FigNewtonDo you even worry about being scammed? Do you just pay with Paypal?
Yes, I worry about being scammed. Yes, usually pay with Paypal.
Usually I make an arrangement that doesn't commit 100% upfront in either direction. I've bought and sold gear nationally through CL. Usually start with a phone call so you can at least get a sense if the person is someone who actually owns and has used the gear. Most scammers or thieves don't know how to answers questions about waist widths, DINs, camber profiles, etc. Legit skiers are usually stoked to have a friendly convo about what they liked or not about the gear and why they are selling it. Then ask for a specific photo. Something like "shoot me a pic of both ski centers with today's date on a sticky". That proves that they have the gear in-hand. Then set up a partial payment, or cover shipping, so that neither party is all-in. Then complete the payment when gear is in-hand. This might sound like a lot of steps, but anyone who has sold used gear knows that there is no way around lots of inquiries and possible weirdos.
I'm not saying that there aren't risks. But in my history of online used sales I've had zero problems with the CL system described above, and a couple of problems with Ebay.
I have no issue with the OP's service. There is a lot to be said for a secure system, and it has a value worth paying for. My only point is that it's not the only way to find gear.
**This post was edited on Mar 28th 2018 at 8:31:00pm