Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Selling used items - be safe

I have used kijiji and usedottawa to sell/buy baby items since Mr. J was an infant. It is a great way to make some money back on items you only use for a short period of time.  The return you get is higher than taking the items to a consignment store, although a downfall is the time it takes to list items and respond to inquiries.

After hearing about Timothy Bosma, it really got me thinking about all the times buyers came to my house in the middle of the day, when I was alone with the kids.  I even went and picked items up from people without thinking twice about it.

After hearing about Tim's death on the news today, they listed some great tips on how to continue selling privately, but being safer about it.

1) ask questions of prospective buyers on the phone; try and get a phone number to reach them at. IF they won't give you one, that should raise some red flags
2) always try and meet during the day, and in a public place
3) never go alone - bring a friend or family member with you


Do you buy or sell online or through classifieds?  What are your thoughts - will this change your mind about it?

8 comments:

  1. We've sold a lot of things on Craigslist. We always do the transaction in the driveway, with one of us watching ready to dial the police.
    If the item is small enough, we meet them at Starbucks.


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    1. Thanks for commenting; from now on I will definitely be making sure to have someone with me; I tend to only sell to one particular group of ladies now, and we all know each other - so it isn't such a big worry for me now.

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  2. I rely on selling used items to make money, right now. My husband doesn't like when a buyer comes to our house and most aren't done at our home, but, some are. You just don't know anymore, and Tim's story is heartbreaking. My niece works with his wife and everyone is devastated.

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  3. We have sold various things online but have been really trusting! I am probably not going to have anyone come over unless someone else is home!

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  4. I have sold and bought a number of items using Kijiji and Used Ottawa. I think that this will certainly make me a little less likely to use these sites and instead use the FB Swap and Sell groups that I am member of and I will certainly be much more wary when meeting with a buyer.

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  5. I have sold tons of stuff on craigslist. come to think I have never been alone, my husband was always there. I met very nice people and friends this way. Tragic for the Bosma family and Canada. Thankyou for the tips,

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  6. We have never sold anything online yet, usually give it to a friend or donate it to charity. After this tragedy it does make you think about your safety

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