The Scourge of Craigslist

Craigslist is quite useful.  It seems to have a little bit of everything.  For buying and selling your used rocking chairs, cell phones or boats there is nothing better.  In olden times people used the classified sections of newspapers.  If the print media had even the slightest clue on what the online world was about or just listened to what their customers wanted we would be talking about the Chronicles list or the Times list.  But that is another story.

Craigslist is not perfect.  It’s circa 1990s text interface looks like it was written in BASIC.  There are few rules, no feedback system so you are at the mercy of the buyers and sellers.  Therein lies the rub.  Unlike eBay, most sellers are not “stores”, they have something to sell then they are done.  There are few consequences if you screw your buyer.  Of course buyers are just as likely to take advantage of the situation and abuse their leverage with the seller.

As you might have guessed this is not a random rant.  I tried to buy a kayak on Craigslist last week.  I exchanged emails with the seller, talked to him over the phone, made an arraignment to exchange kayak for dollars the following evening after work.  I drove to Katy at the prescribed time eager for the transaction.  I called the seller and the call went right to voicemail.  A giant red flag came unfurled in my brain.  I left a voicemail – no response.  I waited.  I sent a text seeking resolution.  “sold it this morning” came back on my phone.  I had offered to do the transaction the night before but he said we could just wait till the next day.  I was disappointed but not surprised.  Personal responsibility has been on the decline for decades and varies with age and cultural group.

The best part of this story is, since I was in Katy, I went by one of my favorite stores, Bass Pro Shops just to look around.  They also sell kayaks and kayak accessories just incase I  HAD to have one NOW.  I didn’t.  I looked around and left.  On the way to my car I walked by a pickup truck parked a few spaces away with . . . .  you guessed it . . . . the kayak I was going to buy in the back.