I've used Craigslist to look for items 4 sale; rentals; service provided; and to get rid of stuff 4 free. I've never had a problem dealing with other posters, I've been told a lot of that has to do with never having sold anything on the site (that seems to be what really pulls the scammers out of the woodwork).

I understand it takes a great deal of savvy when using this type of site as there will always be individuals looking for a way to abuse it and the people who use it as long as it exists. Having had many years of experience dealing with the good and the bad I've learned to trust my intuition when it tells me to be careful.

Therefore I highly recommend Craigslist but caution users to be careful. Craigslist has provided a couple of very helpful guides to staying safe and avoiding scammers:

Personal Safety Tips

Avoid Scams & Fraud

Caveat emptor: let the buyer beware!

I have used it sometimes, and have had both experiences: good and bad.
Nevertheless, I should definetly try the http://www.americanlisted.com/
I've heard it's a very local classifieds compared to any other.
And as Richard says, it's very user-friendly. So then why not?

thanks for the tips,
Deb@web

szerintem nagyon jo a kiss film grt de mindencigány embernek meg kéne fogadni a tanácsot tanulni tanulni !!!!!!!!!!!!

I understand that CL is a haven for scammers but I must say that these types of scams are very common and you should never accept checks to start with. The main point of a local classifieds page is that you should be able to meet with the seller, preferably together with a friend.

I have done many transactions with another site called Americanlisted which seem much safer, check it out http://www.americanlisted.com/

Personally I am a visual person and I prefer an interface which is intuitive and easy to navigate.
That´s why I prefer americanlisted over CL.

/Richard

I was WRONGFULLY flagged and blacked out of craigslist. I DID NOTHING WRONG. I complained and yet they still blacked me out. EVERYTHING I did like posting or searching was within the craigslists rules. I have never did anything wrong in craigslist. Yet they flagged and blacked me out WRONGFULLY. They SUCK!!! They SUCK because they WRONGFULLY kicked me out for nothing!!!!

Craigs list is cheap, unlike e-bay its free to post and free to post pictures. However I was scammed and felt totally terrible. not just once but almost 3 times! I'm not naive or gullible, the people can be very convincing.

First I place my grandfathers guitar on there. I don't collect them and I figured it could go to a good home! The next I got a reply asking if I would take check he would send 40 extra dollars(We will call this Man.A). So I said "yes" and he replied with "I will be mailing it today!"

mean while I placed an Ad for a old system of my grandfather's as well (he told me to sell them so I could make money to pay rent). And got a similar response as well, but not so desperate. Instead she wanted to send me a check for more than what it's worth I would cash it and she wanted me to send whatever she didn't owe back through western union.(Man.B)

Mean while again I posted another Ad for a single pregnant women need a at home job. I'm 6 and 1/2 months and I could no longer work. And un-employment wasn't enough. So I posted that I need some type of at home job. This guy replied (Man.C) with a Versa Check job. Pay looked amazing and I had experience writing and printing checks, because I use to work for a dealership! Not so great! I asked if he would help me purchase the items, since they were quite costly and he said he would. He said he couldn't send it through western union, because it was so late! And that's when it clicked, but I didn't quite listen to my gut. So I said "ok, why don't I give you my bank account number so you can transfer funds to it." he said he would and I sent it to him, but then he said he needed my routing number! And it hit me like a ton of bricks. To transfer money you don't need a person routing number. Not to transfer from one banking account to another! Just to fishy

At that moment, I had realized I had already given a totally stranger way to much information and not enough information about him! Just names and e-mails! I realized that the e-mails were part Spanish and part English. I though nothing about it since I was fluent in both and just assumed it was an error. I realized that I just knew a name! I researched Versa Check Scams, CL Scams and realized that MAN A, B, and C are all scams.

Man A messed up on the check he sent and wanted me to cash the check and then mail him the rest of the money he didn't owe me through Western Union, that way this faulty check (Man C hired me to make these types of faulty checks) would come back to me

Man B wanted me to do the identical thing

And the worst of all

Man C wanted me to make fraudulent checks and give him all these personal information, so he could make checks, using his software and use Man A and B's scam on others, with my account information and so on and so on! I was hurt that someone would take advantage of me. I needed money, but to scam a pregnant lady! I mean fake money that's one thing but jail time is another.

