HOW TO BUY AND SELL ON CRAIGSLIST
WHAT IS IT? Classified advertisements website that helps people... Buy or sell items locally Buy or sell services locally Find places to live Find jobs and more!
CRAIGSLIST SECTIONS Splits listings into local sites http://chicago.craigslist.org Has multiple categories Housing Jobs For Sale Services Resume Our focus will be buying and selling
BUYING Go to http://chicago.craigslist.org (if in Chicago area) Then, select which region you d like to search in: Northwest Suburbs City of Chicago Northwest Indiana North Chicagoland South Chicagoland West Chicagoland
BUYING If you do not select a region, your search will include all of Chicagoland. Next, select For Sale or choose a category to browse or search from. Categories
SEARCHING Results will appear based on what you clicked. You can now narrow your search by using the search feature at the top of the page.
LISTINGS By default, newest listings will appear first. If you find something you re interested in, click on the link. You will be taken to a page with a further description of the item.
CONTACTING SELLERS Good sellers will have pictures of items to show condition. Some sellers use the email relay function for initial contact. Click the Reply button, copy the email address, and email the seller.
CONTACTING SELLERS Others may have a phone number listed for contact or offer a phone number once initial contact has been made.
Click to contact seller Location Item description Phone # may be listed in item description
BE QUICK! Things sell rather quickly on Craigslist. Don t be surprised if you receive no response. Good sellers will message you with details to arrange for a final inperson sale.
SELLING ON CRAIGSLIST
SELLING Go to http://chicago.craigslist.org (if selling in Chicago area). Left-click post to classifieds near the top left corner of the screen. Then, choose the type of posting
SELLING Next, select a Category for the item. Choosing the most accurate category will help you sell the item quicker. Choose your general location and click Continue.
SELLING Give your post a title. This should be a brief summary of the item. Give it a price. Specify your city. It s better to leave your exact address blank for privacy purposes.
DESCRIBE YOUR ITEM Give a full description of your item. Be very clear about what s for sale. Include brand names and model years. Note the item s condition.
CONTACT INFO Choose your method of contact. You do not have to give your phone number. Using CL mail relay is the safest option.
MAIL RELAY Mail relay allows potential buyers to contact you easily without exposing your personal email address. Craigslist is notified first and then they forward the message to you.
ADD IMAGES Including quality images of items you are selling will improve your chances of selling items quickly. Choose images you wish to upload Click when done
PREVIEW AND PUBLISH Once you ve added images, you will see a preview of what your final post will look like. You may choose to edit your post here. If your post is finalized, click Publish. Finally, you must confirm your post by clicking a confirmation link from Craigslist in your email.
CRAIGSLIST SAFETY!
BUY SAFELY Trust your gut. Know what you re trying to buy. Know what you re willing to pay. Don t buy without seeing a picture. Pay in cash - never use checks! Meet in person - this lowers the risk of being scammed.
BUY SAFELY Bring a friend or family member to the location of the sale. Check out Craigslist s resources on scams: http://www.craigslist. org/about/scams
SELL SAFELY Trust your gut. Don t post your phone number in your initial post. Only give this out to arrange a meeting to complete a sale. Don t post your address! Only give this out to arrange a meeting to complete a sale.
SELL SAFELY Be very clear on the terms of your sale and price. Require payment in cash. This helps deter scammers! Complete the sale in person. Check out Craigslist s resources on scams: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE... My contact information is: Jason Pinshower Instruction and Technology Librarian 847.279.2255 jpinshower@indiantrailslibrary.org