Selling on Craigslist - An experience.

This post can scroll awhile and looks very long, but it's a quick read - follow the story. It will make you smile 'cause it's my goofy experience and lessons learned. You'll see things I wrote in emails back to buyers and [my thoughts] which will appear in brackets as shown.

Craigslist is a wonderful resource for buying someone else's things. It's equally as appealing when youre trying to sell something. You expose your items for sale to a mostly local audience, and you control the sale. Your contact information is hidden from potential buyers, you can decide when and how to deal with the folks interested in your goods. I've sold things before on Craigslist, maybe topping out at a $400-$500 sale price. I know not to put my location in the ad, or too much information about me personally that may leave me vulnerable to scammers. Armed with experience and this knowledge, I volunteered to sell my friend's triathlon bike for her while she was on vacation. Bolstered by the confidence of having just sold my son's BMX bike for $250, I was sure a few nicely taken pictures, a well worded ad and my enthusiasm in reply emails could get the job done. Inside my own mind, I really wanted to have it done quickly and hand her the money upon her return. How nice would that be?

I placed the ad with an asking price of $1650. I expected negotiations and low-ball offers, but my realistic goal was to get $1500 or better for the bike. I had spoken with the bike's owner and she was on board with that idea and $$ figure. Realistically it was worth more due to its impeccable care, condition, plus the additional components that were included. So online with the offer! The inquiries would come to my personal email - and I could reply to them or contact the buyers in any manner I chose. I'll now give some examples and commentary of some of the interest this item received. I'll omit any personal info regarding people involved, fair is fair. Have a look at what kookiness evolves from having an attractive item that is fairly priced for sale on Craigslist. The BOLD type is the interaction from the potential buyers via email.

_____________

"What size again was it? And how tall are you?"

[You thought enough to reply to the ad because you saw some pictures. Did you read the title of my ad AND the first sentence?]

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"I am the owner of The XYZ Agency in Florida.  My firm specializes in digital production and digital marketing.  Would you be interested in a trade of my services for your bike?  I have done this twice in the past, trading a professionally designed and built business website plus one year of hosting, in exchange for road/race bikes."

[Gee, now I wonder if my friend really wanted money to buy an upgraded tri bike. She really was hoping for a website and a year of hosting instead...]

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"Hi. I am very interested on your bike. Any major scratches? Are the wheels true and straight ? Will you consider $1200 as offer? If yes please call me at xxx-xxxx."

My reply:

The bike has no major scratches, wheels are very true and straight. $1200 is too low, this is a bike that would sell for $2200 with an additional $999 upgraded wheels. The price is very aggressive. My girlfriend, the owner, would shave off a maximum of $100 to $1550. It will probably sell rapidly to anyone who knows the value of the components and the pricing she has set. If you're interested in seeing it, trying it, please reply and let me know!

His reply to me... "thanks for the fast reply.i can probably do $1350 ...my budget is limited .thanks"

[I'm sure everyone wants to pay less. Not in this case, buddy.]

____________

Another volley of emails with a different person...

"Do you still have it?"

I replied Yes.

"I really appreciate your response to my previous mail, I'm buying the item for my daughter in New Hampshire and i will be the one responsible for the pick up and delivery stuff.kindly get back to me with your full name and address so that i can forward it to the pick up agent to calculate the pick up fees for me."

So I wrote back - Since I live in a gated community/guards, etc. it would be best to meet at a mutually agreed place to see the bike. I live in Palm Beach Gardens, so for shipping purposes figure the bike is at Northlake Blvd and I-95, that's a good centrally located place to meet.  I am out of town today but return tomorrow if you'd like to meet and see the bike. As of now you are the first person looking to see the bike upon my return, one other person saw it Friday but has not made the purchase so you're still in the running. Tell me what you'd like to do to proceed...

This brought me another request from him for my home address... "I'm not in town presently that is why i want to hand over this transaction to PayPal and my agent so as soon as the payment has been made then my agent can come for the necessary information.. Just get back to me with your full home address and your PayPal email address for the instant payment."

I'm clearly on top of this impending explosion as foretold by my changing tone...  

My reply - I'm not interested in the "maybes" of dealing with a transaction that has me offer my address via craigslist and not meeting with someone in person.  If you'd like to proceed, please make time for you or an agent to meet in person in a public place. Cash is preferred over PayPal.

Thank you

[Last I heard from that guy!]

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From a female buyer... "Is it availble still, I am VERY interested!"

Me - Yes, the bike is available and gathering good interest . It's priced aggressively so I believe it will sell soon, right in the middle of triathlon season!

Her reply - "What size is the frame?"

Me - It is a 52cm frame.

Her - "ok I am very interested. Let me make sure the size is right for me and i'll get back to you later today ;)"

Me - How tall are you?

