How to Set Up Alerts for a Used TV on Craigslist and eBay

Used TVs are one of the best deals in secondhand shopping - and one of the most frustrating. A 65-inch OLED shows up on Craigslist at a price that makes your jaw drop, and by the time you see it three hours later, it's gone. The person who got it wasn't luckier than you. They had alerts set up.

This guide covers how to actually get notified when a used TV listing matches what you're looking for, on both Craigslist and eBay. No more refreshing pages. No more missing out because you checked at the wrong time.

What Makes TV Hunting Different

TVs move fast. A decent 55-inch Samsung or LG in good shape will have five texts and a dozen emails within an hour of being listed. If you're serious about scoring a deal, speed is everything.

The other challenge is specificity. You probably don't just want "a TV" - you want a specific size range, maybe a specific brand or panel type (OLED, QLED, 4K), and a price ceiling. Generic alerts catch too much noise. The right setup gets you signal.

Setting Up Craigslist TV Alerts with LurkMor

Craigslist doesn't have a built-in alert system. It never has. You can bookmark a search and check it manually, but that's the deal-missing approach. LurkMor fills this gap.

Here's how to set it up for TV hunting:

1. Go to LurkMor.com and enter your search term. Something like "65 inch TV" or "OLED TV" or "Samsung 4K TV" works well.
2. Select your city or region - Craigslist is hyperlocal, so pick the metro area you're willing to drive in.
3. Enter your email or phone number for alerts.
4. LurkMor monitors Craigslist continuously and sends you a notification the moment a new listing matches your search.

A few search term tips that actually work:

• Brand + size: "LG 65" or "Sony 55" catches most listings without being too broad
• Panel type: "OLED TV" if you're specifically after image quality over size
• The vague ones: Some sellers just write "big TV" or "smart TV" - worth setting up a second broader alert if you're flexible
• Skip the model numbers: Most sellers don't know them, so searching by model is too narrow

The key advantage here is that LurkMor catches listings within minutes. For something as competitive as a well-priced TV, that window matters.

eBay Alerts for Used TVs

eBay is a different beast. You're competing with buyers nationwide, shipping is a factor for anything over 50 inches, and the "sold" price history is useful for knowing what's actually a deal.

eBay does have a built-in saved search feature that can send email alerts. Here's how to use it:

1. Search for what you want - "65 inch 4K TV used" or a specific model if you know it.
2. Filter for "Used" condition and set a max price if you have one.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the results and click "Save this search" (you need to be logged in).
4. eBay will email you when new listings match.

The eBay alert system works, but it's not instant. Emails can lag by hours. For "Buy It Now" listings on popular items, that delay can cost you. For auction listings with several days remaining, it's fine.

One underrated move on eBay: search for local pickup only. Filter by your zip code radius, and you can find the same deals Craigslist has - sometimes with better photos and seller feedback.

What Size and Brand to Search For

If you're not sure what you want yet, here's a rough breakdown of what moves in the used TV market:

• 55-inch TVs: The sweet spot. Tons of supply as people upgrade to 65+. Usually the best value.
• 65-inch TVs: High demand but also high supply from people who bought big and are moving. Competitive.
• 75+ inch TVs: Fewer listings, harder to move, but incredible deals exist. These are heavy and awkward to transport, which is why sellers discount them.
• OLED: Prices have dropped enough that used OLEDs show up regularly. LG OLED is the most common.
• QLED/4K LED: Lots of supply, easy to find deals in the $100-300 range for name brands.

How to Move Fast When an Alert Fires

Getting the alert is half the battle. The other half is acting on it before someone else does.

For Craigslist, text first, call second. Don't email - it's too slow. Lead with something like "Is the TV still available? I can come today." Don't ask five questions. Just express that you're ready to move.

For eBay Buy It Now listings, have your payment info saved so you can checkout in under a minute if the price is right. For auctions, set your max bid and let it ride - sniping manually is stressful and usually unnecessary.

Inspect before you commit on Craigslist. Bring an HDMI cable and a device to test the inputs. Check for dead pixels by displaying a solid white, black, red, green, and blue screen - there are sites and YouTube videos that make this easy. Burn-in is a real issue on older OLEDs, so test a bright scene too.

Setting Up Multiple Alerts for Better Coverage

If you're serious, set up a few parallel alerts rather than one broad one:

• One alert for brand + size ("LG 65")
• One for panel type if you care ("OLED 55" or "OLED 65")
• One broader fallback ("TV" in your city, filtered by price max so you're not drowning in listings)

LurkMor lets you run separate searches independently, so you can cover multiple angles without having to manually check each one. Each alert fires separately when a matching listing appears.

Patience Pays Off

Used TV deals don't come every day, but they come. Someone's moving and needs to offload a 65-inch OLED fast. Someone upgraded and the old set has to go by Friday. Those listings exist. The question is whether you're watching when they appear.

Set the alert up once and forget about it. LurkMor watches Craigslist while you do other things. When the right listing hits, you'll know within minutes - not hours. That's the difference between getting the deal and reading about it after the fact.