Computer help forum: how do i answer ads in craigslist?

Total posts: 10 (Showing page 1 of 1)

Thread display preference:
Collapsed
Expanded

Back to Computer help

Tracked Track this thread

Clarification request: Hardly used

by Willy - 3/31/12 10:35 AM

In Reply to: how do i answer ads in craigslist? by jmeade007

CC = carbon copy

That's the short version of having a carbon copy sent to elsewhere or in a file for reference. It needn't be filled in most cases. This is an old school secretary type of thing. proceed w/o it unless you actually need that. -----Willy

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

Answers

Answer Best answer as chosen by user jmeade007

When you want to reply to a CraigsList ad

by ChuckT - 3/31/12 1:26 PM

In Reply to: how do i answer ads in craigslist? by jmeade007

When you reply to a CraigsList ad, most times there will not be a (direct to) user email to reply to, and the reason is that most people do not (and should not!) want to post their personal email address on an open website.

What CraigsList provides is a CraigsListMessage email address, typically it will look something like:
xyzabc-1234567890@sale.craigslist.org

It is specifically created to direct any responding emails right back to the registered personal email address of the person who posted the ad. So, while emails will get directed back to the poster, no one else knows, or can see, what the poster's email address is.

Sidenote: If you are curious what that xyzabc-1234567890@sale.craigslist.org means:
The xyzabc portion will be what the particular CL city and area is.
The numeric portion is the identical number that the ad has on that board.

So, how do you respond to any ad?
If your computer is set up to click on the ad's "Reply to" field (where you can see the CL email address underlined) then just by clicking on that link will create a pre-addressed email. It will probably even have an http link redirecting back to the original ad.
By the way, in that email, that link will probably not be active (where you will see the link underlined) until after you actually send it. Don't worry about that. It is only there to help the person receiving your email to know exactly what ad you are responding to.
(I can't tell you how many times I'd get an email from someone and say something like "what is your lowest price?" or "is it used?" or some other non-identifiable note, and never tell me what they are responding to. That becomes a problem if I have a lot of ads up on the CL.)

If your computer does not automatically create an email when you click on the "Reply to" link, then you can hand create an email. You only need to fill in 2 or 3 fields. The "To" "Subject" and "Body" field.
The "To" field should look like the aforementioned xyzabc-1234567890@sale.craigslist.org.

The "Subject" should have something that is somehow related to what it is you are replying about. This is so that the receiver actually knows what it is you've send an email about. Sure, it could be empty, or very generic, but the Subject field should be informative - don't you think?

Finally, the "Body" field should have as much info about what it is you are replying about. For example, the item you are asking about, the price you are offering, perhaps the reason you think you deserve the item (if you are offering less) and perhaps a location or phone number you would like to be contacted at.

The more you can tell in the Body, without being too wordy! the more likely you will get a quick response.

Good luck.

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

i have filled out all execpt cc, does that make problems?

by jmeade007 - 3/31/12 3:52 PM

In Reply to: When you want to reply to a CraigsList ad by ChuckT

What is cc? I have tried to respond to jobs and it didn't work. Does cc have anything to do with it?

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

cc is not stopping you

by ChuckT - 4/1/12 12:59 AM

In Reply to: i have filled out all execpt cc, does that make problems? by jmeade007

As was mentioned before it stands for Carbon Copy, which is an antiquated term meaning the email name(s) entered in that field also will get the same email you are about to send. It is nearly identical to the To field. The only real difference is that the recipients will see who you sent it specifically To, and who was just being copied in.

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

can i reply to craiglist ads?

by jmeade007 - 3/31/12 3:57 PM

In Reply to: When you want to reply to a CraigsList ad by ChuckT

I have it come back saying that i don't have a host. Pop and isml or something like that. That is my problem. What can I do with that?

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

Setting up your mail client

by ChuckT - 4/1/12 1:20 AM

In Reply to: can i reply to craiglist ads? by jmeade007

Outlook is your mail client, the software tool you use to connect to your mail service. Your problem is you don't have it setup, and you don't know how.

To do so will require you to enter in your POP and SMTP info to be able to receive and send. We don't know who your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is, since they typically provide you with that info. Check with their Help Desk as to how to do all that.

By the way, alternately, if you use Gmail, or Yahoo, or Hotmail, or a few others, you may not be bothered with the POP and SMTP stuff since the mail client is just a webpage access, and you don't enter such details when accessing through the web.

One last point, some mail clients are now getting more automated, and you may find that they'll set themselves up IF you first know what your proper email name and password is. One such automated mail client is Microsoft Windows Live Mail. You might try that out.

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

Answer Best answer as chosen by user jmeade007

I can't respond to anything on outlook express

by jmeade007 - 3/31/12 7:36 PM

In Reply to: how do i answer ads in craigslist? by jmeade007

I try to reply to help wanted ads on craigslist or other sites and it responds that email can't be sent because I don't have POP or "islm" letters. How can i fix that problem? Windows xp. I get people or sites that say the same thing that I try all the time. Pop "accounts" or something like that are the problem that comes up everytime. I'm trying outlook express sites, help sites and the same thing. The same thing that I try all the time. Others have replied that I need hotmail or gmails. Is that the answer? Help please.

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

Ahh, I wondered when you would write this.

by R. Proffitt - 3/31/12 7:49 PM

In Reply to: I can't respond to anything on outlook express by jmeade007

Your first post with about one problem. Now it seems that OE has not been setup to work with your email provider.

You don't have to tell much but who provides your email server? Then we can see if your OE is setup to use them.

Yes, gmail is supported. Read http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=77659

And to head off a question, yes, you'll need a gmail account.
Bob

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick

Oops, pretty much the same for Outlook Express too

by ChuckT - 4/1/12 1:29 AM

In Reply to: I can't respond to anything on outlook express by jmeade007

Same as above...but Outlook Express is your mail client (Outlook Express is very, very old!), the software tool you use to connect to your mail service. Your problem is you don't have it setup, and you don't know how.

To do so will require you to enter in your POP and SMTP info to be able to receive and send. We don't know who your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is, since they typically provide you with that info. Check with their Help Desk as to how to do all that.

By the way, alternately, if you use Gmail, or Yahoo, or Hotmail, or a few others, you may not be bothered with the POP and SMTP stuff since the mail client is just a webpage access, and you don't enter such details when accessing through the web.

One last point, some mail clients are now getting more automated, and you may find that they'll set themselves up IF you first know what your proper email name and password is. One such automated mail client is Microsoft Windows Live Mail. You might try that out.

Was this reply helpful? (0) (0)

Staff pick