Dealing With Real Craigslist Buyers

If you follow the steps in this guide, you will come in to contact with real Craigslist buyers who have cash to spend..

Most of these buyers are searching Craigslist for the best deal possible. Craigslist buyers almost never want to pay your full asking price.

Do some quick research on eBay or Google or other Craigslist posts to find a comparable and competitive asking price and list your price accordingly.

Lame $1 Ads

Do not list ads for $1 or ads that do not have a price and say, “Give me your best offer.” This can annoy buyers and prevent them from contacting you.

It is always best to give them an idea of your price before they contact you.

If you have a desirable or hot item for sale and you have priced it lower than your competitors, expect phone calls and emails.

If you have your item priced much higher than others, then you can expect no response to your ad, or you will receive emails telling you that your item is priced too high.

People Don’t Read the Full Ad

Don’t expect that everyone who contacts you has read your full ad. Some people may look at the price, look at the pictures, find the phone number, and call.

Some people like to call to ask questions, regardless of the detail you have put into the ad’s description.

For example, you can state your price clearly next to your title and within the item description and people will still call and ask how much it is.

You can state in your ad that you don’t know how old the item is.

People will still ask you how old it is.

You can say that you are only selling the item pictured with no accessories.

People will still ask you if it comes with anything extra.

Try not to get frustrated when you encounter these types of annoyances. It is just the nature of some Craigslist users.

Trading on Craigslist

You will also occasionally encounter people asking to trade for your item. For example, they may offer to trade a Playstation 5 for the XBox you advertised.

It is up to you if you are willing to do any trading, but don’t feel obligated to discuss trades if you are not interested. Simply tell them you do not do any trading.

Be Ready to Negotiate

Always leave room to negotiate. If you post an ad asking $70 for an item, you may get an offer of $50.

This is something that should be expected from buyers.

Almost always expect an offer lower than your asking price, unless you say “price is $70 firm” – this will let buyers know that you are not willing to negotiate on price, but know that this will also reduce the number of interested buyers who will contact you.

I tend to stay away from putting “Or Best Offer” in my ads. By saying you will accept the best offer, you are already telling buyers you are willing to go lower than your asking price before they even contact you.

Wait for someone to make an offer, rather than inviting them to do so up front.

Competitive Pricing

If you have priced your item competitively and you have room to work on the price, you can make an easy, quick sale. However, to make a sale on Craigslist, you need to meet the buyer face to face to complete the transaction.

Meeting a stranger face to face from the internet to sell an item can seem scary and intimidating.

In reality, though, most people using Craiglsist are just good, regular people looking for a great deal. They are not crazy people looking to rip you off.

The Transaction:

Once you communicate via phone or email and agree on a price and place to meet (at home, a local public establishment, etc.), one thing you can expect is to receive a lower offer when you meet in person.

You can be very clear that you are set on a certain price and will not accept anything lower than the price you agreed on, but they may still try to buy it cheaper. Not all buyers will do this, but anticipate it when you are meeting a buyer and be prepared with a response that you are comfortable with.

You can simply tell the buyer you will not accept a lower offer and will sell it to the next person. Do not let a buyer pressure you into selling the item for less if you do not want to sell it for less!

It’s OK to Wait for Another Buyer

Many times I have held out for the next person who was willing to pay the asking price. Especially if you live in a big city, there will be other interested buyers.

Many complaints I have heard from other Craigslist sellers is that Craigslist buyers are commonly late to an appointment.

Maybe there was more traffic than expected on their way to meet you, or they were late getting out of work.

Sometimes they won’t show up at all. There are countless excuses.

Avoiding No-show Buyers

To avoid this, be very clear to the buyer that they should contact you an hour before meeting. Tell them that if they do not contact you, then you will assume they are not going to show and you will sell the item to another buyer.

Serious buyers will contact you and let you know of their whereabouts. If they are going to be late, they will tell you. Hold your potential buyers accountable.

Your time is valuable, and you should not sit around all day waiting for someone who does not extend you this courtesy.

Keep Your Ad up Until It’s Sold

Also, never remove your ad until money has changed hands – you will lose the visibility of your ad and potentially lose a more serious buyer if the first person does not come through.

It is better to have too many interested buyers than not enough if you really want to get rid of your item..

Next Page: Staying Safe on Craigslist