Crazies on auction sites/freecycle...

Dizzie77

I don't offer my stuff to the first person who asks, simply to give others a chance...! Not everyone can sit at their computer all day waiting for the alerts to come from freecycle (and I'm not signed up to alerts anyway!!!)

I did get a lovely ceiling light last night though, and the lady who gave it to me gave me some paint too, as they are leaving the country in a month and she was just going to bin it all anyway...!

GKWelding

pitkin2020 wrote: »

If it makes you feel powerful holding a list of names in your hand and deciding who is more worthy that's your choice, but I wouldn't tell potential people that as you will end up with the same scenario as in post #1 where you will start to get hounded by everyone as to the reason why you should give it to them.

Consider this scenario (this was the case with the listing I mentioned in the first post above actually). The first person who responds to the post was a 'dealer' of electronic goods, he even said so, he said he fixed these goods up to sell them on at a discounted price to those who couldn't afford new goods. 5 posts down the line for people just emailing me saying 'Give it to me!' I get an email from a woman who wants it for her young daughter doing her SATS to store data on etc... and can't afford to buy her a laptop. In this situation you would have given it to person number one purely because he makes a business out of trawling these sites every 10 minutes, where as somebody in dire need then misses out on a freebie that they desperately need. Some people may do it for 'power' however, I assume that the majority of people do it for exactly the reason I have given above.

Hermia

madrhino wrote: »

I tend to offer items to people who DON't give me a sob story. I think that people who just ask nicely with a valid reason probably don't get that much stuff offered to them, so I'll give them my stuff.

Same here. I much rather people just wrote, "I am interested in the camera as I love photography. Thanks for considering me" then giving me a rambling sob story that sounds like the lyrics to a country and western song. The ones that really make me shake my head in despair are the ones who ask for high-value goods for their kids otherwise their kids will get bullied. On my local group one woman asked for some GHD hair straighteners for her daughter, but they had to be the most expensive ones they do because her daughter would be bullied if they were the standard GHD ones. I have seen similar reasons given when asking for high-value mobile phones or the latest games system. I can't work out whether the parents are lying, have horribly materialist little brats or are just not teaching their children how to deal with bullies.

The worst freecyclers I have had turn up were a couple who were nice, but clearly a bit stoned and stunk of BO. We had to open the windows for several hours afterwards to get the smell out.

Hermia

pitkin2020 wrote: »

If it makes you feel powerful holding a list of names in your hand and deciding who is more worthy thats your choice, but I wouldn't tell potential people that as you will end up with the same scenerio as in post #1 where you will start to get hounded by everyone as to the reason why you should give it to them.

There is something called a fair offer policy on my Freecycle group which you can tick when you post your offered message. It basically says that you will consider all replies before giving away the item in order to give those people who are on the digest or don't have internet access at work the chance to request the item.

suemck146

I really don't see what all the fuss is about. Freecycle is about recycling, full stop. If I give stuff to people I don't care what they do with it, it stops it being landfill and saves a trip to the dump (and petrol). I also agree that it is very awkward territory to judge someone's need. Rudeness or cursory emails fair enough, I don't give it to those people either. But who are we to judge whether someone is deserving or not, how come we have the moral highground?
If they sell it then good for them and full power to their initiative. I got some books from freecycle once and sold them on Amazon, so there!! I've also given loads of stuff and received some great bits for the house.
Yes, a few crazies but not as bad as the ebay ones.....

pitkin2020

Like I said before it's not the first person to make contact rather the first person who isn't doing it for profit, making demands or are just plain rude. Some people think they have a right to everything that is listed and think by telling you they will come and collect it NOW they will be automatically getting it., which always the wrong way to go about it.

What ever way you choose to give your items is your choice, all i'm saying is I don't necessarily agree with your way of doing and you deciding who is and isn't worthy. Just because someone doesn't give you a sob story doesn't mean they aren't more desperate than someone who does. They just might not feel the need to publicise whatever they are giong through. Too merely judge someones needs through an email to me seems a little harsh. As already mentioned freecycle is to stop stuff going to landfill and hopefully reusing items that would have gone landfill.

As for the auto response emails there are simple ways to get around that by putting an alternatve email address in the message for contact. Also if a dealer/seller whatever whats to sell your goods on they could still be very underhand about it and tell you the biggest sob story going, you would still be none the wiser.

GKWelding

Thread is well off topic now. Less of the moral debate and back to stories please.

pitkin2020

GKWelding wrote: »

Thread is well off topic now. Less of the moral debate and back to stories please.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

GKWelding

pitkin2020 wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Sometimes on forums it's like trying to herd cats, seriously....

gallygirl

Hermia wrote: »

Same here. I much rather people just wrote, "I am interested in the camera as I love photography. Thanks for considering me" then giving me a rambling sob story that sounds like the lyrics to a country and western song.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: