Freecycle - Beggars CAN be choosers!

Mk14:37

I know this has cropped up before but I can't find the earlier threads.

I'm a member of the Greenwich Freecycle group and am regularly astounded by the front that people have in making their "Wanted" ads. They often outnumber the Offers, and many are quite detailed with exactly what they want - and it's not left over sawdust for a hamsters cage!

This post, on today's digest, really takes the biscuit though:

WANTED: kindle (swanley )
Bit of a long shot- looking to see if anyone has a kindle laying around
that they don't really use. Recovering after illness and reading helps
pass the time. Thanks for considering.

:eek: :eek: :eek:


Do people these realise that this is NOT a philanthropy service?!

Tiddlywinks

We regularly get people asking for laptops for kids, cars for someone who has just got a job and 'anything and everything' for single mums just moving into their new flats.

Tugs at the heart strings it does!

We did have a 'wanted urgently: tin of baked beans for my dinner' message a few months ago and I still wonder if it was genuine or just someone having a laugh.



edited to add... don't forget the mums asking for an xbox to keep the kiddies amused during the school holidays - we get quite a few of those too.

Azari

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

We regularly get people asking for laptops for kids, cars for someone who has just got a job and 'anything and everything' for single mums just moving into their new flats.

I got a lot of flak on the Ebay board last year for defending some of the people that were being whined about in the dedicated thread they have their for 'silly/greedy' freecycle requests.

What is the point of objecting to someone who is moving into a new place and who very likely doesn't have much money listing the stuff they need?

They may need a couple of dozen things and only have money for six. They may well be prepared to save for what they can't afford. But if you accept that people can list one or two items, why not the whole lot? It may help both parties if someone has got something needed but neither party will benefit if you can only list one item at random from your list and no one has it.

Similarly, someone was castigated for asking if anyone had a settee of a certain colour. Why? If you are prepared to wait for a settee that fits your d!cor, what is the point of asking for 'a settee' and then turning down those that are not suitable?

Some people seem to have a rather weird idea of the purpose Freecycle. It's there to match people who have things they don't want with people who need things, not for supplicants to humbly beg from the ladies bountiful who deign to offer things that they would otherwise throw away.

Of course, people asking for a TV and stating it must be LCD and at least 42" are taking the 'p'. :rotfl:

ellay864

There was a post on ours a while back from somebody needing a PC desk/workstation for their teenage son's room urgently...then went into a very detailed spec, and ended with 'obviously solid wood wanted, not mdf or any old tat you just can't be bothered to take to the tip'

fluffnutter

WANTED: kindle (swanley )
Bit of a long shot- looking to see if anyone has a kindle laying around
that they don't really use. Recovering after illness and reading helps
pass the time. Thanks for considering.

I'm struggling to understand why a kindle would aid recovery more than some books...

I wouldn't give them anything on principle though... it's 'lying around' not 'laying around'. Tsk tsk!

faerie~spangles

I had one person badger be as to why she didn't get a blanket box I had offered.

Needless to say she will never get anything from me.

ellay864

faerie~spangles wrote: »

I had one person badger be as to why she didn't get a blanket box I had offered.

Needless to say she will never get anything from me.

Oh I hate that...I've tried to be nice and reply to all people who've expressed an interest when I've offered. I usually wait til I get a few replies and then pick one, sometimes if they seem to be more 'needy' eg charities, playgroups (though I know I usually only have their word for it), other times it's random. One guy came back to me asking why I didn't pick him, I said I had a few replies and picked one at random as I realised not everybody had 24/7 access to a PC. He then came back again saying he assumed it would be first come first served and he made the effort to contact me therefore I should have picked him....I wrote back and told him he was actually 6th in line on that basis :rotfl:
And we also used to get a few people who just replied to absolutely everything with a standard 'I'm interested in your item' message. Sorry but if you don't even know what the actual item is then you're off my list

wary

ellay864 wrote: »

Oh I hate that...I've tried to be nice and reply to all people who've expressed an interest when I've offered. I usually wait til I get a few replies and then pick one, sometimes if they seem to be more 'needy' eg charities, playgroups (though I know I usually only have their word for it), other times it's random. One guy came back to me asking why I didn't pick him, I said I had a few replies and picked one at random as I realised not everybody had 24/7 access to a PC. He then came back again saying he assumed it would be first come first served and he made the effort to contact me therefore I should have picked him....I wrote back and told him he was actually 6th in line on that basis :rotfl:
And we also used to get a few people who just replied to absolutely everything with a standard 'I'm interested in your item' message. Sorry but if you don't even know what the actual item is then you're off my list

I’m like you in that I wait for a few replies and usually attempt to pick the most worthy cause, although I often wonder just how genuine some of these sob stories are, and I’d hate to think that I’ve been a gullible pratt! I also e-mail everyone who replied and so far I’ve not yet had anyone query why they weren’t chosen ... but I think I’d tell them that I can give it to who the bloody hell I like, and I’m not obliged to give it to the first person to respond.

One guy used to ask for everything including when I posted multiple items. He’d use different names although the same e-mail address was a bit of a giveaway!

Soapn

this thread is making me :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

DCFC79

Yes ive noticed that theres a few people out there who dont want much, im quite amazed they ask for the items.

rainbowfairydust

We have had a few people on our local freecycle lately asking for expensive gadgets, one person asking for an apple mac laptop as really needed one for his studies. Other people asking for playstation 3 console or a playstation portable console.

We also had an amusing offer on not so long ago for an oak table (kidney shaped) and that was apparently haunted. It was subsequently taken, wonder if the new owner is being "haunted" now :rotfl::rotfl: