Those headed to Craiglist to offload their next oddball project car may have seen a new message. Starting Monday, April 15, Craigslist is now charging $5 to post a car sale ad for private parties.
The website, which has become a go-to choice to sell nearly anything, hasn't made an official announcement about the new charge. Road & Track first reported on the news Friday after the change was discussed on social network Reddit. When a user signs in to list a vehicle for sale by owner, a message on the selection box now reads, "please note - $5 fee per ad starting April 15."
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For those who constantly shop Craigslist for vehicles, the $5 charge may be welcome. Often, users will post numerous ads to ensure his or her listing stays at the top of the search results when shoppers search for a particular car. The charge may also keep shady individuals from posting false ads. Those "Scam Alert" posts may no longer be needed.
Craigslist has charged dealerships a fee to post with the site for years. The site also charges fees to post listings in some other categories.
Meanwhile, it could be a boon to Facebook. The social media network has operated its own buy and sell page, Facebook Marketplace, for some time now, and it remains free to post an ad. However, Craigslist has remained a popular source of cars for sale despite the fact that Facebook tries to legitimize both buyers and sellers via profile verification. Craigslist remains a more anonymous way to offload the project car that's sat in the garage for 10 years.