Awful Craigslist Story

[KzScrapper]

Decided it might be best to start a new thread instead of putting it in an existing one...

Several Craigslist Gone Bad stories in Denver Metro has prompted some Cop Shops to set up Safe Zones for transactions and now two nights ago a lady that went to get some baby clothes north of the city, had her baby removed from her belly by the lady that had posted the add. What's even worse is the lady may not be charged with murder even though the seven month old fetus died shortly after being prematurely born. The mother fortunately survived by being able to call 911 herself as she was bleeding profusely. My heart goes out to the family as I couldn't even fathom having to deal with this.

Many Forum Members conduct biz on Clist and it has been hashed over how they protect themselves, so we don't need to go there. The other side of the coin needs to be an emphasis on putting the other party at ease about the meeting by offering to meet in public or having the item out front by the garage or in view when they get there. The above is just another example of how it takes just a few freaks to screw up a good thing.



Longmont victim in critical but stable condition

[AdmiralAluminum]

Still sick to my stomach but thanks Kz for preserving the innocence of the other cl thread...I seriously want to hurt these people!

[travistemple202020]

wow that's f.kd up the worst thing to ever happen to me from clist is things are still posted but gone. I have protection with me though for these crazy times but my god that's terrible

[AdmiralAluminum]

Where's Dexter when you need him...

[bigburtchino]

kz - Thanks for reminding all of us that CL "can be" dangerous. When I first herd that on the news last night I couldn't get it out of my head, what a total night mare this young lady had to endure. This morning when I heard it on the news again, this time with the young lady talking to the 911 dispatcher, it made me angry! Crags List needs to take some action and make changes to how they run their listings. I don't know what they can do, but there have been way too many CL incidents. People have been murdered and seriously injured responding to CL adds.

I have used CL adds only twice to sell items, a old van and a brand new electric stove. With the same results, many phone calls, with people wanting something for nothing, ending with me selling to someone not from a CL lead.

Ironically yesterday afternoon, I went on CL just to see what kind of "FREE" items were listed in my area. I did this after reading most of the Craig's List threads I have read hear on SMF. I did this before I herd this really disturbing news about this young lady in the Denver area.

I have come to the conclusion that there are way to many people "CHASING the same RABBIT", with very little gain. That this "RABBIT", isn't always a innocent little "BUNNY HOPPER". I'm sure some people have found CL to be a valuable resource and good service for many for just as many reasons. After reading all of the "free" listings in my CL area and this bad news story. I think when it comes to CL for me, I'M OUT!

[Sirscrapalot]

Well that sucks. Not cool at all. An yes, the criminals should be quartered an stuck on the four points of Colorado's border..ala Braveheart. Who am I kidding, it wouldn't stop someone crazy enough to do something like this.

Far as CL..

No they don't need to change. They do plenty to remind you to do your transactions in a public place, or a venue with people. It's all over the ads an website. We're all aware the dangers of using CL. If your not you've been living under a rock since it first opened. There have an always will be criminal activity on there. From hookers, to drugs, to murders. It's up to US the users to have the common sense to do our business in a public setting. Yes it's easier to go to their house or yours..but why would you risk it? Set the meet up 10 minutes or whatever from home at your closest shopping center, book store, coffee shop, etc..somewhere with people.

What happened to this young lady an her child is horrible. Sadly, it's not Craigslist fault nor did they do anything wrong. An if it makes someone mad..fine. CL didn't set up the time, location, or anything else. The victim an criminal did.

I hope they throw the douche bag who did this so far under the jailhouse toxic waste will be safer before they see the light.

Sirscrapalot - First rule..Protect yourself, nobody else will. - I dunno, I made it up.

[Sirscrapalot]

I had to double post..edit wouldn't work so well.

My last post I said they had it on adds, I mistaken.

There is a link at the bottom of adds tho to a "safety" section. Not the best an could be improved, but I still see no wrong on their part. To me it will always be up to me to protect myself. It's not hard to google an address an see what kind of area it is. Or you know use your phone. Even the crappy flip tops you can buy today have access to internet an gps.

link to personal safety page - craigslist | about > safety

Sirscrapalot - Prepare for the worse, hope for the best.

