Is Craglist worth it?

Mr. Pink

Mr. Pink

CAGiversary!
Eh, the whole thing is I plan on buying a 360 and don't want to spend too much cash on it. I hear some people suggesting Craglist, so I checked out sellers in my local area and found some sweet deals around $250-300 with pics, info, etc. I just don't feel safe that it's "person to person" no guranttes if you plan on getting your money back. I am just cared of the idea being scammed or ripped off. Anybody got any good suggestions on how should I purchase anything using Craglist?
 
I do a little craigslist trading. Couple suggestions: Always meet in a public area with people around. Bring only enough cash to cover purchase price or at least remove that amount from your wallet in advance (keep in your front pocket, etc) so you don't have to open wallet and "flash" excess cash. Make sure seller allows you to inspect items, rushed or nervous transactions should set off red flags. I would be careful with: 360's (red rings and live banned modded systems, etc). Couple of philosophies: If it seems to good true, it probably is and ALWAYS TRUST YOUR GUT. If you get to a meeting and feel "weird" don't be afraid to back out. Just my 2 cents. All this being said, craigslist can really net some good deals. Just be smart. Good luck!!!
 
[quote name='mrmafia33']I wouldn't buy a 360 from craigslist. What if its a dead system?[/quote]
This can happen just as easily with eBay, or via any online trading site. Craigslist has its benefits in this area. Simply have the person test it for you when you meet up, before any money is exchanged. Examine the system/games, make sure they meet what you are looking for.

If you are uncomfortable meeting people at their homes, bring a friend. If you are not even worried about a dead system, meet in a public place for the exchange. I've had plenty of successful transactions both ways.

When you email listings on CL, make sure to ask all the necessary questions. Gauge the person's answer. Do they answer all of your questions, or are they vague? Pay attention to how they respond to you. While not a fool-proof indicator, you can at least get a feel for the type of person you are dealing with.

And remember, 99% of the time, you will not be able to return what you buy. Unless you luck out and get a really nice seller who allows some sort of a return policy.
 
I actually just purchased an unlocked Iphone 8gb off some guy on craigslist for only $250 and we met right in front of the apple store over here.

At first I thought it was too good to be true, but after he suggested we meet up in a very public place I was cool with it and the guy ended up being a really good guy, he needed money to pay for his car bill or some kind of bill.

But always try to meet in a public place like a mall since it makes it a little more comfortable for both parties I believe.
 
While it's never happened to me, I would never buy a "sealed" console, unless they allow you to break the seal. You may end up with a $300 cinder block.

And personally, I did get burned on a CL deal. I agreed to buy an Xbox and a bunch of games from a semi-local guy for $50. Good price. Guy swore it worked fine. I get it home, fire it up and it will only play one type of disc (here are gold and silver, I forget which one it played). Anything else errored. Fortunately, I was able to get a replacement drop-in laser assembly for dirt cheap on eBay. Even after that ordeal, I still only ended up shelling out ~$60 total, still cheaper than if I bought it all from EB/GS.

But yeah, some good advice has already been posted. Definitely only carry as much cash as you need for the purchase. I'd avoid 360s, as they can have a slew of issues undetectable without powering it on. Live Ban, RRoD, bricked from a bad flash, etc.
 
[quote name='algernon']I do a little craigslist trading. Couple suggestions: Always meet in a public area with people around. Bring only enough cash to cover purchase price or at least remove that amount from your wallet in advance (keep in your front pocket, etc) so you don't have to open wallet and "flash" excess cash. Make sure seller allows you to inspect items, rushed or nervous transactions should set off red flags. I would be careful with: 360's (red rings and live banned modded systems, etc). Couple of philosophies: If it seems to good true, it probably is and ALWAYS TRUST YOUR GUT. If you get to a meeting and feel "weird" don't be afraid to back out. Just my 2 cents. All this being said, craigslist can really net some good deals. Just be smart. Good luck!!![/quote]

I had a guy meet me at a local mall for a quick cash for games transaction. He said he was on break from work(works for Pepsi locally and offered me cases of soda in exchange for the games at first)and had to do the deal quick.

He didn't have change, neither did I, so he ran in the mall quick, got change from a vendor, handed me my $$$, then thanked me quick and drove back to work.

I sold him the DMC 5th Anniv pack and Heroes Of The Pacific(Xbox) for $33. I only paid $10 outta pocket($20 BB giftcard from the .00 guide fiasco)for the DMC games and maybe $7-10 for HOTP, so he got a deal and I made some cash.

And Moiety, how do you propose people test game systems in public, unless they have a converter and tv in their car/van/whatever, it's damn near impossible. Sometimes, you have to take people at their word and hope for the best, as long as it's not a large transaction.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']
And Moiety, how do you propose people test game systems in public, unless they have a converter and tv in their car/van/whatever, it's damn near impossible. Sometimes, you have to take people at their word and hope for the best, as long as it's not a large transaction.[/quote]
As I said in my post, if you are meeting them at their house have them test it. If you don't want to test it, then meet at a public place and take the risk.
 
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