Craigslist will add $5 fee for private-party car listings on April 15
It should hopefully cut down on shady ads and such.
Craigslist has long been the bastion of simple used-car advertisements. The lack of a listing fee meant everybody was free to post their car for sale, and a quick browse of any local Craigslist market shows there are plenty of cars for sale. However, on April 15, you might end up seeing fewer for-sale posts on the site.
Starting April 15, Craigslist will require a $5 listing fee per advertisement for cars and trucks sold through the site. The listings are still free at the moment, but if you go to Craigslist to post your car for sale, you'll be greeted with a warning that the fee kicks in on tax day.
Craigslist did not immediately return a request for comment, but in all likelihood, Craigslist found an opportunity where it could make a little bit of money without alienating too many sellers. It doesn't take long browsing Craigslist before you realize that more than a few car advertisements might be spam, so this could be an opportunity to remove some spam from Craiglist's numerous vehicle listings.
As Road & Track noted in its report, the fee will only come as a surprise to individuals hoping to sell their cars on the site. Dealers already have to pay a fee, so this just brings parity to the hoi polloi. Thankfully, since it's just five bucks, it shouldn't eat too far into the profits of most Craigslist private-car sales. And if it does, perhaps the car should have been listed for more than $5 in the first place -- heck, even the junkyard will usually give you more than a Lincoln for your beater with a heater.
(Hat tip to Road & Track!)
