When it comes to rounding out your shoe collection or furnishing your home, Craigslist Baltimore can be a godsend. Apartment decor has never been cheaper. However, don’t let its convenience lull you into making careless purchases. There are some things that you should NOT buy used, especially if there’s no pawn shop separating you and the original owner.

Popular Brand-Name Products

While those Beats headphones probably look like Beats and, upon a cursory listen, sound like they could be beats, there’s no telling if they’re the real thing. There’s nothing scam artists like more than buying a bulk of low-quality items and disguising them as a high-quality name-brand products. If you do decide to buy a brand-name product, trust your gut. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. If something feels flimsier than you expected, it’s probably not genuine.

Computers (And Other Electronics With Memory)

Electronics degrade over time—it’s their nature. As such, it’s often best to get them from a manufacturer-approved retailer, rather than buying them online. Even if the product appears flawless, there are many problems that won’t surface until some time has passed.

Despite a seller’s best intent, there’s always the possibility of lingering malware and viruses. All this said, there are vendors operating on Craigslist that will make you a desktop computer from scratch. As long as you research and trust the vendor, this can be an affordable way to get a high-performance, off-market computer.

Consumables (Especially If They’ve Been Opened)

If you’re going to buy a product that you use bit-by-bit—such as laundry detergent, wet-wipes, food—there is an inherent risk to buying it from an unregulated source. When you buy it from the store, there are people responsible for that product’s quality; everything from the condition to expiration date is closely monitored. This is not the case with Craigslist, and so you should avoid things that could be contaminated.

Items Meant to Save Your Life

If you’re buying something to protect your or someone else’s life, cost should not be an issue. Whether it’s a motorcycle helmet or child car seat—all protective items should be bought in the most pristine condition possible. Even if the seller has the best intentions, time and disuse have a way of subtly degrading things. Do yourself a favor and avoid Craigslist Baltimore when buying anything safety-related.

Mattresses, Cushions, and Rugs

When buying something absorbent, don’t kid yourself—it’s probably soaked up some pretty unseemly substances in its time. To be fair, we’re sure there are plenty of pristine mattresses on Craigslist. But because we spend about a third of our lifetimes in bed, we’re okay paying extra for a clean slate. 

There are plenty of other things you should avoid buying used, as well, too many to list. A good rule of thumb is to avoid anything that you would need to replace within 5 years. There are of course exceptions to this, but something that expires quickly is likely to have acquired defects from its original owner.

Need a place to put all that awesome furniture you just bought? 1305 Dock Street Apartments are almost ready for move-ins, and what better place to put that antique armchair than in front of a sprawling harbor view? Contact us today to learn more! Already interested? Check out our floor plans, all equipped with a panoramic view.