CL new $5 fee for listing car ads

[KenF]

CL now charges a $5 fee for listing used or private owner cars, starting today (April 15). It will likely end the bulk of spammers and scammer ads. Might also curtail ads for low end fixer uppers. I think it will also affect ads for older cars like Studebakers, as these ads tend to need months to reach the right buyer, and the new $5 listing only lasts for a month. I've sold several used cars in the past couple years, and have used just about every site out there for listing them, including facebook marketplace, and nearly every one of them sold through CL. Some of the free listing apps like Let It Go and Offer Up are a waste of time for car ads, they seem only good for $100 and below items, the car ads on those platforms are garbage and have more issues than CL ever did. FB Marketplace is also dicey, just be sure to set your profile to private or friends only so a disgruntled low-baller can't stalk you or leave nasty comments on all your posts.

I still like to browse CL nationwide (using something like Craigslistcars or Search Tempest to look for Studebakers or other classics. Really hope this new policy doesn't drive away most sellers.

[edpjr]

CL going the way of eBay; unbridled greed. Then again, most of the Studebakers for sale in my general area are always ridiculously priced. Since 1972, I've watched dozens and dozens of decent Studes either be left to rust away in place or get crushed up because hardheaded owners thought they were worth far more than their actual value.

CL now charges a $5 fee for listing used or private owner cars, starting today (April 15). It will likely end the bulk of spammers and scammer ads. Might also curtail ads for low end fixer uppers. I think it will also affect ads for older cars like Studebakers, as these ads tend to need months to reach the right buyer, and the new $5 listing only lasts for a month. I've sold several used cars in the past couple years, and have used just about every site out there for listing them, including facebook marketplace, and nearly every one of them sold through CL. Some of the free listing apps like Let It Go and Offer Up are a waste of time for car ads, they seem only good for $100 and below items, the car ads on those platforms are garbage and have more issues than CL ever did. FB Marketplace is also dicey, just be sure to set your profile to private or friends only so a disgruntled low-baller can't stalk you or leave nasty comments on all your posts.

I still like to browse CL nationwide (using something like Craigslistcars or Search Tempest to look for Studebakers or other classics. Really hope this new policy doesn't drive away most sellers.

[wittsend]

... I've watched dozens and dozens of decent Studes either be left to rust away in place or get crushed up because hardheaded owners thought they were worth far more than their actual value.

And it is just not Studebaker owners either. Of any brand - a nice car sells for $15,000 and everyone thinks their (significantly less) car is worth at least $14,000. The guy with the beater, no title, parts car thinks it is worth $2,000-$4,000. And, yes they languish for months, maybe years rotting away until the seller dies and his family sells the car for scrap price. Something that might have been, never was, due to foolish pride.

As to the $5 fee on CL. I see it as good and bad as mentioned in post #1. It might keep the crap away..., until you/me (us) need something from it and don't know that it is there.

[Bob Andrews]

As a dealer I’ve always paid five dollars per car to list. I mostly stopped using them because they are less relevant. Facebook marketplace is where I post anything I’m going to post, the rest of them aren’t worth wasting the time. Facebook is extremely easy to use, and I get good results there, and it’s free. At least for now.

[Mrs K Corbin]

I can't figure out a way to search Facebook Marketplace, or I'd be using it.

[bob40]

I sell more on Facebook than I do on Craigslist.

[52-fan]

I can't figure out a way to search Facebook Marketplace, or I'd be using it.

On my Facebook page Marketplace is shown on the left. Click on that to open the page and then type Studebaker as the search. If marketplace does not come up on your page, type Marketplace in as your search.

[creegster]

CL going the way of eBay; unbridled greed. Then again, most of the Studebakers for sale in my general area are always ridiculously priced. Since 1972, I've watched dozens and dozens of decent Studes either be left to rust away in place or get crushed up because hardheaded owners thought they were worth far more than their actual value.

$5 is hardly "unbridled greed". There are so many B.S. postings on Craigslist; that is a great way to filter all them out. Unless you have a better solution?

[Dick Steinkamp]

$5 is hardly "unbridled greed".

X2. We didn't seem to have a problem before the internet when we had to pay for print ads to sell a car.

There are (at least) a couple of models for internet selling.

One is where the users pay fees for the service. Craigslist, eBay, BaT are examples of this. In this case, if you don't like the fees or the results, you don't have to use the service. I think all three of these are still quite cost effective, provide a big audience, and get good results.

Another model are services that are advertising based. Generally free because the advertisers pay instead of the users. Facebook is the only one in this category that I believe has the critical mass to do any good. The downside is putting up with the ads and all the personal information they collect in order to serve you ads (and other articles/stories) that they feel you have a good chance of clicking on.

In all cases, the internet companies providing the buying/selling service have to make a profit. Just like the newspaper had to 40 years ago. That's how capitalism works . We are all free to develop a better, cheaper system.

[gordr]

I refuse to use Faceplant, so you will never sell a car to me via that medium.

[(S)]

I wish people would browse a few ads to get a feel for what they are doing before they post crappy pics and no description. There are even some 'dealers' that do no research, and just expect what they have must be worth what they saw sell for big bucks once.

As for a fee, nothing is really free. You signed a disclaimer for all of these sites. You will pay. They will sell your info no matter how insignificant.

[Mike Sal]

I made my first ever internet sale on the FB market place last week....a 1926 McCormick deering motor, then a small portable generator.....
Mike Sal

[GrumpyOne]

To me... Craig's List did the public a big favor by out maneuvering the big newspapers that were charging upwards of $25 for a small print ad in the classifieds thus bring many of them to their greedy knees.

Five bucks is chump change to me to get an ad with pictures as presentation is the big factor in making a sale as well as lessening the crap ads...

[Hallabutt]

On a personal level it probably won't effect me too much, since I seldom sell a car. However I do buy, from time to time, and wonder if it will diminish some of the selections available. I do like to tire kick, using my keyboard. I also sell an occasional part. While I'm willing to almost give a part away, to someone who needs it, I draw the line when I end up going in the hole.

[Jolly-John]

Obviously, just my opinion: But, what else would five bucks buy in our little town these days, other than the craigslist fee for selling one of my collector vehicles, OR a brand X used car? Hmm, let's see... two cups of coffee at our local restaurant, not quite two gallons of gas, one lunch meal deal at McDonald's or Hardees, two editions of our Sunday newspaper, or? Even though I'm probably a CASO like so many others, I see GREAT VALUE in spending $5 to reach a large audience of potential car buyers on craigslist. By coincidence, I'll be listing a car for sale on CL this coming Monday. John