BlogHer - What precautions do you take when answering a Craigslist ad? - Comments

It makes me nervous

DebbieB — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:38:25 -0500

I agree Lisa -- you need to be careful whether you are the one answering the ad or placing it. Recently my husband advertised to sell something and he had the prospective buyer come to our house. It made me uncomfortable to think that a complete stranger was coming in our home and my mind began to go to scary places (doesn't take much, I have to admit.) But, next time I think we will do it differently.

When advertising OR answering on Craigslist I...

Lisa Stone — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:55:29 -0500

Great question EmKay. I absolutely love Craigslist.org, always have. That said, I do think it's important to make sure you are careful when you go see a product and/or advertise one. Here's what I do:

1. If I'm advertising a product:
- Place it in the garage or in the back of my truck for public, easy access
- Arrange for any/all interested parties to see the item in the same daytime time slot, e.g., "come by between 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday, first come, first served :)"
- Accept cash only and say so on the ad
- Make sure I'm not at home alone

2. If I'm buying something:
- Ask where I'll be able to see it
- Ask for a photo to be emailed to me if they don't have one
- Bring another adult with me
- Hold my cell phone in my hand

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

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What precautions do you take when answering a Craigslist ad?

EmKay — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:09:45 -0500

Recently I embarked on yet another apartment hunt. There's few things in this world I dislike more than surfing through page after page of listings trying to de-fishify the fisheye photos that make a 310 ft. studio look like you could play full court basketball, all the while attempting to sift through ambiguous descriptions that make a late eighties 1 bedroom with spectacular view of a brick wall sound like the Taj Mahal.

Up until recently I haven't given it much thought, in pursuit of a killer deal or a gorgeous apartment, I gladly meet total strangers without knowing anything about them other than what they posted in their Craigslist ad. Not anymore, recent headlines (and this is just one example) have begun to give me the willies and make me realize I'm putting myself in unnecessary risk. Alone in an apartment with a stranger and virtually no way to track me back to a strange place I found online. Creepy.

I thought this would be a great place to offer up some of the precautions I have started to take and for you to share your own ways of reducing risk, staying in control, and avoiding a potentially dangerous situation.

• ALWAYS bring someone with you if you're looking at housing or meeting someone at a residence.

• If you're buying something they have posted online, meet in a highly trafficked public area for the transaction.

• Get a phone number and do a reverse phone lookup, we offer a reverse phone lookup that can get you information about people who are associated with cell and landlines for a minimal fee.

• Get their name, address and do a free public search, www.isearch.com

• Be realistic. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

What safety precautions do you take?

EmKay
PR Manager at Intelius