Tips to help when using Freecycle

lil_me

In all honesty, if it works (with a plug) it's in perfect working order, just needs a plug which would be about 50p and may have needed to be removed if it was like mine and fitted before the work tops (sealed plug and would have to cut it off) , might not be clean etc but it'll work, suppose down to how you read the description, you could give it a wipe over and reoffer it on freecyle but maybe include a photo, or there are the likes of https://www.dontdumpthat.com if there is one in your area, sure someone would be grateful for it. If the person who gave you it questions this and you don't want to say the true reason why you don't want it, you could just say doesn't fit or something.

If you can not get photographs, when you reply say you would like to have a look to see if it's suitable if you are unsure if you are willing to accept items, not that you will definately collect the item.

reverie

Hi all. This is really useful reading, I have only just discovered freecycle and have quite a lot of stuff to offer after a house move. Sorry if this is really obvious, but once I offer and item, how long to I have to leave it available for? I have got to make space so if items aren't taken in a certain time period I'll have to get rid of them elsewhere. And how do I communicate that they are gone, as technically, they won't be 'taken'?

Thanks in advance.

squeaky

Ok - it varies really, and the choice is yours - but if no one responds at all within a couple of days, experience says that no one is likely to. (In that case, if you're a member of an adjacent group (after 48 hours, normally) you'd be OK to try on that group.

If someone does respond, then again give them a day or three to arrange pickup (or maybe to a weekend - it's up to you). As has been said before, keep in touch and if the delay too long - give them a deadline and make it clear you'll offer to the next person on your list if they fail to respond or show.

If you're still stuck with the item and it REALLY HAS TO GO... then when you've disposed of it - just post a "Taken" message. No need to go into details, taken will be enough to show that it's not available any more.

slinks

lil_me wrote:

In all honesty, if it works (with a plug) it's in perfect working order, just needs a plug which would be about 50p

my post said that it was described as GREAT CONDITION and PERFECT WORKING ORDER. i'm afraid old, rusty and incredibly dirty, with no plug doesn't equal either of those. thanks for your input tho.

squeaky

Just for stamps, a while back I wrote up Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for our local group. While the links will be no good for your own group, many of the help bits and explanations might be useful to you:-

Freecycle Frequently Asked Questions

vivw_2

Squeaky - in order for people to find that link easily I've also included it on the Complete Freecycle Collection [which is still being worked on] Hope thats okay.

squeaky

vivw wrote:

Squeaky - in order for people to find that link easily I've also included it on the Complete Freecycle Collection [which is still being worked on] Hope thats okay.

Sure!

That's exactly what your Index is for. Innit?

It's essentially a version of the official FAQ by Freecycle that you can find on the UK Freecycle site - so you might like to include a link to that too.

squeaky

Just in case you're not aware of it - Freecycle in the UK reached half a million members this week!

Way to go!

A few things you might not know...



1. It is expected that 182,500 items will be gifted by the 500,000
Freecycle members in the next month . This is estimated to save
557 tonnes of waste entering landfills. Over a full 12 month
period these half million Freecycle members are expected to gift
2,190,000 item and save 6685 tonnes of waste going to landfills

2. The first Freecycle exchange took place in Tucson Arizona, in May
2003. In the UK the first group was formed in London in October
2003. There are now 396 groups in communities all around the
United Kingdom.

3. There are now 3,933 local Freecycle groups in 79 countries with a
total of 3,106,128 members.

4. The Freecycle philosophy is simple. If you have something around
the house, shed, attic or garage that you think might be useful to
somebody else then why not give it away for free instead of
sending it off to the tip as landfill.

5. The Freecycle motto is:- Changing the world one gift at a time.

t_obermory

Only a little thing but it really annoys me when I post an item and get loads of emails with not one please or thankyou in there. Or emails from people automatically assuming they're going to receive the item.

If someone says please and thankyou and doesn't presume I'm much more likely to give it them!

sunset_gold

I joined freecycle last month from a post I read on MSE and I am really happy that I did. I had just started a garden project for a veg patch, as I put my name down for an allotment place last year and was 19th on the waiting list, but in January I was 20th! Anyway, using freecycle I have received five items (plastic greenhouse, compost bins, wheelbarrow, old used bricks and plant pots) all from very nice people and all items were put to use immediately. I also have received an 18 year old and in need of serious repair timber greenhouse, which I and the owners son dismantled over a period of a week and is now awaiting some TLC from a carpenter. It won't be ready until next year (hopefully!), but the owner and her son worked hard with me to dismantle the building and we are all happy with the end result. Because the project is a large one and has and will continue to take up a lot if not all of my spare time, I have yet to offer any items on freecycle, but intend to do so as soon as my life permits. The post from VIVW has worried me about doing a search on the name on the freecycle message board as I still have a Wanted post on my freecycle board for a cement mixer and I do hope that people don't think that I am just a taker. Do many freecyclers do searches like this? SG