freecycle rant

unholyangel

Everyone myself, family and friends have ever dealt with off freecycle has always been really nice and polite Guess we've been a lucky bunch.

There's even a guy who collects computer parts, builds them in his spare time and then relists them for people who can't afford one (they're not great but they're better than nothing!). We always make sure to email him directly now since we know they're being used for something worthwhile.

I gave a bunch of stuff to a young couple. Had got their first house and were struggling to furnish it. Cant remember everything I gave them but there was a 26" tv, iron, microwave, bedding, cutlery set, spare mugs/glasses/plates. It literally was a car full. She gave me a bottle of wine in exchange Not much of a wine drinker but it was the thought that counts and i certainly didnt expect it. Thought it was really nice of her.

timeportal

iansl2000 wrote: »

I had to tell soemone about this, just offered a desk on dartford freegle and had the following exchange

Srounger:Hi, do you ever come to Dartford please as I don't drive and really like this. Regards, Paul

Me. Do you mean, do I offer delivery?

Scrounger:Yes please. X

Me:No

Scrounger:Ok not to worry. X


aaahhhggggg!!!

Was this the Glass computer desk and chair? saw that and wondered how comfy a glass chair would be

brightonman123

I have mostly good things to say about freecycle /similar setups.. being on a shoestring, it has got me a sofa, microwave, and kitchen bits..

Has also got RID of an old (knackered!) chair, tv, vhs player, and other stuff that I would have had to pay to take to the tip..

I am rather confused as to the names used- I mainly checked/used it on yahoo groups, that was 'freecycle brighton'- but the main FC site in USA forced them (and others?) to change name, causing TWO splinter groups...
One seems to have died out, and the other is aligning itself with freegle, which I think has its OWN site..

confused dot com!


some people do take the mick, re wants and no-shows..
but such is life!

wary

iansl2000 wrote: »

I had to tell soemone about this, just offered a desk on dartford freegle and had the following exchange
Srounger:Hi, do you ever come to Dartford please as I don't drive and really like this. Regards, Paul
Me. Do you mean, do I offer delivery?
Scrounger:Yes please.
Me:No
Scrounger:Ok not to worry.
aaahhhggggg!!!

Reminds me of the first time we offered something - a vacuum cleaner - via Freecycle. When my wife contacted the first of a great many to reply, they said they don't have a car so can we deliver (30 mins drive). Instead of saying no and offering it to the next person, she agreed to! As I explained to her, the idea of Freecycle is that although you're not getting paid for the items, you are at least offloading them in a cost-free & hassle-free way, and not to do an hour round-trip at your own expense!

I'm someone who hates to see things thrown away, and am happy to give stuff away if it means less hassle for me compared to selling and if I know it will go to a good home. My experience with Freecycle has largely been positive.

I try to identify the most deserving case although sometimes I've later had cause to question the authenticity of at least one sob story, and I try to avoid anyone who I think is just out to make a fast buck. I also make my choice based on who is most likely to collect the item quickly. Once taken, I'll always reply to all other respondents to let them know.

People to whom I have given an item generally seem grateful, and the majority usually e-mail me after to thank me again. Maybe the time that did annoy me the most was when I was offering some very nice pictures and had a fair bit of interest. I only found out later that the person I gave them to only wanted them for the wooden frames. Had I known, I'd have given them to a more deserving case.

shebangs

.................................

rosie383

I can't find another thread on freecycle, so can anyone help me with a simple query?
I hadn't been on my local site for a while, but now have some things to give away. However, I can't seem to get into the threads of offers/ wanteds. When I sign in, I get this page
http://groups.freecycle.org/FreecycleLuton/description
I can't find how to get to the page I want. I offered a tv the other day and haven't had one email. Usually for something like that, there would be quite a few replies. Maybe other people are having the same problem as me? It is too good to go to landfill, and is sitting in the middle of the living room as we were given our friends' old telly which was a bit better than ours.
Has anyone got any clue how to access the site properly? I have tried everything I can think of.

Amanita_2

At the bottom of the page is a hyperlink saying something like "visit Luton group". If you click on it it takes you to the home page and the menu is on the usual left hand side.

katejo

I have used freecycle quite a few times to give stuff away and it has usually been successful. I rarely reply to offers because I don't have the car transport to go and collect them. I do wonder at some of the things people ask for and at their expectations. I gave my old freeview box away some time ago. A bloke took it and then emailed me later the same day to ask me to come and take it back. Apparently it didn't offer the channels which he wanted!

rosie383

Managed it at last Amanita. Thank you so much.

fin7

I've given up on our freecycle now. I had to empty mums house so i put her 3 piece suite on freecycle, someone wanted pics, so I sent them, she said she wanted it, I had already explained in the post that it had to be gone by the Friday. She was to pick it up on Friday afternoon, I'm sitting waiting for her like a lemon when she sent an email to say she was going away for the weekend and would pick it up on the Tuesday :mad:

Another time I listed a sideboard and some stools, a couple turned up with a van, when they opened the van doors to put the stuff in it was packed solid with furniture, they lifed the stuff in and as they closed the doors they said they owned some flats and were getting all the furniture from freecycle and then renting them out as furnished!!! I'm happy to give stuff to people that need them but I wasn't too happy about this situation.

The last thing I gave away was a computer desk, it was only a couple of months old, the guy that turned up for it, he never spoke a work, just grabbed it, threw it in his car, climbed in and drove off, he grunted once! I'm not asking a lot in expecting a thanks or even an email when he gets home and says thanks.

Funniest thing I've seen was someone asking for a large net for fun and games and no questions asked!!