Freecycle (Merged Thread)

Ken68

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Exchange_Trading_Systems

...is older, hasn't quite taken off tho within a group ought to.
Freecycle was 'invented' I think 1993 Arizona. Trouble with the founder since, some sort of deception.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Freecycle_Network

stilernin

Ken68 wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Exchange_Trading_Systems

...is older, hasn't quite taken off tho within a group ought to.
Freecycle was 'invented' I think 1993 Arizona. Trouble with the founder since, some sort of deception.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Freecycle_Network

Interesting that you mention the LETS system. I remember a group that used Ricklets as their unit of currency.

We are trying to start up a Time Bank.... check out https://www.timebanking.org. ....Time banking seems to work better than LETS as there is a central time broker.

Early days yet, but fingers crossed.

lil_me

Ads were placed on our local site for moderators, our local site was set up by another local group owner before that, eventually it was passed to another moderator as owner so they could concentrate on their initial site they set up.

I am not ignorant of the fact that it could be used for personal gain, I am very aware that moderators/owners could do so and have known it to happen so can not comment about other sites. I am also aware members sometimes use the site to sell on.

To be honest items I have given away I could have sold, I just couldn't be bothered cooker (1 year old) shed, fridge, freezer etc etc. Our council charges £20 to remove up to 4 items I think it is. I do sometimes think some members use it as a way to avoid charges for collection aswell, some items we have had reported were barely fit for the tip in the collectors opinion, but I did state that it would have been more polite to decline the item and allow someone to have it who would appreciate it. Maybe greed gets the better of people sometimes. In that case she expected someone to refund the van hire and costs to remove it by the council as it wasn't good enough for her as it was dirty.

arkonite_babe

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Sarahsaver

Still beggars belief how or why the requests for i pods and flat screen tv's get passed by the mods!

frugalpam

.... and often it's got a phrase such as 'if you've got a flat screen tv hanging round unused, I'll take it off your hands for you'
Yeah right.... feel like replying 'no I haven't and no you won't '
Must say though, my local groups Mods have really clamped down on the shopping lists :j

Morty_007

My group seems to have lost the plot recently. Shopping lists abound, people asking for high priced items and someone advertising for "free" book parties where you can go to buy books.

And then they circulate the rules which completely contradict what the mods are doing and letting through!! I still read the messages and post offereds but its a long time since I asked for anything.

An the corker for me was a swap that went along the lines of...

"I want to swap a high sleeper for a single bed for my son. You will have to deliver the bed when you pick up the high sleeper because I have no car"...

No please, thank you or "would that be ok"

Geeze some people!!

zztopgirl

We have the free book parties too. Latest post is someone asking for free fruit to make jams for charity, er how about going to a shop like everyone else does and buy your own fruit?:mad:

I thought swaps werent allowed on freecycle?

I am close to tearing my hair out with the local group, i have emailed the outreach (who had even asked me to keep her updated on any 'progress' if you can call it that lol) but the mod does not care one bit. I cant give any items away there anymore, im sick and tired of the mod refusing to post taken messages, so am now gathering up a pile of stuff to go to charity.

lil_me

Unfortunately some groups do have issues, thanks to the members, not the site itself unfortunately in most cases.

The 'why do the mods allow requests for high value items' well one reason I consider doing so is so members can see which are the greedy ***** on the site, members do seem to 'self moderate' when it comes to this, showing them how ignorant and how greedy some members are helps that. I have a bunch of email addresses I have blocked from Freecycle myself who make request after request for high value items, the woman who's message consists of 'wanted ****** must be in very good condition and delivered to me is included because like has been said, manners cost nothing.

Just so you know that sometimes there is a method in the madness

One group I am aware of has no current moderators because they are sick of complaints because of issues between members, complaints about the greed of members etc etc and like they said, they're volunteers but no way they should be spoken to in the manner they have been by members. Sometimes stupidity of members does push moderators beyond what they are willing to put up with providing a service at cost to themselves.

What really bugs me is someone will post within the guidelines (ours are quite strict) then we'll put them on unmoderated, then they go and post something completely stupid like offering a pet (which we strictly don't allow) offering personal services etc etc then we get it in the neck from members.

Swaps/borrowing we don't allow but some groups do.

frugalpam

Good point - hadn't considered that.

lil_me wrote: »

The 'why do the mods allow requests for high value items' well one reason I consider doing so is so members can see which are the greedy ***** on the site, members do seem to 'self moderate' when it comes to this, showing them how ignorant and how greedy some members are helps that. I have a bunch of email addresses I have blocked from Freecycle myself who make request after request for high value items, the woman who's message consists of 'wanted ****** must be in very good condition and delivered to me is included because like has been said, manners cost nothing.

Just so you know that sometimes there is a method in the madness