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Old 11-21-2014, 05:51 AM   #16 (permalink)
cowmeat
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Location: South Carolina
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Princess Carriage - '20 Ford Explorer Limited

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I use Craigslist as the ultimate tool rental site. Many times I will need a large tool for a side job that I may never need again, so I buy a nice used one from Craigslist (after I haggle their price down, of course), use the tool for the project, clean it up and then re-list it for the same price they had listed it for. I haven't paid to rent a tool in years, and most tools I end up making money to use. Example: I bought a rear-tine 20" rototiller for 75 bucks (they were asking 200 bucks) that needed the starter clutch replaced. The guy even had the clutch, and threw it in the deal. I fixed it, and it fired right up. I tilled my garden and my daughter's, cleaned the tiller up and re-sold it for 180 bucks.

So it's a site you can use to your advantage, but you can get scammed really easily, too . . . .

Here are some Craigslist red flags that immediately make me pass on an ad:

General (including cars):
No pic in ad (I filter for pics only)
They're selling the item for somebody else: friend, neighbor, parent, etc . . .
There is a hard-luck story involved in the description


Car specific:
Only three sides of the car shown in pics (fourth side will be bashed in)
Dark or blurry pics, or stock photos
Seller doesn't have the actual title in hand, but is willing to go get it
The amount they're asking ends in an odd number
The contact is an email address and is "somebody's name@gmail"
The seller is shipping out overseas and must sell soon
Seller doesn't live in the area, but will meet you
The area code listed in their contact number is unrecognizable
There are "key words" at the bottom of the ad
Title area says "rebuilt" or is blank
Vague location, and car is listed in multiple areas

Most of all, If I think "wait, what?" at any point while reading the ad, I pass it up

Happy hunting!
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