Cons of Craigslist

I just wrote about how I love Craigslist. But, maybe what I failed to mention was that there are certainly some cons involved with it. Of course, it's no fault of the website.  But, the site can only be as good as the users allow it be.

I just saw this ad for a tablet.  It's a perfect example of why it's smart to ask yourself many questions about why an item might be for sale. This one has sketchy written all over it. Let me tell you why.

First, it states in the description that it's new in the box and that it's unopened.  Yet, the photo depicts a box that has clearly been written on stating that it was checked and it works. How'd they do that without opening the box?

Second, this guy states that he just bought it a couple weeks ago for twenty dollars more than what he's selling it for. You mean to tell me that he bought an electronic but didn't open it? And two weeks later he's selling it at a loss? Why did he buy it if he didn't intend on using it?  Certainly not to resell it, obviously.
Third, I can almost guarantee that he won't let you open the box to try it first. He'll use the excuse that if you open it, then it won't be a "new in unopened box" product.

This is an obvious piece of junk that no one wants for one reason or another. There are lots of ads like this one. A good general rule of thumb is if it seems at all fishy, it probably is.  Craigslist is a great tool and an awesome resource, but like all great tools, it can be used by the wrong person for the wrong purpose.

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