Freecle / freecycle and balloons on sticks

mini-me66

Hi
I'm new to freecycle and wondered if there were tips on giving things away and getting people to actually collect them or am i just being dippy somewhere.
I listed a few bits and had immediate reply saying 'can collect today'. I emailed saying it would have to be after 5pm. Reply 'can collect tonight' so i gave my address and ....guess what no one turned up! This happened with all 3 items (with similar emails from different people in the first minute and they never turn up), and when i relisted them, the same buyer replied 'can collect today'!!!??? She got ignored and i gave them to a polite person who even emailed back to say thank!

Do you more experienced lot have any advice? Thanks

hermum

mini-me66 wrote: »

Hi
I'm new to freecycle and wondered if there were tips on giving things away and getting people to actually collect them or am i just being dippy somewhere.
I listed a few bits and had immediate reply saying 'can collect today'. I emailed saying it would have to be after 5pm. Reply 'can collect tonight' so i gave my address and ....guess what no one turned up! This happened with all 3 items (with similar emails from different people in the first minute and they never turn up), and when i relisted them, the same buyer replied 'can collect today'!!!??? She got ignored and i gave them to a polite person who even emailed back to say thank!

Do you more experienced lot have any advice? Thanks

I never offer to the ones who reply as above, if they don't mention what it is they want & get back really quickly they are I think dealers auto responding. They then take a look at what you've offered if no resale value to them they don't turn up.
Give it a little while, check the emails, I always ditch the ones with no manners, don't say what it is they'd like, tell me to phone their mobile, tell me where I can deliver to, ridiculous sob stories, asking for photos, or to view, or don't say when they can collect, I always people to let me know when they can collect.
I've then usually whittled down from 100 to 5 replies approx.
Then I have a look to see whether they've offered anything themselves or if they are the habitual wants.
Then out of the two I have left I do a lucky dip.

mini-me66

Thanks for your reply. Is there a way that you can check others activity then?

Maybe that explains why i have 'won' both items i have replied about because i take the effort to write a decent reply, even if i dont respond so quickly!

Some of the wants do make me chuckle a little bit.

hermum

Either go the home page of your group & search by user name, or email address or search their name in your emails, if you get the individual messages.
The people I've met through our group have been lovely but I am quite strict now with who I give to. I do have some real plonkers who message me, mistaking me for DFS, Argos or similar.
To start with I was always worried that nobody else would want what I was offering.
I don't want undying gratitude, common courtesy though is appreciated.
One of the nicest I encountered was a lady who brought a jar of home made chutney for me when she collected.

stayingupright

I'd never heard of 'freegle', but after looking at this thread, I have now joined my local group.

I do think there are a lot of genuine people - both offering & those who are truly in need.

However - there was a request for baby equipment on there that I thought was a bit cheeky... the girl wanted EVERYTHING for her baby... she said that she is on benefits & needs clothes (both sexes as she doesn't know the sex 0-12 months), cot, cot bedding for both sexes, baby bath, pushchair, car seats - both for newborn & over 9 months, stair gates (4), garden toys, indoor toys, baby walkers etc .

Thing is I'm on benefits & am currently looking for a double buggy - yet have saved to buy one from Ebay... Also she is a FIRST time mum, so is entitled to £500 sure start maternity grant - so heaven knows what she spent the money on anyway!

I do have 2 spare stair gates (not actually spare, but they don't fit our door frames), but would rather keep them if I can't SELL them on - as I have to replace them anyway...

What really peeved me is that she sent different requests from a Blackberry phone - I cannot afford one of those!

hermum

stayingupright wrote: »

I'd never heard of 'freegle', but after looking at this thread, I have now joined my local group.

I do think there are a lot of genuine people - both offering & those who are truly in need.

However - there was a request for baby equipment on there that I thought was a bit cheeky... the girl wanted EVERYTHING for her baby... she said that she is on benefits & needs clothes (both sexes as she doesn't know the sex 0-12 months), cot, cot bedding for both sexes, baby bath, pushchair, car seats - both for newborn & over 9 months, stair gates (4), garden toys, indoor toys, baby walkers etc .

Thing is I'm on benefits & am currently looking for a double buggy - yet have saved to buy one from Ebay... Also she is a FIRST time mum, so is entitled to £500 sure start maternity grant - so heaven knows what she spent the money on anyway!

I do have 2 spare stair gates (not actually spare, but they don't fit our door frames), but would rather keep them if I can't SELL them on - as I have to replace them anyway...

What really peeved me is that she sent different requests from a Blackberry phone - I cannot afford one of those!

Like most things in life there are still more decent people but the chancers do get a little annoying.
Although it does make for an very amusing thread.
If I were you I would post a wanted for a double buggy, the worse that can happen is your ad would end up on here.
Our Freecycle used to have a cafe, where you could also ask for swaps, loans & for general chat, yours may have similar, where you could perhaps ask to swap your gates with the correct sized ones & a buggy if you have a single one that you won't need if you get a double.
Have you looked in charity shops for a buggy? The ones I've been to always seem to have some lovely pushchairs for sale, probably cheaper than on ebay & you can look them over first.

mttylad

Baby stuff, old buggies etc are very common on Freecycle/Freegle.

As suggested - to figure out who to give to use the search features.
Yahoo's search is pants - I dont think freecycle.org has one?

Emails don't actually take up a lot of room on your hard drive, I have over 6 years and 180K+ emails and thats only a little over 4gb (almost a whole dvd full). So if you filter tour Freecycle/Freegle emails into a folder you can keep them. Over time you can search through them when you have something to give away and see if someone only posts exorbitant wanteds, if they post offers etc.

loracan1

Hi, I am recently single as such I have moved into an apartment and am
in need of help furnishing it and decorating it, I am looking for :-
a red leather sofa,
a new TV,
new carpets,
paintings for the walls,
wallpaper,
playstaion (2 or 3),
iPhone,
piano,
canvases,
bookshelves,
books,
dvds,
anything really. If you can help I would be very Grateful.
If you have anything you think I might like then PLEASE get in touch
with J**** on 07******** or reply to this post. Thank you once again.

On my local freecycle today, surely got to be someone having a laugh?

macma

Isn't it sad that such a good idea is hijacked by rip off merchants

hermum

On ours today, they know it's an unlikely want but the reason why they need this huge money guzzling machine made me laugh,

i know this is a massive ask but were looking for a 7 seater. if anyone
is getting rid of one or upgrading we would be so greatful, something
like a zafira, galaxy. i know its a big ask. my partner is expecting any
moment now and our car isnt big enough for 2 under 2!
I take it that is that 2 under 2 year old kids? What size bl00dy kids does she have?