Freecycle Nusiance

jordylass

Cardew wrote: »

Jordylass,
Nice post.

However the vast majority of people are not moderators and would have no way of recognising the email address unless they studied all the freecycle adverts avidly.

When I advertise something, I would have absolutely no idea if the reply is from one of the 'greedy' types(as you put it).

Apart from being against the ethos of 'freecycle' (as I understand it) I personally have a serious objection to everything being grabbed by those who want it for resale on ebay or a boot sale. It just leave a nasty taste.

Cardew I was assuming that when the posts were read the email address would be available and that it can be seen that some are frequent posters. On the local groups that I am on but do not moderate, I can still see who the sender is, and recognise a few as being frequent posters for both offered and wants.

I hope it didn't come across as me thinking people are greedy, it was from a template post from Freecylce.org.

I think using the FOP (Fair Offer Policy) of leaving 24 hours to read through responses and picking a suitable taker would help to weed out those selling on. It isn't against the ethos of freecylce to sell on, but you are supposed to say when asking for things or responding to things offered.

From my understanding the only 'ethos' of Freecycle is to keep items out of landfill. I have no problems with people selling on. If I can be bothered to have a boot sale or list items on eBay I will, but usually I can't and if someone else will come and take them from me, I'm not bothered what they do with them. If they are selling on then the person getting them wants them and I think that's better than going in my bin.

Ianna

I couldn't agree more. The wanted ads are a complete joke sometimes and some people are unbelievable. Because of rudeness I pick the most polite or friendly emails and give to them, or people who clearly have a genuine need for the item.

I gave away an MP3 player on freecycle and needless to say had loads of replies including one person who said something like "yeh i wannit wen can u deliver?" Tchah! My other favourites are people who brandish their kids saying that they promised little Alfie X and his heart will be broken if he doesn't get it etc. I had one woman email twice about the MP3 player saying "I need it for my daughter WHO IS DISABLED" and then "I need to hear back for my DISABLED DAUGHTER she NEEDS this" with no please or thankyou or anything, seeminlgy believing that capitalising her daughters disability meant there was no need for courtesy!

IMO mods should just ban timewasters, people who take the mick and anyone dodgy. There should be an easy way to report people and they should be removed. It may be hard or even impossible to do in practice though.

I am glad freeclyce exists though, there's a lot of landfill saved because of it.

jordylass

We were all appointed at the same time so still learning, but have recently cracked down in our local group, rejecting posts with urgent and need in them. Obviously we can't moderate what is posted between people.

Cardew

jordylass wrote: »

From my understanding the only 'ethos' of Freecycle is to keep items out of landfill.

Jordylass,

I appreciate that was the original intent of freecycle but things have moved on.

However many items that would not end up in Landfill are now advertised simply to help people.
For instance curtains, childrens clothes, maternity dresses that are no longer needed could be cut as rags.
Expensive plants could be put on the compost heap etc etc.
Servicable wooden goods could be burnt etc etc.

I believe it is not the intent of most people to advertise these items so people can grab them to sell.

Ken68

The real losers are the retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers.
When I gave away a perfect working modern type TV, my brother (who sells and mends them) was appalled. Am now in serious danger of being disinherited. :-((

jordylass

I disagree Cardew, as I said about my neighbour throwing good things away, there are many people who do this without thinking of the consequences. Before Freecycle I would try and sort through clothes and bric a brac when charities put their bags through the door, but if not anything of this nature went into the bin.
For quite some time I have been careful what I buy, going for what I need rather than want, but apart from a couple of odd sheets, I have not reused old clothes in any significant way, or burnt old wood. i would have used a kip or council collection. I don;t think I am in the minority in this, although it's getting better (because of government) most of the country is not recycling very much yet.

Cardew

We must agree to disagree then jordylass.

Obviously I applaud the principle of Feecycle or I wouldn't have joined. However it is IMO being abused by:

Firstly, the constant and unrealistic begging requests. If I have a TV, PC, laptop, sea worthy boat etc I will advertise it.

Secondly, despite what you say, I do want anything I advertise to be used by the recipient and not taken by for resale by the boot sale/ebay merchants. Especially as these are the people who monitor their PC constantly and grab everything.

I suspect a lot of people share my views.

grayme-m

For us it does appear that there are the greedy people that just want something for nothing, someone once asked for a car that was a 'BMW or if not [they] would take a Mercedes'! :rolleyes2

It is like they are doing you a favour in taking away your stuff, not coming or delaying their arrival.

My wife got a reply to an email two months after something went asking when they could come to collect (it was their first contact, it was not as if they had ever been offered).

Still, it is handy to get rid of things rather than take to the tip and if you can find those polite people that seem genuinely needy that is an added bonus.

How anyone can think that 'yep, Ill av it' is going to get a positive response is beyond me! :eek:

Justie

Cardew wrote: »

I suspect a lot of people share my views.

I'm sure they do but there are also those of us who when we want rid of something are very happy with whatever people want to do with it. I give all sorts of things to the charity shop too that I know I could sell at a car boot or on ebay but I just don't have the time or inclination to sort it out. I don't want to throw thigns away if there's still use in them so I give it to someone who can make use of it either at the charity shop to resell or on Freecycle so they can either use it themselves or sell it on - I don't really see what the difference is.
Want ads are easy enough to ignore imo.

robnye

jordylass wrote: »

I just told my neighbour about Freecycle. Over the last 2 months she has had 3 skips on her drive and thrown away masses of good quality items, last week there was garden furniture and a TV in there. I told her that someone on our local group had been asking for garden furniture and would it be OK to let them know it was there, but she said the skip was being picked up that afternoon, then said it's a shame there's nothing wrong with that TV either, I could hardly believe it and said I would take it. It was a 32" silver flat screen with a combined DVD and Video. I just assumed it was broken as she'd put it in the skip, but she said she's changed them all to LCD's!!! When I mentioned landfill she said people at the tip would dig through and take what they wanted out, but I didn't think tips allowed that anymore. I'm pretty sure our local one doesn't although the staff probably take what they can.

this sort of logic amazes me....... but i do understand where it comes from..... this may have happened in the past or people even seen it on tv/films etc....... but just dont realise that others can and will find their cast offs of some use..........