Craigslist, is the classifieds giant and they are also home to some really great deals. People looking to get rid of virtually anything turn to the Craigslist community for a quick and easy sale. For sellers there are a lot of benefits to selling your unwanted merchandise on Craigslist, you don’t have to worry about shipping costs and delivery times, listing your items is free as opposed to eBay’s fee structure and Craigslist is a little more close knit if you will, since you are only dealing with members of your own community.

People shopping on Craigslist also have their benefits. You don’t have to pay for shipping, you can usually get your purchased item the same day although you have to go pick it up and of course there are some really great deals, they even have a free section where people give their old stuff away for nothing. But your shopping for a cheap laptop and probably want to know if it is safe to buy one off of Craigslist, right? The answer is of course yes, but you need to follow a few “happy shopper” guidelines before doing so, just to insure that you are covered as much as possible. Follow my guidelines below to insure that you not only find a great cheap laptop, but also have a good experience as well.

Craigslist shopper guidelines to remember

Always deal locally. This is a very important tip to remember, Craigslist was designed for you to deal with people in your own area, that’s why you can’t search all the communities at once, so stick to that. When you purchase anything on Craigslist, there is nothing there to protect you from receiving faulty merchandise or in some cases no merchandise at all, except a visual inspection when you pick it up. So unless you are planning to be in a different state, buy from someone in your area.

Make sure to inspect the laptop before paying. If the laptop is in a box, or not plugged in, request that the person selling it, takes the time to power it up and let you use it for a minute to make sure that everything works as they stated. If the seller is unwilling to let you do this, take your money elsewhere because they are probably trying to hide something. Don’t be afraid to really look it over and try it out, you are paying money for it just as you would in a store so be thorough.

Only pay with cash or a money order for the laptop. Although many sellers won’t take anything but cash, it still pays to remember this tip. Never pay with a check, there are a lot of dishonest people in this world and they may be tempted to make your hundred dollar check look like a nine hundred dollar check so just stick to paying with cash.

Make sure you get a receipt. Most Craigslist shoppers don’t do this but you really should to protect yourself. Even if it is something that is hand written and says you payed “x” amount for a “x” laptop on such and such date. It would also be in your best interest to have the person selling it to write down the working condition that the laptop is in, should there be a problem and you need to go to court.

Remember you are buying a used laptop

The laptop you are buying from Craigslist is going to be used so take that into consideration before spending your money on something you don’t want. There is nothing wrong with used laptops by the way, as long as you have fully inspected the laptop and feel comfortable with the seller, you should be alright. Craigslist is a great place to shop and meet new people in your area which makes it a lot of fun so enjoy, and oh yeah, enjoy that great cheap laptop of yours. If you are interested in more information on buying cheap laptops you might also take a look at, The Savvy Shoppers Guide to Finding Cheap Laptops.