As students move into new houses, apartments and dorm rooms, the never-ending search for furniture continues. Cheap and convenient are some popular terms heard when discussing the topic and for many students, the solution is www.craigslist.org.

Craigslist Denver allows buyers and sellers to post free ads for furniture, cars, homes and just about any other miscellaneous commodity available locally. However, the booming Web site is just as much a threat as it is a blessing.

Craigslist is broken into city-specific pages, the buyer is responsible for pick up or a delivery negotiated with the seller.

Peter Hansen, a senior living off campus, recently used craigslist to find an excellent deal on a used foosball table that would make the perfect addition to the house he just moved into.

After contacting the seller, he and a friend ventured on a 30-minute drive across town to the home of someone he had never met.

Names were never exchanged and when the two students arrived they were shown down to the basement where the foosball table was.

“We were completely out of control, anything could have happened,” said Hansen.

Chris Ferry, DU senior, used craigslist to purchase a grill for his house.

“We were very nervous, but the grill was outside and the man selling it couldn’t have been nicer,” said Ferry about his experience.

Jenna Mamorsky also used craigslist to find someone to sublet her apartment. After posting the information, she had the opportunity to show her apartment to interested parties. 

The visits went smoothly, but she says “the scariest thing is that you don’t know who is coming or what their intentions are.”

Craigslist is a resource for college students and it offers opportunities that may not be available otherwise.

However, it needs to be taken seriously with every precaution possible.

 

 

Tips for Using Craigslist

• Always have a friend (or two) with you when picking up a purchase.
• Let friends know when and where you are going to pick up your item.
• Try to view the product outside of the house.
• Make your transactions during the day.