Freecycle and related sites comments

Bargain_Rzl · 13 January 2007 at 12:03PM

There is also a Freecycle thread on the Green and Ethical Moneysaving board - perhaps a link to that might be useful as a footnote

lil_me · 13 January 2007 at 2:32PM

Just so you know there are more similar groups opening around the country, https://www.dontdumpthat.com is one of them.

Bargain_Rzl · 13 January 2007 at 10:48PM

lil_me wrote:

Just so you know there are more similar groups opening around the country, www.dontdumpthat.com is one of them.

My local one in London Borough of Southwark (which as it happens is one of the few London boroughs without its own local Freecycle group) is http://www.swapxchangesouthwark.org/ - though to be honest I think its usefulness is a bit limited.

alyth · 13 January 2007 at 11:26PM

I have to be honest and say that I am totally sick of freeycle! i recently moved out of a 35 roomed house and had absolutely tons of stuff that I put on freecycle - no rubbish, microwaves, beds, wardrobes, bedding, you name it and I had it! (the house was a former hospital and we inherited all this stuff!) it took me hours and hours to deal with it - people not showing up, people turning up and declining the goods (absolutely their perogative of course, didn't mind that) and my local freecycle is turning into sheer greed - people posting for white goods, one message tonight was someone wanted an electric heater for their mother's newly built conservatory - their words! I feel it's turning into people just wanting free stuff and not willing to pay for it. I have an old PC that I'd like to give to someone, not for money but someone who's in need of one, and I'm loath to freecycle it as I suspect that it will be sold on, which isn't the ethos of freecycle. I also had to bring loads of furniture from the old place to the new one and it's all sitting in a garage and I don't know what on earth to do with it! So freecycle for me is out I'm afraid!

squeaky · 19 January 2007 at 6:21PM

Hiya,

I've split these posts off the index thread and started up this discussion comments one.

No doubt a link to it will appear in due course

lil_me · 19 January 2007 at 6:27PM

Alyth I can totally understand where you are coming from. I know people who have put wanted ads for cars stating were to take children/disabled/elderly relatives out just to sell on, taken items just to sell on, I would rather items went to someone who needed it. I also have had some very rude messages like

I'll hav it deliver it to ............. tomorro after 3pm, leave it round the back

Needless to say I didn't but I did reply to the email to tell them how rude I thought they were.

Ticklemouse · 19 January 2007 at 6:31PM

alyth - why don't you offer it straight to a local charity in your area - often churches or homeless shelters etc take decent furniture that can be put to good use elsewhere - and I agree with you, I'd rather know my "cast-offs" were going to a worthy cause than to someone who is out to sell it on.

On one of my local freecycle sites, there has been a moderator note saying that certain posts will be deleted - ie asking for a 2-4 yo 7 seater people carrier ! Don't know if anyone has actually asked for one, but I wouldn't be surprised

vivw_2 · 19 January 2007 at 6:42PM

I have only had positive experiences with freecycle.
I have manged to declutter and make sure the items don't fill the local landfill site by putting them on freecycle. I have found that most people collect that day or at least the next day and are most grateful for the items. Sometimes if I have had to go out I have left the item/s in the porch in a carrier...when I come home I usually find a thank you note in my e-mails. One woman locally uses freecycle to get items for the local women's refuge and I'm more than happy if items can go in that direction.
As to item I have managed to get from others - crutches for my mother when she fractured her ankle - printer - easel for my grandchildren - jam jars when I wanted to make chutney and found I had no jars - some wonderful dressing up clothes for my grandchildren.....and today I have just missed a kenwood chef [although the giver has put me second on the list]
I have on occasion found that no-one wanted my item/s and in that situation I either advertise them later or hand to charity shop

lil_me · 19 January 2007 at 6:47PM

I've also had some good experiences don't get me wrong, but even in the last week or so we have 6 laptop and 6 mobile phone requests on my local one, it's getting to be a bit of a 'Wish list' as these request state what spec they require etc. I am much more selective where the items go now, have managed to suss many who sell on by seeing items they were given in free ads, local paper, at boot sales etc. It's not the idea itself but the people who use it which spoil it.

vivw_2 · 19 January 2007 at 9:11PM

lil_me wrote:

I am much more selective where the items go now, have managed to suss many who sell on by seeing items they were given in free ads, local paper, at boot sales etc. It's not the idea itself but the people who use it which spoil it.

Agree totally. Thats why you need to wait and not agree to give to the first person who replies to your offer

rainbowrisin · 20 January 2007 at 12:29AM

I think I buck the trend a little here, as I don't really care what the recipients of my goods do with them when I offer them on freecycle - I just want rid. If people can make a few bob with the stuff I offer then I'll be impressed - I've got rid of loads of things like good books, but they sell for 1p on Amazon, good clean bedding and duvets, but too faded for anyone to sell, really bulky furniture which didn't sell at auction, clothes which didn't sell on ebay and which haven't sold as a job lot in the newspaper. To me the whole point of it is to prevent landfill, so I give to whoever gets there first.
As for the "please may I have an as new buggy for a 3 month old, preferably winnie the pooh" (one of my local freecycle "wanteds")...I wonder how many offers they got, eh?:D

I've personally got some brill stuff...packing chips for ebay and bean bags, fabric, wool, gorgeous books and toys - I am so grateful.;)

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