Is CL dead?

[Hay Dude]

Have used Craigs List hundreds of times to sell and to a lesser extent, buy items.
Over the last year, noticed dwindling responses to my for sale items and a 10-fold increase in scams.
Has CL been ruined by these scam creatures?
It was a beautiful concept, saved me thousands in fees. Sad to see it die.

 

[old and tired]

I see less bargains these days; are people getting smarter about pricing? or have most of those older "great buys" simply sold out? You can't continuously have an endless supply of used products to sell (or buyers to buy) in a given area.

I've only used it very little to sell... if something doesn't sell, I do lower the price until it sells or I figure that I'm not going to give it away.

Also, the number of small businesses that "act" like individuals have increase to the point of being not interested in looking at Craig's List anymore.

 

[duffer]

Might be a regional thing. I've sold lots of stuff on CL, bought some stuff, and recently sold 5 acres to a couple living in FL, and I'm in SC. They saw the listing I had on CL, and not Zillow...go figure.

But the OP is right, the scams are way up in numbers. I get 8-12 scam emails/texts minutes after I post something.

 

[RjCorazza]

Unfortunately CL is now inundated with scam ads and responses to real ads. Many are simply collecting gullible people's email addresses for future scamming. Those are more common on Facebook Marketplace, but on both platforms the scammers ultimately move to email (direct) or text.

Marketplace is far worse for hosting scam ads that could easily be removed with simple automation or common sense. They literally do not care so long as they are getting paid.

 

[jjeff]

Ive listed a lot of stuff on cl priced to get rid, it will sell quickly. I've noticed people are paying crazy prices at local auction sights sometimes more than new retail for the same item and folks are listing stuff on craigslist for more than retail also.i remember I bought a lincoln ac 225 welder 15 yrs ago on cl for $100 sold it this year on cl for 200 it was the least expensive one listed, and I built home made running gear for it. I rarely follow craigslist and auction sights like I use to buy things, just get comps to sell.

 

[tibadoe]

I have not had much luck buying or selling on CL lately. The scams aren't helping much.

 

[Hay Dude]

I cannot believe how few resources are used to prosecute scammers, hackers, etc.
The concept of CL on the internet is amazing. So much potential.

 

[TractorGuy]

I still prefer selling and shopping on CL over FB. Both have way too many scammers but I don't get many from the selling end. I think FB is worse for scammers. They seem to have a lot of "sponsored" scam ads.

People in general are stupid. You can post a price as firm and it seems to invite the low ballers. Some of them are not interested in what you have to sell and just think it's cute. I had one so ridiculous I blocked him after first contact.

Nobody seems to want to pay what something is worth. Others want to sell at unreasonable prices.

Shoppingg wise FB SUCKS! They can't seem to understand the meaning of setting a location range.

CL has started charging $5 for auto and motorcycle ads.

 

[Hay Dude]

I still prefer selling and shopping on CL over FB. Both have way too many scammers but I don't get many from the selling end. I think FB is worse for scammers. They seem to have a lot of "sponsored" scam ads.

People in general are stupid. You can post a price as firm and it seems to invite the low ballers. Some of them are not interested in what you have to sell and just think it's cute. I had one so ridiculous I blocked him after first contact.

Nobody seems to want to pay what something is worth. Others want to sell at unreasonable prices.

Shoppingg wise FB SUCKS! They can't seem to understand the meaning of setting a location range.

CL has started charging $5 for auto and motorcycle ads.

Yeah I sold my F-350 in March on CL. Ad was $5. I still think thats an amazing bargain.
A few years ago, I started a new philosophy on selling. When a potential buyer call, the conversation usually turns to price, which I find amusing because they havent even come out to inspect the item yet!
Anyway, lets say I am asking $18,500 for my truck. I tell any potential buyer "I already turned down $17, 750, so if you are coming out to offer less than that, dont bother coming-you will be wasting our time".
That takes care of the dreamers and the tire kickers. It also signals I will take a small amount off.
It has worked for me for about the last 25 items I have sold.

I tried FB and all I get are "women" looking to "hook-up" lol.

 

[LD1]

Craigslist started charging. But only for select categories. For "by owner" its auto stuff. Cars, motorcycles, RV's, etc.

For services they charge in every category.

For items "for sale by dealer" they charge for EVERYTHING.

Problem is there is no policing. So dealers post in the "by owner" section. I got so sick of browsing c-list farm+garden section....and filtering for "by owner" and seeing so freaking many dealer ads. OR like currently trying to find a specific trailer. The issue is dealers take advantage of it. They will mass post like 30 ads....then refresh them every other day so average joe trying to sell something gets overlooked and has little luck selling. So people give up, both selling and trying to buy.

Throw all that on top of facebook....with either local selling walls or market place, yea I think its safe to say craigslist is dead. Or at the very least on life support in the ICU. Either way....its dead to me.

