Freecycle - Please posts all freecycle stuff here (merged)

jo_b_2

shays_mum wrote:

I thought the whole point of freecycle was that it was free, my local group (Lambeth) don't even let you join unless you make an offering first! what then is the point of being called FREEcycle?. If you have ppl being too autocratic when starting groups, no wonder ppl just dump stuff on the streets.
Has anyone else come across this, or am i just unlucky?

The point of Freecycle is essentially to reduce the amount of stuff that ends up in tips or landfill. Unfortunately, some people abuse the sites by asking for lots of stuff from others (possibly to resell) and never offer anything in exchange.

The majority of Freecyle groups stipulate that you must make an Offered posting before placing a Wanted posting to stop greedy people taking advantage of other people's generosity.

I can't personally see why that would be a problem. I'm sure the majority of people have something in their house that they no longer need and that they could offer to others. It doesn't have to be anything of any value - I've offered old magazines etc that would have just gone in the recycling otherwise.

Simba_25

shays_mum wrote:

Hoopylass, my point being that they should not try to enforce things that none of the other freecycle groups do. Imagine being on a v.low income who is trying to make ends meet. You see something in your local freecycle & are told that in order to join you must give something, how? when you can barely make ends meet?

on the one im a member of there was someone on the other day offering a tin of spaghetti hoops.....one way round it i guess It doesn't say what kind of thing you have to offer

surfsister

shays_mum wrote:

I thought the whole point of freecycle was that it was free, my local group (Lambeth) don't even let you join unless you make an offering first! what then is the point of being called FREEcycle?. If you have ppl being too autocratic when starting groups, no wonder ppl just dump stuff on the streets.
Has anyone else come across this, or am i just unlucky?

I'm in a different group but this rule is because some people are grabbing all the good stuff and carbooting it so if u ask for one offer first this deters them a bit!

There's always sim cards/kig saws/plants/seeds etc you can give away

lew

Another freecycle group .
http://www.freecyclers.org.uk/find.php

Ajax18

I'm devastated! My local freecycle group (Hackney) has denied me membership. "This decision is permanent". I don't understand why, all I said was that I was 23, live in Hackney, am a PA and think freecycling is a great idea because I can give my unwanted things to someone who might make use of it rather than throwing it away...
Hardly offending is it? What can I do now?

mike_paterson

Sounds odd to me.
I am the group owner of Basildon Freecycle and I have emailed the group owner of Hackney Freecycle to alert him to the issue.
Hopefully this will be rsolved soon.

dobbiesloan

Ajax18 wrote:

What can I do now?

Re-apply using another username and e-mail address. If its has one of theese boxes askin for a message to to mods just say hi.

lew

Hi Ajax, I contacted my local group moderater and this is what she said
"Hi Linda,

I'm very glad you contacted me. Sounds as if someone has pressed the wrong button by accident. The easiest way forward would be if you could post on the thread (it is so long since I posted on Moneysaving Expert I can't even remember my username etc) and advise the person having the difficulty to email the owner of the Hackney Group at:

hackney_freecycle-owner@yahoogroups.com

and say just what she said below. The thing about the decision being 'permanent' is something which comes automatically from Yahoo Groups with any rejection and doesn't mean anything in particular - though it doesn't sound nice when you get it.

If the difficulty continues I could contact the Hackeny owner myself but I would need the Yahoo ID and email address of the person having the difficulty. "

Hope this helps.

Ajax18

Thank you lew, have written an email, let's see what becomes of it... fingers crossed!

lew

Hi, Ajex, please, let us know what happens.
LINDA