Craigslist.com Tips

Spend some time looking around the site to see what is available in your area. The site is fairly simple in its layout, but there is a lot to it. Look through the sections that are of interest to you to see what others have posted.

If you are trying to keep an eye out for something specific – say a bed for your spare bedroom – then you can subscribe to that category for your city. You will receive updates when something is added to that category.

When posting something for sale, be honest about what you are selling. Don’t say something is in perfect condition if it is not. It is always best to post a picture of what you are selling.

Never post your personal information! If you are selling something, don’t list your address. Once you have someone interested then you can contact them via e-mail about where you live for them to come pick it up, or where you can meet them to do the exchange.

Allow the price of an item to always be negotiable. While you may want to get the most money for it, sometimes it is best to take the best deal.

If you have more then one person respond to the ad you have placed, let the second and third responders know that they are in line should the first person fall through. Set a time to let them know by. They will appreciate it.

Remove the ad from craigslist.com as soon as it sells. Otherwise you will keep getting interested buyers.

Just because you agree to go look at/pick up/sell an item, don't feel obligated to complete the transaction. If you arrive and the item is not as it was described in the craigslist.com ad then you have every right to refuse to buy the item. Also, if you are selling an item and the buyer attempts to renegotiate the terms of sale, you can change your mind and find another buyer. Don't feel pressured to finish the deal just because the person is there. Be comfortable with the sale because there is no refunds, returns, etc. to fall back on.

If you are using craigslist to find potential employment, be careful when responding to potential job postings. Use the same discretion you would use as if you were purchasing an item. There can be a good number of fraudulent job postings listed that are simply looking to harvest e-mail addresses for spam or other personal information for various reasons. Use your best judgement in verifying what is and is not legitimate!

When selling an item on Craigslist, it may be a good idea to set-up an email account just for use with Craigslist. Having a seperate account from your personal account will make it easier to keep the Craigslist communications organized plus you won't have to share your personal email account information at any time.

Try not to spam Craigslist with multiple ads at one time. If you think your item fits in more than one category, then having two ads isn't a crime. Also, space out the intervals between when you post the ad. Once or twice a day is plenty. You can also just edit the original ad and it will reappear at the top of the listings so you don't have to have multiple ads listed.