 

[HappyOne]

Around here you search cl for something and get a hundred not really related results. I listed an expensive mower, got a text from someone several states away, they turned out to be a scammer. Two weeks more and no contacts, put it on equipment trader and it sold. CL is just not what it used to be.

 

[fatjay]

CL started charging even owners, not just dealers, at about the same time facebook rolled out marketplace. That drove a lot of people over to FB. I don't like FB but it's the only place there's stuff where I live, Cl is all but dead. Every time I'm looking for something I do still search both, but the search results I get on FB give it the clear winner.

I like CL's exact search vs FB's soft search which gives me a bunch of crap I don't want. Sellers don't need to add "keywords", FB does it for them to make their search results look better. If I search for a kubota b8200, it'll give me that, plus a bunch of other things similar to that. Which is usually what I don't want, so there's a lot more sifting through crap.

 

[5030]

My issue with CL is the low ballers, tire kickers. I prefer to pay for an ad because the buyers are legit. Just sold an 11 grand bailer on Tractor House. The ad cost me 225 bucks, money well spent. FB market place is as bad, if not worse.

 

[fatjay]

My issue with CL is the low ballers, tire kickers. I prefer to pay for an ad because the buyers are legit. Just sold an 11 grand bailer on Tractor House. The ad cost me 225 bucks, money well spent. FB market place is as bad, if not worse.

You'll get that with free places such as CL and fb. It's been increasing as well. The whole reason I've largely stopped selling is the kickers.

 

[blee03]

I still browse Craigslist daily looking for stuff I don’t need... hoping to score a 2wd single cab 12 valve for cheap... maybe a tri-toon I can modify to haul stand up jet skis on... 10k tandem axle car hauler...

I browse the FB marketplace too, but not quite as much as CL

 

[jjeff]

Dropped my fb account in 2012 when they went public on wallstreet. Best thing I ever did! So I'm unfamiliar with MP I could care less.

 

[plowhog]

Yeah I sold my F-350 in March on CL. Ad was $5. I still think thats an amazing bargain.

I'm glad CL started charging $5. I happily paid $5 a few months ago and quickly sold a vehicle for $6,000. I believe the small fee chased away the worst of the worst scammers.

One local CL poster puts up dozens-to-hundreds of ads for tools, refreshing every couple of days. Fortunately he puts his city name on the ad. So when searching in tools, I use the minus sign (-) to eliminate all of his ads from my searches. Works well.

I have finally stopped clicking on the ads for a recent widow selling her husbands prized late model cab tractor for $3,000. Although sometimes its fun to look at the ad and find things like calling it a Deere when the picture is of a Kubota.

 

[TractorGuy]

Around here you search cl for something and get a hundred not really related results. I listed an expensive mower, got a text from someone several states away, they turned out to be a scammer. Two weeks more and no contacts, put it on equipment trader and it sold. CL is just not what it used to be.

Our local JD dealer group floods CL with ads containing unrelated key words. You can search for a gocart and it will return 50 JD ads before you see what you searched for. I have replied to their ads and complained about them wasting my time with the use of unrelated key words. I told them they would be the last place on earth I would buy a new tractor from.

This is the list of key words they use in EVERY ad.

