Craigslist Purchase. What to do?

[goobhen]

Look at store sales, you can get a nice TV from even Walmart for 200... just a thought. CL is no different than buying something at a garage sale. My friend bought a golf cart off CL. Her hubby is a happy little camper with his new toy! Theresa

 

[AngieChick]

I just bought a minivan listed on Craigslist and have been happy with the purchase. Although, I had my mechanic go over it with a fine tooth comb before agreeing to anything, as well as researching the daylights out of that make and model. You can score well on craigslist at times, just go in with your wits about you.

 

[quercus21]

To me, Craigslist is a giant yard sale, flea market etc. and I treat it the same way. Check out the product, investigate and have some general knowledge of it, before committing to purchasing it. If it was a major purchase for me, and I didn't have any knowledge of it, I would bring someone that did and go from there. I would never purchase something site unseen.

 

[jafo]

It could be "hot", offer $150 bucks and get a signed written receipt.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Any private sale of used merchandise is 'as is' unless the seller writes down a specific warranty. That warranty is only as good as person selling the item, so may be worthless anyway. I don't know how much this TV retails for, but if you purchased an item for $1,000 with a one year warranty and it lasted 5 years and goes out that's $200 a year. If you buy a used one for $200 and it lasts longer than a year, you are ahead. And, if it's 'hot' ~~ a receipt isn't going to help you retain ownership if they ever found you.

That said, buying used items is a great way to get things you can't afford at regular price. I've probably bought more used items than new in my lifetime. You know, once it's in your house for a few months, it's used anyway. If you do your homework, MOST of the time, it will be worth the $$$.