Selling on Craigslist easy with a texting phone ap

[Andrew1972]

I have recently sold 5 items on Craigslist and found the experience very pleasant by ignoring email(fraud mostly) and placing a free Google Voice number for texting. The instant texting/sms communication thru smartphone app or computer web application t has sold ;

1) 2005 Legacy/230k miles for $2000
2) Thule bars for above for $40
3) Quality brand (trek) bike for kids
4) Tractor tired for $400
5) In laws table

Highly recommend it. People far less flaky.

People can call me too as number forward to my cell and forces them to announce name.

My last CL experience was terrible on email without the instant ability.

 

[eljefino]

Have you considered Facebook Marketplace? It seems to be perking up near me. You get real names (mostly) and how old the account is, which weeds flakes.

When I reply via email to a craigslist ad, I include my local phone number, name and home-town to seem more human.

 

[Andrew1972]

Google makes my number appear local (Northshore MA) but always respond with name in text and allow calling thru the gooogle number.

I try to stay off FaceBook but wife does use local tag line sale to dump our kids stuff as pricing is firesale as people generally not interested in making money but more ridding of item. The towns are affluent where it is centered so mantra is dump stuff it seems. Not great for selling price.

I will peek at Facebook marketplace.

 

[Sierra048]

Madriver,

I have a google phone number my son set up for car dealing a while back. Still works. Can you help me understand (my technical illiteracy is a well known fact) what I can do to utilize what works for you. I didn't quite understand. I do have a few items I think would sell well in my area. Just didn't want to deal with emails and tire kickers. If I understand, your method was much easier. Thanks.

 

[JustinH]

I ported my 20 year old phone number to google voice.

I then forward that number to any cell phone I want.

I can text from the phone or the hangouts app depending on what phone I want to reveal.

I can also text directly from gmail.

 

[JHZR2]

I sell a lot of stuff on CL, including a car. Rarely do I get fraud emails, and when I do, I simply delete.

I dont like texing unless its assured to be iMessage (paying for texting is about the biggest fraud set on the American consumer, therefore I boycott it).

I control the release of my phone number only to emails that I vet as reasonable to connect with.

Usually the process is someone emailing asking if its still available, sometimes also an email with a lowball offer.

I reply if I feel it is appropriate. To connect, then Ill give phone if needed, but typically not even that.

Generally we meet at a third party location at a set time.

I do like the idea of the google voice number though...

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: Sierra048
Madriver,

I have a google phone number my son set up for car dealing a while back. Still works. Can you help me understand (my technical illiteracy is a well known fact) what I can do to utilize what works for you. I didn't quite understand. I do have a few items I think would sell well in my area. Just didn't want to deal with emails and tire kickers. If I understand, your method was much easier. Thanks.


Do you have a smartphone and don’t mind texting? If yes load the google voice app onto it and you’ll find a great texting app that uses your google voice number. List your google voice number in CL listings as sms text entry. People really like the instant part of selling an item in response.