Her - "5ft 5 inches"

Me  - That's the correct size. This Felt was my girlfriend's bike. She is 5'4".  I am 5'6" and ride a 52cm Specialized. 

After not hearing from her that day, I popped a quick mail to her saying... Hello... any thoughts on the sizing?

To which she replied...

"Hey! Yeah they told me it was too big for me. I loveee your bike though! Thanks anyways."

Very confused, I did some homework and fired back this mail to her - Really? I am very surprised at this advice... My girlfriend was professionally sized for the bike by a pro triathlete who is well qualified to fit riders.

This is a link to Felt Bikes website and sizing system. Have a look at what they recommend for a 5' 5" person in a Tri/TT bike - Unless I'm reading it wrong, it says 50-52 cm. The deviation accounts for the fact you can make adjustments with the seatpost.   http://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/Single-Nav/Inside-Felt/Support/Bike-Sizing.aspx  

There was no reply from the female prospective buyer.

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So I moved on to this...

"Would you consider bartering for concrete countertops custom made its becoming  very popular and I'm fortunate enough to know the trade. many colors to choose from I add abalone shell, diff color glass, mirror, granite sea shells etc. and polish them to look better then granite any shape ,size I build a lot of custom outdoor kitchens out of stone and put tops on them if you're willing to barter I can make an unbeatable deal wife really needs a bike for ironman comp in november thnx for considering I can send you several different pictures of outdoor kitchens and different colored tops"

I replied - Sorry, not looking for a barter. It's a very good deal for cash

Never heard back from that guy...

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"Would you take $1300 for the B16?"

My reply - I have an offer at full price - waiting for the buyer to be certain the 52cm size is correct.

It's already discounted at $1650 - If this buyer backs out I will let you know.

"Sounds good. I specifically want 52cm. Replacing an older Felt for my wife. Have cash. Will travel."

From me - It has only been on sale since Friday, it will sell at $1650 if you're interested in doing that in the event this buyer flakes out.

"I don’t question the value of the bike and this is generally what I’m looking for. This said, the only reason I wouldn’t buy it outright at this price is the fact that my wife already has a set of training wheels and race wheels, and as such, I would end up pulling the Rolf’s off and selling on Craig’s List anyway! Good luck in selling. If the deal does fall through and you don’t sell, or are interested in selling bike sans wheels, I’m in."

[Remember this guy, he surfaces again in the story]

 _____________

Another inquiry - "Interested in purchasing felt bike you have for sale. Looking to upgrade from my road bike for ironman. Please let me know if bike is still available. Thank you."

I answered back - Yes, a few from south (Broward, Miami-Dade) have expressed interest but no buyers yet, they haven't come up to see it. It's a great deal, first come...

"Thank You for quick response. I'm located in Arkansas. Would You be willing to ship?"

I said - I'm open to that if you're willing to pay the charges. Last year we sent this same bike to a tri in NYC for approx $85.  I know how to disassemble and pack a bike properly. Tell me if this is of interest to you.

"Thank You for being willing to ship. It would be shipped to my bike shop in Jackson Mississippi. Do you know approximately how many miles are on the bike? Thank you"

I replied - No, it is my friend's bike. She has had battery replacement in her Cat Eye so total miles wouldn't be accurate. It is in better shape than even the pictures show, in person it is awesome. She kept in in her living room when not riding.

"Would it be possible to speak via phone? I'm very interested in purchasing bike. Id like to visit with you regarding payment, shipping, ect. My number is zzz-zzzz. Will be Leaving for 3 hour Bike soon. Please let me know your availability to speak. Thank you"

I called her and spoke at length about the bike. She was very interested having seen simialr for sale near her. She wanted to get this one with the upgraded wheels. I explained that the bike's owner was just texting me from the finish line of the Tour de France. I took a picture of me with the bike to let her at ease with the facts - The deal was real, I was not scamming her, I was ready to pack and ship the bike if she was willing to pay.

All was looking good. She wanted to be assured that she'd be the person getting the bike, and I have her that guarantee. We spoke about payment options, we agreed the Western Union money transfer would be best. She could do it online through a credit card and get frequent flyer miles, too. I could visit a Publix and collect the funds, allowing me to send the bike from work the same day. This was a good plan. I went with my son to a local bike shop and got a box from a bike they had just built. We came home, disassembled the bike and carefully packaged it so there'd be no chance of it scratching during shipment. Things were looking good. I brought it to work Monday morning boxed and ready to send. I sent her this picture...

I brought the bike to work and got it ready to go in the mailroom. All paperwork filled out, box measured and weighed...

Her reply upon seeing picture of bike and of bike boxed and ready to go...

"Thanks Dave I'm so excited!"

