Any success with craigslist?

[timtheboatguy]

I have sold stuff on craigslist before but never advertised my services. Today I placed an ad for my boat cover business. I received four calls in about a six hour period. All wanted a "ballpark" price. One guy says he will get back with me when he gets around to digging his boat out of storage, another guy has to discuss it with his wife, the third guy says he will bring his boat in at the end of the season and the forth guy is suppposed to drop off his bimin top first thing in the morning for me to fabricate a new one.

I am trying to be positive here but I get the feeling I may be entertaining "tire kickers". The ad cost nothing, but the time spent on the phone cost plenty. Any thoughts on this matter?

Tim

[SHHR]

There may be tricks to it to br successful there, but I've lost a lot of faith in not only craigslist, but people too. I had some old collector car projects to sell, so after listing them I recieved numerous messages. Most set up appointments to come and look, but never showed after I set my schedule around them. Then I started getting the spam e-mails about "hey, this is legit. I'd like to meet you for drinks somewhere" I even got one e-mail asking "how long was the valve cover"? I flagged that guy right away to craiglist, then he calls and wants to see the car, so I say ok come on Saturday. I had some reservations still about his previous e-mail, so on that day I had some friends over who are guys not to be fooled with. After he got here it was obvious he wasn't a "car guy". He left in a hurry needless to say. I did advertise the shop on there too and right away someguy flagged me, because he claimed I didn't post a legitiment phone number. I am pretty much done with Craigslist  after so much wasted time.
Kyle

[gene]

Craigs list is doing something for someone because it's still around.

I tried selling a few things there and got only junk emails. I only put my "secondary" email on there. I also put my email address with spaces in it so bots wouldn't pick it up.

Even when I put personal stuff on there I had it down at my studio. I did not want people coming to my house.

It may depend on where in the country you are. I do custom furniture upholstery and I don't think folks who use this service would be looking for an upholsterer on Craigs list.

Kyle: Here's an ad you can put on Craigs list:

Guy who are not to be fooled with for rent.
Selling on Craigs list and you want to be safe?
I will rent you "Guy's who are not to be fooled with"
For a safe and secure selling experience.

Angie's List seems to be growing big time, but I have never used them.

gene

[sofadoc]

As a "retail" consumer, I would never refer to Craigslist for goods or services, but I've had many good experiences buying and selling personal items there. That's how I got my Juki LU-1508 for $375.

Any time you see an ad selling an individual item, and the ad looks professional, they've probably just pasted the manufacturer's ad. They don't even have the product. They wait until buy it from them, then they go get it (or order it). They are banking that you either haven't been checking the sale ads, or simply don't know the going rate for that item. 

[timtheboatguy]

Well I have had 6 or 7 calls and an email. Total business=Zero.

[jojo]

Tim,
Give it some time. I have had great success advertising my services on craigslist. And I do deal with people who want a quote over the phone or through email. Most of the time I can talk them into emailing a photo of the boat (and rough measurements) and I actually can work out a quote for a cover or seats. Sometimes they say they're interested and you wait for them to call you back and they don't. Them 3 or 4 months later they call and say "Remember me?". Happens all the time. There are not many people who do this is my area, so maybe I'm just lucky that way.
A little tip: If you can get away with it, post your services ad in the boats for sale section. Make sure the words boat seats and/or boat cover and/or canvas are in the ad. I've never been flagged for this.
You can't beat free advertising, and who the heck reads the yellow pages these days anyway?
Btw, 6 or 7 calls in one day is a phenomenal result.

[JDUpholstery]

I have used Craigs List a lot over the last few moths and gotten jobs from out of my area because of it...I live in north east arkansas and have gotten jobs as far away as Memphis (3 hours drive), even though there are upholsterers in Memphis, they like my prices (a lot less overhead)  and friendly customer service (nowhere near as busy) better so would rather drive for it. I post in both marine services and boats for sale, like JoJo, I have never been flagged for doing it

[baileyuph]

What city are you in, you said North East Arkansas?

Doyle

[JDUpholstery]

Ash Flat area

[Mojo]

My family ( Grandparents, Dad, Aunts - Uncles, etc ) are from Marmaduke ( Paragould ).

Chris

[timtheboatguy]

Just an update: My craigslist ad produced about a dozen calls or emails in about a two week span. So far I have reaped zero from the contacts. I have since took the ad down. I have done better with my website, google and the local bi-weekly paper that gets delivered to every resident in my local lake community.

Years ago, before the internet I used to advertise in the Thrifty Nickel (a free classified paper distributed at multiple businesses) I had the same results with that paper as I have had with craigslist.

It seems that everyone was looking for a cheap deal.

[SHHR]

Tim, if you're looking for advertising, first of all you can't beat word-of-mouth, but consider a facebook page for your shop. Out of everything I've done that page has generated more interest for business than any paid advertisement I've tried. Phone book -nothing, Advertising in local festivals fliers-nothing, putting my ad on a park bench-nothing, advertising with fundraisers-nothing, giving door prizes at local car shows-nothing. The only things that have worked besides word of mouth is the facebook page and just going out and talking to businesses personally that may use my services like marinas, auto shops, bike shops, and putting fliers in auto parts stores. Everytime I do a job I snap some pics with my Iphone the I have a businass page app that I can load them to with descriptions immediatly and it also tells you how many see those pics, who comments on them, who likes them, and it lets you manage the page right from the phone which is quicker than setting at my computer doing it.
Kyle

[mroy559]

I have used Craigs List a good deal during the last few moths and gotten work opportunities from from my area due to it... I have a home in north far east arkansas and still have gotten work opportunities as far as Memphis (3 hrs drive), despite the fact that there are usually upholsterers within Memphis, they just like my prices (a good deal less overhead) and friendly customer satisfaction (nowhere next to as busy) greater so would prefer to drive correctly. I post in the two marine providers and boats available for purchase, like JoJo, I have never also been flagged for doing it.

[JDUpholstery]

Mroy, did you just cut and paste my reply....lol other than a few words here and there its exactly what I said....

[sofadoc]

Mroy, did you just cut and paste my reply....lol other than a few words here and there its exactly what I said....

Mroy is just a spammer. He's re-wording other posts just to gain exposure for his website. He probably wouldn't know a staple gun if it shot him in the butt.