If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that I have a mini infatuation with Craigslist… it’s like the hugest on-line garage sale and I just LOVE it! I’ve found so many great deals and steals, and I’ve sold THOUSANDS of dollars worth of “stuff” over the last 3 years… seriously!
Craigslist is an amazing FREE tool that I use to my advantage, but over the past several months, I’ve come to realize that many people have no clue how to successfully buy or sell items on Craigslist. I get so many questions and emails that I figured it was time for me to put together a post {or series of posts} about how to Buy and Sell Successfully with Craigslist.
So today, I’ll be talking about how to BUY successfully on Craigslist, and then Friday, I’ll share my tips for SELLING successfully on Craigslist {so make sure you come back to read that!}
1. Search Often:
In your specific area, there are literally thousands of new posts every day. So if you’re searching for a freezer {this is currently at the top of my list}. You might want to search for “Freezer” every day or every other day to make sure you don’t miss a great deal.
I have a list of things I’m looking to purchase right now {specific baby items, extension ladder, freezer, etc.} and I do a quick search for these items nearly every day. It only take 5-10 minutes and I know I’m not missing out on anything!
2. Search Smart:
I use the Craigslist Preview extension for Chrome which allows me to see preview images of every item without having to click on every title {see image below}. You can also use the Craigslist Image Prefetcher for Firefox or Craigstoolbox Image Preview for Internet Explorer. {If you haven’t installed one of these yet, you will seriously save SO much time!}
This way, I can just scroll through pages and pages of Craigslist postings without ever having to click on them!
3. Ask Lots of Questions::
You are in control here so don’t let the seller “push you around”. If they don’t have a picture, ask for them to email you one or two. And if they only post a picture of the product from a retail website, ask them for an ACTUAL picture of the item in their home. You’d be surprised how junkie the item might be in real life!
If they don’t have the dimensions posted, ask for them. If they don’t have their location posted, ask. If they don’t have the price listed, ask. Make sure you know what IS and IS NOT included. Ask if they have the manuals, warranties, spare parts, etc. You get the idea!
You can even try asking them if they would be willing to deliver — or at least meet you half way. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to do this — especially with smaller items.
4. Email Whenever Possible:
Sometimes the sellers only provide a phone number, but if there is an email address, I will use that every time because then it’s “trackable”. I can look back through my email conversations if I forget the seller’s name, address, or phone number. I can also refer back to the questions I’ve asked them and the answers they gave me.
Also, any time I send the sellers an email, I include the URL link to the exact product ad at the bottom of my email. That way, I can quickly find the product if I want to look at it again, show Dave, or reference it for any other reason.
I would also suggest that you create a “Craigslist” category or label in your email so you can keep all those emails together. If you’re doing lots of Craigslist buying {or selling}, you’ll get lots emails and your life will be SO much easier if you keep them organized in one location. If you use Gmail, I show you how to create labels here.
5. Know What You Want and How Much You’ll Spend::
Like I said earlier, I keep a specific list of everything I’m looking for and what I’m willing to spend. For example, I have been looking for a grill for several months and because I knew exactly what we wanted, I could search specifically for “propane grill” from $50 – $200.
I don’t wast my time searching for just any grill in any price range, I search specifically for what I want.
I almost ALWAYS type in a specific price range because there are so many people who post their items for $1 and then really ask way more than that. So I start my searches at a minimum of $5 to weed out those annoying $1 ads. {note to sellers: don’t post your items for $1!}
6. Be Ready to Move:
I know that when I finally find exactly what I’m looking for… I better be ready to move.
Craigslist items go quickly so if you’re interested, you better be ready to stop what you’re doing, drive over there, and pick it up right away.
Just last week, I found THE grill — it was everything we wanted, only 10 miles away, and only $65. It posted at 8:45 pm — I saw it at 9:00 pm, and by 9:45 pm it was back at our house! Dave and I literally stopped everything we were doing, jumped in the truck, and headed over. And how we have a $500 grill for only $65!
Obviously, not every situation is like this, but most sellers will not “hold” an item for you… so don’t contact them if you can’t go look at the item for several days.
7. Learn How and When to Negotiate:
As a frequent Craigslist buyer AND seller, I’m 100% confident in my abilities to negotiate {I’m really good!!}
For example, when we went to pick up our grill, I realized it was an AMAZING deal so I did not try to negotiate a lower price…that would have been ridiculous!
However, I looked at a baby monitor priced at $45, and even though it was the exact monitor I wanted and it was in VERY good condition, I figured I could get it for $35. So I made my offer, and it was accepted.
It’s important to know how much that item would be worth brand new, and then be confident when you negotiate. I often do a quick “Amazon” or “Ebay” search for the item before I go look at it, just to make sure I know what I’m talking about.
I knew the grill was probably close to $500 brand new, so I didn’t feel comfortable negotiating any lower than $65 since it was in excellent condition. However, I knew the monitor was only about $120, so I felt $45 was still a little high.
8. Have a Plan of Action::
You all know how much I love “plans” so it should come at no surprise that I think you need a plan for your Craistlist shopping too!
Make sure you have the address and adequate directions of how to get there. Make sure you know the name of the person you will be meeting and have exchanged phone numbers in case the plan changes.
