Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, Colorado

Good post Norm, and I'm of the same mindset. As you can see from my previous post I'm active on ebay and also CL as a buyer and seller. When I do a deal on CL I stipulate it is a face to face cash deal in the lobby of my bank. If I'm the buyer and decide to purchase I go to the teller and withdraw the funds, and if selling I immediately deposit them into my account. Never had a problem using this procedure on CL, and I like the fact I can inspect the item prior to purchase.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I wish I'd have thought of this procedure. Some of my craigslist dates didn't work out too well.
--Bob

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

I have used both EB and CL. This is just about my CL experiences - all 100% positive. I have bought some fantastic glass using CL and the prices are at least 1/2 new. I always meet the seller in a public place, but 2x I have gone to a house or studio when the seller was a professional. I take a body and check out the lens functions before handing over any cash. Of course this only works in an urban area.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

I have a lot of photo gear and bought 95% off of craigslist. I like it because I can see and try out the gear before I buy. Having said that, one must exercise caution. Sine your are meeting with strangers only meet in public places, Police or Sheriff station the best. I have never had a bad experience in 15 years of doing this, and have saved a lot of money.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

If I could get an ounce of gold by shoveling a ton of dirt by hand I would be shoveling away. That would be over $1,200 of gold for shoveling a ton of dirt... A ton of dirt is not that much. Where do I sign up.... Now a ton of feathers...that would be different, but still good money.

I do eBay but don't bother with Craig's list much...

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

I have used Ebay for two camera items and several non-photographic purchases with great success. Craig's List? Not so much! I avoid Craig's List like the plague!!!

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I have bought and sold on E-bay for over 10 years without a problem. Most folks are honest, but the dishonest people exist EVERYWHERE.
I buy only Mint in the box and the seller has to have a 100% positive rating.
E-bay protects the buyer, A LOT, if you, as the buyer are not happy in anyway with your purchase E-bay says you can return it for a full refund. It used to be a 30 day period but I cannot swear to that cause I have not had to use it. Yes, I had ONE buyer who wanted to return a product that I sold so I let him, I resold the item without incident within a month. Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Many years ago I "purchased" an autoclave on E-Bay. The price was reasonable, not "too good to be true". I sent a money order (THAT was a big mistake) and never received anything. E-Bay didn't care and couldn't do anything to help me. The police where the guy lived didn't care. I had no recourse - I did find out that the guy "sold" ten units and made some cash before leaving town. E-Bay now has some built-in protections against this sort of thing happening to you. Paying through Paypal offers protections as well.

Chadp Loc: Virginia Beach

My wife and I use EBay and Craigslist extensively. I built my business off of equipment purchased on Craigslist over the last 10 years. I have also bought and sold several vehicles and boats through Craigslist. We have never had an issue on Craigslist. We have had a few disagreements with buyers or sellers on EBay but nothing that couldn’t be worked out.

Craigslist is nothing more than a space to place classified ads. What makes it risky is that it is easy for the seller or buyer to maintain anonymity. So the key to staying safe is to eliminate the anonymity by getting to know the buyer or seller. Don’t just communicate online. Get their phone number and talk to them. If there is any hint they are trying to hide something then don’t deal with them. I have come across many scams on Craigslist. They are so easy to identify that I dont worry about scams. My bigger concern is getting robbed. So I take precautions like never letting anybody in my house. Try to meet in a public place if possible. Our police station has a safe transaction spot that we can use although I usually just meet in front of a store nearby that has security cameras.

All that said, I think Craigslist has started to die a slow death. It has never been Commercialy developed by its founder like it could have been and other ways to buy and sell like Facebook marketplace are starting to make Craigslist the old way of locally buying and selling.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I’ve bought and sold through B&H with great results. Received a fair value, their process was super easy, and they paid shipping both ways. Couldn’t be happier with them!

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

B&H is an easy way to sell off equipment. I have found that selling my equipment myself and get anywhere between 50-70% more that B&H would give me. My money is tight and every penny counts.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

I’d stay as far away from CL as possible. Here in Indiana, it’s common for CL sellers to be scammers who will rob the buyers at the meet-up. I have a friend whose son was killed by CL robbers. He was home from the military on leave, buying a Christmas present for his mother, and when he resisted their attempts to take his money, they shot him. TV stations here always advise buyers of CL products to meet in a police station parking lot, preferably at shift change when there’s a physical presence of police. Those instances are enough to make me stay far, far away from CL.

Skiextreme2 Loc: Northwest MA

To avoid scams on ebay, message the seller first and keep a copy of the message in your email account and AGAIN, use PayPal for purchases. They will help if there's a problem.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Your story about Craigslist is true throughout the USA. In my community a young man in his 20s was killed trying to sell a laptop for $150. They met at a location, at nighttime, suggested by the murderer. Days later they caught the murderer, and recovered the laptop. He's now in jail. He was also in his 20s. EBay, I haven't had any problems with them.

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

I've purchased one lens via Craigslist and it was simple straight forward transaction that saved me tons of money.