by Stacey Mcclure

Created on: November 07, 2009   Last Updated: November 26, 2009

With eBay's fees constantly on the rise, and the hassles setting up a Paypal account & shipping, Craigslist has become a popular choice for people to sell their unwanted items.

Like everything else on the internet, Craigslist can be a useful tool if you just use a little common sense. Some may think it is dangerous to deal with people in person, and like everything else in life, it certainly can be. If you follow some simple precautions, you can avoid some of these dangers.

1 - Never post your street address in a Craigslist ad, especially if you are selling expensive items. Wait until you have had a chance to talk with interested parties. It's not as easy to judge character over the phone, but it helps to have a conversation with the person you may be dealing with before you invite them to come to your home.

2 - Whenever possible, arrange to meet the person in a public place, preferably somewhere that a lot of other people will be around. Never go alone to meet a stranger though. Bring someone with you. If it is impossible to bring someone with you, call at least two friends or family members and let them know exactly when and where you are meeting up with this person. Tell them that if they have not heard from you by a certain time, to call the police and have an officer dispatched to the meeting place. Make sure you call your friends by the agreed upon time to let them know everything is ok. Another good idea is to punch 911 into your cell phone and keep your finger on the call button while you are meeting the stranger. If anything happens, you can press the call button. Even if you can't actually talk to the 911 dispatcher, at least they will be alerted that there is trouble. Many times they can track down the location of your cell phone.

3 - In the case of larger items, such as furniture or automobiles, it is difficult to avoid having the stranger come to your home. There are still precautions you can take though. If they ask for your address so they can put it in their GPS, tell them your address won't come up for some reason and give them an address close by, such as an intersection. Then verbally give them the rest of the directions. Better yet, have the person meet you at the corner gas station and have them follow you to your house. The less personal information you give people, the more difficult it will be for them to remember it.

4 - If you cannot avoid a stranger coming to your home, whenever possible, deal with people during daylight hours and make sure someone else is home with you at the time of the meeting. If it is impossible to have someone there with you, call a couple neighbors and alert them of the meeting. Let them know what time the person is supposed to be coming so they can keep an eye out for anything that might happen.

5 - Although physical danger is a big concern, you also need to be aware of scams. If you are going to be selling a lot of items, and dealing with cash transactions, invest a couple dollars in a "money marker". These are the markers some stores use to detect counterfeit bills. They are inexpensive, and can save you a lot of headaches. Not only because you don't want to get ripped off, but if someone gives you counterfeit money, you may take the blame when you spend the bogus bills!

Craigslist has a good amount of information about scams and how to avoid them.

Selling your unwanted items on the internet can be fun and profitable if you do your homework and use your noggin. Happy selling!

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