Craigslist's own advice is to deal locally, face to face, and it explicitly flags transactions involving shipping as a warning sign. If you are shipping anyway, the order of operations is fixed: cleared payment first, then a real label with tracking, never the reverse.
Every craigslist shipping scam depends on that order being reversed.
Worth saying out loud before anything else, because it is the site's own position and it is correct more often than not.
There is no built-in label system on craigslist, no buyer protection scheme and no platform sitting between the two of you. That is a real difference from OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace, both of which run their own shipped-order flows.
Craigslist goods skew bulky. These are two ordinary household cartons quoted on the same lane and day, showing every service the engine returned.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted window |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $17.01 | 8-9 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $19.63 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $19.78 | none returned with this rate |
| UPS | Ground | $23.54 | 2-3 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $28.59 | 5-6 business days |
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted window |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $28.77 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $29.52 | 2-3 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $41.48 | 5-6 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $43.48 | 5-6 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $46.73 | none returned with this rate |
Ten more pounds and a roomier box moved the cheapest row from $17.01 to $28.77. On a low-value second-hand item that swing can be most of the sale price, which is the honest reason craigslist deals stay local: the shipping often costs more than the difference between selling now and selling next week.
Somebody selling a single amplifier does not want a shipping platform, a plan or a login. Describe the item, compare the live rates, pay and print. That is the whole flow, and it is the same flow whether you ship once a year or twice a week.
Parcel pricing charges for the space a box occupies on a truck. A bulky, light item can cost more than a small heavy one, so packing tightly is worth more than shopping around.
Furniture, appliances and anything over the carriers' size limits belong on a pallet rather than in a carton. If the item is heading that way, our freight review path is a better starting point than a parcel quote.
No. There is no label system, no shipped-order flow and no buyer protection scheme on craigslist. Its safety guidance says to deal locally, face-to-face, and to be suspicious of transactions involving shipping or moving services.
Wait until payment has cleared irreversibly in your own account, confirm the address with the buyer directly, quote the packed item before agreeing a price, buy a label with tracking, photograph the packed box, and send the tracking number yourself.
It depends on bulk more than weight. On 2026-07-28 from Newark to Atlanta, a 12 x 12 x 12 in carton at 15 lb quoted from $17.01, while a 20 x 16 x 12 in carton at 25 lb quoted from $28.77. Quote your own carton, since a roomy box costs real money.
Yes. Describe the packed item, compare the live rates, pay and print as a guest. Tracking comes with the label. We sell US domestic parcel labels only, with no international service and no fulfillment.