I use Craigslist DAILY in my AGGESSIVE rental marketing efforts; however, I stopped using postlets and am using the EXPORT option from my HERO * HomeRentals.net * hosted website where watermarking is done AUTOMATICALLY!!!
Text Message to CraigsList: It's Over, You've Cheated On Me For The Last Time
The scammers now own CraigsList in Atlanta. After an up and down relationship for the past few years, I am throwing in the towel and calling it quits on CraigsList Postings. Everytime I post a house "for sale" on CraigsList, I start getting calls from people who want to know if the house really is "for rent" at the incredibly low price of $800 per month.
Scammers copy my text and photos from the real estate for sale by broker ad and then post a "rental" ad by owner with a rental rate that is 1/3 the going rate. They try to get unwary renters to send them a deposit for this fake rental ad.
I tried to deal with these situations by notifying Craigslist of the fraud and by posting info online. The scammers are not even slowed down by these tactics. Craigslist often does not even bother to remove the fake rental ad post.
I have had it. We are done Craigslist. Take your free service and go home. CraigsList may be the preferred vehicle of some demographic groups but that will soon change when the lax posting policies allow scammers to completely take over the service. The news this morning in Atlanta reports a family was robbed at gun point after they advertised a diamond ring on Craigslist. The robber showed up to "purchase it" at gun point.
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Wallace S. Gibson, CPM * GIBSON MANAGEMENT GROUP, Ltd.
Central Virginia
LandlordWhisperer
View our available Charlottesville, Albemarle and Lake Monticello rental homes online with photos and floor plans
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Wallace, I was lucky not to be a party to this, but the chief of police sent out a letter to the local Realtors telling a tale of a ad for a rental with instructions to send the money via wire...to Africa as the "owner was in the peace corp" and would get his rent there.
Steve * this has been happening for at least 2+ years with rental listings The fact that Realtor/MLS "public" listings are being used now does not seem to effect MLS services or NAR and THEY are very slow to address the issues of watermarking photos.
Hi Wallace; That's pretty sad! We are having the same problem here in Monterey, CA. Maybe not as bad yet, but getting there. Had a house for sale and it got posted for rent twice in a 6 week period. Good idea about watermarking the photos.
We had one of our listings captured about a year ago. It drove me crazy. Posted for half the rental rate but folks would call us and say I want the cheaper rate. I had to explain what was going on so many times that I almost recorded the information to play back to them! lol Watermarking is the way to go. I am starting that now. Thanks
How do you watermark your photos? Is it a special program? If so, could you do a blog on that Wallace? That sounds like an easy way to prevent this type of thing. Thanks!
Good re-blog Wallace.... thanks for continuing to promote info for the PMs!
Adobe Photoshop does wonders for watermarks