If you are going to turn to the master of classifieds Craigslist, to find a cheap laptop, you are going to need to know a few things. First, let me explain a little about Craigslist for those of you new to the site. Craigslist is a great place to find virtually anything you want from people in your own community. Sellers looking to make some money on their unwanted items love selling there as opposed to eBay because its free. They also don't have to worry about shipping their items or dealing with buyers across the country since everything is done locally.

But there are also benefits to those of you that are shopping on Craigslist as well. For one, you don't have to pay those high shipping costs like you see on eBay, you also have the unique opportunity to actually see the item before you purchase it, since you would typically go to pick it up. Craigslist even has a free section where people give away their unwanted items, although you are unlikely to find a laptop in there. But for the sake of this article we will figure that you are shopping for a cheap laptop and curious to know whether or not it is safe to buy one on Craigslist. My answer to that is yes, it is safe to buy laptops and other electronics on Craigslist, but you should know a few things before you get started. I have wrote down some tips or a guideline if you will, to give you a little piece of mind in knowing that you will get a good deal, or at the very least be covered if you don't.

Purchase your laptop locally. This is probably one of the most important safety tips I can give you. Craigslist has been designed as a community portal, which means that you can deal with people in your own area, in fact that's why they don't allow you to search through listings in all of the communities at once. The reason for this is that there is really nothing setup to protect you from receiving faulty merchandise or in some cases even no merchandise at all. You have to rely on you picking up the goods when you make a purchase to insure that everything is in the described condition, which leads us to my next tip below.

Take the time to inspect the laptop before you pay for it. Always know what you are getting before you buy it. Should the laptop be boxed up, or even disconnected, it would be in your best interest to request that the seller takes a moment to power it up and let you make sure it works as described. You may come across a seller that is unwilling to do this, in which case I would suggest that you take your money elsewhere, because chances are the seller is trying to hide an underlying problem that they don't want you to know about. Many people are uncomfortable with making this request, but it is your money so don't be afraid to ask and then really take a good look at the laptop.

Stick to paying with cash not a check. This may not even be an issue as these days most people won't even take a personal check, but just remember that cash is much better. Checks are easily forged and you one hundred dollar check can be turned into a nine hundred dollar check pretty easily.

Always protect yourself by getting a receipt. You would not believe how many Craigslist shoppers never think to do this, butit is so important and can really protect you down the road. Even if it is simply a hand written note that says you payed "x" amount for a "x" laptop on such and such date is just fine. You may also consider requesting that the seller writes down the described working condition of the laptop in case there turns out to be a problem. If you have a receipt you are totally covered against future complications.

Many people don't think about the laptop being used which typically results in problems arising. Craigslist is primarily used merchandise being sold by their owners, unlike eBay where you find a lot of new merchandise. Now don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a used laptop, I mean cheap is cheap, right? But if used is not what you want, then look somewhere else before spending your money. Over all, Craigslist is a great place to find deals with the benefit of meeting new people in your area. Its a lot of fun and if you follow my tips you should have a smooth transaction, oh and by the way, enjoy that cheap laptop! Your friends are sure to be jealous.