Also, make sure you know what you’ll do if you try to negotiate {see #7} and they don’t accept your new offer. Will you walk away, come back with a counter offer, or simply purchase it for their asking price? This is why it’s important to know how much you’re willing to spend.
Oh, and I should also mention that you should NEVER, EVER feel pressured to buy something just because you drove to see it. You’ve already wasted your time, don’t waste your money too if it’s not exactly what you want.
9. Have Cash
This is the hardest part for me because I normally don’t carry a lot of cash. We use credit cards for everything and then pay the bill {in full} at the end of the month.
However, most Craigslist sellers only want cash… so if I’m actively looking for a bunch of items, I’ll make sure to have a stash of cash at home. Sometimes, if I’m short on cash, I’ll ask the sellers ahead of time if they would take a check… it never hurts to ask!
Also, if you are going to pay with cash, make sure you do not need change. I’ve already had someone pay me $40 for something I was only asking $35 for because they only had two $20′s and I had no change {and they really wanted the item}.
I usually try to keep lots of $10′s, $5′s, and $1′s with me when I go to purchase something — just in case they accept a lower offer. That way, I know I’ll always have the right amount — and I won’t look ridiculous by offering a lower price and then asking for the seller to make change!
10. Don’t Waste Time with “Dealers”:
I know, this is kind of biased, but I’ve NEVER had a good experience working with “dealers” so now I only buy from “owners” {see image above}.
There are only a few things you can specify between dealers and owners — like cars, motorcycles, furniture, concert tickets, and houses — but I’ve found that the dealer prices are WAY higher and often seem like a SCAM {see #13 below}.
So, speaking from LOTS of experience, I personally would not buy from a dealer.
11. Test Your Purchases:
Obviously, this doesn’t apply to every purchase, but for many purchases, it is important to adequately “test” it out before you hand over your money. When we purchased our grill, we specifically asked him to have the propane tank hooked up so we could test all the burners.
When I buy furniture, I make sure it is fully assembled when I go to look at it so I can test every drawer, every cabinet door, etc. When I purchased my baby monitor, I fully tested all the features before agreeing to the sale.
Just like you would never buy a car without test driving it first, you should never buy something on Craigslist without testing it out as well.
If you purchase jewelry, I would suggest meeting at a reputable jeweler so you can have them verify the item. If you’re purchasing technology — make sure you know what to look for or bring someone who does.
If you purchase a baby car seat, you should have it inspected at your local fire station to make sure it hasn’t been in an accident. And if you purchase any appliance, make sure it’s plugged in and hooked up when you arrive so you can test all the functions.
12. Don’t “No Show”:
Seriously, there is NOTHING more frustrating than a buyer who says they will show up at a certain time and then doesn’t. If you say you will be there… then be there; and if something comes up, then at least call the seller and explain that you can’t make it or ask if you can come 15/20 minutes late.
I’m asking this on behalf of anyone who has ever sold anything on Craigslist — don’t “no show”!
13. Don’t Get Caught in a Scam:
I’m a pretty savvy Internet shopper so I’ve never gotten caught by a Craigslist scam… but they are definitely out there. These scams mainly target elderly shoppers who might not know what they are doing; but if you are concerned, here are a few things to watch out for.
- Anyone who asks you to send them money ahead of time — NEVER DO THIS!
- Any products that needs to be “shipped” — that is fine for Ebay, not for Craigslist
- Anything that sounds suspicious and/or seems “too good to be true”
- Posts that only show retail images — and won’t email you another image if you ask
- Sellers who won’t answer all your questions or seem to be dodging your questions
- Sellers that ask you to cash a check for them {yes, these weirdos are really out there!}
- Click here for more SCAM information from Craigslist.com
14. Be Safe and Be Smart:
Let me just reitterate that I have NEVER once had a problem buying or selling anything on Craigslist. I’ve never felt nervous or uncomfortable, I’ve never gotten caught in a scam, I’ve never gotten “screwed” or received a faulty product — but I know it does happen.
Safety is one of the constant questions I get from women who are interested buying or selling on Craigslist — so if you are worried about this, here are a few of my tips.
- Don’t meet anyone in a secluded place
- I’m fine with going to someone’s house, but I usually won’t go alone if I’m meeting with a male
- Tell someone where you are going {address} and when you expect to return
- Don’t go into a neighborhood you don’t trust {there are some neighborhoods around Grand Rapids that I won’t buy anything from!}
- Ask the sellers to have the items by the front door, in the garage, or somewhere that you can quickly and easily access them.
- Talk to the seller via phone. I almost ALWAYS get a phone number from the seller and actually talk to them via phone before I purchase an item. I feel like I “know them” a bit more after hearing their voice and I’ve already had one time where I decided not to go look at an item based on my phone conversation.
Craigslist is not a scary thing, and as long as you are safe and smart about your online shopping, you should have no issues!
If you’re the type of person who’s never had great luck finding the deals on Craigslist, you might want to try implementing a few of my tips. I can almost guarantee your luck will improve!
What are your best tips for BUYING successfully on Craigslist?
All summer long I’ll be talking about different Craigslist tips, so make sure you search “Craigslist 101” if you’re looking for more information!