Freecycle- people asking for too much?

Willowx

vikingaero wrote: »

Wouldn't it be better if all reply messages where posted on the site so that everyone could see the rude gits, the posters who reply "I'll have that" 20 times a day and the ones that have 500 relatives that have died in the last month?

But think how many emails that would be extra a day. In a large group you could easily push the total number of messages up to near the thousands a day.

bc3000

Willowx wrote: »

But think how many emails that would be extra a day. In a large group you could easily push the total number of messages up to near the thousands a day.

Well I think it would be better if Freecycle was more like a forum where you can see the replies, but obviously that's kinda impossible :P

vikingaero

Willowx wrote: »

But think how many emails that would be extra a day. In a large group you could easily push the total number of messages up to near the thousands a day.

I set my preferences on Freecycle to one daily digest. Obviously if you choose an email every time someone posts that would overload things. I just think a Forum type site would overcome many of the pitfalls of the same !!!!!!!!!!s and chancers.

Willowx

vikingaero wrote: »

I set my preferences on Freecycle to one daily digest. Obviously if you choose an email every time someone posts that would overload things. I just think a Forum type site would overcome many of the pitfalls of the same !!!!!!!!!!s and chancers.

A forum style isn't something I had thought about but it does seem like it could work well.

The reason I didn't select the daily digest is because it says it would compile 25 messages in a day and some days we have more than that.

durham_girl

Willowx wrote: »

A forum style isn't something I had thought about but it does seem like it could work well.

The reason I didn't select the daily digest is because it says it would compile 25 messages in a day and some days we have more than that.

My local group says that, but sometimes I get more than one email a day if the numbers of posts has gone over that. Saves getting loads of emails each day!

el_gringo_3

I've stopped bothering with it for anything apart from furniture. Too many single mums wanting high end consoles for their little darlings, foreign students wanting top spec mobiles and local tradesmen posing as DIYers looking for stuff they can tell their customers they've had to pay for....

Also a friend of a friend is an eco warrior type, and regularly goes round the student area bin raiding and then putting the stuff on freecycle. She doesn't really mind who she gives it to but reckons 80-90% of the time its the same select number of people who are looking to sell stuff on.

DitaBombita

The Calderdale site I use asked for a specific make and model of car, as his daughters were fighting over the one they shared... did state that colour wasnt a issue however!!

A lady on ours did offer a knackered old car about about a year ago and then posted syaing how rude people had been - emailing her constantly asking if she had chosen a `winner` then when she hadnt picked them asked `what the secret was then`. I contacted her saying I thought she was very generous offering a car and not to be put off!

mustrum_ridcully

sarahg1969 wrote: »

However, when they say it must have Windows XP or Vista, or must be suitable for gaming, or a 17" screen is preferred, perhaps they are taking it a little too far?

Yeah I think it's fair to say that that is extracting the urine...

butler_helen

The Reading group seems ok in comparison to some of the comments in this thread. The only ones that really bug me are the requests for ...

'a washing machine, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, tumble dryer, microwave and generally all white goods, crockery, single bed, double bed, duvet set and curtains and generally all household goods, toys for my little boy, clothes for my little girl and food for the fridge'

I've given things away and I now know who wants what- e.g. the local pre-school gets all my old duvets and clothes (which aren't good enough to repair) for making crafts, there's a local lady who collects egg boxes and jam jars. My magazines go to the local sixth form for the common room and the toilet roll tubes go to the local Brownies. All my books go to whoever can collect soonest and aside from that I don't give much or receive much (at the moment, it could all change).

tincat

I've given away tons of stuff over the last 3 years and received a few decent things too. My bigger gives have been 2 x tvs, tumble dryer, video machine, microwave, then tons of duvet covers and kitchen stuff, PS games & console etc etc

I've received a tv (which I later gave away), a really good book shelf, bedside tables, kids pc games etc. I haven't needed anything for ages, so only go on FC when I have to give something away.

While I have nearly always sent a thank you email, I wouldn't expect one. When I give the stuff away, I want it out of my house. I'm not doing it to be charitable really, although it is nice if it goes to someone who really needs it.

However, everyone has different circumstances, and unless they turn up with a van saying 'ebay top seller' or similar, I don't really care what they do with the items once they get them. If they sell them, good for them, as I was too lazy to do so.

ETA: Actually, something does annoy me: When you're inundated with replies for something you offer and choose someone, the others often get all uppity about why didn't you choose them. I've stopped sending polite emails to the 'losers' as this was a frequent occurrence. Now I just post a 'taken' message to the FC board and ignore the 'loser' emails.