{"id":7657,"date":"2009-12-03T05:00:01","date_gmt":"2009-12-03T12:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/?p=7657"},"modified":"2019-09-26T02:00:36","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T09:00:36","slug":"furniture-and-scambags-adventures-on-craigslist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/furniture-and-scambags-adventures-on-craigslist\/","title":{"rendered":"Furniture and scambags: Adventures on Craigslist"},"content":{"rendered":"
I’ve already told you how the wife and I weed out our closets every summer<\/a> and have a yard sale with the results. Last weekend, we did some big off-season pruning because \u2014 in a little more than a month \u2014 we’re moving to a smaller house (though it’s way cooler, closer to work, and in a better school district). Consequently, we have to get rid of a good bit of furniture.<\/p>\n Here’s the evolution of my furniture-buying history:<\/p>\n Okay, so we have<\/i> bought furniture that we’re likely keep for a very, very long time. But we’re also selling items that we thought we’d keep for much longer than we did \u2014 and getting a fraction of the price we paid. One example: I always wanted a roll-top desk, but I thought I didn’t deserve one until I became a real writer. So when I wrote my first book for The Motley Fool, I rewarded myself by using part of the money I earned to buy a swell-looking cherry roll-top desk, designed specifically to be used with computers. And I loved it…for a while.<\/p>\n But then I outgrew it. I don’t know why exactly, except that I now prefer to sit in a comfy chair with a laptop in my (guess!) lap rather than sitting at a desk \u2014 perhaps because I sit at a desk all day at work. I don’t want to come home and do it for another few hours. And the desk also takes up a lot of space, which we don’t want to devote to a desk in our new home.<\/p>\n So here’s my new<\/i> thinking about furniture: Like clothes, furniture can wear out its style and usefulness. Our tastes in homes and the accompanying contents change; it just doesn’t make sense to pay up for something we may no longer want or have space for a few years later.<\/p>\n The flip side is that cheaper furniture may not last even a few years. That’s been our experience with the dressers we bought from Target and IKEA. So, for now, I think our best strategy is to buy high-quality stuff used. Or go back to eating off sturdy boxes.<\/p>\n Obviously, other people agree, because within 48 hours of our listing seven items on Craigslist<\/a>, we’ve sold three (including the roll-top desk). I assure you, they’re getting good deals. And we’re raising cash to buy furniture more appropriate for our new place \u2014 off Craigslist, of course.<\/p>\n That said, I’ve been the target of two attempted scams and possibly a third. Here’s how one went down: I received identical emails from \u201cMr J Benson\u201d at mrjbensonx0@gmail.com, regarding two of the items we were selling. He asked if they were still available. I replied that they were, and again received two identical emails, as follows:<\/p>\n Thanks for the prompt response. I have instructed my 1.Your full name ** Please note that I will overnight the payment,and This immediately smelled stinky to me, and a quick Google search showed that plenty of other people have received this identical offer. From what I can tell, here’s how the scam works: The check that gets delivered is for more than the item being sold. The \u201cbuyer\u201d instructs the seller to deposit the check anyhow, and just wire back the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n Stage of Life<\/th>\n Type of Furniture<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n College student<\/td>\n Dorm fare, boxes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Single college grad<\/td>\n Goodwill castoffs, sturdier boxes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Newlywed<\/td>\n Wedding gifts, furniture relatives no longer use<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Up-and-coming professional<\/td>\n Begin to buy “nice” furniture because we’ll keep it forever<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Family man moving to a different house<\/td>\n Sell “nice” furniture on Craigslist<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Adventures on Craigslist<\/h2>\n
\naccount officer to mail (overnight) a certified
\ncheck, while you hold this item for me. Let me know
\nwhen you receive the check and I will have my mover
\nwill come pick up at your place. Please forward me
\nthe following info so I can issue your check . . .<\/p>\n
\n2.Your mailing address(Physical as Ups does not deliver to P.O.Box}
\n3.Your phone number.<\/p>\n
\nyou should receive it tomorrow. I appreciate you
\nholding this for me. Please delete the posting as I
\nam definitely buying it from you and it would be sad
\nfor me to have the payment in the mail only to be
\ninformed of the its sale also am deaf and will like to be contacted via
\nemail.*<\/p><\/blockquote>\n