Criagslist Offers Deals and Duds

From household appliances to the house itself, you can get just about anything, or any service, on Craigslist.org.
But, the popular site isn't regulated, which means you could click on the best deal out there or something you didn't bargain for.

"I got this cheaper than you'd get at the store and it's practically brand new," April Justice, of Round Rock, said, as she pointed to a chair.

And that's not all April Justice has found on Craigslist.

"You can buy boxes full of clothing for seven and eight year olds and end up paying ten bucks for something that would cost hundreds," Justice told FOX 7.

She's hired babysitters off the site. She's even sold her house on Craigslist, just twenty days after she posted the ad.

"I put my stuff in the newspaper, you don't get as many responses. People are just not looking at the newspaper, they're going to Craigslist.

Forty-two million transactions take place each month on Craigslist, which continues to gain popularity.

"It's the natural audience for anybody who has a transaction, so that essentially is all of us," Dr. Andrew Dillon, of the UT School of Information said. "Is it more profitable for all parties because there isn't a third party involved? Likely so, and has an impact on prices, yes, humans have always bartered, they've always transacted."

But, lately, Craigslist has drawn attention, apart from the curious clicks from people looking to strike a deal.

Authorities say this man used Craigslist to find a woman, then ended up killing her. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says Craigslist is the new frontier for prostitution.

"People have no record of transaction. We don't know who is a well-regarded user there," Dr. Dillon said.

The Austin Police Department says it receives a lot of complaints, even some inquiries, about Craigslist, and other similar websites.

"This morning, somebody called me and said that their daughter had met somebody on Craigslist that was looking for a roommate, and the mom was calling to see if this person was a legitimate person," Cpl. Scott Perry, of Austin Police Department, said.

On the bottom left hand corner of Craigslist homepage, police say you can find ways to avoid scams and protect your safety.

The site suggests dealing locally with those you can meet in person, and don't meet with them alone. It also say never give out financial information, and trust your instincts.

"There's no regulation over those people, they're not part of the BBB, so you have no recourse a lot of times," Cpl. Perry said.

Craigslist also states it does not guarentee transactions or provide "buyer protection."

"I think there's always the possibility of getting legal responsibilities built in there, but that really defeats the purpose of the web," Dr. Dillon said.

And that simple communication the web provides keep April Justice coming to Craigslist.

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