Is it safe to buy or sell on Craigslist during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic?
Yes, it is.
If you stay smart and just follow some simple tips, you can get back to selling your unwanted stuff to people or buying great deals from sellers on Craigslist.
What Will Everyone Need?
To keep your social distance, contactless payments should always be offered and accepted.
Cash is normally always king, more on that in a second, however, everyone should be wanting to keep away from each other and technology makes that very simple.
Ways for payments would include easy to use services like Venmo, Apple Pay, Zelle, or Paypal.
Coordinate together and be honest with each other to pay and accept payment through your phone so you can keep a 6 foot distance from each other.
Is Cash Still Acceptable?
Sure, depending on your level of comfort with cash and interacting with strangers.
Cash Buyers
If you are a Craigslist buyer that only wants to pay with cash, then please be respectful and wear a face-mask when handing cash to your seller.
You could even put your cash in an envelope and set it down on the ground or other surface and then back up a couple of feet for your seller to then collect and count.
Cash Sellers
If you are a seller and will only accept cash, then do the same and wear a face-mask when taking the money from the buyer.
Or have the buyer put the cash down nearby while they step back for you to collect and count the money.
Overall, JUST WEAR A FACEMASK when doing cash deals in person. It’s very simple.
Then after the transaction, on both ends, do not touch your face until you can either use hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap.
That includes after handling or touching the item for sale.
What Should COVID Coronavirus Craigslist Sellers Do?
If you are selling on Craigslist, you could offer porch pick up (PPU) along with digital payment.
If you are selling something that needs to be tested before the sale, then it would be cool to set out disposable gloves and/or hand sanitizer next to the item so the buyer can check it out before buying while feeling safe.
A simple example of this idea would be: You are selling a lamp.
Schedule an exact selling time together or if needed, a selling time window, like 1:00pm – 2:00pm on a Saturday.
Plug the lamp into an easily accessible electric source. Put a box of plastic gloves next to the lamp. Or put a hand sanitizer pump next to the lamp for the buyer to use.
Let the buyer check out the lamp. If you described the item accurately, there should be no problem making the sale while keeping a safe distance.
What Should COVID-19 Craigslist Buyers Do?
If you are going to a stranger’s place to buy something from Craigslist during COVID, just use common sense.
Bring hand sanitizer, wear disposable gloves. Wear a cloth face mask.
If you have to inspect the item with your hands, wear gloves.
If you can’t wear gloves to inspect for quality, then check the item and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE until you can wash your hands with soap and water or at least use hand sanitizer.
If you are buying used clothes or something with fabric that can be easily washed, then wash it after bringing it home.
If you are buying a table or something that can be cleaned easily, then just use a cleaner to wipe down the bought item before bringing it into your home or apartment.
Stay Safe Selling Online During Covid
While there is no end to the coronavirus at this time, everyone selling or buying online using Craigslist should take simple steps to stay safe.
Use your common sense and keep distance from strangers whenever possible. Be creative.
Do you have ideas or experience while buying or selling stuff in person to strangers during the coronavirus pandemic? Leave a comment below!
Nick is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in successfully selling products online across various platforms. With his extensive knowledge and expertise, he has honed his skills and has become an expert in the field of online sales.
Just don’t let someone in your house. Do the transaction outside.