Craigslist.org SCAM: SKOWHEGAN, ME Part 6

Hi again. As promised, here are the e-mail correspondences between myself and Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist.

I sent one of my letters, through his Blog, which is the one I found through scamalicious. In that post, I also provided a link to my Blog. It is actually just one paragraph, because IT WAS INDEED an actual Comment, which I posted to his Blog. As for scamalicious, well that appears to be essentially a glorified ad, directing the reader to Craig's paid site. Well, you know those DOT com folks. What can I say?

I sent the other letter to his address at Craigslist, which I found on his Facebook.com site.

But I digress. Here's the link, if you would like to have a sneak peek at his Blog: http://www.cnewmark.com/2008/11/adventure-cab.html?cid=137303257#comment-137303257. He took a ride in a cab. Big deal!

If you read his reply carefully, he states that it is difficult to understand, since it is a "long run-on paragraph" and all. Now, the original did NOT have all these annoying symbols, like "<<<". It was just a comment post to a Blog.

First, a little background. For one thing, if you use or have visited craigslist.org, when you post a complaint or question to the staff, it DOES NOT appear online. If you post to the forum, it MAY be posted online. The staff chooses which comments are posted.
In the letter, I am essentially adivising him that I followed the site instructions. I attempted to be succinct! First, I flagged the offending ads. Then I wrote to the staff, using the online complaint form, which I reiterate is not posted online. Then I started writing e-mail complaints to the staff, via abuse@craigslist.org and later another address I found on the site, elves@craigslist.org.

When none of this worked and the staff refused to remove the Scammer's ads, I tried to post a warning, on their forum, to site users. The staff "shut me down" immediately, pouncing like pumas, stating that "Complaints are not allowed". End of story.

In his reply to the blog post, Craig states that I may be posting ads that are perceived as defamatory. Number one, I am not posting ads. Posting an ad, even a warning against an obvious scammer, is not allowed according to the site's TOS (Terms of Service). Number two, ALLEGEDLY, complaints about scammers are allowed. I strongly emphasize ALLEGEDLY. Obviously this is not true! They won't allow them, and if any do slip through, they refuse to act on them. Hey Craig, just WHAT are you paying your staff for? It appears to me that they do very little, if any, work. Hey, may I have a job, ha ha? That would not work for me though. I am an efficient worker and would not fit in well with the rest of the staff!


This is my letter to Craig at his Craigslist e-mail address, his reply to me, and my follow-up reply to him.:


----- Original Message -----

From: <kittns125@hotmail.com>
To: <craig@craigslist.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 10:56 AM
Subject: Re: I wrote this to your Blog. Hope this is faster.

> No, it is NOT defamatory. None of the comments are defamatory OR > objectionable. The thing is, they are complaints. They are warnings that > this is definitely a SCAM.> > > >

----- Original Message ----- >

From: <craig@craigslist.org>>

To: <_________@hotmail.com>>

Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 6:47 PM>
Subject: Re: I wrote this to your Blog. Hope this is faster.> > > >

Sorry, very hard to follow this, a long run-on paragraph, but I'm guessing> you're posting ads that could be perceived as defamatory, and that's> probably what folks on the team told you.> > Craig> > >

On Sat, 1 Nov 2008, _________@hotmail.com wrote:> >>

"Hi Craig: I have been "futilely" writing to "abuse", "elves" at >> craigslist, posting online complaints, for several months, in addition to >> flagging numerous posts by a Scam artist in Showhegan, ME. Your staff >> refuses to remove the ads and continue to allow the new posts. They won't >> allow me to post complaints about it in the forums and it is against TOS >> to post ads about other ads. What am I am to do? All I wish to do is warn >> the good folks of Maine that they ARE being scammed by this person, who is >> attending College to become a vet, yet posts ads as though she is >> illiterate, so as to gain sympathy and fleece the good people of Maine out >> of livestock, food, money, animal feed, furniture, etc. This person is >> getting bolder, with each ad. She begged for free chickens and then >> started to sell the chicks. She begged for pigs, and is now selling the >> piglets. She is the only one who is benefitting from these SCAMs, not the >> hypothetical people in her "sob stories". I personally wrote to the Town >> of Skowhegan and State Dept. in ME. This is not a charity, legal or >> otherwise. There is no license. Kim is accepting all these things, >> TAX-FREE. Since your staff will not put a stop to these SCAM ads, I will >> do whatever I can to notify the people of Maine HOW they are being >> scammed. I would like to hear from you. Perhaps you can check out my Blog. >> If you wish, I have many, many e-mails I sent to "abuse@craigslist.org", >> all of which were obviously ignored. I would appreciate any suggestions >> you have on this matter, particularly how to finally get these SCAM ads >> removed and ensure that they are never again posted. Sincerely, Sarah">>>>>>>>

