My CL experience today.

[rpjazzguitar]

You're saying you enjoy chatting with the robot gatekeepers who screen most businesses calls now-a-days?

I've had one very good call with an AI rep. I'd rate it as better than reps whose speech I could not easily understand and below a good human rep who I can easily understand. Some of the problem is my hearing.

I'm also ok with leaving my number and getting a call back when a rep is free.

I don't like having to struggle how to figure out how to get a live person, or being transferred repeatedly, ending up where I started, and stuff like that.

But, when I go into a store I'm usually happy with the service. And, I've had maybe 50% positive phone experiences.

[pamosmusic]

Why do you ask?

Because you’d have a more realistic picture of the distribution of jerks and goobers in the population if you did.

[starjasmine]

I agree with those who say CL can be hit or miss. Over time, I've developed an aversion to selling there, mostly influenced by the huge amount of lowballers and no-shows. I still will buy if the deal doesn't give me bad vibes.

When I've listed my small in-law unit/ADU for rent on CL, the no-show rate on people who want to come and see it is at least 50%. These are people who have already exchanged email regarding initial questions and made a phone appointment for an in-person showing.

The last time I sold something on CL, it was a new color computer monitor that was literally 48 hours old, new in box except for my having tried it out for a couple hours and deciding that it wasn't right for me. IIRC I had gotten a really good deal on it as a closeout that ruled out returns to the store. I listed it at half of what I paid for it, and some guy came over and test-drove it for 45 minutes before deciding that he wanted to offer something like $100 off the already less-than-half of what I paid. I told him to either pay full price right now or stop wasting my time. He paid my asking price, took the monitor, and that was that.

I bought a couple of bedside tables a couple years ago, and it went without a hitch. Merch was as advertised, I showed up on time, paid what was asked, and the seller even helped me load it into the car.

[Doctor Jeff]

I am a woodworker in my other life. I have been looking for a six or 8 inch jointer to upgrade the one I already have.

There was a nice lightly used Grizzly 6 inch jointer with spiral heads listed on craigslist. I contacted the guy twice, no response.

I ended up buying a similar product, with helical heads, new from Grizzly. Great product. No idea why the guy didn’t respond. It irritated me that he said in the listing “if it’s still up, it’s still for sale.“

On the flipside, I listed my old jointer on Facebook marketplace. I got numerous responses right away. A guy responded, then didn’t reply, and I thought he was a troll. But, eventually, he responded, and was legit. Very nice guy.

I haven’t used Craigslist much recently – use Facebook marketplace mostly now. But a few years ago, I sold a vintage Electra bass guitar to Conor Oberst’s guitar tech. Nice experience.

[rpjazzguitar]

I have bought and sold a few things on CL without difficulty.

I had some trouble with an Ebay purchase.

[2bornot2bop]

Just make sure you position snipers around the perimeter if the deal goes south.Also, non sequential bank notes.

In America most have guns. No snipers needed.

[DawgBone]

In America most have guns. No snipers needed.

Lol. The Cabelas lot in Buda is one of my favorite places to make a CL deal.

[AllanAllen]

Lol. The Cabelas lot in Buda is one of my favorite places to make a CL deal.

Same reason I try to avoid doing deals by bakeries and comic book shops? The money just falls right through your fingers.

[Stringswinger]

In America most have guns. No snipers needed.

And that is why I don't worry too much about meeting up with CL folks. My friends Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson are always close at hand.

[DawgBone]

Same reason I try to avoid doing deals by bakeries and comic book shops? The money just falls right through your fingers.

Yeah it would be easy to just go blow the $ on a bunch of 9mm ammo and components but tbh I haven't done a lot of shooting the past few years just because I been busy with other projects. You move to the country thinking hey now I can target practice and have bonfires and parties and do outdoor stuff without having to pay to do it but land is work and working on it eats up all my time. Cutting firewood this week so I don't freeze next winter....