Checklist for Free Use of the Listserv to Post Things For Sale

Before you submit an ad for items for sale to be posted on the CP Listserv, use this checklist

Because the Cleveland Park Listserv is primarily a discussion list, advertising is restricted. Neighbors can use the CP List to sell their things without paying an advertising fee, but they can do so only to sell their own personal items, and the frequency of free ads is quite limited. Be sure to read the advertising section of the list's rules (Section 10) for all the ins and outs 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 or by joining our Premium Membership Program.

Here's a useful checklist for posting a free ad to sell things 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.

__ 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 or get our Premium Membership.)

__ 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 "ISO" (for "in search of" or "Wanted" in the subject line.)

__ 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 longer than a single line of text, use a link shortening site, such as https://app.bitly.com/ to shorten it.

__ If you want to show photos, are they in a compatible format? The Cleveland Park Listserv has a limit on how many photos can be attached -- but it's somewhat dependent on how many photos others are posting at around the same time. We recommend limiting the number of attached photos to no more than four, in .jpg format ONLY -- and the total size of all photos combined must be under 500 KB (that is, under .5 MB). However, we also recommend NOT posting any attachments with your message. Lots of listserv recipients simply loathe getting attachments in messages, due to security concerns over malware that can sneak into attachments, and that it takes more time to download a message with an attachment (especially when reading messages on a cellphone). So your best bet is to upload your photos to a file-sharing site -- DropBox, iCloud, GoogleDrive, OneNote, or others -- and put the link to the site, set to "public sharing," in your message to the group. You will get far more readers viewing your photos that way -- and you won't be limited in the number you can show.

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 our Paid Advertising Help Pages for information about buying an ad for your business or professional services.
• No free for-sale ads will be posted for your friends; only list members who live in the neighborhood may use the CP Listserv to sell things.
• For-sale ads must be low-key and written by the list member (not, for example, by home organizer hired to help you downsize). 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://www.cleveland-park.com/business-advertising.html.
• Free ads can be placed only every once in a while (with a maximum of no more than once every two months - and the limit is just two per year. If you would like to use the listserv to sell stuff more often than that, you are welcome to join our Premium Membership program.
• 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 has a Premium Membership Program that does allow more generous use of the Listserv to sell stuff. You can read more about that here.

Back to the Cleveland Park Listserv home page

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

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As you can see, the Cleveland Park Listserv is a very busy place in cyberspace, and takes a lot of time on the part of the volunteer moderators. You are welcome to show your support by making a donation. The moderators appreciate the good karma that comes from knowing that list members appreciate the hard work that goes into running the Cleveland Park Listserv.

At the moment, our Groups.io donations page is under construction. As a temporary measure, you can use our "For Sale Ads" PayPal page at http://www.cleveland-park.com/for-sale-ads.html for donations. Just ignore all the instructions about figuring the fee to post a for-sale based on the asking price of the item for sale and hit the "BUY NOW" button at the bottom of the page; that will take you to a blank amount box. Fill in the amount you want to donate -- it can be anything you like -- and follow the prompts to pay by credit card. We thank you ....and your fellow listserv readers will thank you too for helping to keep this online community publication going strong!