So Craigslist.. How about some "Are You Kidding me Stories?"

I know we have a fun Craigslist "Hall of Shame" ad post.. But what about some of the glorious, weird, odd or just downright stupid interactions from CL. I know I've got a bunch.. but I can start us off with one perfect example from this very morning.



I have a Rockford Fosgate 1 Farad Capacitor for sale on CL right now for $30 bucks.

Ad Respondent: Still got the Capacitor?
Me: Yes I do
Ad Respondent: I got $20 cash
Me: I'll take it.. when do you want to come and get it?
Ad Respondent: Send me your address.. I'll figure out how far away you are
Me: Ok.. Blah Blah XYZ Road
Ad Respondent: It'll take me 45 minutes- meet me half way
Me: Nope.. already dropped my price.. not wasting my gas and billable time too!
Ad Respondent: Oh.. Ok thanks anyway!

And Ladies and Gents.. Here is precisely how NOT to attempt to transact business via Craigslist!

Originally Posted by sledge42

I know we have a fun Craigslist "Hall of Shame" ad post.. But what about some of the glorious, weird, odd or just downright stupid interactions from CL. I know I've got a bunch.. but I can start us off with one perfect example from this very morning.

I have a Rockford Fosgate 1 Farad Capacitor for sale on CL right now for $30 bucks.

Ad Respondent: Still got the Capacitor?
Me: Yes I do
Ad Respondent: I got $20 cash
Me: I'll take it.. when do you want to come and get it?
Ad Respondent: Send me your address.. I'll figure out how far away you are
Me: Ok.. Blah Blah XYZ Road
Ad Respondent: It'll take me 45 minutes- meet me half way
Me: Nope.. already dropped my price.. not wasting my gas and billable time too!
Ad Respondent: Oh.. Ok thanks anyway!

And Ladies and Gents.. Here is precisely how NOT to attempt to transact business via Craigslist!

And that is why a lot of useable stuff ends up in my scrap pile. $20 isn't worth the headache some days

Originally Posted by MattInTheHat

And that is why a lot of useable stuff ends up in my scrap pile. $20 isn't worth the headache some days

I just tossed in a vehicle 3 cars of misc parts. All the stuff everyone says they would "die for" Tail lights, headlights, visors, recovery hooks.. all stuff off a Gen 2 Blazer, Ford ZX2 and a Pontiac Bonneville. They sat for 3 months and were on CL 3 or 4 times.. I figure- get this crap out of my garage.. and get .11 cents a lb for it.

The Capacitor is from the Bonneville.. it is the last "part" of any car I have left. If no takers.. I'll bash it and toss it in my next vehicle. I'm kind of an a$$.. if I can't sell it. I beat the crap out of it so if by chance someone gets to the vehicle before the crusher.. there isn't anything left of value!

I heard a story at one time (may have been here) that someone used to torch holes in the blocks of their motors.. that way since the yard was paying for it by scrap- that was EXACTLY what they were getting.. the yard was none too happy about it. I thought it was BRILLIANT! They are getting what they paid for right?

Originally Posted by sledge42

I heard a story at one time (may have been here) that someone used to torch holes in the blocks of their motors.. that way since the yard was paying for it by scrap- that was EXACTLY what they were getting.. the yard was none too happy about it. I thought it was BRILLIANT! They are getting what they paid for right?

Pure genius!

Originally Posted by sledge

I heard a story at one time (may have been here) that someone used to torch holes in the blocks of their motors.. that way since the yard was paying for it by scrap- that was EXACTLY what they were getting.. the yard was none too happy about it. I thought it was BRILLIANT! They are getting what they paid for right?

I abso-freaking-lutelyu LOVE this!

Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

I abso-freaking-lutelyu LOVE this!

I'm about 99% positive that was Gus.. but I cannot seem to locate the thread where he spoke of it!

Originally Posted by dalegribble

So freaking true. I have a perfectly working, basically BRAND NEW mini fridge I've been trying to sell and I'm about ready to scrap it. I'm not at all exaggerating when I say that FIVE people have no-showed on me or taken up a good amount of my time via email (enough that I tell others I won't take their offer) and then drop off the face of the earth.

If you're gonna back out, at least say something. I'd rather get an honest "just don't want it" message than waste my time waiting for you when you know full well you're not going to show up.

