Safety Tips for In-Person Exchanges

Spring & Summer: Bathing suits, sandals, sunglasses, fans, coolers, shorts, tank-tops, sunscreen, tanning lotion, bottled water, sporting equipment, school supplies, flower/grass seed, swimming pools, gardening equipment and construction tools tend to sell more during the summer than the winter (again for utilization reasons).

Craigslist is a wonderful tool for advertising, marketing, communication and networking but it has it’s pitfalls as well. One of the weaknesses of selling items on Craigslist is that you will generally be expected to meet people in person to trade the items for money etc.

Unless the item is something extremely large it is recommended to meet the person in a public place like a diner or café. If you’re meeting this person for the first time it is a good idea to bring a friend with you. When meeting someone in person cash is always preferable. Avoid taking checks, money orders or anything that can’t be verified right away. If the customer is willing to pay in advance, PayPal is a safe and acceptable form of payment.