very interested, why I don't hear back? But that's probably just where I live. I'll try to be more patient ;)

The Sunday before T-giving I "won" an item on a Facebook auction site. We set a date for pick up, and then the weather turned to ice, and I sent a message asking if I could pick up after T-giving. Explained we were out of town and that we were iced in. Offered to pay for it in advance via Paypal. Never heard back from the seller. Presumed all was well.

Get back from our out of town trip, contacted again and said I'd come that Monday. (Monday after T-giving.) Got a curt, "OK." Porch pick up, I got the item and left the funds.

Go to access the group I was in and they had reported me as a "bad buyer,"
and that got me barred. I was quite taken aback! They'd taken screen shots of where we agreed on pick up, but failed to include the ones where I'd asked for an alternate date. Definitely slanted it to be in their favor.

I'd bought many, many things on that site and never failed to follow through and always communicated! I had to jump through hoops to get reinstated.

But karma is great. Wasn't long before this seller (& his wife--both selling on same site) were banned from that site and about every other one they were on as well.

Is this worth your time -- and having strangers on your property? The little we need to get rid of goes to a charity that comes to get it as scheduled. We take a tax deduction for the small amount it might have brought on a Craigslist-type site.

I got scammed using Craigslist and will never use it a again. The " seller" was just insisted that I send money via Western Union for a different amount than the price quote and just would not leave me alone...finally told him that any more contact needed to be handled through our police department...then it stopped.

To find an apartment/house to rent or to sell something big like a car or similar things, Craigslist is today what newspaper classifieds were yesterday. That's why newspaper classified sections have all but disappeared. Now as then, some precaution (personal and financial) is warranted in dealing with strangers.

Small stuff - what chisue said.

I may soon be advertising our Maui vacation rental condo on Craigslist. Expedia's purchase of VRBO is turning out to be a nightmare.

VRBO was created to put a guest and a landlord in touch directly, eliminating 'the middle man' of a travel agency or a vacation rental agent. Now Expedia won't permit direct payment to the owner. It requires all bookings to go through its bank -- damage insurance too. They are also levying a fee on the guest for making a booking -- up to 10% of the cost of the rental.

I listed a pasta roller attachment for my Kitchen Aid that I never use. One part used once, the other two never used. Retails for $270, I want $175. Some guy writes and says, "I can do $125". That's nice. I asked for $175 so you'll owe me $50. I didn't say, "175 obo." I had the same problem with a Skype camera for a smart tv. I saw what a used one was going for and offered mine for slightly less and yet people still wanted to pay 1/2 what I was asking for it. Or I'll say, "pick up only" and they still say, "can we meet?" or "can you bring it to me? I don't drive". Not my problem. You want it, come get it. The only time I'll meet if it's in the police station parking lot (it's encouraged in Calgary to makes sales there) if the person buying doesn't feel safe.

Debby I immediately delete any emails that say "I'll offer you $25" on an $80 item that I'm selling. I get a number of those. No, it's not an auction, it's a set price.

I ignore lowballers. However, haggling can be a cultural thing, the person making a lower offer may expect a counter offer somewhere between the original price and their first offer.

Very few people here, for instance, would walk into a car dealership and pay the sticker price. Reasonable negotiation is expected.

Something used is historically haggling. If you don't make it clear, and more than just the limp term "$X.xx firm.", then you invite haggling so don't get hyped up over it. Same for pick up only since many will meet somewhere means they're willing to drive so again, it's invited. Something used is at best 1/2 price. Plus the buyer assumes the risk that it's stolen or otherwise. When someone demands new or near-new price for something used I laugh at them.

Around here Craigslist uses a remailer so the farming of email addresses is no longer an issue unless you give the address out, which I wouldn't. I will meet people nearby to keep them from going to my house for security reasons. Plus I never just give out my address. I will give them directions to the corner or a fake address that a GPS unit will get them to the corner (2000 This St. and postal code) then WHEN THEY GET THERE, I'll guide them the rest of the way. That filters nearly all of the fakes, flakes and no-shows. I also find out where they're located (general area) so I know how long it will take them to arrive then require they tell me when they leave so I know when to expect them. If they're 15 min late and don't contact me, they're not coming, no more time wasted and I don't leave home.

That's a great idea for the deposit lucillle. And it's not as a joke, it's a good business practice.

Craigslist has become far superior to newspapers for finding many things. I find lawn care, snow plowing/blowing and other things and it's much easier to find someone close-by.

I get frustrated when people post ads to sell things then won't have the courtesy of saying when they're available or anything. Any business would post its hours If you only respond when you feel like it, I don't like dealing with you. You post an ad you should be maintaining that ad ongoing unless you say availability hours and days. That is why people ask if something is available. When they don't reply quickly, I move on.

And if you are buying and selling frequently it's a good idea to buy one of the pens for checking bills. There's a lot of counterfeit in the US anyway. A couple dollars is well-spent, or if it's enough money to be concerned, I'll meet them at the bank, do the transaction inside and immediately change the bills (for example $100s to $20s or vice-versa) to something else, The bank then gets the risk, not me, and they're more likely to be able to tell counterfeit.

When I sold a vehicle we met at City Hall whereupon we transferred the title so it was out of my name and unless they have a good memory they don't have record of my address. And it was a good thing I did that because a month or two later I got a letter from a county that there were unpaid parking tickets and my license was going to be revoked. Called them up and got surrrrrrrrre, you sold it. Sure. Can you PROVE it? I told him D@mn right! Gave the day of transfer and when he checked it out called back and sheepishly said "well, I guess you WERE telling me the truth...."

I learned a long time ago to be cautious. It's hard to trust anyone anymore.

"I will give them directions to the corner or a fake address that a GPS
unit will get them to the corner (2000 This St. and postal code) then
WHEN THEY GET THERE, I'll guide them the rest of the way"

If someone did that to me, I'd turn around and go home after the "when I get there" part. I'd think they were playing some kind of game in which I want no part.

Something like that happened to me. I bought some parakeets, guy gave me an address. Got there and it wasn't his house, so I called. He showed up a couple minutes later and apologized, saying that he did not want people coming to his family home for parakeets (he raises them).

He was very nice. I would have been fine meeting at a business, without the second step of calling, but it worked out fine.

I find the meeting at a neutral place far less deceptive than all the mendacity of a fake meeting spot. Couldn't nail it until you said that. You say things in a way I can understand Lucille!

My very small town has a couple of parking spots right outside the PD set up as an 'Exchange Zone'. Very safe and no one coming to your home.