It seems that nearly all responses you lot instruct on Craigslist are simply scammers or bots.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 reader writes , inward response to i of my Craigslist Scam postings , inward which I mentioned that you lot volition instruct weird e-mails if you lot post on Craigslist , shout out for "Is the detail notwithstanding available?"
"I disagree. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 legit buyer volition more than likely tell , “Is it notwithstanding for sale” , “when tin I run across it” , “will you lot accept $____ for it instead?” , things similar that."
I'm non certain I concord amongst this logic. Or at the real to the lowest degree , why wouldn't you lot inquire all of these things in i email? Why bother shout out for "is the detail notwithstanding available?" equally your alone question? I instruct a lot of robo-replies to Craigslist postings that are similar this. And lately , it seems they are getting to a greater extent than sophisticated. For example , I lately posted 2 listings for roughly 18" golf game cart tires in addition to a battery charger for an EZ-GO golf game cart. I got 2 weird replies , the root was "are these 18" tires?" (the size was inward the title!) in addition to the instant was "Will this charger piece of work for an EZ-GO?" (again inward the title!). I intend they are getting to a greater extent than clever amongst their bots to instruct you lot to answer , which inward plough gives them a legit e-mail address they tin harvest in addition to sell. It seems I instruct to a greater extent than SPAM e-mails if I answer to these sort of weird questions.
But others are far to a greater extent than primitive. For example , if you lot listing a machine for sale , you lot volition instruct an e-mail shout out for "What is your concluding price?" - "Final price" is non a phrase that Americans operate , but many foreigners operate - which tips me off that it is likely a Nigerian scammer. As the reader noted , the operate of "kindly" in addition to "regrets" (both mutual British English linguistic communication sayings) are equally good a tip-off that you lot are talking to someone who is from a onetime British colony. Nigeria.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 weird i lately are e-mails addressing me equally "Dearie" - equally if grandma was sending me a Nigerian Scam letter. I am non certain what is upwards amongst that , alone that it must piece of work , or they wouldn't operate it.
"Will you lot accept $1000?" mightiness audio legit , until you lot instruct v e-mails from fishy addresses in addition to strange names (Jeb Stewart? - no , really) amongst the exact same wording. Very strange that someone would offering a toll for trade WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT. Even odder that v people would brand the same toll offer. I suspect a 'bot is programmed to await for a toll in addition to and then generate an e-mail proverb "Will you lot accept (price-$500)" to essay to audio legit. After all , agreeing to pay amount toll is suspicious , right?
"Is the Item notwithstanding for sale?" or "Is the vehicle notwithstanding for sale?" are equally good reddish flags. No shout out of what the "item" is , or what sort of "vehicle" nosotros are talking nigh (could encompass cars , boats , motorcycles , etc.). Again , scammers desire to operate generic responses , maybe using a 'bot , to encompass equally many postings equally possible.
And a note: If the detail is notwithstanding on C/L , it is notwithstanding for sale , right? What numb-nuts leaves upwards a C/L posting after selling something? So shout out for if the detail is notwithstanding available is simply redundant in addition to wastes everyone's time. And the telling matter is , every unmarried damn e-mail shout out for whether the detail was notwithstanding available that I responded to , never resulted inward a farther inquiry. Well , except i , where two days later (typical , to laid upwards tension) the "buyer" told me he would purchase the "vehicle" for $2000 over shout out for toll in addition to stimulate got it shipped overseas - amongst me wiring the surplus to a friend to encompass shipping. In other words , the classic Craigslist Nigerian overpayment Western Union Scam.
Craigslist is a LOCAL sales advertising medium. There is no demand to instruct caught upwards inward rounds of e-mail discussions for such things. There is no demand for v e-mails inward gild to sell a $100 item. If you lot are interested inward an detail , a existent somebody would non waste product fourth dimension shout out for if it was available or negotiating on toll earlier fifty-fifty seeing the detail inward person.
One means to avoid this occupation is to position inward your Craigslist ads , a greenback to CALL your telephone position out (no texts!) if they desire to a greater extent than information , or to position THEIR PHONE NUMBER inward their e-mail if they desire me to respond. That means , you lot filter out the scammers in addition to bots.
Most people on C/L simply don't answer to e-mails anymore , equally thus many of them are phony , if you'll pardon the pun. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Nigerian scammer won't CALL equally their thick accent volition live a giveaway (not to shout out their unusual expanse code inward your caller ID). Responding to e-mails in addition to texts , is , ironically , the riskiest means of doing concern on Craigslist. Talking to a somebody , inward somebody , is the best.
Now in that place has been a lot of press lately nigh "Craigslist murders" or "Person robbed on Craigslist" which is an interesting means to phrase things. If you lot were selling your machine inward the classifieds in addition to murdered or robbed , the media would non telephone telephone it a "classified advertizement murder" of course. But the media loves to position cyber-this in addition to e-that inward forepart of everything , in addition to of course of written report to scare the oldsters who idea all this "Internets" materials was simply hooey to laid about with. You are far to a greater extent than probable to live killed on Facebook anyway. Just kidding nigh that lastly business office , but who knows? It may live true. At to the lowest degree you lot are far to a greater extent than probable to live bullied or indoctrinated.
Sadly , Craigslist has been , inward my sense , a big time-waster personally. You instruct a lot of tire-kickers in addition to dreamers , if you lot instruct whatsoever existent involvement at all (and non simply bots harvesting names or looking to scam you). I stimulate got sold over a dozen vehicles (cars , boats , motorcyles , RVs , trailers) on eBay amongst no problems at all. I stimulate got never sold a unmarried vehicle through Craigslist , fifty-fifty though I stimulate got listed nearly all of the ones I sold on eBay. The occupation amongst Craigslist is that it is a local medium , in addition to your audience is real express , thus the odds of finding a buyer are much slimmer - in addition to fifty-fifty if you lot did , you lot won't instruct the optimal price.
I stimulate got bought real trivial on Craigslist equally good - most people who advertise in that place are dreamers , wanting thousands for a clapped-out machine ("I know what I got hither , thus no low-ballers!"). Since the cost of listing an detail is FREE , it encourages hoarders in addition to dreamers to listing their trade for obscene prices. I stimulate got equally good industrial plant life that a lot of people who sell on Craigslist are squirrely. You e-mail or telephone telephone nigh an detail in addition to they instruct evasive nigh it , or simply don't furnish your calls. It is roughly other aspect of the "it's for sale but it's non for sale" or perpetual for sale gambit - which are time-wasters equally well.
Another annoying aspect of C/L is that dealers are increasingly getting bold nigh putting cars "for sale past times owner" when the photos clearly present them on a dealer lot - in addition to they stimulate got 10 or xx such ads inward the "for sale past times owner" section. Worse yet , they stimulate got a page of junk text designed to snare you lot if you lot operate a search term. Remember what I said nigh people lying to you? Here is a machine dealer lying - using search terms inward junk text - to instruct you lot to click on their ad. They stimulate got no compunction nigh breaking Craigslist's rules - advertising dealer cars inward the "for sale past times owner" section. You intend things are going to become uphill from there?
Throw inward the scammers in addition to the bots in addition to , good , Craigslist is simply non a real useful advertising media. It tin live a skilful house to kill a half-hour laughing at roughly of the entries , though!
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