So CL is a hard ball! I wouldn't suggest using it, if your as young as me! I didn't see this coming! I'm just young and have a lot to learn and boy have I!

I have found some great deals on Craigslist! I have purchased basketball tickets through people selling on the site and the transactions always went smoothly. Yes, you do have to avoid the scammers at all costs! As far as searching on here for an apartment, there are soooo many listings! And it gets very tiring to look. I wish they had a way to get rid of all the scam postings. Overall though I am pretty glad Craig created craigslist. I also was able to get rid of a bunch of my stuff when I moved. It was listed for free and went to a good home. It was great!

This is the last time I'm ever using that toilet to find a place to live--I'd rather mooch off my friends and drift from couch to couch forever than go back to another Craig's List psychopath. Do you like to drop ecstasy when most other people in town are trying to leave for work? Put your empty room up on Craig's List, and I'll probably move in with you for a few weeks! Do you make no mention of your three pit bulls prior to your new roomie handing over first and last? I'll shoot you an email as soon as I move out of the e-tard's place!

Buying crap isn't any better. If you've ever had any interest in dropping $200 on fake Animal Collective tickets, then not finding out about it until you're standing outside the Bowery shivering, then Craig's List is for you, my friend.

Yes, I know that this is my subjective experience, and that many lovely people use Craig's List every day. Two responses: 1) I've never met any of those people, and 2) THESE REVIEWS ARE ALL ABOUT SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE.

Also, hooker murders. (And yes, yes, I know, that's unfair.)

(Rating primarily based on classifieds section)

With this rough economy, I am very surprised that the most classified ads are located not with the local newspapers, but through Craigslist.org.

I'm pretty impressed with the quantity, but the quality of the ads are a little lacking for the most part. Most posters tend to be very succinct, which in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but most of them seem to lack company name, what type of business it is, or telephone number, which makes it kind of hard to research the company. Sure, you can shoot an e-mail over to them, but I guess I prefer the more detailed listing that most job sites tend to offer . . . . . that is, if they WERE offering anything . . . .

Of course, there's the recent murder linked with a craiglist posting in the news; while that's a horrible thing to happen, I guess a crazy person can post ANYWHERE, the internet or otherwise, to lure a person under false pretenses. Regardless, it pays to remember to use caution . . .

Well, if nothing else, the "best of" section is pretty damn amusing. Worth checking out once in a while for a nice rant or two.

I posted personal ads several times and each time the same troll spammed my email address and posted the same insults to me on their personal ad page, all this despite my reporting all of it.  Then one time I reported it I got the same, curious, reply "Thank you for your report.  That post was removed."..how could this be I thought, "that post" which this reply said was removed was MINE, because I had sent a report that said "See my ad here?  Watch this troll post insults to me and then flag it repeatedly till its removed."..they have their computer programmed to take keywords form your reports, like the post I.D. # and then remove it and send that same reply "Thank you for your report.  That post was removed.", obviously sending me THIS particluar reply saying "That post was removed" means NO LIVE PERSON read my report, hence they would've known I WASNT reporting a post to remove, but pointing out something else entirely!!  Hence, this is how come I found the place it NOT moderated...when people report someone, the computer has been programmed to look in the report for keywords, like the subject which on this site is "911" and "post I.D.", so the computer will automatically delete that post and send that same auto reply.
 
With no moderation any place, no wonder criagslist long time users keep saying the place is over run with scams, spammers, and trollers.  Now, I can see WHY.

And this isnt only the personals section, I've read their feedback and help forums, this is going on all over the site.

I'd tend to think any positive reviews of this site are spammers posting or people from craigslist trying to promote their own site, since it's clearly NOT the publics opinions.