One of the special blessings of Craig's List is that about 60% of the folks that use it are losers. No shows are a regular benefit of using this particular resource. For this reason, I have a few policies that I follow religiously. I don't hold anything. First come, first served. If someone is on the way and another person calls and can make it sooner, they win. I will call the person on the way to save them a trip if possible, but otherwise you will be waiting for phantoms. I also do not deliver. Nothing is worse than driving across town only to have someone tell you it is the wrong color. Finally, I never pull the ad until I have cash in hand and I only take cash.

haul away dirt (orland park)
compensation: $20
I will pay $20 for someone with a truck to pick up roughly 8 50 lb bags of dirt. In yard bags. Garbage man wouldn't pick up. I can help load. If you stop by after 6pm or before 8 15am. Hoping to get rid of tonight or tomorrow morning. At intersection of 88th and biloba st in Orland Park 60462. Email if you have questions

(in yard bags)( I don't think they realize how small the 50 lb bags of new dirt are, compared to a yard bag.) I'm guessing the g man couldn't even lift them.

This isn't even the worst one I've seen, just the most current. Usually people want a lot more; listings for free that would be a several hundred dollar removal. Thanks, but no thanks...

Originally Posted by Russell

haul away dirt (orland park)
compensation: $20
I will pay $20 for someone with a truck to pick up roughly 8 50 lb bags of dirt. In yard bags. Garbage man wouldn't pick up. I can help load. If you stop by after 6pm or before 8 15am. Hoping to get rid of tonight or tomorrow morning. At intersection of 88th and biloba st in Orland Park 60462. Email if you have questions

(in yard bags)( I don't think they realize how small the 50 lb bags of new dirt are, compared to a yard bag.) I'm guessing the g man couldn't even lift them.

This isn't even the worst one I've seen, just the most current. Usually people want a lot more; listings for free that would be a several hundred dollar removal. Thanks, but no thanks...

Reminds me of a story from last weekend. Once I do a car drop off, I stop at a gas station on my way back from the yard.. every time. I'm sitting there drinking my Mountain Dew and an older gentleman and his wife pulls up. Offers me $10 bucks to load 20 bags of mulch into his pickup. I offer to do it for him for free.. he insists.. Easiest $10 bucks for 2 minutes worth of work I've done in a long time!

Originally Posted by sledge42

Reminds me of a story from last weekend. Once I do a car drop off, I stop at a gas station on my way back from the yard.. every time. I'm sitting there drinking my Mountain Dew and an older gentleman and his wife pulls up. Offers me $10 bucks to load 20 bags of mulch into his pickup. I offer to do it for him for free.. he insists.. Easiest $10 bucks for 2 minutes worth of work I've done in a long time!

Nice work Sledge...I will always have a soft spot for the older folks that are still trying to do it themselves even though their bodies don't always agree.

Mine recently started like this:

I have a 50" tv that plays red it still works but it can be scrapped for metal.

I also have a screen door for scrap
A desktop computer
Another t.v

All I am asking for is $90 Or best offer.

You would have to come into the house to pick up these items

So I say:

I'd like to charge you 20$ and I'll come and get your stuff. Good strong couple of guys.
Thanks

Then they reply:

50 will be my final offer

So I say:

Sorry but you will need to pay to get rid of these items. Unless you can remove them yourself.., there is ALMOST NO value in the items you listed.
Sincerely

Then they say:

Then if you want it take it all for 35

sheesh, I say

sorry I cannot accept that. I am not in the business of losing money. I need 20$ from you. that's all
respectfully yours.

Some people's children!

Originally Posted by SuperDave

Some people's children!

Funny (?) thing is, they probably posted to a thread just like this one somewhere about the crazy guy that wanted them to pay him for the priviledge of receiving the precious items that they no longer had a use for.

Originally Posted by Caveman

Pretty rude of you dude to be replying to an ad selling something with a reply to charge them to haul it away.

I have no idea why you think this is rude? Would you go into someone's house to get a red playing 50"POS TV and pay 90$ for it? The ad says "or best offer" so this is my best offer, obviously this person should be paying to dispose of such, and there are a lot of members here that would most definitely agree, like Burly and others, that we should charge for removal. I was polite and courteous, please enlighten me on how you think this is rude.

Its not rude, its realistic!!! Mind you I could have very easily been very rude. For them to pay 20$ is more than fair.

today. I have a long forgotten ad on CL. I finally get a bite on it. "Hey do you still have (item)?" I respond yes. "When would you be able to meet tomorrow?" Me, "Anytime" I get the standard "Cool, call me and we'll meet up." Today I leave a voicemail. I get a frantic text, "Yeah I really want this (item)!" so I shot back "Where do you want to meet?" "huh? which guy are you?" I angrily respond 'The one with the (item)!" He shoots back to me, "are you the guy who wanted to meet at the funeral home?" I mull this guy over and respond with one more, "NO.did you want to meet or not?" "Oh sorry, I got a different one. Thanks."