[Metalbestos]

Didn't the same thing happen in Florida awhile back ? Never go anywhere alone , and even if your cell phone is not activated it will still dial 911 . Might want to keep a old one in the glovebox just for emergencys . Also if you use Verizon dialing *** send will automaticly pinpoint your location via gps . This was first introduced so people could do this if they lost a call and it would alert them to signal issues in certain areas . Be safe everyone !

[KzScrapper]

I have a spot about 2 min from home that I meet folks but sometimes due to the size of the item they have to come here. I am amazed how many single gals or with children show up. I think I can get a pretty good vibe for whom I'm dealing with, even via text messages, and not have them come here. That being said...I'm a dude, not a expecting mother.

It will be interesting to see what the women is charged with. One talking head on the news thinks she wont be charged with attempted murder because she just wanted the baby and her intentions weren't to kill the mother. Let's hope he has no flippin idea what he's talking about.

Earlier in the week someone was killed here during a drug deal gone bad that was a Clist deal. People openly sell pot on there but ask for gas money instead of saying they are selling.

Another crazy story from (not Clist) last week was the dude that burned his house and spray painted "My wife's a cheater" and her boyfriends name, on the front of the house. He has a long list of charges including Cruelty to Animals for some goldfish that died in the fire.

[submarinepainter]

WOW my heart is with the family

[bigburtchino]

I don't think CL did anything wrong, a crime was committed using there web site to commit that crime. Just like guns don't kill people, people kill people. Craig's List has been used by so many criminals to do wrong, in many places and just about every perceivable way. I don't know what else they can do, other than the warnings they already post. Legally they may or may not be legally responsible in this case. In law a organization, companies, groups and individuals can be named as a "Party" in legal proceedings. What will more than likely occur, is a civil suit filed by this victims lawyer (I'm sure she will have no problem finding one of those). More than likely CL will be named in a civil suit as a party in this crime. Then a court will need to determine if CL has been negligent in any way, I'm sure CL has been named in many civil suits. I don't know how they have avoided not being named in many lawsuits, just knowing how many crimes that are committed through the use of their site.

My experience with CL is very limited, but the two times I tried to sell items. The new elective stove I listed on CL was very unproductive and a total waste of time for me. I obtained the stove and a lot of other brand new items in a settlement, a company owed me a lot of money and the items were part of a settlement. The stove was a new model, never used, no damage and was retailing for $900. I listed it on CL with all of the specs and information for $300. I did this twice, with a month in between each listing. I had so many calls about the stove, it was crazy. Almost all of the calls started with "would you take a lower amount of money" and the real problem was "can I come look at it". I couldn't believe how many people I showed this stove to and most would say "that's a really nice stove, but I thought it was going to be a gas one". I even had one guy show up, that said I thought it would be "free by now". Don't know how that happened, because in the phone conversations I had, I only gave my address out to people that said they were interested in buying a electric stove. I ended up selling it on a Saturday in a yard sale, it sold in the first couple of hours. I sold it to a young couple for $275 and they got a top of the line stove for a bargain price.

I say I'm out, when it comes to CL, based on my own experience, what I read here at SMF and the many bad news stories. For me it just seems to be not worth it. Not sure how CL makes revenue or how they keep going with all the bad publicity they receive with stories like this.

[hobo finds]

An opportunity to commit the crime was using craigslist. Hay come over and I'll give you 3' feet of 2" copper pipe!! This lady should die the same way her victim did!

[Sirscrapalot]

Burt like everything there is good an bad.

You still shop in a city? Bad things happen all the time.

Shop on eBay or online? - Scams, scammers, an the like abound.

Travel? How can you? all the crimes being committed on tourists, from petty theft to rape an murder.

Guess I'm saying don't give up on CL. Just use your commonsense.