I forgot to mention, on a recent FoxNews report, the someone from craigslist was interviewed on why there are so many prostitutes openly posting ads in the escort services section, he said, "We dont review anything.  Theres too much of  it".  So, this is his ADMITTING theres NO MODERATION of this site.  See what I mean. "We dont review anything" would INCLUDE peoples abuse reports that are sent in as well.

i go to craig's list allot . it's very nice and it's worldwide. it's local to. like if you live in virginia,you click on va. then it brings up cities like charlottesville, harrisonburg. local and its cheap. really. it's good

I have never used this site before, but I have heard a lot of negative reports about it on the news. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's just plain crazy to get on these sites and give personal info out, especially with the way things are. There are plenty of other ways to advertise or buy your merchandise that's a lot safer.

never heard of this site until a few months ago. visited this site a couple times. looks okay i guess. have not used it to buy something or put out and ad. I would want some more opinions from someone who has used it with success before i would try it.

Use very very occasionally

Use quit frequently. Find the search to be somewhat unwieldy and not user friendly. Still, it is free, effective and highly popular.

useful to find and sell things quickly--also enetertaining when reading the missed connection page or other personal posting--rants and raves too, I do not use craiglist as it should be used, I prefer ebay, but I go there to get a good laugh--

causual encounters for the lolz

I check it out but have not used it much. I need to refer to it more often.

There is way too much trash on craigslist. 3/4 of the job opportunities are bogus. All the crazy people in the world have figured out how to mis-use somthing that was meant to be a "good thing"

If you want a good laugh, go check out their personnels(toe-sucking perverts/submissive guys)

Craig's List provides a useful service in some ways.

Although get this! The Free Jobs Board is reviewed by ‘ordinary’ members of the public.  Any Tom Dick and Harry can flag your job post for deletion – it’s really retarded and has to be the worst kind of moderation imaginable. If you want to query why your post was deleted you get to go to a forum.  Of course as with most forums it’s a total waste of time and full of the clueless and the rude.  The Craig's List staff is nowhere to be seen in the process.  So basically, anyone can remove a perfectly reasonable job post because they don't comprehend it or simply want to do so because they take perverse pleasure from doing so.  Weak stuff Craig, very weak.

Well, what shall we expect from a site that began its life as a dirty backyard full of peoples unwanted junk.

Only good for browsing the M4M category.

AND LAUGHING AT IT.

Brilliant, and has single-handedly taken the power away from newspapers in the classifieds realm. Highly searchable, RSS feeds for queries you want to track, great stuff! Ebay without the effort (a lot shadier though, of course)

great response time.

?

never used it

I LOVE craiglist, it's awsome

never really tried it but tis not better than ebay fo sho

I have a hard time following it.

never used it

Awesome, but not really applicable for my area. :/

NEVER USED IT

dont know it

I've never found craigslist particularly useful.

Mixed bag, and comes with the same "buyer beware" warnings I'd give about the classified ads in the local paper.

In my city (Vancouver, Canada) it seems to have a lot of prank or hoax ads, which may be directly related to the amount of ganja grown here.

I was told it was a good place to find apartments and such, but I didn't find it that useful.

haha. my sis got her phone on that place. there cheap!

Best service I have ever used. Listed a freezer in household goods and it was sold and delivered to it's new owner in just over two (2) hours. Have sold other items on "Craigslist", all were in a timely manner, but this took the prize and I will be using it again and again and again as needed.

If you are all wondering what i have been doing lately, i have been spending lots of time selling on Craigslist.  I usually find stuff for free, or resell items that i find at rummage sales.  At an estate sale i found a Kodak 600 carousel slide projector for $10.00 that i resold on Craigslist for $40.00! I also found a wooden gun cabinet on the side of the road that i sold for $20.00 on Craigslist. The stuff i sell varys, but i specialize in reselling old bicycles. The Milwaukee area is a good place for selling used bicycles because their are alot of riders by the University on the east side. I just sold a 1977 Raleigh bicycle that i fixed up for $85.00 that i bought for $7.00 at a thrift shop. All i did was put new handlebar tape, and tires on it for a $40.00 profit. I think this website is a threat to the local newsaper!

CraigsList.com would be a great resource if smarter people were using it!! I have found it to be a total waste of time to advertise rental property and jobs on CraigsList. I get tons of responses. They are all quite polite, upbeat and enthusiastic. Yet when people show up to look at a Rental house they act like complete airheads. They ask redundant and stupid questions and none apply (they all want to - until it is clear the $25 application fee ,which they are well informed of prior to showing up, is not optional).

