Freecycle (Merged Thread)

pigpen

judder.. I hate those emails too.. I don't even grace them with a reply I just bin them!

Anyway.. I have an issue..

Our local group has been on the go for about 2-2.5 years or so.. I was the 18th member.. so obviously have been there a good while.. at the beginning of this month and email.. not from a yahoo address.. was circulated (apparently because you can only send a certain number of emails from your yahoo account each day) In this email the modertaors requested details of a) your location (fair enough that is in your posts anyway) and b) your postcode.. now.. I have an issue here.

1. How does this stand in terms of data protection? It will not be saved on a secure computer just a home pc.. or 4
2. Is this national freecycle policy or just ours being nosey? The national site says nothing of this nature is required
3. who is to check up you have given a correct postcode? The how just scares me!
4. How exactly would it deter anyone? Other than if it were a bot joining obviously the info wouldn't get back so wouldn't be approved

This information is meant to deter spammers from joining the site.. erm.. how??
Also it is to be shared amongst the moderators.. who we don't know from Adam (whoever he is?!) They could have convictions for violence, sex offences... anything.. we don't know yet we are expected to give our details from which they can trace our home addresses and possibly gain access to our children and homes and us.. and I am totally not happy with this.

Is this me being over sensitive to such issues or would others not be very happy either?

molley

judderman62 wrote: »

Yes sadly there are some mods out there that are clearly unsuited to the role and who don't exercise sound judgement or common sense.

I'm quite lucky my two main/nearest groups have pretty decent mods - two I have exchanges with have been great.

I am convinced that sometimes Mods tell their friends about items on offer before releasing the ad to the wider membership and then the friend gets the opportunity to fire off an e-mail asking for the item(s) before anyone else ..or am I being too cynical :-)

geordie_joe

molley wrote: »

I am convinced that sometimes Mods tell their friends about items on offer before releasing the ad to the wider membership and then the friend gets the opportunity to fire off an e-mail asking for the item(s) before anyone else ..or am I being too cynical :-)

It has always been my opinion that if a "loophole" exists then someone will use it to gain an advantage.

I know people who work in charity shops and say they get the best stuff before the public ever see it. Some try to justify this by saying they pay a fair price for the item, but it is them who are deciding what a fair price is!

frugalpam

Hmm..... I wouldn't be giving out my complete postcode to anyone other than the person who was collecting an item from me. I think those Mods have a cheek and I don't know how they really justify wanting that info.

Don't mind putting the first bit eg WN8, in the advert so people have a rough idea of the area, but no more than that.

pigpen wrote: »

judder.. I hate those emails too.. I don't even grace them with a reply I just bin them!

Anyway.. I have an issue..

Our local group has been on the go for about 2-2.5 years or so.. I was the 18th member.. so obviously have been there a good while.. at the beginning of this month and email.. not from a yahoo address.. was circulated (apparently because you can only send a certain number of emails from your yahoo account each day) In this email the modertaors requested details of a) your location (fair enough that is in your posts anyway) and b) your postcode.. now.. I have an issue here.

1. How does this stand in terms of data protection? It will not be saved on a secure computer just a home pc.. or 4
2. Is this national freecycle policy or just ours being nosey? The national site says nothing of this nature is required
3. who is to check up you have given a correct postcode? The how just scares me!
4. How exactly would it deter anyone? Other than if it were a bot joining obviously the info wouldn't get back so wouldn't be approved

This information is meant to deter spammers from joining the site.. erm.. how??
Also it is to be shared amongst the moderators.. who we don't know from Adam (whoever he is?!) They could have convictions for violence, sex offences... anything.. we don't know yet we are expected to give our details from which they can trace our home addresses and possibly gain access to our children and homes and us.. and I am totally not happy with this.

Is this me being over sensitive to such issues or would others not be very happy either?

frugalpam

Well, another rude free_loader didn't turn up today to collect an item I'd offered :mad: He'd sent a polite request for the item and we'd fixed a time - and not only didn't he show up, he's not even e-mailed to apologise. This was a FREE item that would have cost loads in the shops
I've re-listed it anyway, and asked if people would please be as quick to turn up on time to collect, as they are to e-mail 'I'll have'

molley

frugalpam wrote: »

Hmm..... I wouldn't be giving out my complete postcode to anyone other than the person who was collecting an item from me. I think those Mods have a cheek and I don't know how they really justify wanting that info.

Don't mind putting the first bit eg WN8, in the advert so people have a rough idea of the area, but no more than that.

While I see no real reason why Mods should need a Postcode there is no need to be paranoid about folk knowing your Postcode .What do you think they are going to do with it ? All I do is give the area of Glasgow when I list the item(s) so folk have some idea how far they would need to travel . Anyway you say you wouldn't give the Postcode to anyone other than the person collecting the item ....you sure you don't mean the person you HOPE will be collecting the item ...LOL

frugalpam

Well, it sounds like you're as peed off with Freecycle as I am :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

molley wrote: »

I'm in the Glasgow Freecycle Group and frankly I am about to give up .I have offered a few items recently and the problems are people not reading what I say about insisting on a contact tel number when I have offered the item to the first to respond ...PLUS...folk failing to either get back to me with a date/time to collect so I know that if I am not in I can safely leave it on the landing for them to collect OR not turning up at all.
It's hardly worth the bother ..I am getting really peed off ...so if I continue to get rid of stuff I want rid of to make space it is either going to the dump or if it is a reasonable item it is either going on Ebay or to a charity shop .

judderman62

I've done OK with freecycle recently.

have gifted 4 items in past few days - 3 went very well indeed, notwithstanding some rude yes I'll take it - with no manners replies that were ignored - and just the one item was troublesome - with initially less interest than I'd expected -then someone saying they could collect at short notice and with a small window of time (I don't wanna sit around for ages wonderin when someone will or wont turn up) and was all set for them to collect once we agreed a time - then never heard from then again.

i wanted rid of the item As quickly as possible and had set a deadline by which time it was to be gone - I relisted and sent a reminder that time was running out and no one else could commit to a quick collection - of the two replies I got - one of whom lost interest when the colour wasn't right for them

Anyway 15 mins after my deadline had gone I got a message from someone saying they were probably too late but was it still available and they could collect that day - so asked how quick they could get here and as promised he was at my door within 10 minutes :eek::eek::j:beer: so I was rid of it on the day I wanted it gone and he got what he wanted - woo hoo - could do with more like him :D

Guess like in life generally freecyclers are a mixed bag

molley

judderman62 wrote: »

I've done OK with freecycle recently.

snipped
Guess like in life generally freecyclers are a mixed bag

It certainly makes a difference when folk are thoughtful about the transaction .
I met a guy today who agreed a few days ago to pickup an old rocking chair and two other chairs in need of refurb and 'phoned to say he was late and it was arranged for one hour later and he arrived at the new time and the deed was done ...Why can't they all be like that ?

judderman62

molley wrote: »

It certainly makes a difference when folk are thoughtful about the transaction .
I met a guy today who agreed a few days ago to pickup an old rocking chair and two other chairs in need of refurb and 'phoned to say he was late and it was arranged for one hour later and he arrived at the new time and the deed was done ...Why can't they all be like that ?

Yup

not difficult is it