I am a huge Craigslist fan, behind Amazon it is my favorite place to shop. However, anyone who has done a significant amount dealing on Craigslist has been burned a time or two, myself included. Here are a few tips to make sure you come out on top or at even on your next Craigslist encounter:
1) Do your research ahead of time – Go in eyes wide open, know what you are going to look at and what you should expect to pay. Knowing the pros and cons of the item will give you leverage when negotiating with the seller, i.e. you can highlight the elements that fall short. Understanding the technology/item will also help you avoid unforeseen expenses, such as converters, compatibility issues, missing parts, etc. Amazon, with their long history of diverse products is a great place to find reviews, even for equipment that is a little bit older.
2) Know the age – Technology doesn’t increase in value with age, it isn’t a fine wine, it doesn’t approve with additional years under its belt. This can be particularly costly when it comes to projectors, buying one with a bulb at the end of its lifespan can be a costly mistake. In some cases the entire value of the projector lies in the bulb. Nothing ruins a movie night like having a blown bulb in the middle of the show.
3) If it sounds too good to believe…-The truth is a lot of people use Craigslist to offload junk and make a few bucks. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You can often get a sense of the deal early in your correspondence with the seller. This is a good time get your preliminary questions answered before you invest a lot of time.
4) Money Talks – A lot of sellers just want to be done with the deal, having cash in hand makes you an attractive customer. Too many people make the mistake of trying to negotiate over email, before the seller has made a significant investment in selling the item. Coming in person with cash in hand shows you are a serious buyer, the seller has committed their time, and is more likely to want to close the deal. The adversarial nature of haggling makes most people uncomfortable and you as the buyer can capitalize on this.
5) Be Safe – Craigslist can be a great tool for finding a win-win situation, matching up a willing seller and buyer who reach a mutually satisfying deal. But you don’t have search the newspapers very long to find a story about a Craigslist deal that went bad. When possible, go with a friend and meet the seller in a public place. There is no potential deal that is worth your safety.