Freecycle (Merged Thread)

hobo28

I'm a volunteer moderator for our local freecycle group. Its well worth joining if you already haven't.

You can join more than one group if there's a few in your local area.

Yes, its annoying when people who don't collect. If you e-mail the moderators they will usually file this and if a member is persistantly not turning up, they will be warned and ultimately can be banned.

Its also considered good manners not to pepper the groups with wanted ads. One per month is generally acceptable. Some are stricter than others. On ours we don't enforce a limit.

Another good tip is to put the first part of your postcode in the header so people know where abouts you are.

There are of course traders, especially in the big groups who scour Freecycle for things they can sell on. Again, moderators tend to tolerate these folk as long as they are up front. The whole purpose of Freecycle is to save things from landfill so if they go to the hassle of collecting it then sell it on and make money then good luck to them. My advice is to when responding tell the person why you want it.

Mellers

I have had a really good experience with Freecycle...

I am teaching myself to play piano, but only had an electric keyboard to practise on.

I'm pleased to say I'm progressing quite well, and was running out of keys and needed a proper piano. As a long shot, I advertised for one on Freecycle. In the first month i had no luck (they ask that you don't post asking for the same thing more than once a month), so I decided to give it another go.

Within a couple of weeks a girl contacted me asking if I'd got the piano, as she had one she was looking to give away to make room for a better one. Through a series of very friendly e-mails and phone calls, we arranged for me to pick up the piano. She was very honest about the piano, said that she'd rescued it 10 years ago from being dumped, and had had to rebuild it all herself! She also sent me pictures, which i found very helpful.

Now the piano is installed in my living room (just needs tuning - it's in great condition, considering!) and looks like it's been there all its life!

This was the Belfast Freecycle, btw

Mel

Baileys_Babe

I'm also a member of the Oxford group, think its brilliant, we have received many item including a double bed, a childs bike seat and a filing cabinet and given away many items we no longer use/need.

Rachie_B

Im a convert also

gave away our first item yesterday - a computer desk which was fine just too big for us ,we now have the hideaway one

hubby wanted to bash it up and throw it away !!!! i said oi hubby noooooooooooooooo we will freecycle it
he wasnt convinced reckoned no one would pick it up etc and it would be cluttering up the garage for ages

ha he was wrong i was right <smug grin> lmao

i think its a fab idea and im a member of 4 localish ones !

zebedy

I'm a member of the St. Albans one and the Hertford one and have got rid of quite a few things that were cluttering up my flat. One person's junk can be really useful to someone else.

I have also got some good things from freecycle too and can thoroughly recommend it

PaleScene

SaverSarah wrote:

Hi, I've been a member of the Gloucestershire group for about a year and it's fab. Gotta admit, I haven't taken anything that's been offered (not for want of trying, I never seem to be quick enough!) but I've got rid of the weirdest things you'd think no one would ever want, like a broken video recorder, old tyres, hundreds of plastic plant pots, even – get this – I save my mushroom punnets and give them to people that want them for seed trays.

I tend to give smaller items away to charity shops and use Freecycle for the more unusual and bulky items.

Give it a go!

That's the group I've joined too - I'm still at the lurking stage in the main, though I've been able to offer a few things out in response to Wanted ads. (I will be doing some offering eventually, I'm just not a practised de-clutterer...)

I've noted that policy for us is to limit Wanted ads to once a month and to specify if you are looking to sell on any goods you receive - or if the goods you offer will be prioritised to people wanting them for their own usage.

In response to the the comment quoted by Carolbee about selling on Ebay - isn't is great to have another means of not adding to wasteage without having to do all the work that Ebay and Carbooting entails

rackstar

I love freecycle too! It's great to get rid of stuff that you don't need and is still too good for the tip. And it's great when someone else is getting rid of something you really want.

The thing about wanted ads is you rarely get to see if they were successful. I have answered wanted ads on my local group (Southampton) and I have asked for two things myself. On both occasions I had several replies so had to turn people down!

All the people I have met through Freecycle have been really nice. It's a great way to feel more part of the community.

ka7e

I advertised my parent's fitted kitchen and it was "spoken for" within minutes. Last week there was somebody asking for a small car - preferably with tax and MOT! Apparently, it was to replace a lad's stolen, crashed and written off motor so he could get to job interviews. Wonder if they had any offers?!

Rachie_B

a car was offered on my local site the other day !!! lol

some of the wanted ads are just stupid

6 berth tents & all the camping equip
laptops
cars etc

jen_jen_2

i know its green to give away stuff that isnt used, but is it ethical to give away the OH's stuff that is cluttering up your house???

im giving him until the end of June to do something about it then its gone, yeah to freecycle by the end of the year i may be able to move around all my rooms.:j :j

(PS all my stuff is essential and not to be got rid of )