Dad shot dead after placing Craigslist ad
 

This is a really upsetting article. Be careful with who you let come to your home-meet any buyers in a public place because there are @$$holes like this out there.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37082569/ns/today/

That's so incredibly sad. I don't use Craigslist, but if you do, please be careful.

After reading the article, I think that the problem was more in the listing of an expensive item, rather than meeting them at the home.

Maybe it's me, but I'd only use Craig's List for an item that can't be mailed - like a piano. There's just too many strange events that come out of it.

yeah craig's list is scary :(

I sell stuff on Craigslist all the time. If it's small item stuff, I usually ask to meet the buyer/seller someplace public. The Target parking lot is my favorite. But for larger items, people have come to my house before, and I try to take precautions. I make sure to put one of my giant dogs in the backyard, to bark and make a ruckus, and the other one stays with me. He never leaves my side when there's a stranger around. He's an intimidating black Germand Shepherd, and people think he's a wolf. I put the item out on my front patio or driveway, and don't let people inside the house, so we're in plain view of all my neighbors. One guy came to pick up a car hood that my husband wanted to get rid of, and he refused to get out of the car because of my dog (we were outside waiting for the guy). I refused to put him away, so he finally ended up getting out and putting the hood into his truck really quickly, and then paying me through his window. I also don't give the sellers my address right away. I tell them the nearest major intersection to my house, and when they get there I tell them to call me and I give them the final directions to my house.
I would never sell something that expensive on CL though, for this reason alone. A horrible, tragic event.

Same here.

But this is a common sense thing. Not even a Craigslist thing. I feel sorry for the guy but still if it was a $2000 ring or a $2 ring, you don't let a bunch of strangers come into your home fo rthat kind of a sale. There is no telling what else they may do. They may even case your home for other things to steal.

I have sold and bought items via Craigslist and each time, I have met people out in public in broad daylight and if need be, took friends (or dog) with me just to keep this kind of thing from happening.

Lesson that should be learned is that Craigslist or any type of transaction with strangers is only as safe as you make it.

You are a wise man, DaemonSeid.

It is sad because people go against their better judgment and intuition all the time. They think that ONE TIME will be okay and "things like this don't REALLY happen." They may know someone who let strangers in their home and nothing happened to them. Therefore, they choose to push the envelope for themselves and practically bet against probability stats and so forth. It is the same as other instances of putting yourself on the spot as a potential victim, such as jogging in the dark. Sure, it may work THIS TIME but it may not work the next time. More importantly, is it worth it? Was getting that jog in (that craigslist item sold) worth the potential danger? How much did you gain by placing yourself as a potential victim? Were there better ways to do this to make it a win-win situation? YES.

Somehow, I don't think my bichon would have the same effect...

But most of the time that I'm selling something, I have them meet me at work. Lots of windows, lots of witnesses.

I met my fiance on Craigslist. Long story, but true. So plenty of good can come out of it!

I've sold many things through CL (get way better return than at a garage sale for bigger ticket items), but I'm very careful with the information I give and how I arrange the pick-up. I try to handle everything in the front of my residence, outside, never inside. And I'd never do it alone, though that sadly did not help the man in this case.

I don't think I would ever handle something like a diamond ring sale through CL, though. Some things should be taken to a pro.

And that's what eBay is for if you want to do it on your own. Much more security physically and financially.

Cute! I have married friends who met through EBay. (they bought stuff from the same seller, and he mixed their addresses up, and because they lived in the same town, the seller asked if they would be willing to just meet and exchange the items themselves, instead of both sending it back to the seller across the country. :) )

You're both pathetic and bored, aren't you.

I suspect you have very tiny manparts.

You're probably right.

Thankfully, us knee-grows are well endowed. My manbits keep me occupied while I'm out in the yard.

:eek: PUBLIC INDECENCY :eek: