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The Marketplace => Selling Venues => Craigslist => Topic started by: parksleyman on March 11, 2013, 03:15:37 AM

Title: Texting late at night.
Post by: parksleyman on March 11, 2013, 03:15:37 AM
I placed a small dirt bike on CL last week, and it seems that the only thing I get is texting.  I can handle the texting, but when it is after midnight does these people sleep?  Well, I got a text at 12:10 in the morning.  Just so happened that I'm working all night, gave me someone to talk to.  It was some young kid bored, being a pain.  I got the pleasure to text him all night long.  He was not a bad kid just being stupid.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: alloro on March 11, 2013, 10:29:03 AM
Not everyone keeps their cell phones on all night. I've sent texts to people late at night with the intent of them seeing them in the morning and not for them to respond back at 2 am.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: HomeGrownPromos on March 11, 2013, 03:27:35 PM
You put your phone number on CL? That's a bold move!
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: alloro on March 11, 2013, 05:30:39 PM
You put your phone number on CL? That's a bold move!

Why, how else are people to make voice contact?
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: parksleyman on March 11, 2013, 05:56:04 PM
I get alot of nut cases calling, but it's part of the game.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: MovieMan on March 11, 2013, 08:05:43 PM
You put your phone number on CL? That's a bold move!

That's the only way I get contact from prospective buyers. There is a checkbox that prevents them from sending you email and I check that.

Been doing the phone number approach for over 9 years now and haven't had a problem. Most of the time they get an answering machine...my home number. I don't want to get calls to my cell phone.  Then I make an appt to meet them at my storage unit which is only a mile from my home. I think in all these years I've only had maybe 5 no shows.

Also, when I get a message left on my machine and it has an out of town area code, I always ask them what city they're in to rule them out if it's 90 miles away...though I had one guy drive 400 miles for an item (one way).  Knowing they come from a city that is say 30 miles away helps to keep the price firm...are they going to drive that far (one way) and then dicker over $5 or $10 off on a $50 item?  Hasn't happened yet.

Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: HomeGrownPromos on March 11, 2013, 09:01:53 PM
Last Tuesday I bought a locker. I put up 14 ads on Craigslist. Today I had 3 left. I don't leave my phone number on the ad. I say to respond with whatever catch phrase in the subject line. If I don't see that catch phrase in the subject line, I don't respond with my phone number.

The question in the email is usually "Is it still available?" I respond with "Yes it is! Please call me at (my number) so that I can answer any questions you might have or to set up a time to come out and take a look at the (product)."

I've never put my number in the Craigslist ad, so I can't say if it's better to put your number in there or not. If I did, I would definitely code it like this.. nine1nine six22 nine78two. Again to weed out spammers.. But maybe I'm paranoid!
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: MovieMan on March 11, 2013, 10:14:30 PM
I've never put my number in the Craigslist ad, so I can't say if it's better to put your number in there or not. If I did, I would definitely code it like this.. nine1nine six22 nine78two. Again to weed out spammers.. But maybe I'm paranoid!

There is a fellow in my area who has three ads running. He has the same phone number in each ad, but he uses your suggestion of mixing it up with numbers and words. But he does that mix three different ways in three different ads ! What the heck ! I guess he's had problems before.

What do the phone spammers do?  Do they put it into an autodial machine or something?

Like I said I've "never" had a problem.  Wait, one guy called me after midnight (the work shift he was on) but he was just a dumb jerk who didn't think about the hours most people keep. Anyway, he came the next day and spent $45 bucks so I was ok with it.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: craiglstauction on March 12, 2013, 07:02:55 AM
I myself use the email method.  I can check it from phone, etc.  I get a bunch of "Is it still for sale".  Most of these are then auto-replied with some sob story or the other trying to get me to buy something, check this link, etc.  All of those get auto-trash.  If they respond again and it sounds like a real person then I'll setup a meet and give them my cell #.

Never really had a problem with spam.  I just turn on some specific keyword filters and never see the emails.  May have a false posative that gets deleted but oh well.  That is the risk I'm willing to take.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: MovieMan on March 12, 2013, 09:16:34 AM
Last Tuesday I bought a locker. I put up 14 ads   on Craigslist. Today I had 3 left. I don't leave my phone number on the ad. I say to respond with whatever catch phrase in the subject line. If I don't see that catch phrase in the subject line, I don't respond with my phone number.




That's a good return ! (11 sales in a week.)  Very good!    I have had an antique on Clist for 10 months. Buyer coming today from 40 miles away and the price will stay firm !

To have "gotten" $20/$10 for a monkey doll ?  Outstanding !

Catch phrase.....Cassowary...who'd have thunk that one up !  ;)
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: Cobia on March 12, 2013, 09:55:44 AM
You put your phone number on CL? That's a bold move!

Psst! Here's a little secret...It's called Google Voice! Now don't tell anybody!  ;)
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: alloro on March 12, 2013, 10:11:56 AM
You can get a MagicJack which only cost $30 a year for a phone number. Use that number for your CL sales. If it ever gets into the hands of spammers, simply get a new number to use. I mean for $30 a year it's easily a throwaway number as long as you only use it for CL ads.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: HomeGrownPromos on March 13, 2013, 05:21:02 PM
Most often phone numbers are stolen from craigslist and added to autodialers for telemarketing. I'd much rather send some spam to my spam filter than have to deal with telemarketers. Around here we don't have much of those issues I suppose.

Yeah, my return was really good this week. But I'm learning quickly that if you have collectibles, antiques, or vintage stuff, craigslist is not the best venue for selling. Haven't gotten a single hit on my erector sets, barbie case, or my desk chair..

I also price to sell. I have a dining room table on craigslist for $75. I think it's the cheapest up there..

BTW.. Just realized my numbers are a bit skewed.. For example, I posted an ad for a vintage guitar shell, which I ended up selling to a guitar shop. So, my sales through craigslist exclusively was 9 for last week.

I also made 2 sales today off the unit I bought yesterday... through craigslist.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: HomeGrownPromos on March 13, 2013, 08:56:27 PM

That's a good return ! (11 sales in a week.)  Very good!  

To have "gotten" $20/$10 for a monkey doll ?  Outstanding !

Catch phrase.....Cassowary...who'd have thunk that one up !  ;)

I see someone is stalking my craigslist ads. That monkey doll is a Gund and is collected by many. That's one holdover from that unit I picked up. Tonight I dropped it to $8. Chances are, it'll go into my kid's mound of stuffed animals. But if someone wants to pay me for it, who am I to stop them?
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: rulesforrebels on April 23, 2013, 03:51:09 PM
yeah peope are wierd. i get calls at all hours from craigslist. i have an 800 number for my business and im always surprsied i get calls at all hours fo the night from 1 am til 6 or 7 in the morning on a saturday morning.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: Travis on July 04, 2013, 07:27:19 AM
Why is it that the people who call or text at inappropriate hours always waste your time?

Got a text at 6:00 AM for a $20 fire pit I'm selling. Now normally this wouldn't bother me since I'm an early bird but I was sleeping in this 4th of July morning.

Conversation went like this.

Hi, do you still have the fire pit?

Yes I do, would you like to come pick it up?

Oh, well I need to talk to the wife and I'll let you know.

  :o

I should set my alarm for 2:00 AM and call the guy back and say "did you have a chance to speak with your wife?"


Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: alloro on July 04, 2013, 02:32:42 PM
Perhaps he didn't expect someone that wanted to sleep in on the 4th to have their phone on. He intent could've been to leave a message for you to get back to him when you woke at a reasonable hour and turned you phone on. I turn my phone off at night and then back on after I'm up and going the next morning.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: Travis on July 05, 2013, 07:33:29 AM
I usually leave my phone on for emergencies. I have 8 family members who live within 3 miles of me including my grandfather who's in his late eighties.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: greywar on July 17, 2013, 03:55:20 PM
Get a better phone :)

I've set my iphone to silent after 10, with only people on my quickdial ringing through that, or 3 repeated calls.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: rulesforrebels on July 25, 2013, 03:35:33 PM
You put your phone number on CL? That's a bold move!

Personally I think it's smart to put your number on cl. People will email offers and say they want stuff all day through email and not show up, however someone who is going to pick up the phone is a much more serious buyer. You cut out 90% of the bs dealing over phone and not email. Many people completely take away the option of contacting via email and only post a phone number. Also, if you dont want to give out your personal number download one of those free text call apps they give you a fake number you can take or receive calls on or take or rec texts on
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: HomeGrownPromos on July 26, 2013, 08:44:36 AM
Personally I think it's smart to put your number on cl. People will email offers and say they want stuff all day through email and not show up, however someone who is going to pick up the phone is a much more serious buyer. You cut out 90% of the bs dealing over phone and not email. Many people completely take away the option of contacting via email and only post a phone number. Also, if you dont want to give out your personal number download one of those free text call apps they give you a fake number you can take or receive calls on or take or rec texts on

To me, it doesn't matter if the phone number is fake, or temporary, while I have the number my phone is going to ring. I'd rather not be bombarded by telemarketers, prank calls, etc.
Title: Re: Texting late at night.
Post by: Fayettenam Man on July 26, 2013, 05:04:28 PM
I love getting calls and texts late at night, thats when all the freaks come out.