selling on craigslist/freecycle

[lisamarie]

When you sell on craigslist/list of freecycle, do you have the buyer come to your house or do you meet at a neutral location? I always arrange them to come when DH is home, but I am never sure if it is a good idea to have strangers come to my house. I've never had a bad experience yet, but I am also very careful.

 

Just curious how other people handle this.

[AngieW in Texas]

The only time I sold something on craigslist it was a loft bed that had to be disassembled for transportation. I had to have the people that were interested come to my house to look at it. I had two people look at it and the 2nd person bought it. I helped her with the disassembly. I didn't disassemble beforehand because I didn't have the instructions to tell how to put it back together again and I figured the person would need to see how it came apart to be able to figure out how to put it together again. I even helped her transport it by putting part of it in my van and following her home because it would have taken her two trips otherwise.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I always arrange to meet somewhere. I am out and about often, so I am rarely going out of my way, and since I live out in the country and it is just DD and I, I feel better about being somewhere public.

 

I don't generally buy off of craigslist or pick things up from freecycle because I don't feel comfortable going to someone else's home. Again, it is just DD and I, so if I'm getting something, she is with me. The funny thing is, if it is just me, I'll go. :tongue_smilie:

[happi duck]

We've never sold but when we've purchased we've met at another location, not the seller's home.

[Tap]

For non-furniture items that I am selling, I meet at a busy and easy to find Barnes and Noble/Starbucks. I don't meet at the car, but inside the Starbucks instead. I figure it lessens the chance of being put in a dangerous situation. If I am buying I ask them to pick a location, and always suggest a Starbucks, get there early and wait inside. I never go to someone's car.

 

 

Furniture and the like...we do sell from our home, but put the item in the garage. We make sure that we are both home or have a neighbor as a back up. If someone gives me odd vibes in any part of the communication par of the transaction....I don't continue the sale and relist a few weeks later.

 

 

I have never bought a large item off of Craigslist. I doubt that I would go to someone's home to buy something.

[hornblower]

I've not sold on cl but I've bought a fair bit. The vast majority of the times, I went to the person's house.

 

I can only think of two times that we met somewhere else & one was truly b/e it was more convenient - we were both coming from different ends of the city & both would happen to be in a certain area so we did it there .... Only once did the seller obviously not want me to come to her house & instead met me at a parking lot of a mall.

 

I think maybe we're still pretty trusting here in Vancouver :)

[oldskool]

It depends. Usually if I can get an okay feeling about the person when speaking to them on the phone I am fine with them coming to the house. Also, this is only if the person is female. Otherwise I find that a neutral location is more comfortable for both me and the buyer.

 

Lesley

[cintinative]

Zombie thread