From a buyer’s point of view, Craigslist rarely has any rules. That does not mean that there are no unwritten rules. If you want to get the best deals and keep the regular sellers on your good side, keep reading.

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Craigslist sellers rarely sell on Craigslist for a living. They are trying to earn some extra money or dismantle their houses. They don’t have time to waste going back and forth exchanging 20+ emails only to have the interested party say “you know what, I guess I’m not interested anymore.” It’s okay to ask legitimate questions to find out if the item or trip is worth buying, but don’t mislead the seller. Yes, this really happens and some people do it just for the fun of it. If you want to play, go play checkers with the boy next door.

Answer your emails

If you contact a seller via email, they will respond to you via email, especially if you don’t provide a phone number. Guess what that means? You will receive emails, so be sure to check yours. Don’t take a new one from the seller when he decided to sell to someone else after a week of no emails from you. It was your fault and only your fault.

The price is firm It actually means that the price is firm

Many people consider Craigslist to be a glorified garage sale. At garage sales, you haggle for a better price, and you can do the same on Craigslist. Save yourself time and some nasty emails though; avoid haggling with sellers who claim “the price is firm.” They are broke or have a gambling debt that they need to cover. They are telling you upfront that the answer is no. Try haggling with a seller who says “the price is firm” and you might get a “listen idiot, do you know how to read?” in response.

If you say you’re going to show up, do it

Ask any regular Craigslist seller what their biggest pet peeve is and most will say (aside from people asking stupid questions), people who don’t show up. If you agree to buy an item from Craigslist and agree to meet with the seller, introduce yourself. If you have a last minute change of mind, please have the common decency to at least send an email. This is vital if you meet your seller in a public place. They’ll be foaming at the mouth if you leave them waiting in the Burger King parking lot for two hours and they never show up. You never know when you might run into that seller on Craigslist again.