GlennR

Standard... ball joints. Dropped 3" in front.

genejockey 

I should have known from the shape of the windshield.

Danhedonia

I bought a 2018 Trek Emonda SL6 Pro off CL yesterday. Seller is a local cop and Google-able sponsored rider. Price was attractive and it's in sponsored-rider condition (e.g., remarkably pristine and impeccably kept). I also got a Giant TCR-1 and about $2k of various clothing, parts, tools, etc., off CL for $650 when a gentleman with a tough diagnosis wanted to 'rehome' his cherished ride. Good deals occur, and importantly, the world is full of good people who just need to have stuff move on from their lives.

Worst CL experience was a guy who was trying to do a guitar trade w/me; his guitar was NOT as-described, and when I said "no thanks" he began yelling at me in my house, and left with a door slam. That was a long time ago, and since then I have very few visits to the house.

Far and away the weirdest CL experience I ever had, though, was an attempt to 'pay it forward' by selling an old, but perfectly functional Honda Civic for $1. I knew what it's like to need a break, figured someone could use a free car ... and holy sugarsmacks, Batman, did the nutjobs come crawlin' out of the woodwork. So many missed appointments; so many people who seemed to prefer endless email chains to simply getting a car dropped off for a buck. In the end, I literally could not give the car away because people were too disorganized. Surreal.

Kabuki12

Nice V Dub. I grew up messing with Volkswagens . I got really good at building engines and flipped a few Vans and Bugs BITD when you could get one for a couple of hundred bucks. I had a lot of fun and made some money. I used it to buy an early 1957 T 1 356A Porsche that I restored and drove for 25+ years. I sold it and turned my obsession to vintage road bikes that are just as rewarding and a lot less work/ $$. There is a 1964 bug sitting in a lot that I have access to and I have to look away , I am not into the work anymore. It belongs to an older woman and is 100% original and needs restoration. It is worth doing as it is a sunroof. Joe joesvintageroadbikes.wordpress

GlennR

You let a Craigslist stranger in your house?

Depending on the time, I usually do the transaction at a local bank vestibule. That way the entire transaction is on camera and the other person is not in my home.

Milton Keynes

Yes, usually if they're way too eager to buy it sight unseen, that's a red flag. And any time they send a cashier's check for way over the asking price and want you to send them back the extra or send it to someone else, you can guarantee it's a scam.

Mojo31

I’ve done some in my garage. Usually large bulky items or stuff that needs power to show it works. No problems, but I’ve also passed on people who seemed sketchy. The safe bolted to the floor may have them second guessing what may be lying within easy reach.

GlennR

Between the bike and the car, I don't let strangers in my garage either. But i understand bulky things are hard to move. I guess I could run an extension cored under the garage door

Bmach

i bought all my bikes from an LBS and I don’t have one receipt. I bet most don’t.

royphotog

We sold a Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter a few years back, learned never to post the real cost of the item in the headline, within about 30 minutes we got several offers to buy, pay with PayPal, one was a Marine Biologist (oh sure) who was leaving to go out to sea with a couple of hours, had to do the transaction right away. I think it was that one that I said, "gee, we have decided that we can no longer accept the $5000 asking prince, but now it was $10,000" just for fun. I think they decided that I was messing with them and went away.

GlennR

I keep mine for insurance and some new buyers like all the original stuff.

billyymc

This is a pretty good way to know. Most people who steal a bike and try and sell it won't know much about it. And contrary to a suggestion above, many people (myself included) don't have a neat file of receipts for things they bought 5 or 10 years ago regardless of how big the purchase was.

I bought a road bike off CL several years ago. It was 2 years old, but looked brand new - nothing was worn on it. Before I went to see it I contacted the owner several times to ask questions and he didn't seem very knowledgeable about it, which raised red flags. I was ready to walk away, but asked him where he purchased it. He said at one of our LBS, so I went down to the shop and talked with them - told them I was going to purchase a bike on CL and was trying to verify if it was stolen.

