How to use craigslist?

[redfoxglove]

People put stuff on there, say, a whole group of Shimano 105, saying they are upgrading to Ultegra. How do I know it's not off a stolen bike? Don't want stolen bike karma.

Saw a brand new handlebar, ergo style, with Ultegra and some mighty expensive looking bar tape, $400. How do I know it's not from a chop shop?

I mean, I've bought two bikes from craigslist and got a bill of sale. Persons had some background and paperwork on what they had up there. What do you do for components?

[Painkiller]

I take new bikes all the time and gut them and build them the way i want. If it is for sale and what you need and you like the price, buy it. At the end of the day 'you" still bought it. there is no way to know if its hot or not, same goes for used but nice things on Ebay. your good karma alone will guide you to the right parts, it is the way of the universe.

[redfoxglove]

(05-21-2013, 07:04 PM)painkiller Wrote:  I take new bikes all the time and gut them and build them the way i want. If it is for sale and what you need and you like the price, buy it. At the end of the day 'you" still bought it. there is no way to know if its hot or not, same goes for used but nice things on Ebay. your good karma alone will guide you to the right parts, it is the way of the universe.

Good sense, spoken well. I tend to worry too much. Got good karma on my side, word.

[KC-Steve]

Yeah, I agree with PK above. The anonymous nature of Craigslist has caused many people to think there are stolen items for sale there, especially if they are low priced. I have even picked up a free bicycle from CL once, but it was obvious to me it was legit when a wife was angry about a rusty Raleigh taking up space in the garage and her husband was sulking. I gave her $10 anyway.

Steve

[1FJEF]

IMO the ones to watch out for are the guys that you repeatedly see with numerous bikes for sale. I often find them iffy and say thank you…but it's not what l'm looking for.
Surprisingly I have also had bad luck with some sellers that state respond by text only.

[Painkiller]

Craigslist, MMmmm. Is free but kinda strange and full of spammers.
I use craigslist quite a bit and the bikes that I sell are leaps and bounds ahead of most bikes posted. I admit most are not cheap, however I do not sell frayed cables, mud and grime, worn out pads, flat and dry rot tires, ill tuned bikes. Most are frame off fluff and buffed with all new key components. I have no problem if someone wants to buy crap.
I also advertise bicycle repair and restoration and assembly. my prices are more than fair. If someone wants a particular bicycle,If it is out there I will find it. I live in an area of roughly 250,000 people in a 50 mile radius with only three Bike shops, one of which does not even take tradeins or sell used bikes. the other two do but what you get is what you get. I know of no one who sells a better gone thru used bike than me, in this area or offers the kind of services that I do at a fair price.
What I do when I run a craigslist ad is simply ask for them to leave a ph# for a response, If they cannot do that simple request then I do even bother with them. The other thing is post good pictures and give a full description. despite all the craigslist drawbacks of spam and crap, it is still free. I also use third party search engines to seek out bicycles,Like ZOOMTHELIST.com
But like Jef says the guy's posting clumps of garbage half broken bike's, watch out. But those posters sure make mine stand out!

[1FJEF]

I'm suspicious of a guy with a constant & copious supply of bikes for sale. Especially when I see bad grammar & spelling in the ad, or if the guy looks or acts like a scuzz bucket.

[tourgee07]

i like craigs list, im from R.I.area..people are big on bikes out here..things that make me laugh arr people who sell these wicked nice bikes for obscene cash, and they say that they just need the cash..im big into bikes..and some bikes i see for sale up here..its like wow you spent 3000 on that rhode it once and now youre seling it for 1800 cause you need cash..if i had that bike,, id sell my wife first before that if i needed cash..lol..but i hsve also bought expensive bikes for cherp money too..i look at it this way ..i dont care the when,who, and how ya got it..if its hot where you are, its not hot where i am, and i got a hundrrd cans of spray paint, and a few of my favorite parts lying around, just saying, what was once a silver chipped up norco with rusty bars and disc braked that didnt work. is now a flow yellow norco with white centered disc brakes, black rims a new crank..and you wanted 400, i gave you 225, for a fun afternoon project..its just the way the world turns..and further more, if it was hot it probsbly wasnt stolen at gun point, it wss probably just left outside a store unsecured..and soneone hopped on it and rhode into the sunset..if you are too dumb to realize that this world if filled with people always wsnting something for nothing, or you are stuck in your hippie bubble..WAKE UP..before you end up buying your own bike refurbished on cl..just sayin