Selling Items on Craigslist Safely

Last week I discussed how you could sell shoes on eBay to make money. Besides eBay, there are other ways to make money when you want to sell things. Unless you’ve been under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of Craigslist. Craigslist is an online marketplace where you can sell items. I’ve sold several things on Craigslist throughout the years. You may wonder if it is safe or not. For the most part, it is. With anything you just have to use some common sense and trust your judgement. Below are a few tips that should help you stay safe when selling items on Craigslist.

Open line of communication

When selling items, an open line of communication is the best way to make sure your items get sold. By doing that, it will be easier to find a legitimate buyer.  When you’re selling an item, you will probably get a few e-mails from people that say they are interested. What I’ve found out is that everyone will not be serious. You will get people that never reply back once you send them another e-mail. You will also contact people that will try to low-ball you for your item. If you have a buyer that is seriously interested, I cut communication with the other buyers. After I e-mail the potential buyer a few times, I find a secure location to meet, and then we exchange numbers. Keeping the line of communication open has helped me get some sales over the years.

Meet in a safe place

After you find a buyer for your item, the next thing that you should do is figure out a place to meet up. Unless you’re selling an old car, I would not suggest having a stranger come over to your house to pick up anything. A secure public location is the best place to meet up and complete the transaction. In the past, I’ve met with buyers at Walmart, the Post Office, and a shopping mall. A police precinct is somewhere else that is safe to meet up.

Never go to someone’s house. Remember you are dealing with strangers. They could try to rob you for the item. Your safety is more important than money. Always make safe decisions when meeting with people from Craigslist.

Let someone know

If you’re going somewhere to sell an item, you should either let a friend know or take someone with you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Selling items on Craigslist can be fun and easy. Depending on what you’re selling you can do well. It could allow you to make money if you’re unemployed or it can allow you to generate extra income. In my opinion selling things on Craigslist is safe. Just make sure you take the precautions that I discussed earlier. If you’re not 100% sure about Craigslist, there is always eBay. You won’t ever have to meet up with a seller.

Have you sold anything n Craigslist before?

Jason Butler

Jason Butler is an Atlanta native, as well as businessman, blogger and teacher. Not only is Jason a prolific flipper, marketer, writer and side hustler his number of years in higher education and student support have given him expert knowledge in understanding the economics of the student loan industry.