Well it turns out that every time I asked the seller a question, he called the bike shop to ask them! They confirmed that he had in fact purchased the bike there, and that he had also ridden it once or twice at the most. Apparently he had some back issues and bought an upright townie bike from them also - assuming he'd eventually be able to ride the road bike. He never was able to, so I got a brand new two year old bike for 55% of the price he paid for it.

The LBS owner was happy I was buying the bike so the owner would stop calling them to ask questions about it!

billyymc

Glenn, you balance your checkbook still don't you?

Just kidding - it's good that you have the discipline to keep that documentation (and I assume keep it neatly filed). I for one and terrible about keeping receipts, manuals, etc. I have four bikes, and probably don't have receipts for any of them. Plus one I built frame up so I'd have to keep information for the whole build...if it's not in my email history it no longer exists!

Paul Barnard

I don't need the comfort that the bike wasn't stolen. I am concerned only with a good deal.

Paul Barnard

I have done a number of CL (and other net classified) transactions in my house and at my house. I have even had some Mormon youths in my house for a bottled water. They get hot out there riding bicycles.

Milton Keynes

I don't want to tell you what to do, but letting randos from Craigslist know where you live is a huge mistake. Sure, 99% of the time the transaction will go smoothly, but it's that 1% when you get a weirdo which could spell trouble.

Mojo31

If you're careful, it's usually not a problem. We've done a number of them at the house, but it is not my preferred course. Once we had a full bird colonel and lawyer drive down from Oklahoma to pick up a trailer full of patio furniture we had on CL. He showed up at about 9:00 when it was as dark as it gets. We loaded him up, chatted a bit, gave him a drink for the road, and he then drove to his lake house to drop it off before heading home 3 hours away.

Another time not long ago, we sold a large entertainment center to a couple for their lake house. Some of the pieces were so large and bulky that I had no choice but to let them in so the guy could help me take it apart and carry it out. They were great.

I've done a lot of CL sales and buys, and have never felt uncomfortable. I prefer not to let people I don't know in my house though. I'm not too worried about breakins as our house is more secure than most.

Mojo31

What benefit is it to them to know where you live? If you let them come over, you certainly aren't going to give them the keys to the house.

I'm more concerned about the guys driving down the street with a crowbar and handgun looking for an opportunity.

GlennR

Just last year I had the chairmat in my home office crack to the point It needed to be replaced. I remember it being like 10 years old and since it lasted so long, i looked for the receipt so i could buy the same. Well, I found the receipt, it was 12 years old and I also found it had a lifetime warranty. I contacted 3M about getting a replacement. I received a email from customer service that they no longer make that chairmat and told me to email them a copy of the receipt. Two week later I received a check for the full purchase price.

I learned this from my wife that has a winter coat from Macy's that she got a full refund when the zipper broke... it was 5 years old.

I have a Trek Emonda SLR and the frame has a warranty.... so i keep the receipt to prove i'm the original owner.

Milton Keynes

There's a lot of crazy people out there, and if they get it in their heads for some reason that you ripped them off, or they're otherwise unhappy about the transaction they may try to do something to you or your residence. Or, if they are less than honest, they come into your house to do the transaction and see something they'd like to steal, and come back some time later. There's a million different possible scenarios, and most likely you won't ever have to worry about them, but just let that one time happen and you'll wish you never let them know where you live. I guess I'm saying, why take a chance?

Mojo31

I guess that between the security system, that includes video, locks and dog that I just have a sense of security which may be a false sense of security. But, quite frankly, if they saw something in the garage that they wanted to steal, they would have a hard time getting in, and if they did it would be captured on video. If they do succeed in taking something, it's easily replaced. Like I said, the opportunist driving down the street with a crowbar and gun scares me more.

With that, I'm not frequently inviting people I don't know into my house, and when I do I'm very cautious about who.

Danhedonia

I do let strangers from CL in my house. You live in Long Island? LOLOLOLOL.

Paul Barnard

I am confident in my ability to avoid a weirdo and more confident in my ability to deal with one should my detection meter fail me initially.

tomato coupe

How many "randos" drive past your house everyday? How do you keep them from knowing where you live?

tomato coupe

It's good to know you don't have any ethical conflicts buying stolen goods.