You do when you travel or buy online, I'm sure. Same thing with CL. Or eBay, or that vacation to L.A. .

I'm not trying to make light of what happened to this lady, just trying to point out one can limit the danger they place themselves in with just a few simple steps. Yes bad things can still happen, but at lest you did your part to make it as safe as you can.

I still visit Washington, D.C. All kind of crimes happen near or around the monuments an Mall. I still visit so the bad guys don't win.

Sirscrapalot - The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing. - JFK, by way of Edmund Burke an somebody else..it's a whole big controversy on who actually said it!

[harsas]

As has been said by many, CL is not evil, people are. We have moved to a rural area and I have been using CL and FB a lot to advertise my sales. They work well, but lots of people request public meeting places. I would ba happy to oblige except there are no close public places here and the one thing that is rampant on those lists are no shows and looky loo low ballers (I just made that up). So, unless it is a large dollar item, it is not financially feasible to travel long distances just to be stood up. I do ask folks to meet me here and am fast to tell them to come with someone else. You would be amazed how many folks come alone. I am not worried about myself as I am protected. Of course, the good thing about a rural area is that others that have done business with me will vouch for me on these lists so folks know I am safe.

In my last home, Lowe's was less than 5 minutes away and meeting was never a problem...

[bigburtchino]

Sir I know CL has to be doing something good for a lot people, other wise they would not still be around. It is a sad pill to swallow hearing these news stories about people (criminals) utilizing a service to facilitate their dirty deeds. Did a little "homework" about Craigslist, found out somethings I like about the founder of CL. Craig Newmark started CL in 1995 in San Francisco, basically to help people, help each other. At first it was more of a hobby, for a very successful and employed software engineer. By 1999 he and CL was doing so well, he quit working for someone else, started working full time on CL. There was nine employees and himself working out of his apartment. That same year Craigslist became a business for profit. They have always been a no advertising format web site with no plans to ever do so. The founder is still the majority owner, with the current CEO Jim Buckmaster being the other major owner. In 2004 eBay bought 25% of the company from a former employee. The company is basically ran by a three person board by the founder, the CEO and a eBay appointee. The founder "Craig" is not to happy about the eBay setup, as he never wanted CL to be a "Corporation" type company. CL and eBay have been suing each other since 2008 over how things are ran at CL. Craig wants CL to be more of a community based on people helping and benefiting each other and not a corporate affair for billionaires. They make money by charging businesses for adds (employment and property listings). All from the major cities only (less than 15, like San Francisco, LA, NYC and DC). They are by far the largest classified ads service in the world and one of the ten largest web based sites in the nation. CL is a very privately ran company, releasing no information on ownership or finances. They charge businesses $75 in San Francisco and $25 in other major market cities. They charge businesses $10 for property listings in the same major market cities. In NYC alone they average more than 500,000 apartment listing a month (at $10 per month, that's a real decent revenue stream). Fortune magazine estimates the company has a yearly profit over $100 million. They also state, that the founder could have earned billions by taking CL public and Craig says that won't happen. So most people get a free classified advertisement on the WEB. Millions benefit from this at the expense of really a few businesses in just a few major cities. I know this helps many members here at SMF as well and that is very good thing.

I don't like the criminal activity on CL at all and this terrible tragedy in Denver is just plain bad. Done by a very sick person, who obviously had only thought of her self. Just as all criminals as far as I'm concerned, a few self-serving acts affecting many should not go unpunished.

Perhaps when I have more time I'll try to sell something on CL again. So I'm going to not rule out CL in the future, after doing some reading and thought. Craigslist is a good thing, with criminals exploiting who ever, where ever, anytime they can.

[Swampy]

Here in Georgia we've had a couple of murders recently resulting from CL interactions. In one, an elderly couple responded to an ad about an antique car. Guy (allegedly) shot them both, apparently for the cash he assumed they were bringing for the purchase. In another case, a guy was trying to buy an iphone...got killed for his shoes according to reports. People are insane.

*edit* in the car case, as you probably guessed - there was no car for sale