How the PVA Works With Craigslist
Craigslist is a website for posting classified ads. Some posters attempt to post the same ad in hundreds of cities. To keep this kind of spam to a minimum, the company uses a phone verified account system. When a user creates an account, he must enter a phone number to receive a call with a verification code. Craigslist posters should get familiar with how the Craigslist PVA works to avoid confusion when trying to post Craigslist ads.
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Purpose
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Craigslist started the PVA system to curb rampant abuse of its multi-city ads service. Spammers would post either the same ad or variations of the same offer in as many cities as possible. Some marketers even used auto-posting software for this purpose. This was especially true of online sellers or people providing nationwide services trying to promote their offers in every city. The PVA reduces this practice by requiring phone verification before posting.
The Basic Process
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When you make a new post on Craigslist, the system prompts you to enter the text and geographic location for your ad. After you enter your ad and click the "Continue" button, you will see the PVA page. You must enter your phone number on that page and choose to receive a confirmation code either by voice or text message. After clicking on the "Send the Code" button, you receive the call or text message in a few seconds. The last step is to enter the confirmation code you received by voice or text. The system then lets you post the ad.
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Limited Accounts
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Of course, the first thing a spammer will try to do is create multiple accounts to try to get around the Craigslist PVA. However, a phone number only works for one account. Thus, the only way to circumvent the rule is to have multiple phone numbers. Otherwise, you will receive an error message when trying to verify your phone on a second account. Craigslist does allow you to unlink a phone number from an account in good standing. However, you must wait 90 days after verification. The Craigslist account settings do not list your verified phone number. Use the "Contact Us" form if you want to make an unlink request.
Limited Posts
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The PVA system limits post activity for each account by placing several limitations within the system. First, you may only try to verify once every five minutes. You may also only attempt to enter the correct code five times. In every 12-hour period, you may only try to verify three times. You may use up to three different phone numbers during that 12-hour period. In effect, this means that you can only post a maximum of three times per 12-hour period per account.
Invalid Numbers
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Certain phone numbers do not receive calls from the Craigslist PVA system. These include 800 and other toll-free numbers, phone numbers outside the USA or Canada, and certain VoIP numbers. Craigslist cites Cricket and MetroPCS as examples of VoIP systems that cannot accept PVA calls for phone verification.
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References
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