boink - I wish everyone's word were their bond.. it would solve ALL the worlds problems if it were. Sadly, some people just don't care how their actions affect others around them. It's unfortunate we can't take everyone at their word but it's the way the world is I'm afraid.
To illustrate why I treat CL transactions as I do, I'll tell my best story. This summer my buddy and I picked up a used Ranger Rover at the auto auction. He was going to use it as his daily driver, but after getting home we realized it had more problems then what we wanted to deal with. I advertised it as well as I could and represented it to the best of my ability, selling it as is and a mechanic's special. We priced it cheap - what we had in it which was wholesale - just to get rid of it. I had a buyer from Grand Forks contact me and said he wanted it, he wanted it, he wanted it. He would come first thing in the morning and would I hold it for him. This guy was going to drive 500 miles to buy the truck, so understandably, he wanted to make sure it was here for him. I agreed to hold it if he would put a $200 deposit (in my checking account at a local branch) for the truck. He deposited a check for $200 that day (late Friday) and I waited to meet him the next day. Dude finally shows up at noon, checks out the truck, decides it has too many problems (wtf??) and doesn't buy. In the mean time I've told 30 people the truck is sold pending. Now here it is Saturday afternoon, a beautiful day that I've already been half screwed out of with no sale, and a bunch of potential buyers who now are less enthused because, come on, what do you tell them thats going to get them to come look at it after they know that a guy's driving 500 miles to look at it. Most of the potential buyers are in the Twin Cities 100 miles away, so they don't want to drive down now and want to come tomorrow. Technically selling through a dealership, so no Sunday sales, so now we're in to Monday and everyones at work. It took me three more weeks to sell that damn truck because one guy backed out that I promised it to. Then to add insult to injury, he cancelled his check that we both had agreed would be non-refundable for me holding it. Never again. First come, first served. Cash talks.
Sorry about the long rant. Really pissed me off.