Freecle / freecycle and balloons on sticks

Splashy

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

That's a strange one, Hezza. I can imagine someone posting an offered for something really valuable and getting deluged with replies that they're not able to answer all of them personally.
But I can't imagine more than a handful of people, at most, replying to a wanted for a landline phone.

Maybe your reply ended up in their junk folder...

I use outlook, but many of my freecycle stuff ends up in my spam folder - as I use OE for my sky account I have to remember to check in my spam folder on the main account - and I don't always

chickywiggle

Hezzawithkids wrote: »

I've got used to the rude one-liner replies whenever I post an Offered item and can now quite effectively filter out the greedy people from the genuine ones. However, I'm still puzzled why when someone posts a Wanted that I can help with, I don't get a reply at all??

For example, last week someone was after a landline phone. I happen to have a fully functional cordless phone going begging so I emailed the poster with the details. Twice. They never replied, even to acknowledge my offer or say that they'd found one elsewhere.

This has happened more than once and its the kind of thing that makes me want to throw my hands up in despair and give up on humanity altogether. Not really, but you know what I mean. :cool: Fortunately our local Freecycle group is quite balanced and well modulated so I don't see many ridiculous demands, mores the pity because I love reading this thread!

another vote for the spam folder here. I know with my e-mail (i use thunderbird) I have a lot of filters set.
Occasionally I find certain freecycle posts (when i had it set to all individual e-mails) found their way into say the "magazine" folder becuase they happened to be called Blooks or "Fronow" (you get the jist).

it annoys me when people "desperatly" need something you are offering but then don't reply when you offer it to them.

pulliptears

erm....

WANTED:
Hair Strightners Or Kenwood Chef

Now, I'm no Nicky Clark or Jamie Oliver but I'm reasonably sure that one or the other won't do in this situation.

Hezzawithkids

pulliptears wrote: »

erm....



Now, I'm no Nicky Clark or Jamie Oliver but I'm reasonably sure that one or the other won't do in this situation.

Not sure what a Hair Strightner is either!

DirtPoorGuy

I often get people replying to my offers with a blank email, I raised this with freecycle moderators who were quite snotty and said that perhaps they accidentally hit the send button before typing a message, now perhaps it is just me but most email clients and web interfaces warn you that the body of the email you are sending is blank and ask if you want to proceed, funnily enough the only time I ever receive blank emails are from people on freecycle.

Personally I think a lot of the problems we are seeing on freecycle etc are down to Martin Lewis, he paints a picture of freecycle in his posts that suggests it is a panacea of free goodies there for the taking, he fails to point out that it is generally accepted that you offer items of your own as well now and again, the latest newsletter article about freecycle over inflates peoples expectations of what they can expect to get.

If I had my way I would end all 'Wanted' posts, not a perfect answer but a lot of the greedy people would go away, I would also make it a condition that if you are acting on behalf of a charity then you should have to register as a charitable organisation with freecycle, I get too many people saying they want it for this group or that group, and I know by the very nature of the items they are asking for they are full of it.

StaffsSW

DirtPoorGuy wrote: »

Personally I think a lot of the problems we are seeing on freecycle etc are down to Martin Lewis, he paints a picture of freecycle in his posts that suggests it is a panacea of free goodies there for the taking, he fails to point out that it is generally accepted that you offer items of your own as well now and again, the latest newsletter article about freecycle over inflates peoples expectations of what they can expect to get.

I agree - "Bag freebies on giveaway sites", "From Etch-A-Sketches to espresso makers, designer sofas to dungarees, hundreds of top-quality goodies are available every day across the country ... for FREE."

That wording is carefully chosen to appeal to the greedy-grabber types who are always on the take. Never mind reducing landfill, it's just me, me, me, me.

EssexGirl

Freegle worked for me yesterday. Had something large to gift that I needed rid of fairly quickly. I got an email asking for it for her daughter, when they came to collect a little boy said it was for him. Then I met the daddy and suspected it was headed for the nearest scrap metal merchants. Whatever, it saved me taking it to the council recycling point :j

Taadaa

durham_girl wrote: »

Anybody who thinks that just because someone has a smartphone is too wealthy to be using freecycle is deluded. I have a smartphone which was free under the contract and I pay a grand total of £5.21 a month for everything.

Besides, isn't the point of freecycle/freegle to keep reuseable items out of landfill, not sneer at people you think are too loaded to use it? I'm not a fan of sob stories, but I can see why people use them as some of the better off users will only give to people they think are on the breadline.

I didn't sneer at anyone, as you so eloquently put it. I don't think that Freecycle should be exclusively for people on the breadline. It certainly is to keep things out of landfill, and I have both offered and gratefully accepted things.

What I am saying is that I wouldn't be wondering where my child's clothes are going to come from if I was sitting on a 300 quid phone. If that makes me deluded, then yes I am and I won't apologise for it. I rather suspect you are yet another poster who labels anyone who has a different opinion to them deluded though.

StaffsSW

MOTHORCROSS SUIT (wanted)

Im after if any1 has 1 lieing round doing nothing.......

crosser suit (medium)
boots (size9)
Helmet (medium)

im 5ft 6 n medium build really appreciated if some1 would help me

either free or as cheap as possible thanks all again for your help
in the past and no il get help in the fucture

pulliptears

stevew8975 wrote: »

MOTHORCROSS SUIT (wanted)

Im after if any1 has 1 lieing round doing nothing.......

crosser suit (medium)
boots (size9)
Helmet (medium)

im 5ft 6 n medium build really appreciated if some1 would help me

either free or as cheap as possible thanks all again for your help
in the past and no il get help in the fucture

I saw that one earlier. I first read it as 'Mother Cross' :rotfl: