Craigslist, ever too good to be true versus abusive to seller?

[Cadillac STS]

This last week with the daily local Craigslist tool check I happened to see an ad posted an hour prior. Was for a horizontal bandsaw $25, Full size surface grinder $75, 36 inch DoAll band saw $75. With pictures so I knew they were there. So I called right away. Turns out it sounds like a young guy selling off stuff his late father has in a barn and has no idea what it is or the values. He said he had been inundated with emails and calls since the ad went up but no firm offer and I could come get anything I want. I was going to go and just get the horizontal saw even though I have one.

I didn't go. It seems to me this is a set up for some hurt feelings in the family and just didn't feel like the right thing to do.

Could have gotten a large Uhaul trailer and stopped off at the drugstore for a large tube or Preparation H to toss him as I drove away...

 

[chuckorlando]

The moral thing to do would be pay what you feel is a fair price. Regardless what he is asking. Anything less is taking advantage of someones ignorance.

 

[chuckorlando]

I am not against a sweet deal. But not because someone just dont know. I search for sweet deals on everything. But when it's so cheap they seem stupid or it's stolen, well thats not the same

 

[CNC Dude]

I once found an ad which was so good I wanted to light-speed run to it. It was basically a Dayton tool grinder for $125.00. Clearly this was an item the lady selling it had no idea what it was. Or did she?

As I allow for time to pass by (seconds, BTW) my brain starts bringing memories of stories on how people have been duped, taken into a CL meetup place and then miserably robbed. Since this was in a not so good region of Dallas, my paranoid brain won and I ended up letting it pass.

I am positive I will never see a deal like that, but I have learned a lesson too well: When something looks to be too good to be true, chances are it is a scam of some sorts. I could be wrong, but I prefer not adding my butt to the CL's "tales of scam".

 

[Don B]

The moral thing to do would be pay what you feel is a fair price. Regardless what he is asking. Anything less is taking advantage of someones ignorance.

I agree, I've found several good deals by times where the people clearly didn't know what they had, each time when I spoke up and said they should be asking more I was thanked for being honest and still sold the item for the asking price.

 

[chuckorlando]

And at that point it is nothing more then a sweet deal. And one that wont rot your soul just a little

I agree, I've found several good deals by times where the people clearly didn't know what they had, each time when I spoke up and said they should be asking more I was thanked for being honest and still sold the item for the asking price.

 

[Bill Gruby]

I don't deal with C/List or Ebay anymore. I cruise the manual machine shops every other week or so. They all also have my phone number. If they have something I want I ask what do you need done in a hurry. They hate repetition jobs so I do them. I take the finished job back and tell them the price for the work, Then it's time to barter. I get the machine plus a few bucks to spend. Everyone is happy.

"Billy G"

 

[alloy]

There is a deal on CL right now. A miller welder for $200. I emailed him last night at about 9 and he said there would be a line there in the morning and how soon can I get there. I told him 30 minutes and he never answered back.

It's a killer deal, a millermatic 140 with two tanks for $200.

To me it seems a little too good of a deal, especially if he wants m to come over at 9 a night. I just wonder if it's stolen. The pics were taken at night which also raises my suspicions.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/tls/4689079756.html

 

[rafe]

With all the resources available today to research the value of things, I do not feel a moral obligation to educate people to the value or price on an item they have. If you do that is fine,if you want to give them more than they ask fine. Usually I don't haggle on a low price. There was a story years back about a geologist who was at a swapmeet when he came upon a booth with various rocks, he came upon one he thought was interesting and had a sense of what it was , he asked what the seller was asking. The seller said $25 and the geo. offered $15 and the seller sold....it turned out to be a very large opal or garnet which the new owner sold for around a million...the seller took him to court wanted a good percentage and lost ....the funniest part was,the sellers last words in court were could he at least get the $10 he was talked out of.Court said NO! Anything I own is worth what I manage to get for it, regardless of what someone else thinks it is worth.That my friends is reality. Do I screw people over? No. Do people screw me over? NO!
If a little old widow has a bridgeport in her garage that she thinks is worthless, I'd be all over it and my family can give it to goodwill when I'm gone and their loss will make someones day!
PS If I suspect it's stolen ...I check with the law and would be glad to lock them up !

 

[Terrywerm]

I agree that there are plenty of resources available to determine a ballpark value of a machine in just minutes. If a seller posts a very low price, I usually suspect that the item is either defective, damaged, stolen, or incomplete, but the only way to know for sure is to go and have a look. I am not a big user of CL, but when it comes to going to a place to meet up with a CL seller, I take a couple of friends along and usually arrive early enough to do a drive by or two before stopping.