It's a conspiracy!

[Sargeguy]

I messaged a seller asking if I could pick up the $19.99 phone if I won it, since I worked in his hometown:

Dear sargeguy,

That would be fine but I would want to meet at the S______ police station were there are cameras in the parking lot. I feel that it would be safest.
Steve

- XXXXXXXXX

I suppose part of the process will be establishing a password or secret handshake.

[LarryInMichigan]

Make sure to dress nicely since you will be on camera, and SMILE

Whatever happened to the good old days when one could meet a phone seller at night in the alley behind a neighborhood drug house?

Larry

[Adam]

I once met an eBay pick up at a fire station, but only because he was a Captain there...

[Sargeguy]

I was going to have him drop it off at my office and leave it with the receptionist, but now I'm thinking I don't really need another 5302 that badly.

[paul-f]

That sounds like (almost word for word) a warning that was on TV following one of the "Craig's List" murders.

Of course, you don't know who you'll be meeting either.  It might be a good safety measure for you, too!

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Did someone say "Conspiracy"?

[Greg G.]

The seller is just playing it safe, and this protects you too.  They may have had bad experiences or knows someone who has bad experiences meeting with people when trying to sell something.  I wouldn't take offense at it unless they ask for fingerprints and your driver's license number too.  I sold an outboard motor one time for a bargain price, helped the guy load it into his vehicle (it was heavy), then he had the nerve to ask for my driver license number because, he said, it was such a good deal he was worried it was hot.  I threw him out on his ear! 

I won't let anybody come over to my house if the item I'm selling is at all portable, I'll meet them at a local shopping parking lot or some other convenient (to me) public area.  I've known people who have been ripped off by someone who just used the ad to case their place out, e.g. my younger brother had a vintage vehicle he was trying to sell.  One guy came over to look at it, said he would pass on it, then the next day my brother discovered someone stole some parts from it overnight.

[WesternElectricBen]

The seller is just playing it safe, and this protects you too.  They may have had bad experiences or knows someone who has bad experiences meeting with people when trying to sell something.  I wouldn't take offense at it unless they ask for fingerprints and your driver's license number too.  I sold an outboard motor one time for a bargain price, helped the guy load it into his vehicle (it was heavy), then he had the nerve to ask for my driver license number because, he said, it was such a good deal he was worried it was hot.  I threw him out on his ear! 

I won't let anybody come over to my house if the item I'm selling is at all portable, I'll meet them at a local shopping parking lot or some other convenient (to me) public area.  I've known people who have been ripped off by someone who just used the ad to case their place out, e.g. my younger brother had a vintage vehicle he was trying to sell.  One guy came over to look at it, said he would pass on it, then the next day my brother discovered someone stole some parts from it overnight.

I agree with you, Briny. Especially when the seller is in a bad neighborhood, it's just logical to have witnesses.

Ben

[19and41]

At least the seller agreed to it.  That's something these days.