Because the Cleveland Park Listserv is primarily a discussion list, advertising is restricted. Neighbors can use the CP List to post advertisements without paying an advertising fee, but they can do so only to sell their own personal items or advertise babysitting or housecleaning services, and the frequency of free ads is limited.  Be sure to read the advertising section of the list's rules (Section 10) for all the details about advertising on the Cleveland Park Listserv. 

If your ad doesn't meet all the requirements on the checklist below, you may be able to post it as a paid advertisement .

Here's a useful checklist for posting a free ad on the CP Listserv:

__ Does your message include the approximate location of where the for-sale items are?  Unless your advertisement indicates where in the neigbhorhood you are, your message won't be put through.  (Sorry, but free ads are for Cleveland Park area residents only; otherwise we'd be overwhelmed with ads.) 

__ Is your message signed with your name?  Messages that simply display a name in the FROM: line are not considered signed.  Your name must appear at the end of the message.

__ Have you double-checked that any links in your message work?  Messages that contain broken links will be deleted. Very long links usually don't work: If your link is long, use TinyURL to shorten it: www.tinyurl.com.  Messages are processed as plain text only. To show pictures, we recommend using TinyPic, www.tinypic.com.  Please note that the Cleveland Park Listserv does not accept attachments.

__ Is your advertisement a crosspost?  If you have posted the same for-sale item anywhere else, it cannot be posted as a free ad on the Cleveland Park Listserv even after that listing has expired.  (You can purchase an advertisement on the Cleveland Park Listserv.)

__ Does your advertisement have "For Sale:" or "FS": in the subject line?  Advertisements that simply say things like "Car" in the subject line will be deleted.   (And the converse applies if you're looking for something:  if you want to buy a stroller, for example, put "Wanted" or "Needed" in the subject line.)

Remember, advertising is not the listserv's main purpose, so the rules regarding advertising posts are restrictive.  In addition to the checklist above, keep in mind that:

* Commercial/professional ads are posted only when purchased.  Please see http://cppaidads.notlong.com for information about buying an ad for your business or professional services.

* No free advertisements for friends; only list members who live in the neighborhood may post advertising messages.

* Ads must be low-key and written by the list member (not, for example, your real estate agent). Ads can't use ALL CAPS in the subject line or body of the message, can't use multiple exclamation points, or contain too much hype.  (What's too much hype? That's for the moderators to decide ... but if you can imagine yourself actually speaking the words to your neighbors if you met them in person, the ad should be okay.)

* No free property ads, whether for sale or for rent, your own home or an investment or vacation property.  All of these are published as paid ads, which can be purchased at http://cppaidads.notlong.com.

* Free ads can be placed only every once in a while (with a maximum of no more than once every two months.)

* No repeat advertisements; it's a one-shot deal.  (So make sure your advertisement is right the first time around.) 

* If you have multiple items to sell, put everything in a single message.

* Sports tickets can be sold only every now and then.  Please see the list's rules for more information about this.

*The listserv isn't a Wal-Mart, so please don't use it to buy or sell everyday household items, like socks, used car tires, or washcloths, or kitchen utensils.  We also don't want people to use the listserv either to sell or to seek something too specific, such as a child's overalls, size 4T, in blue, or a particular technical manual, or a pair of high-heeled shoes, size 9, in black and gold.  Craigslist , eBay, and Freecycle DC  are better suited for this sort of advertising.

* If you sell your item, please don't announce that on the listserv.  Only for-free items can be announced as "taken".

The Cleveland Park Listserv does allow a limited amount of paid advertising for messages that don't meet our free advertising rules.  You can read more about that here. 

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The short URL for this page is http://cpadcheck.notlong.com