Craigslist Furniture pick-up logistics

[Anonymous]

Hi - I am considering buying a piece of furniture on Craigslist, but the problem is that it won't fit into my little car (and I need help moving it). How do people handle the logistics of this purchase? Do I go and check it out first, put down a deposit, and then have a service pick it up and pay the remaining amount at that time? Other suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi - I am considering buying a piece of furniture on Craigslist, but the problem is that it won't fit into my little car (and I need help moving it). How do people handle the logistics of this purchase? Do I go and check it out first, put down a deposit, and then have a service pick it up and pay the remaining amount at that time? Other suggestions?

That is what we did, with a few differences: we paid the full amount, and had the sellers take the ad off craigslist and send us an email saying that we had paid the full amount so we had it in writing.

[Anonymous]

For big stuff, my husband rents a van and picks it up. Usually it is so far out in the 'burbs we don't even check it out first, but ask a ton of questions and get additional photos if necessary.

If you need help lifting, bring a friend!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi - I am considering buying a piece of furniture on Craigslist, but the problem is that it won't fit into my little car (and I need help moving it). How do people handle the logistics of this purchase? Do I go and check it out first, put down a deposit, and then have a service pick it up and pay the remaining amount at that time? Other suggestions?

That is what we did, with a few differences: we paid the full amount, and had the sellers take the ad off craigslist and send us an email saying that we had paid the full amount so we had it in writing.

Thanks! Great suggestion. Did you have the service pick it up the same day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi - I am considering buying a piece of furniture on Craigslist, but the problem is that it won't fit into my little car (and I need help moving it). How do people handle the logistics of this purchase? Do I go and check it out first, put down a deposit, and then have a service pick it up and pay the remaining amount at that time? Other suggestions?

That is what we did, with a few differences: we paid the full amount, and had the sellers take the ad off craigslist and send us an email saying that we had paid the full amount so we had it in writing.

Thanks! Great suggestion. Did you have the service pick it up the same day?

No, for some purchases it was more than a week away (but if that had been a problem we would have made arrangements to get it sooner.) We were furnishing an entire house via Craigslist and waited until we had enough big stuff to get a mover with a van to pick everything up in one day from several stops and take it all to our storage unit.

[Anonymous]

I paid with PayPal so I was protected. Then I waited until a friend could help me pick it up.

[Anonymous]

Also, if you need a large van/truck, you can always use Zipcar to rent one for a couple of hours.

[Anonymous]

I usually ask the seller if they will deliver for extra $$$. when they have said they can't, then I rent a truck and bring a friend

[Anonymous]

Same here - I will ask if they will deliver for a little extra. If not, I rent a pick up from Lowes or Home Depot. I will go and look at it first to make sure I want it and then go and get the truck.

[Anonymous]

I don't like paying cash unless I can pick it up right then. Make sure to have some sort of payment record just in case.