Freecycle - Please posts all freecycle stuff here (merged)

quoia

quoia wrote:

........

Incidentally (I've been a Freecycle member for about 6 months) whilst it is possible to pick up some good items, don't get too over excited about it, unless you want to DISPOSE of things that is.
I've offered to collect several items that I could find a use for. All of them offered as working or requiring minor repairs or similar, only to find I've wasted a gallon of petrol collecting a total pile of junk which, having taken home and examined, I put back in the car and taken straight to the tip.

So be careful. some people will just use you to take away things that the dustbin men WON'T !!!!!!

In adddition to my last post ......... Another issue that has arisen tonight for the THIRD TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Having "won" an item offered on my local group and spoken to the "gentleman" on the phone and agreed where and when to make the collection, I turned up tonight to find he had let someone else have it !!!!
That has cost me a gallon and a half of petrol , SIX QUID !!!!!!!!, for absolutely NOTHING !!

Seems he decided that instead of originally giving it to the first person to email him asking for the item, he thought the 1st person to phone him to obtain his address could have it (that was me) but then it became the 1st person to arrive at his doorstep and take it away. ( that WASN'T me !)
What a to$$er !

There are some absolute morons out there and a significantly higher percentage than exist in the general population seem to subscribe to the Freecycle community - quite a few people have made "complaints" on the board about similar failed arrangements, emails being ignored, bogus items being offered etc..so it is not all it is cracked up to be.

As I said before - DON'T GET TOO EXCITED ! (Unless you want to get rid of stuff [that might be "crap"] )

I'd guess that out of 200 items offered, I've enquired about 20 items (about 10%) I suppose I've "won" about half - (about 5% of those offered - 10 items )

3 of these have been wasted journeys for items I've never seen.
3 of these have been wasted journeys for "crap" that has gone straight in the dustbin or to the tip.
2 items were probably worth what it cost to fetch them
1 item "environmentally" was worth saving from the tip for landfill
1 item could be considered as a "bargain"

Overall I don't think I've come out "on top" and could have saved myself a lot of time and hassle.

I suppose the motto could be ..........

BEWARE STRANGERS BEARING GIFTS

bethscott1970

I have only used our local group twice, once someone asked for a car. Funnily enough we had hubbys old car sat outside and we had been debating how to get rid as the local scrap yard now charge to take them and we would have had to dispose of the tyres ourselves. Took it about 10 miles to a young lad who was just starting a mechanics course, 2 months later he sent me an email to say he had it back on the road and to thank us once again for it. The second time was an amazing coincidence. While on holiday my 11 year old daughter managed somehow to persuade her dad that she really needed to have 2 african land snails :eek: We got them and a plastic carrying container planning to buy a small fish tank when we got home. The first thing I did when we arrived home was fire up the pc and check my email only to find someone offering an old fishtank that leaked, perfect for what we needed it for so we picked it up the next day and Choc and Chip are now happily growing at an alarming rate in their new home (she refused her dad's suggestion at calling them Garlic and Butter).

(anyone want a snail that will soon be big enough to cover your hand?? _pale_ )

mtp_2

Just come across freecycle@yahoogroups.com seems a great idea, all around the country,you can post your wanted for free and free for collection items you register and then an email appears almost daily with listings.

black-saturn

Not all around the country but almost everywhere

Martin14th

I only found out about this yesterday, if this is posted in the wrong area please move it moderator.

https://www.freecycle.org is a web site that has been set up to try and stop us throwing so much "good stuff" into landfill sites. I say good stuff because what you have no further use for may well have many uses for other people.

The idea is that you go to the website, locate your own area, and there are many groups in the UK. You apply to join your local group, all are yahoo groups I believe.

You can the advertise anything you wish, so long as it's legal, full TOS are sent to you.

So how is this money saving?

1. You don't have to pay to advertise.

2. You don't have to spend money on petrol to go to the tip.

3. The potential new user collects the goods/items from you.

4. Lots of items are advertised which you may get hold of for free.

The major stipulations are that what you are offering is legal, and you are giving it away for free.

A great idea in my book, but not for those who like trying to make money via sites like Ebay.

Martin

jenk_3

I found out about this site a couple of weeks ago (forgot to post it on here - sorry). It saved me £14 as I had a 2 seater and a three seater sofa i needed to get rid of. I didnt have a van to move it so I was going to pay my local council to take it away.

So I offered it on this site and I was contacted my many people who wanted it. In the end a couple had it, they were looking to furnish a property they were renting out and as my things were in good nik and had the fire ladels etc it was perfect for them.

Nice to know things are getting used again for as long as poss instead of just been thrown away.

Emma

Clowance

I am going to ask a stupid question: Have just joined my local freecycle group and confirmed. Is there a message board like this one you can look at or is it the sort that only send emails when someone posts? If so, how do you look at past posts? Cant find my way around it very well.

steve_bilton

There will be a freecycle website for your area. Go to their homepage, then Uk and find your area, then your locla group and you will be able to see all thathas been offered on email in the past.

I think it is brilliant - we recently got a Dual-fuel free standing oven, newer than our existing gas cooker, needed a lot of cleaning but saved us several hundred pounds - the old one is going on there this weekend.

mike_paterson

Clowance wrote:

I am going to ask a stupid question: Have just joined my local freecycle group and confirmed. Is there a message board like this one you can look at or is it the sort that only send emails when someone posts? If so, how do you look at past posts? Cant find my way around it very well.

Go to freecycle.org and find the group(s) that you want to join.
Click the GOTO button to go to the website and then click Join this group.
This will require you to enter a Yahoo id - or to register one if you don't already have one.

You can then access all the old posts and post new ones (you can also post by email once you ave registered and set up the group settings for yourself)

You will then be able to view any groups that you have joined by going to groups.yahoo.com

Hope this helps
Regards
Mike

carol_a_3

My local group is still about 30 miles away but nearer than the previous nearest one which was nearly 100 miles away. What do you think the limit is for people to travel to pick things up?