can of worms:) buying a dryer on craigslist

bookers1 · January 2012

We need a new dryer. Yesterday.

Ours broke. Looked into fixing it and the part is $180. The dryer is from 1989, so we're cutting our losses and buying a new one:) New dryers cost anywhere from $500 to $2000. But we have found there is a market on craigslist. Found one for $200, and a lot more less than $500 that seem nice. DH wants to go for it. I can't help thinking they are appliances stolen from forclosed houses, lol.

Have you bought any big appliances off of craigslist? Or sold them? WWYD?

btw, one place is offering a 10% discount if I say "I love Jesus". Gotta love craigslsit.

kmt1986 · January 2012

Buying things off Craigslist doesn't bother me at all. Some people really do just want to get rid of stuff. I doubt most of the stuff is hot.

On a side note, do you have any ding/factory outcast places in your town? You can get really good deals on items because they have just a little ding in the metal that they can't sell in regular stores.

Cholzmei · January 2012

I have sold a washer and dryer on Craigslist. I love Craigslist. I seem to have missed the last Craigslist post drama, so I'm not really sure what the issue is with Craigslist.

I bought my dining room table and chairs off of it for only $70. The only thing wrong with the chairs was that they needed to be repadded and reupholstered, which was something I could do. I also bought a practically brand-new desk from Craigslist and a futon. Living in a college town leads to lots of stuff going up for sale on Craigslist that has only been used for a year.

LilyPotter218 · January 2012

I sold a refrigerator on CL a few years ago.

I had a tech come out and look at it and was told it was dying. Went a got a really nice new one. When they came to install it they asked where I wanted the old one... Ummm garbage, its toast right?

Nope. Not toast, all it needed was to be defrosted. It was older but totally fine. I used it in my garage as a beer fridge for a while, but really didn't need it with the giant new one I had just gotten.

It was gone off CL within a day.

I am always a bit hesitant with things like that to buy though. You really have no idea how well it works. You could get it home and it may dry once and then die and you can't do anything about it. I was actually worried about this when I sold my fridge. Told the guy to call me if it died b/c I would have felt too bad to screw him like that

countrygrl5533 · January 2012

I bought my current washer and dryer off of CL. Love them! Gotta love people that upgrade just because the want to and sell fairly new and great appliances for $100/the pair.

Also sold the dryer that came with the house on CL. Trying to sell the washer too but it is broken and I just keep getting fake replies.

I'd go for it.

cmsdouglas · January 2012

We bought a washer and dryer from Craigslist for $150 a couple of years ago. They were old, but they were by far the best washer and dryer we've ever had! When we moved again, we sold them on Craigslist again really quickly (we're talking 1/2 hour). We've also sold a couple other pieces of furniture on Craigslist and never had any problems. I say go for it!

bookers1 · January 2012

Thanks guys! I think I'm going to just go for it. It's not that much money anyway. I love craigslist too! Over the holiday break I sold a ton of furniture from our old house and have stashed away about $1000! DH wanted to donate it and thought I was crazy for selling it. But now he knows that I'm a genious:) But I am a little nervous about buying something there that I can't test. Giving it a try though!

slyrose123 · January 2012

Do you have a Sears scratch and dent store near by? Those can be around 300 for some high quality brands. Just an option

lhammerle · January 2012

We just put an entire kitchen and laundry room in our basement apartment, and bought ALL applicances off CL. We've had nothing but great experiences. We did however always make sure to see that the applicances worked before we purchased them.

lawright · January 2012

I've sold a bunch of stuff on craigslist. When we redid the kitchen, we sold the stove, the table, and all of our old cabinets. When it comes to buying an appliance off of craigslist, ask to see the original paperwork (manual, receipt/warranty if they have it, etc.) The older the dryer, the less efficient it'll be. Google the model number before you go to get energy information on it, and compare the energy information to newer models. You might discover a savings of a few hundred dollars over a surprisingly short period of time. Also remember that appliance stores and credit card companies frequently offer anywhere from 6-24 months interest free financing, and that appliance store clerks will very often negotiate on prices. Also, before you buy on Craigslist, you should look at the "scratch & Dent" or Open Box items. I think we ended up spending $280 for a brand-new Kenmore energy star dryer from Sears as an open-box item.

If you buy from craigslist, expect to pay cash for the item. Take somebody with you for safety, and make sure that you don't need delivery. Make sure it works before you purchase it, (test-dry a wet, wrung-dry towel to see how long it takes) and make sure that somebody you trust knows how to install the dryer.

hilwithonelary · January 2012

I bought our washer and dryer off of craigslist almost 5 years ago for $300. They were brand new, never used (they were put in a house to help it sell, and the new owners had a set of their own that was nicer). I think the dryer is worth looking in to.

BOTB2011 · January 2012

I would look to see if there are any cheap options online (Sears always seems to have appliances on sale)

My concern with buying it on Craigslist would be there is no warranty if something goes on this "new" one; also how old is the dryer; how much has it been used; and why are they selling it?

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can of worms:) buying a dryer on craigslist

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