I get the same type of response to ads I place for jobs. People who inquire are polite, sound competent and able. Many times the inquiry ends at the email or phone call simply because many people do not seem to read the ad carefully or at all. Some even inquire about a job that is entirely different than the job listed in the ad.
The few people who have shown up to supposively WORK stand around, ask stupid questions, overrate their skills, over estimate the amount of pay and time for a specific and simple job (after-all, I'm not going to give a perfect stranger a complicated and elaborate job until I can access their skills and work habits), or make a bunch of excuses why they just can't do the job (meaning they have no idea how to do it after representing they could).

I wish CraigsList were attracting users who demonstrate intelligence and common sense.Craigslist would be an invaluable resource to me if it did.


I find it eerie and odd the people who contact me from CraigsList don't have any reservation about wasting their own time (not to mention mine).

I give it five stars because it works and it's "local." I listed a kayak and a truck, put them in my city's listing, sold the kayak within 20 minutes of the posting, the truck in four days. Granted, I was asking low prices, but still the response was not what I'd expect on eBay. Didn't have to mail or ship or insure anything (that adds a bit to an eBay purchase, and a lot of eBayer's make good money overcharging for shipping.)
Nothing wrong with eBay, it's just a big, giant corporate conglomerate now, and Craig's is, well, still blue-collar network, and much more fun to surf. Don't have to deal, with PayPal commercials, either. The "For Sale" postings are free, too. Rock on, Craig!

Awesome! thank god for Craigslist

I stumbled upon Craigslist some months ago and since then I have found some freelance opportunities that worked out very well for me. A very useful site that doesn't have to rely on a sophisticated design and makes it easy for everyone to post an announcement.

On rare occassions, I have looked at Craig's List only because I have heard in passing about some of the comments made on Craig's List. These comments/opinions of others putting down people and the things they do prevent me from having anything to do with Craig's List. With the posting of possible slanderess material and the general cattiness of the bird people in and around Portland, Oregon, I have no desire to be a part of the bird crowd using Craig's List. The most recent garbage are the negative comments on The Bird Toy made by a very good friend of mine. This toy was a great addition to the store where I work because many birds that would not stay on the plain boing were staying and playing on this great toy. As with all toys for birds and children, supervision should be considered for the safety of everyone. I have bought many bird toys in any number of stores and when I buy a toy, I consider who I am buying it for and is it a good match for my bird. The Bird Toy has stood-up to use from all size birds, from Parakeets to the large Cockatoos and Macaws but I am sure that there is probably a bird somewhere that could destroy the toy and make it unsafe, which is why we should watch our birds and how they play with any toy.

Sincerely,
L. Furches
ljfurches@aol.com

Awesome site!!! I posted an ad, selling my bedroom set and it was gone the next day. Best of all, it is totally free. I am moving soon and am planning on selling a lot of furniture. I plan on using this site again. The only problem is, is that not all cities are listed. If you happen to live in a city that is not listed, you have to choose the closest city to where you are at. I am one of those unfortunate residents, so I did have to pick a city about 60 miles south. However, it didn't stop me from getting responses.

Amazing how this simplistic-looking site has made the impact it has. It has newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle, and others in cities all over the country, running scared. They need to change up or give up in order to compete with Craig Newmark. What he has done is allowed the user to look for apartments, furniture, jobs, girlfriends, etc etc, in any major city, over the internet with simple navigation - all free of charge. Even if you are posting something for sale, it's free of charge. Only employers need to pay to use this site, and even then an ad is reasonably priced at $75. Check in on craigslist every month or two and take a peek and how quickly this thing is growing.

The best site on the Web. An unbelievable community resource that has a fanatical user base. I have friends that found that their job, car, and girlfriend at no cost through CL. I read somewhere that Craigslist did a Billion page views last month - apparently they are getting big in places other than San Francisco. I was sorry to see them sell out (partially) to eBay. Craigslist has always been sort of heroic in its focus on community versus commerce, and I'm sure that will change now.