Online Buying Etiquette: Tips for Buying on Craigslist
We put together a "Dos and Don'ts" post regarding online buying through Craigslist. Hope you guys can take something from our post and make your home more beautiful on a budget with the help of online buying!
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Great tips! It all seems like common sense but it amazes me how common sense isn't so common. I've done a lot of buying (and selling) on Craigslist and I see so many poorly written and photographed ads. It absolutely drives me crazy when people can't be bothered to list dimensions of furniture, or they only provide one dark, blurry picture of something so covered in clutter/junk you can't see what the piece looks like. However, my *favorite* CL seller faux pas is, "I can't show it for (insert #) of days (or weeks) because I'm out of town,"... which always makes me wonder why they even listed the item now if they aren't available to show it within a reasonable amount of time. ??? I do take issue with one of your tips: No phone/e-mail "bomb." I think the seller has an obligation to acknowledge ALL emails and phone calls rather than leaving the prospective buyer hanging. In my opinion, I think it's just good manners for the seller to let the interested buyer(s) know they got the email or phone call. As a buyer, I would much rather know someone else is already on their way to look at the item, or the item has already been sold (and they forgot to delete the ad), etc. rather than not hear anything and wonder if my email got lost in cyberspace, or my phone message was deleted by accident. The early bird gets the best Craigslist deals and I will continue trying until I get some kind of response from the seller. This also goes back to my favorite seller faux pas...if you aren't available to monitor your phone calls or emails at least somewhat regularly, why list it? When I list something for sale, I have stopped accepting email inquiries on the items I want to sell. I mark the box that blocks anyone from emailing me, directly or through the Craigslist email system. If someone is interested in the item I have for sale, they must call the phone number I have listed in the ad. From my experience, serious buyers call and schedule an appointment to see the item. The non-serious "tire kickers" (or scammers)waste my time by emailing multiple times with no follow-through. I also find it much easier and quicker to answer questions, work out an agreeable appointment time, and give directions over the phone rather than trying to do it in multiple emails back and forth. Having the interested buyer call me (not text) also lets me know whether I am dealing with a man or woman, and allows me to get a feel for them over the phone. I also insist on a phone conversation when I'm the buyer. If I'm dealing with a man, I bring my husband along for the transaction (or make sure my husband is home when an interested male buyer comes to look at something I have listed for sale).
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