Any suggestions as to what can be done. Your staff has been putting up >> all kinds of "blocks" to getting this scam artist off craigslist and they >> don't seem to want to do anything about the SCAM ads. One does not have >> to be a nuclear physicist to know the ads from Kim in Skowhegan, ME are >> SCAMS. Hope to hear from YOU, and not a "staffer", Sarah>> >


This is comment post to Craig's Blog, his reply to me, and my subsequent reply to him.:


----- Original Message -----

From: _________@hotmail.com

To: <craig@craigslist.org>

Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 11:15 AM

Subject: Re: [cnewmark] Sarah in Maine submitted a comment to 'Adventure Cab!'
> Hi Craig:> > There is someone scamming on Craigslist. Says she has a charity, but > doesn't. Only person benefits is Kim. Pretends illiterate but is in college. > Gets free animals, food, animal feed, furniture, you name it, she gets it.> > Real charities should benefit not fake. Can you put a stop to it PLEASE? > Sarah>

----- Original Message ----- >

From: <craig@craigslist.org>>
To: "Sarah in Maine" _________@hotmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 3:26 PM> Subject: Re: [cnewmark] Sarah in Maine submitted a comment to 'Adventure > Cab!'> > >>>>

Sarah, sorry, but what are you saying? Can you make it brief and simple>> for me?>>>> Craig>>>>>> On Sat, 1 Nov 2008, TypePad wrote:>>>>> A new comment from "Sarah in Maine" was received on the post "Adventure>>> Cab!" of the weblog "cnewmark". If you would like to post a reply to>>> this comment you can do so at the following URL:>>>>>> http://www.cnewmark.com/2008/11/adventure-cab.html#comment-137303257>>>>>>>>> Comment:>>> -------->>>

Hi Craig: I have been "futilely" writing to "abuse", "elves" at>>> craigslist, posting online complaints, for several months, in addition>>> to flagging numerous posts by a Scam artist in Showhegan, ME. Your>>> staff refuses to remove the ads and continue to allow the new posts.>>> They won't allow me to post complaints about it in the forums and it is>>> against TOS to post ads about other ads. What am I am to do? All I>>> wish to do is warn the good folks of Maine that they ARE being scammed>>> by this person, who is attending College to become a vet, yet posts ads>>> as though she is illiterate, so as to gain sympathy and fleece the good>>> people of Maine out of livestock, food, money, animal feed, furniture,>>> etc. This person is getting bolder, with each ad. She begged for free>>> chickens and then started to sell the chicks. She begged for pigs, and>>> is now selling the piglets. She is the only one who is benefitting>>> from these SCAMs, not the hypothetical people in her "sob stories". I>>> personally wrote to the Town of Skowhegan and State Dept. in ME. This>>> is not a charity, legal or otherwise. There is no license. Kim is>>> accepting all these things, TAX-FREE. Since your staff will not put a>>> stop to these SCAM ads, I will do whatever I can to notify the people>>> of Maine HOW they are being scammed. I would like to hear from you.>>> Perhaps you can check out my Blog. If you wish, I have many, many>>> e-mails I sent to "abuse@craigslist.org", all of which were obviously>>> ignored. I would appreciate any suggestions you have on this matter,>>> particularly how to finally get these SCAM ads removed and ensure that>>> they are never again posted. Sincerely, Sarah>>>>>>

Commenter name: Sarah in Maine>>> Commenter email: _________@hotmail.com>>> Commenter URL: http://craigslistmainescams.blogspot.com/>>> IP address: 72.12.68.179>>> Authentication: None>>>>>>>>> Comment Actions:>>> ---------------->>>>>> Unpublish this comment:>>> <http://www.typepad.com/t/app/weblog/post?__mode=list_comments&confirm_unpublish=1&confirm_id=137303257&blog_id=1292910>>>>>>> Delete this comment:>>> <http://www.typepad.com/t/app/weblog/post?__mode=list_comments&confirm_delete=1&confirm_id=137303257&blog_id=1292910>>>>>>> Report this comment as spam:>>> <http://www.typepad.com/t/app/weblog/post?__mode=list_comments&confirm_delete_as_spam=1&confirm_id=137303257&blog_id=1292910>>>>>>> Edit this comment:>>> <http://www.typepad.com/t/app/weblog/post?__mode=edit_comment&id=137303257&blog_id=1292910>>>>>>>>>> Enjoy!>>> The TypePad Team>>>>> >