JOHN DEERE, KUBOTA MASSEY FERGUSON, KIOTI, YANMAR, MAHINDRA, FARM, FARMING, PLANTING, PROPERTY, DIRT, DIESEL, WORK HORSE, COW, CHICKEN, BIRDS, DOG, CAT ANIMAL, COMPACT, INDUSTRIAL, TIMBER, FENCE, FENCING, LIFT, 3 POINT HITCH, VEGETABLES, MOWING, LAWN MAINTANCE, FLOWERS, TREES, EXMARK, TORO, FERRIS, SCAG, BAD BOY, BADBOY, SNAPPER, MURRAY, HONDA, KAWASAKI, KHOLER, BRIGGS AND STRATTON, STIHL, ECHO, REDMAX, DITCH, ROADSIDE, MOW, EQUIPMENT, HOUSE, HOME, INDUSTRY, PRESSURE, FLUID, HYDRAULIC, DEER, DOVE, QUAIL, BUSH, BRUSH, CONCRETE, CROP, GRASS, TREE LIMB, MULCH, HUNT, HUNTING, FISH, FISHING, TREE MULCHING, GRINDING, CUTTING, POWER LINE, POWERLINE TRIMMING, TRIM, UTILITY, UTILITIES, mowers, Construction, Cattle, Ranch, Equipment, Auction, Bumper, Gooseneck, Roller, Wheel Loader, Caterpillar, John Deere, Bobcat, Hammer, Breaker, Skid Steer, Trailer, Dozer, Forestry, Skidder, 4x4, Excavation, Track Hoe, Backhoe, Forklift, Man Lift, Concrete, Crane, Loader, Crawler, Generator, Grader, Pump, Welder, Farm, Tractor, Massy Ferguson, Kubota, Case, Breaker, Skid Steer Trencher, Dresser, Hitachi, Komatsu, New Holland, Terex, Clark, Tiger Cat, Bandit, Bell, Bobcat, Daewood, Hydro-Ax, Kobelco, Link Belt, Lull, Grade All, Trade, Volvo, Hitachi, Gehl, Gradall, Ingersoll Rand, JCB, Ditch Witch, Scissor, Bucket, Boom, Machinery, Grove, Genie, JLG, Snorkel, Telelect, WTB, Allis Chalmers, Dynapac, Pettibone, Davis, Hitachi, Kawasaki, Fiat Allis, Gradall, Belarus, Massey Ferguson, Machinery, Rock Bucket, Dirt Bucket, Frost Bucket, Skip Loader, Truck, Grader, Motor Grader, Forklift, Crusher, Ford, Caterpillar, machinery, International, Case, Hyundai, New Holland, Mahindra, Kioti, Long, Kobelco, Komatsu, Mitsubishi, Galion, Gradall, Skytrak, Lull, Bobcat, Mustang, JCB Ingersoll Rand, Farmall, Bomag, Dresser, Champion, Ditch Witch, Hyster, Takeuchi, Trencher, Vermeer, Rayco, Morbark, John Deere, Toro, Exmark, Dixie Chopper, Grasshopper, Bad Boy, Gravley, New Holland, Commercial Mowing, Bush Hog, Lawn Service, Blades, Parts, Zero Turn, Mahindra, Cat, Volvo, Case, Farming, Mowing, Cattle, Horse, Pigs, Big Tex Trailer, Scag, Stihl, Honda, Hustler, Skid Steer, Track Machine, Landscape, Lawn, Hunting, Hunting Camp, Food Plot, Compact, 2WD, 4WD, 4X4, XTV, UTV, ATV, RTV, Gator, Backhoe, Excavator, Bulldozer, Dozer, Wheel Loader, Tractor, Utility Tractor, Trailer, Grapple, Forks, Box Blade, Rotary Cutter, Landscape Rake, Tiller, Finish Mower, Implements, Weed Eater, Pole Saw, Blower, Hedge Trimmer, Chainsaw, Edger, Kioti, Ventrac, Big Bee, Land Pride, Utility Trailer, Turf, Tires, Turf Tires, Side By Side, Polaris, Ranger, Kawasaki, Mule, Artic Cat, Four Wheeler, Golf Cart, Go Kart, 4Wheeler, Track Loader, Boat, Bass Boat, Jon Boat, Motor, Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota John Deere, Kubota, TYM, Toro, Exmark, Dixie Chopper, Grass Hopper, Bad Boy, Gravely, Commercial Mowing, commercial mower, diesel, diesel mower, Bush Hog, Lawn Service, Blades, Parts, Zero Turn, zturn, zmaster, Mahindra, CAT, Volvo, Case, New Holland, Farming, Mowing, Cattle, Horse, Pigs, Big Tex, Trailer, SCAG, STIHL, Honda, Massey, ferguson, fergusson, skid steer, track machine, landscape, lawn, mowing, hunting, hunting camp, food plot, compact, 4wd, 2wd, 4x4, work, play, monster, grasshopper, ford, clearing, harrow, implements, warranty, used, old, new, lease, rent, horses, pig, dog, cat, jon deer, landscape, landscaping, arborist, tree service, dairy, row crop, blueberry, blueberries, honda, generator, generators, mini excavator, skid steer, compact track loader, cwp, backhoe, back hoe, bull dozer, bulldozer,
1023, 1025, 3025, 3032, 3033, 3038, 3046, 4044, 4052, 4066, 5045, 5055, 5065, 5075, 5085, 5100, 08026131 excavator, excavators
UTV, XUV, JOHN DEERE, HONDA, POLARIS, ARCTIC CAT, BENNCHE, COWBOY, RANCHER, HISUN, RANGER, PIONEER, CFMOTO, ZFORCE, MASSIMO, ATV, KAWASAKI, KYMCO, OFF ROAD

 

[Midniteoyl]

What, no Piper or Cessna? Lame...

 

[blee03]

I'm glad CL started charging $5. I happily paid $5 a few months ago and quickly sold a vehicle for $6,000. I believe the small fee chased away the worst of the worst scammers.

One local CL poster puts up dozens-to-hundreds of ads for tools, refreshing every couple of days. Fortunately he puts his city name on the ad. So when searching in tools, I use the minus sign (-) to eliminate all of his ads from my searches. Works well.

I have finally stopped clicking on the ads for a recent widow selling her husbands prized late model cab tractor for $3,000. Although sometimes its fun to look at the ad and find things like calling it a Deere when the picture is of a Kubota.

Thanks for the info on the (-) trick!
Learn something new everyday...