Craig's list warning

Craigslist buyer and seller for many years and many transactions here.
Text or phone conversation begins the transaction and you need to use common sense.

My last deal was a strange one but yielded a great unexpected find bedsides what I originally wanted to buy.

Also make sure that you get everything that the add offered and TEST it or don't buy it.

No matter what you do, sometimes it's still a nerve racking experience and doesn't happen as you would expect.

Either way, it's a person to person cash deal for me and that's the only way that I will do a Craigslist deal.
 
That "...bedsides..." part has me a bit worried....and perplexed. :)
 
Whenever I smell fish on Craigslist I ask for a very arbitrary image of something like a quarter on the corner of the speaker. Most do it and I may miss out on decent stuff because others don't but where I'm from is a concrete jungle and I don't gamble.

I have met some awesome locals though who I've become close friends with.
 
CL: In cash, in person, in public. I usually choose the main post office, which is right down the road and everybody knows where it is. Well-lit, and if you commit badness there the Feds get involved. And I tell buyers/sellers that's why we're meeting there.

The other caveat: there's no requirement that you use your real name in the communications before the sale. That way the baddies can't look you up later on.

"Chip"
 
Just the thread I was looking for.
He has a Sansui 9090 for sale. It was his "Dad's".
$300.
I asked if he could take a pic of it with his name and today's date. He replied that he's at work till 6pm but will.
Here is his listing description

"Sansui 9090db receiver


The receiver works as new and has been in a clean, pet-free home . All the switches, VU meters and lights work and the walnut veneer case and faceplate are in excellent condition .



Power Output: Min. RMS, both channels driven, from 20 to 20,000 Hz, with no more than 0.1% total harmonic distortion 125 watts per channel into 8 ohms

Load Impedance: 8 ohms

Total Harmonic Distortion: less than 0.1% at or below rated min. RMS power output

Intermodulation Distortion (70Hz : 7kHz = 4:1 SMPTE method): less than 0.1% at or below rate min. RMS power output

Frequency Response (at 1 watt) (OVERALL): 10 to 30,000HZ +0db - 3db

Damping Factor: approximately 30 at 8 ohms load

can demo or ship"
 
They do happen, sometimes legitimate.

I chased CL for about a year trying to find an SX-1250 locally, have seen several ads for these from $150, $250, $350, ... and on up. Other than MRG's ads for one at $1500 "minty" over and over in a 300mile radius for the past year, ... they seem to sell in minutes and are gone (I'm guessing to flippers with bots), but many times I have gotten a call or email telling me that it sold, or that someone is on their way / they will let me know if it falls through (they never do).

So not all apparent scams are scams. My method has changed (after running afoul of MRG) to use an email that I created only for CL responses, and never let my phone number out again.

I've become more wary of the ads with $1 or no price than the low price ones, but there are some telltale signs that indicate a likely scam ad.

It would probably be a nice sticky in the Dollars & Sense forum (if it isn't already) to post lessons learned from CL etc.
 
"Funny thing about that ad. He offered to have it auditioned and I accepted. But as soon as I told him I could swing by and pay for it as I was going to Arizona to pick up my Marantz (http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/aker-visit.765802/) he never replied again."

I bet you scared the crap out of him once he realized you knew Randy, :yikes:

I remember a few years ago, there was a crazy bastard on ebay selling an SX950 Over and over again. He kept returning their money and relisting it. Pretty strange dude there.

I would not do a craigslist cash deal unless i went well Armed and dangerous. A few witnesses would be a big help.

Beaver Dam is a 920 area code. Its 65m away from me. Too bad i didn't work there still. Its probably someone, some of us know;), trying out a new way to screw people out of their money and receivers.

Kap said,
" The only problem I have had as a seller is someone tried to pass me some counterfeit $20 bills. I have a marker that can identify counterfeit bills. When I told the guy they were counterfeit he acted surprised"
On a side note, maybe you should have bought a pile of them 20's for $5 and used them on these scamming A- holes... Is it wrong:idea:
 
Last edited:
Ooh, maybe I should run down there with several well armed friends. Hey, it's an open carry state! :biggrin:

He says $300 is a fair price which is a red flag, it's more like $700 on average. Smells funny alright.
 
Wow...I just found this thread last night. And it's after I paid the guy using Paypal, and he refunded because it showed "pending" on his end and he wanted me to send Family and Friends.

Basically, it's a Marantz 2270 champagne face , s/n 2244, for $300!! and he's willing to ship. His name was Richard, so I texted him and agreed on a price, but I sent him PP as a buyer. But his Paypal address was "Dave", as the earlier post stated!! After he refunded my money because it was in Pending status, I googled AK discussions and found the exact ad description as his:

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ele/d/marantz-2270/6359282820.html

"Marantz 2270 Vintage sound receiver in good working condition.
Led lighting
owned for just over 30 years.
1976 model
Has been cleaned, but no surgery .
Performs well and has kinda Tube Amp sound .
can demo weeknights, or ship."

I couldn't find his pictures on the web, so I think they are actual pictures, but I searched this a.m., and the ad has been posted several times in Phoenix over the past two days, even though I was committed to buying it already.

Please tell me it was a scam and not the scroe of a life time that I just missed!!
 
Wow...I just found this thread last night. And it's after I paid the guy using Paypal, and he refunded because it showed "pending" on his end and he wanted me to send Family and Friends.

Basically, it's a Marantz 2270 champagne face , s/n 2244, for $300!! and he's willing to ship. His name was Richard, so I texted him and agreed on a price, but I sent him PP as a buyer. But his Paypal address was "Dave", as the earlier post stated!! After he refunded my money because it was in Pending status, I googled AK discussions and found the exact ad description as his:

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ele/d/marantz-2270/6359282820.html

"Marantz 2270 Vintage sound receiver in good working condition.
Led lighting
owned for just over 30 years.
1976 model
Has been cleaned, but no surgery .
Performs well and has kinda Tube Amp sound .
can demo weeknights, or ship."

I couldn't find his pictures on the web, so I think they are actual pictures, but I searched this a.m., and the ad has been posted several times in Phoenix over the past two days, even though I was committed to buying it already.

Please tell me it was a scam and not the scroe of a life time that I just missed!!

You missed out on losing $300.

Same wording in the ad.
"Performs well and has kinda Tube Amp sound . can demo weeknights, or ship."
 
Back
Top Bottom