I hate you Craigslist

Dear Craigslist-
We’ve had a long, and really awesome relationship together. Remember the good old days? Just you and me, plenty of bargains to be had? Well…It’s over! I can’t deal with these moronic posters who don’t leave any descriptions, or contact info. Plus they are either way overpriced, or they like to lowball you to death. Kill me now.

Guy has an ad listed for a LIKE NEW 24FT X LADDER - 100
So I email him and ask the usual: Is this available? Brand/duty rating? Where’s it located. What’s the name, contact phone number? When is a good time to pick up/take a look?

He emails me back: “yes to all”

WTF??? Does “yes to all” mean? (I should have known I was in trouble then)
So I email him once again, and ask strictly for his phone number, and he responds: “latter 655-682-XXXX” (latter was my second sign)

I was going to be somewhat near his location, but I only had my SUV - not the work van. So i decide to swing in and take a look. I call him, his wife is home, okay to come take a look. I find the house, walk around back, and see the ladder lying on the ground. As I proceeded to walk towards the ladder, two dogs started barking from up on the deck.

And it was in that moment of dog barking distraction, that I stepped into the biggest “still steaming” pile of dog chit this side of the Mississippi.

Then the real kicker, it turns out to be a 32’ ladder, says plain as day on the side of it. Werner 250# 32’ ladder. What a deal right? Right…
Except I don’t need a friggin 32’ ladder, I need a 24’ ladder, plus how was I going to haul a 32’ ladder on the luggage rack of my SUV? I give up - maybe I will go back for the 32’ in the end, but what a waste.
I love to hate you Craigslist.

I completely agree, I have in the past been to see a 60ft ladder that turned out to be a 24, a 32ft in “perfect condition” that was bent almost in half, and my personal favorite, 100ft ladder, I just had to e-mail and question its very existance, The reply assured me that it was 100ft, she had measured it herself and it was 2 10ft sections:eek:

I have learned my lesson enough on craigs to tell people to send me a few pics. I dont have the time to drive all over the place looking at peoples junk 75% of the time.

I have also found that running an ad in the “wanted to buy” section seems to get better results for some odd reason.

Just sold a chair on CL! Maybe got a commercial gig AND residential gig from it too!

I agree about buying stuff though. CL posters are idiots. I’ve seen enough “rod” iron furniture “dinning” room tables to make me crazy.

RESIDENTIAL WINDOW WASHING (NORTH HOUSTON)

Date: 2009-08-21, 4:44PM CDT
Reply to: [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]

We are offering window washing services for just $35 for the entire house.
We all so clean window screens and clean gutters.
Contact us at #832-396-6154 or email us at [email protected]

[LIST]
[] Location: NORTH HOUSTON
[
]it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
[/LIST]

PostingID: 1335435665

Is that good enough for ya’? :smiley:

I think I’ll keep stepping in dog sh*t for those kind of prices. :slight_smile:

Yes you are correct…most CL posters are morons. Some of the buyers suck too. I listed a 2000 Volkswagen Golf - 1.8T, 4cyl, 5spd with only 80k on it for $4,000 - way below the going rate. I then get a text message from a buyer that looked like this:

hey wld u take 2k cash rite now i wil drive up from kansas

First of all I can’t stand text messaging. Second of all…NO, I am not going to cut my price in half idiot. After I cooled down a bit, I thought it would be funny as hell to give this guy a fake address, and tell him “sure bring your cash, and lets make a deal” :smiley:

I still hope I get another idiot that offends me with a lowball offer. I would love to send them chasing my pot of gold around the state. HA HA!

I put a 2 year old snow thrower on there for $450.00 2 winters ago and some fool sent me an email that said : $75.00 and Gone? I couldnt believe it. It was a 8hp that retailed at Lowes for $800.00 new. You would have thought that I was selling the thing in the middle of summer with that low ball offer. It snowed a little that following week (about 1/2") and a guy 50 miles away bought it for my asking price. It didnt snow a single flake the rest of the winter (kinda felt bad). Usually that kind of stuff happens to me:rolleyes:

My current fav:
[I]1978 Toyota corolla - $70 (Paradise)
Date: 2009-08-20, 10:50AM PDT
Reply to: [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]

I have a 1978 Toyota Corolla thats NOT RUNNING, it was running then a fuel line got clogged then my friend put a wrench through my windshield so there it sits now, with a clogged fuel line and a broken windshield. I was going to turn it into a little rally car and have some fun with it in the mud but lost interest after the windshield incident. It hasnt been registered in probably 3 or 4 years as well

So this is an attempt to get it out of my friends yard
I’d be willing to take $70 or a fairly decent bong,

and remember its not running so YOU’D need to haul it away

Call Jason at 591-7265 [/I]

Alright, alright…
Truth be told I still love you craigslist. Remember those times I picked up stuff for next to free, only to turn around the same day, and sell it for more? Ahhh…those were the good times.

It’s almost too bad craigslist didn’t have more of an idiot recognition program like the word verification when posting.