SMC Discussion Areas

Dealing more and more on Craigslist and other non Ebay places to buy stuff I sometimes become a little concerned dealing with people I don't know exchanging personnel information and most times my home address, phone number, ect.

What if something goes wrong or the person on the other end is some kind of nutjob or something? I am sometimes reluctant to give address but some stuff must be shipped.

Anybody else??

I guess I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character and prefer to talk to people over the phone or in person if possible.. most of my craigslist dealings are in person and usually at a public place (ie gas station/conveinence store) Just explain to the buyer/seller that you don't know them at all and prefer to meet somewhere public to handle the transaction. IF they are honorable, they should comply?

 Myself I like to give every one a chance to prove them selfs  .I shipped out some stuff but I've wheeled some Machine down to the end of the drive and have had people stop by and have had them in the  garage  and never had a problem .

 :smile:

Me I don't trust people.  If I'm going to pick up a machine, I will always leave the address and phone number of the place that I am going to at home with the wife.  If it is a far away town, I'll usually eat at a restaurant in that town and use a credit card to pay the bill to leave a paper trail.  This way if I become pig feed somewhere, there's a place to start the search. 

If someone is picking something up, I give out my cell number and I bring whatever it is that I am selling, out to my garage.

"You have a pretty mouth boy" (dueling banjos music playing off in the distance).

         Couple of hundred million people in this country and the media gets us all
freaked out about a few bad ones each day. I have no second thoughts about
the general public.

         Had something funny happen last week though.

         About a month ago a lady came in and asked if we buy old Coke machines.
I told her we did, but only the collectible antique style. She said her husband has
had this tall squarecorner machine sitting in the backyard for many years. The
painters had to drag it away from the house so they could paint and she didn't
want it moved back again.

          I told her we would not buy a large machine like that but would pick it up
and remove it for no charge.

          Last week she finally called and asked if I would come and get it. I agreed
and she gave me the address and told me to call her cel phone # just before i got
there. When I arrived she was waiting in the driveway. She approached me and
quietly said  "My husband is firm on accepting no less than $100.00 for his old
machine, but don't worry.......I will handle him"              Huh?  :help:

          Reluctantly I grabbed by 2 wheel dolly and followed her to the back yard
where her husband was taking his last look at it. I strapped the machine and wheeled
it to my truck and he helped me load it.

          When i turned around, the look on his face was priceless..... his wife had
opened her purse and handed him  $100.00  :biggrin:

Wives will do anything to help get rid of the stuff they don't want.

my wife had a garage sale 2 weeks ago, I went outside in the morning to check and she was "jokingly" putting 50cent stickers on my Vendo 81's and Candy machines in the garage!

 :jawdrop:

Luckily she was ONLY joking.. (I hope)

I'll take both the candy and coke machine.  Who do I mail the dollar to, your wife???

 :laugh: :laugh: Larry you kill me   for your sake I hope Burt is there  to save the
day :laugh:.

Like I said I like to give them a chance till they prove different .
I think the worst I had was a drunk lawyer stop by on a sunday
who had left the lake and was on his way home and saw my 7Up slider for sale ,                        I spent a hour with that drunk fool in my garage out in my front yard  and watching him try to hug my dog (thank god he was not my lawyer). His girl friend finally got tired of standing there
she got in the car and started it up and told him it was time to go ,                                        and boy he made  a bee line to that car ( I think she left him a time or too)
and I never did see him again 8).

  Just my thoughts and a short story.

 Pat



 Glen what did that machine end up being  ?

I hate to feel like I can't trust anybody but after working in the banking industry for more than a decade, I learned that you generally have to atleast be skeptical and let people prove you right or wrong.  When I pick up a machine, I usually take one of my teenage boys with me and leave them in the car with the cell phone.  Their instructions are to call 911 immediately if it looks like something is going wrong.  So far no problems.   :drinking:

I have noticed that a lot of the CL sellers are more paranoid than me.  :oops:

Of course, if I hear that banjo I will turn and run in the other direction!   :wow:

I always leave the contact number and address with my wife. I usually call my wife as I am around the corner and call when I leave... I haven't been too worried though..

Glen,
That was funny!! LOL