So was I. I'm happy at this point because I know the owner of the bike was returning Tuesday, surely I'd have this deal closed and done - an envelope with her money waiting to hand over. I explained to the buyer that at some point in this process, she would have to have a "leap of faith" to send the money understanding I'd be trusted to send the bike once I received the payment. There was no way to do this simultaneously, once I mailed the bike I couldn't reel it back in if there was a problem. She understood this. She asked questions about me and the bike's owner, who is an accomplished triathlete that has posted several impressive wins on the bike. I gave her links to this blog, my social media sites, etc. to reassure her that when she takes the leap of faith, I will deliver on the other side. I cannot disappear and hide from her, she'd have many ways to track me down as a result of my disclosures. This credibility offering worked well to make her comfortable with the deal.

I received an email that next day with a request to mail the bike to a different location - not the bike shop where she was on vacation, but home where she was heading mid week. Here is that correspondance...

"Dave, I apologize for the change in plans again. I should have just have had you send the bike to my office from the start. I was just trying to kill two or three birds with one stone and missed all three. Here is the shipping information 

(address deleted) 

I want to thank you for being so forthcoming with information such as your blog etc. and being so flexible in this process. You've gone out of your way to help me get this amazing bike! Let me know if you get an accurate quote on shipping. Thank you"

I had phone coversations that Monday and Tuesday with her. She was working out the details of how to send the money. By Wednesday we had agreed she would do the transfer at lunchtime, I'd go to Publix, get the Western Union money and retrun to the office and release the UPS shipment.   

I got a call from the buyer, she confirmed that she made the money transfer, I could go get the payment. I drove to Publix, gave them the transaction number, and nothing. The number was legitimate, but the payment was "on hold."  I called the buyer who said everything was done, the money had been taken from her account. I asked her to check on this. She reportedly called Western Union, who asked her what the money was for, if she knew the intended recipient, etc. She claims to have answered the questions honestly, it was for a bike bought over the Internet from a person she did not know. She said at hearing this, Western Union would not make the payment, they refunded her money. I was very surprised, I was right at the Courtesy Desk hands inches from the payment and rebuffed at the cash register. If this was a scam, she had taken it as far as she could, waiting for my insistence that I be paid before I release the bike. If it wasn't ill-willed, the process took the life out of her. She left me a voice message apologizing for the huge inconvenience of having me prepare everything, but this apparently wasn't meant to be. I called her back, suggesting she mail me a bank cashier's check, I said the same through email. I received no reply to either form of communication.

[Still not sure if this was real or if I just held out long enough to outlast a scam]

________________

All while this was unfolding, this...

"Hello.

If you have not sold this bike yet, I could offer 1,400. Please let me know if this is something you would consider."

Thanks

I replied ...The bike is currently promised to a lady in MS that has said she'll pay full price. If you're local and want to buy it first, cash is cash... Let me know if you're interested. It is a great deal already - it's only been up for 5 days and is receiving plenty of action, first one in gets it.

He answered with - "Thanks for replaying my mail. I do want to get the bike so I will match the full price. This price is way off what I was thinking on spending, but the bike looks really nice.

I live in Pembroke Pines so I guess it would take about an hour or hour and half to get to your area. Please let me know if it is possible to meet today around 7:30 pm. If not let me know if there would be another time on Friday that is convenient for you."

 

Wow, a rescue buyer! I made arrangements for him to meet me Saturday in a busy parking lot off I-95. I made sure he knew that it has pedals, but they'd only be good if he had LOOK or Shimano clip shoes. I also confirmed he'd need to bring cash for the bike.

My next contact with him was this email - "I apologize for the inconvenience but I thought this over and even though it looks like a great deal, for the moment is too much for my budget. Thanks again for your response and I am sure you will have no problem in selling it real soon. Best regards"

Another one down the drain!

[Sounded good, and would have been an excellent rebound]

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"Hello, would you be willing to sell just the bike and you can keep all the accessories?"

I answered, No, full bike $1650. Sorry.

[Creative but really? I take everything apart and just sell you what you need. Wrong planet, pal]

_________________

"Hi, I Guess this item is still in good condition for sale?"

I said - Yes, several interested parties but first legit buyer wins!

"Hello, Thanks you so much for the quick reply to my email. I will purchase
the item from you and will be adding $45 extra for the item asking
price,so please kindlywithdraw the advert from CRAIGSLIST and i will
be paying you via bank certified check from my Bank and the payment
will be delivered to you via Fedex next-day and i will like you to get
back to me with the following information to facilitate the mailing
out the check to you... .I will need the below details to mail the
payment as soon as possible.

Name to be on the Check
Home or office address(No P.O.BOX)___
City__State__Zip Code_______________
Phone Numbers_____________________

FYI:You will not be responsible for the shipping of the item..and I
will have my mover come over for the pick up as soon as  you have the
check cashed at your bank,and i will get back to you once my secretary
made the payment out to you immediately.

