I read the OP. I think it's a bit paranoid. I have friends go pick up stuff for me in other cities. I do the communication, I send my friend to buy it. I had a friend do one last weekend, the weekend before that, and another this coming weekend. I'm not exactly sure what other option there is if the city is far away for me. If everyone who keeps contacting the OP with this type of arrangement is truly doing something illegal/harmful, then wouldn't the general media be reporting on this type of incident? Again, if he doesn't know what occurs, and yet the situation is so common, it wouldn't be a jump to suggest that "nothing bad" happens. We would hear about the bad cases.

Agree to the poster who says sellers who demand a phone number right away is losing business. I personally want to first interact over email with any one I give my number to.

As well, I prefer when people give me their home address. That way, I feel there's less chance I'm buying a lemon. My feeling is, if they only want to meet in a public location (and not give me their home address), there might be something wrong with what they are selling (since they could disappear after the sale and leave me with no way to retrace them). As such, if I was buying something from the OP (who insists on a public transaction), I'd be weary of the item he's selling to me. Why don't you want me to come to your home to pick it up? Further, for large items, I prefer people coming to my home to pick it up. Why wouldn't I? It's obviously more convenient for me, and when you go deliver/meet places, as a seller you subject yourself to haggling since you've already invested in time/travel to meet the buyer, and they know that.