Lock down your wallets: Craigslist now has an app

Craigslist changed the lives of car lovers when it gave sellers a free place to offer their wares to buyers from near and far. There is competition now from other sites like Facebook Marketplace, but Craigslist has stepped up its game and now has a handy app that makes it easier than ever to find that project car you probably don’t need.

The Craigslist interface has always been basic, giving its best impression of a newspaper’s classified ad section. However, the site offered much more than that by allowing folks to post multiple photos and write longer descriptions—all for free. That means that anyone searching for a particular vintage car can get a better understanding of exactly what they might be purchasing… assuming, of course, the seller actually takes good photos and writes a description worth reading.

Now Craigslist is even better; it’s easily searchable on your smartphone. Previously, it was possible to use an internet browser app and open the Craigslist website, but it was a clunky experience. Now it’s streamlined, something that might bring people back from the exodus that occurred after the nationwide classified site tacked on a $5 fee to list a vehicle.

As we mentioned, however, there is competition. Facebook Marketplace gives both buyer and seller the ability to confirm that the person who is messaging them is indeed real, considering a Facebook profile is required to reach out. That’s a limiting factor too since a sizable chunk of the population doesn’t want to be a part of the Facebook ecosystem.

The internet continues to come up with ways to replace printed classified pages. While the reach of the World Wide Web makes it undeniably attractive for sellers, buyers may be better off searching both the internet and their local newspaper, since there may be deals on those black-inked pages that never make it online.