Thanks."

Cocked and loaded for this type of B.S., I replied... Been here already twice on this bike sale - people from out of town with hokey solutions, no questions about the bike, the size, the components, just a half-baked plan involving no personal interaction and reliance on a "check" that may or may not ever appear.

The bike will sell to the first serious buyer willing to pay in cash.

Thank you.

[and all that telling me what I'll do - not today...]

________________

"Still available???"

Me - Yes, so far good interest because it's aggressively priced and impeccably kept, first buyer wins! 

"Would like to take a look—first concern obviously is sizing. Tonight would be difficult. How does your day look tomorrow?"

 I am located in Palm Beach Gardens, figure Exit 77 Northlake Blvd. The price is firm, if you are serious I can meet you as early as tonight after work.

Never heard another word from that guy.

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"Hello, viewed your listing and hope it is still up for sale,.Thanks"

My "still after all these hurdles" positive reply - Good interest so far, but first buyer wins!

"Thanks for the email, do let me know how much you are willing to sell to me  and you need to assure that it is in perfect condition and i would love to see more pictures if you have. I will be paying with my paypal account which is the safest online payment mode. So please do reply me asap with your paypal account or send me a payment request from your paypal account so i can effect payment to you rightaway. You can easily open an account with paypal if you don't have one at www.paypal.com. its safe, simple and reliable also do get back to me so we can arrange for pick up as i will like it to be picked by my pick up agent, so no shipping included. I await your reply. Hope to hear from you soon."

Another "agent" deal, huh?  I said - I'm better prepared to accept cash in person, I have to transfer the money to my girlfriend once sold. It is her bike. The price is firm, if you know what you're looking at, this is clearly over $3400 worth of bike extremely well taken care of.  It will sell for $1650 cash. You will decide if you're the buyer.

"i can only do paypal"

I'm sorry. This will not work for this purchase.

[Scam extinguished.]

__________________

"Good afternoon, I am genuinely interested in seeing and possibly purchasing this bike. I would not need the Profile aluminum rear dual water bottle mount or the LOOK clips as I have my own. Would you consider a cash offer of $1,400.00 for the bike excluding the items mentioned before.

You can reach me at yyy-yyyy"

My reply -

The bike is my girlfriend's ride, she is selling it to purchase a new one. The description (if you're a keen cyclist) outlines a bike worth well over $3000 and this one is extremely well taken care of. She is in Europe and I'm the one showing it to people. I believe she will sell for $1550.  It is in wonderful condition and ready to go!  Please let me know if this is good for you!

Spoke with her on Skype last nite...  She is good with $1550. Let me know if you'd like to see it this weekend. We have a big triathlon (Loggerhead) Saturday, then I travel next week. Thanks 

"Thank you for the response. Yes, I have done quite a bit of research (a little too much) on this brand as well as others and as such I have a good notion of what I am willing to pay for a used bike. Let me know if $1,400 becomes attractive. Good luck at the Loggerhead. I did the Huntington Olympic distance last Sunday, man it was hot."

I did not bite at the lower offer.

________________

"Hello, would you be willing to sell for 1K?"

No. Worth over $3k sorry.

"Good luck"

[That was sarcasm. He really wants me to rot in hell for not capitulating and handing him the bike]

_______________

"Hello, i believe this is still up for sale,how much is your last asking prise?and please you can explain the condition,Shoot me an email back as soon as possible or you can leave me a message here on my phone number xxx-kkkk I'm speech disabled though, remember to leave your name and email address when you call.

PS: - You can just reply this email, I'm always with my computer"

I replied and got nothing back... [Yeah, always with the computer they claim]

_______________

Finally - this...

"I noticed the bike is still for sale. I would still like to buy it. I offered $1350 two wks ago but will buy for $1550. I work off of Palm Beach Lakes and can pick it up tomorrow. 

Let me know. My wife would love this bike.

Thx"

I made arrangements to meet this man from two weeks ago. He purchased the bike for $1550 and was very happy to see its well taken care of condition. 

________________

Craigslist works.

The sale went through. I made the $$ goal and gave the money to my friend, the bike's owner,  who was very appreciative. When dealing on Craigslist, you have to be smart, like you'd be if you were dealing with people and money in person. The promises all sound good via email, but you don't have a sale until you hold the money in your hands, that's a beginner's lesson. Emotions run high, expectations and good will are all over the place, but if you remember those two basics, you will sell on Craigslist. First - don't buy-in mentally that you have a sale until it's a sure thing. Second - treat the transaction details with care, you can make Craigslist work for you, too with an attention to the little things like method of payment, timing and location.

Phew, that was plenty of email hop-scotch to get the sale completed!

-dm