Craigslist Experience

I'm selling 2 canon cameras to fund my brother's electric guitar charity. I've posted this on facebook, myspace, friendster, and multiply and have gotten responses, but no buyers.

So I did what a normal person would do who wants to sell it fast: post it on Craigslist. Despite the horror stories I've heard about Craigslist, I still posted it for sale. When I was working for my previous employer, we used Craigslist to advertise our available job openings. Posting was free and unlimited back in the days. When the site became popular, fees started to incur. Yet, Craiglist is much cheaper than using Monster or Hotjobs.

These days, Craigslist is a home for scammers. I've heard so many horror stories from my applicants and on the media. It is quite scary. One of my applicants who was desperate to find a position as a Nanny / Housekeeper found a listing on Craigslist. The family was out of town but will be moving to New York in a week. She spoke to them, chatted with them, and saw pictures of them. She thought of them as a loving family. And a generous one as well. They promised to pay her in advance and sent her a check as soon as she accepted the position. The amount she received was a lot more than she needed and they told her that she needs to take her share (plus some extras) and give the rest to an Agency the family is working with. I mean, I don't understand why they need to pay an agency fee when they found this woman on the internet themselves. This applicant is naive and in dire need of money. She went to Washington Mutual to deposit the check and was caught red handed by police for getting involved in a scam. She was taken in a room and interrogated for her involvement. She was proven not guilty and was sent home after a few hours. Her story at least had a happy ending. Katherine Olson's life ended when she went on a job interview for a Nanny position she found on Craigslist.

Craigslist is used by thousands, if not millions, of people who are selling their furnitures, paintings, used bikes, etc. There are successful stories in it too. Some of my friends have bought stuff from Craigslist without an issue. We just really need to be extra cautious.

When I posted my listing, I received two responses. Both buyers were asking me to "take down the advert from the web" and will purchase immediately. Both said they will pay me with a travelers check because they are out of town and will have someone pick up the package. My gut wasn't believing them so I refused to take a check. I told them I only accept cash or paypal. I never heard from them since.

A quick word of advice to job seekers, buyers, or sellers on Craigslist: be extra cautious. Read Craigslist's warning about scams to protect yourselves. If it seems too good to be true, then it is most likely too good to be true. Never underestimate your gut instinct, it just might save your life.