Don’t Get Sued by Craigslist

If you’re not already aware, Craigslist has filed a MAJOR lawsuit against companies, and potentially, customers who use auto-posting software to post ads on Craigslist.

It all started earlier this year when I was asked by some agents about auto-posting software for Craigslist. I had already done a lot of research on the companies last fall, so I just went to my favorites to look up the companies again, and to my surprise, NONE of them were selling their software anymore!

So, I contacted our Craigslist Expert, and here’s where he pointed me:

Here’s a snippet of the article

craigslist Files 14 Lawsuits Against Software and Service Providers who Facilitate Misuse of Site…Due in part to the growth of craigslist, businesses have sprung up selling software and other services designed to evade craigslist’s terms of use, and to circumvent its technical defenses against misuse, including phone verification. By offering services designed to undermine craigslist’s ability to enforce its terms of use, these businesses facilitate the placement of ads for illegal services that would otherwise be blocked by craigslist’s protective measures. craigslist has no tolerance for these activities and has filed 14 lawsuits and is sending “cease and desist” demands to numerous other companies and individuals offering such services. In addition, craigslist will investigate and provide information to state attorneys general for the prosecution of those engaging in and facilitating criminal activity.

Is it possible, or even likely, that during discovery, or as part of a settlement, that these companies will be forced to turn over their customer lists to Craiglist?

Maybe, maybe not.

Point being, why gamble when you can avoid the whole issue by having a member of your staff, or someone with a company like Spencer’s, do all of the legwork, in a legitimate fashion?

We intereviewed Spencer last fall, and he had some GREAT points to make about Craigslist to help real estate agents get the most out of it.

If you’d like to inquire about his services, just email us at Jim@RealEstateTechnologyExperts.com with a subject line of “Spencer – Craigslist” and we will forward it on to him, so he can contact you.

In the mean time, be careful about the lure of using auto-posting software for real estate.