Anyone with experience replying ot Craigslist ad? Email Reply Process?

W

WhatInThe

SF VIP
I'm inquiring about an ad on craigslist and they use a blind email technique but it appears it would be best if one created an account just for craigslist for anonymity sake. Anyone have experience contacting a seller on craigslist?

This is the technique they want to use.

https://www.craigslist.org/about/help/email-relay
 

I think Craigslist is dangerous. Several people have even been killed in connection with meeting up with people in reply to Craigslist ads. Buy whatever it is you are looking for elsewhere. Saving a couple $$ ain't worth your life.
 

Butterfly said:
I think Craigslist is dangerous. Several people have even been killed in connection with meeting up with people in reply to Craigslist ads. Buy whatever it is you are looking for elsewhere. Saving a couple $$ ain't worth your life.
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We have had some problems with it here in Houston, also.
 
I've had zero problems with craiglist response emails. I've purchased a variety of stuff over the years. Sold a few things too. The blind email technique is a protection mechanism so that the seller/poster aren't in direct contact with each other, they are linked up via/through craiglist, so you don't get each others' actual email addresses, making it a bit harder to find you if there is any kind of nefarious intent. Of course as with any purchase from a private party, common sense is required. If I'm going to someone's supposed home to pick something up, I never go alone. Preferably I'll request a meeting in a public location, but sometimes this isn't possible, like when I went to pick up a dining room set, or a 4 poster bed.

I do a lot of buying and selling through various public portals like craiglist, Marketplace, various local buy/sell/trade sites on facebook, my greater neighborhood website. Zero problems.
 
Yes, use it only for anonymity's sake only. Craigs List is a sight that has scammers on it for sure! I know by experience. I found a house on it for rent, saw the pictures and everything. I saw all the red flags, but some how, I fell for the lady. However, she wouldn't meet with me, wanted $ in cash only. Anyway, I wasn't prey to the scam, I had a lady at the bank that saved me. She informed me about the site and that I was being scammed. So be careful on that site, especially if they want money!
 
I bought a telescope on Craig's list. The seller's address was in a good neighborhood and I wasn't worried. There are some areas where I would be more cautious. Our city has designated a location for Craig's list users that has closed circuit monitoring for those who are concerned. I don't think Craig's list is any more risky than the old classified ads. There have always been crooks, and I doubt whether the odds of having a problem are any worse now. Have we become too suspicious of each other?

Don
 
Ronni said:
I've had zero problems with craiglist response emails. I've purchased a variety of stuff over the years. Sold a few things too. The blind email technique is a protection mechanism so that the seller/poster aren't in direct contact with each other, they are linked up via/through craiglist, so you don't get each others' actual email addresses, making it a bit harder to find you if there is any kind of nefarious intent. Of course as with any purchase from a private party, common sense is required. If I'm going to someone's supposed home to pick something up, I never go alone. Preferably I'll request a meeting in a public location, but sometimes this isn't possible, like when I went to pick up a dining room set, or a 4 poster bed.

I do a lot of buying and selling through various public portals like craiglist, Marketplace, various local buy/sell/trade sites on facebook, my greater neighborhood website. Zero problems.
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We have something similar here called kijiji and my husband and I have sold plenty of items with zero problems. All transactions were great. My last saxophone I purchased from there and the email system is the same way. It’s used to protect people using the system : both the seller and buyer.
 
I finally succumbed to my curiosity and created an email account just for craigslist(a pain to use in general let alone some possible scams). Was checking into downsizing and started looking at rentals and/or cheap smaller housing. One rental ad responded said he was a missionary in Africa and his house would be availabe to rent for 5 years. The renter would become the caretaker. Rental price is half of what most would ask for the square feet. So I checked property records-that address doesn't come up period. But this is apparently a common craigslist rental scam. Especially throwing in their spiritual endeavor-they use charitable activities to feed the credibility of the ad. Who would question a man giving up everything for charity.

I hate new accounts because I never like to right down the actual password always trying to disguise and sometimes you forget even with cryptic notes. I had to create a second. But the email did get through to the actual poster.
 
Not at all, I've sold many things on CL and always did a back and forth in e-mail, I met a lot of nice folks who came to have a look at what I was selling and of course all were from my immediate area or neighborhood, never had a problem and never had anyone come in my house all transactions were done at my garage with both dh and I present. I even sold our motor home on CL and was able to send a video of it to the interested buyer in E-mail, we of course later spoke on the phone.
 
Should note the listing I cited was taken down by craigslist. I didn't report it so apparently there were issues. I also found out that a real estate service/not realtor is behind a lot of listings without a picture. They tell you upfront if you want more information on a single listing or others it's $200 dollars.
 
It's been several years but I bought a couple things off craigslist - a chair and also a wrought iron hat rack which I use for purses/totebags. Exchanged emails and spoke on phone from her office. I used one of my junk email addys.

The woman and her male co-worker brought the items to me during her lunch hour and I paid them extra for delivering. (She was smart to bring someone.)

However, I know of someone who inquired via email about an apt (photos were posted) and they were sent pics of male *******s. :eek:mg1: eeewww
 
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WhatInThe said:
Should note the listing I cited was taken down by craigslist. I didn't report it so apparently there were issues. I also found out that a real estate service/not realtor is behind a lot of listings without a picture. They tell you upfront if you want more information on a single listing or others it's $200 dollars.
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Why didn't you report the scam you almost went for? You might have saved some other user...
 
I've never used craig's list but have looked at things on it. Everything now a days seems to come with a beware caution--so just be aware as much as you can.
 
AZ Jim said:
Why didn't you report the scam you almost went for? You might have saved some other user...
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I never actually tried to conduct business other than an inquiry from an anonymous email account. Their response email is where I think it was a scam. Anyone who reads the letter will smell scam right away. It fit the profile of one of craigslist own sample fraud letters. Change a few names and a couple of words it was identical. But a deal was never attempted nor did they follow through. There are too many scam postings at least with the zip codes I'm using when setting the parameters. One big issue I'm finding as well is the items was sold but never pulled by the seller.
 

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