WTF is up with CL lately

[CorvallisBMW]

I've tried selling a few things on CL locally such as a camera and cell phone. Standard ads, nothing fancy; just a basic description. Yet my ads never actually 'post' to CL. I get my confirmation email and publish the ad, and I can always follow the included link to the ad. yet when I search for it, it doesn't exist.

I've spent some time in the help forums and it seems that thousands of people are having this problem. The filters for spammers and bots have been set so tight that lots of legit ads are never posted. I've gone through every inch of the terms and conditions, read the faqs, and even posted a help thread on the CL forums but have gotten nowhere. Everyone on the forum just says 'read the terms and conditions'.

Seems like CL has taken a total shit all over themselves with this. Horribly written ads with misspelling, broken sentences, half-ass descriptions and appalling grammar are totally ok, but legit ads with concise wording and thorough descriptions are not allowed. It fucking pisses me off.

/rant

btw if anyone can find anything wrong with my ad, I'd like to know:

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/pho/2156682129.html

[Kruzen]

1) Are you phone verified
2) How many ads have you posted this week
3) did you post the ad in multiple sections
4) Are you posting from a workplace where many people share the same IP

[CorvallisBMW]

yes
1
no
no

Even if I post 12 ads a week, if none of them ever actually post does that still count as 'posting'?

[daniel]

do you have an account setup with them? just curious, as my ads have been posting.

[Kruzen]

Are you posting in the region you actually live in (nearest city)

[CorvallisBMW]

Yes. My own county and neighborhood even.

This ain't my first rodeo...

[Kruzen]

I guess i'll just say this.

Craigslist filters post by Geolocation, IP, site access, post history, post region as relevant to geolocation, and section.

If anything throws up a flag (say, a person posting in Eastern WA when they live in Western WA) then the post will not come through.

If you post multiple things from one IP in a day, sometimes things will also not go through. etc etc.

I did a fair amount of craigslist spamming (bring on the hate) at one point in time. It's a science to get shit through once they don't like you.

[CorvallisBMW]

I remember when CL used to be a hell of a place; it was the cyber equivalent of the wheel. It revolutionized how we sell things to other private parties. Now it just seems like one big shithole where the spammers, bots and teenage hookers get through and everyone with a legit ad gets fucked over.

[StereoInstaller1]

Here is my suggestion: get really really REALLY baked before writing your ad.

Seems to help all the other posters...

[CorvallisBMW]

lol, may if I misspell every other word, never use punctuation or capitalization and have the grammar skills of Borat I'll have more luck.

[Ryan...]

lol, may if I misspell every other word, never use punctuation or capitalization and have the grammar skills of Borat I'll have more luck.