Freecycle Nusiance

Justie

grayme-m wrote: »

I stand corrected on the ethos as I have never read the Freecycle guidelines.

However, I believe that people weigh up many things in determining who to give things to, including the number of responses to an offer, the tone and content of the response, what people can determine from postings in the past from that person and also try to guage to would benefit most from an item (try to determine need).

True it is hard, but if someone appeared to be genuine in a request that has reasoning behind their need (such as setting up home from scratch) and then turns up at our house driving a brand new BMW 5 series (though I guess that could be from a 'wanted') then the item would probably go to someone else.

Similarly, if two people post a wanted for a book, I doubt someone going on holiday would be the one chosen over someone else who just politely asks for it.

You probably don't agree with me, but from reading this thread, I doubt I am alone in this view. <Stands back for the unanimous flaming >.

I think it depends a bit on your Freecycle group - I belong to two of which one has the rules of 'don't put why you want it just when you can collect etc no one wants a sob story' and the general rule is to give to the first responder whilst the other actively encourages you to wait for a day or so and then choose which respondant you want to give most to... Unless you actually know the people there's no way you can make a judgement based on an email as to how needy people are and for me Freecycle isn't charity giving it's part of an ethical policy of trying to reduce waste.

Cardew

grayme-m wrote: »

You probably don't agree with me, but from reading this thread, I doubt I am alone in this view. <Stands back for the unanimous flaming >.

You are clearly not alone in your view.


Regardless of the ethos of freecycle, I find it distasteful for people to be, constantly monitoring the website and grabbing everything to sell for profit; and hence depriving those who could use the item.

In the same way I find many, not all, of the wanted adverts are simply begging and just as distasteful.

It would be a great help if the various groups could identify the EBAY/boot sale merchants so that they could take a lower priority when it comes to deciding who should have the offered item. – much in the same way traders have to be identified if they offer cars for sale in the small ads.

SusanCarter

Becles, you are probably in the same group as me and I had similar trouble with something I offered. Two people didn't turn up but then the third did. I didn't put it down as taken till it had actualy gone and one person e-mailed me every day about it too.

Quasar

I have been toying with the idea of joining my local Freecycle, but I'm glad I've waited to see how others were faring (sorry guinea piggies...:p).

There is a charity shop just round the corner from me, one section of which is for clothing etc. and the other is a large books/furniture store. They collect on prior arrangement, so I'm happy to use them when I want rid of something, and I have seen some interesting stuff that they sell at very decent prices.

frugalpam

Having experienced the ups and downs of Freecycle, I think I'll be doing the same in future!

Quasar wrote: »

I have been toying with the idea of joining my local Freecycle, but I'm glad I've waited to see how others were faring (sorry guinea piggies...:p).

There is a charity shop just round the corner from me, one section of which is for clothing etc. and the other is a large books/furniture store. They collect on prior arrangement, so I'm happy to use them when I want rid of something, and I have seen some interesting stuff that they sell at very decent prices.

Philippa36

I love freecycle - I've offered a varied and sometimes bizarre collection of items but on the whole people have been polite (I do only take notice of the polite emails!) and arrived on time.

I have also taken quite a few items - I drive a large, modern, expensive car (its my O/H's) and occasionally have felt awkward and embarrassed about collecting items when I obviously appear 'wealthy'.

I don't request any item - I have only taken things that I genuinely could use and I do feel thats the ethos of freecycle.

If you ignore the ridiculous amount of desperate requests for a car/laptop/pc/boat/ps2/3/Xbox360 etc. then its a great resource and has saved me many many trips to the tip!

snitterling

I've just had a polite, prompt collection that has restored my faith in Freecycle. A sad reflection on human nature that it is rare enough to be worth remarking on though.

continentalgal

Sorry I just got round to post no. 40, then I had to post before I lost momentum, so glad I found this thread! I was beginning to think something was wrong with me (well, it is but in a different sense ...).

I signed up with london freecycle around 2 years ago when I wanted to get rid of stuff, it worked well and I was pleased. Now I'm in the process of moving and remembered it as the place to offer my unwanted items. I was also totally turned off by the amount of unrealistic requests by people like "we need a 28'' TV so my son can play his playstation game" or "does anyone have a slimline dishwasher they no longer need" (damn, that one just sits with me). It actually made me feel embarrassed I didn't have anything better to offer than a humble item like a cylinder-style vacuum-cleaner (!!!!!!? No Dyson??!).

I saw that the OP was called a 'time-waster' for having given stuff to someone else. Speaking off, I had that cheapo soldering iron, 5 quid or so, never used and thought someone else could use it. Offered it to the first emailer (what's the point reading all the heart-warming reasons why someone might be more deserving than someone else, everybody with some vivid imagination can write those) and she keeps me busy for half the afternoon asking all kinds of questions about that stupid thing culminating in the question (email no. 5 or 6) whether I could send her a snap shot of it! Unbelievable, that was the point when I had to tell her that she was getting on my nerves and that I had arranged pick-up with emailer no. 2, who was happy as hell about the thing. As I said, I'm about to move and was also selling stuff, so offering things for free was more of a nice gesture rather than a full-time job (unpaid). I agree with many of the posters here, some people's attitudes seriously test my patience.

OTOH, as a second language speaker of English, I try to give more leniency to emailers, thinking that perhaps their language skills aren't the most proficient or perhaps it's not customary in their culture to throw around with words of gratitude and politeness. I think some people are simply not aware how they come across.

I must admit it somewhat bug me to know that some people use freecycle to collect stuff and resell it, it would feel much nicer to know that some item is put to genuine use by someone who otherwise had no way of affording it.

frugalpam

When freecycle 'works', its a great place. Often though, it can be frustrating - reading the shopping lists and requests for expensive items, and being messed around by people you've offered stuff to.
I go in phases with it all - times when I'm enthusiastic about it, and other times (like now) when I swear I'll never use it again!

Pam

continentalgal wrote: »

Sorry I just got round to post no. 40, then I had to post before I lost momentum, so glad I found this thread! I was beginning to think something was wrong with me (well, it is but in a different sense ...).

I signed up with london freecycle around 2 years ago when I wanted to get rid of stuff, it worked well and I was pleased. Now I'm in the process of moving and remembered it as the place to offer my unwanted items. I was also totally turned off by the amount of unrealistic requests by people like "we need a 28'' TV so my son can play his playstation game" or "does anyone have a slimline dishwasher they no longer need" (damn, that one just sits with me). It actually made me feel embarrassed I didn't have anything better to offer than a humble item like a cylinder-style vacuum-cleaner (!!!!!!? No Dyson??!).

I saw that the OP was called a 'time-waster' for having given stuff to someone else. Speaking off, I had that cheapo soldering iron, 5 quid or so, never used and thought someone else could use it. Offered it to the first emailer (what's the point reading all the heart-warming reasons why someone might be more deserving than someone else, everybody with some vivid imagination can write those) and she keeps me busy for half the afternoon asking all kinds of questions about that stupid thing culminating in the question (email no. 5 or 6) whether I could send her a snap shot of it! Unbelievable, that was the point when I had to tell her that she was getting on my nerves and that I had arranged pick-up with emailer no. 2, who was happy as hell about the thing. As I said, I'm about to move and was also selling stuff, so offering things for free was more of a nice gesture rather than a full-time job (unpaid). I agree with many of the posters here, some people's attitudes seriously test my patience.

OTOH, as a second language speaker of English, I try to give more leniency to emailers, thinking that perhaps their language skills aren't the most proficient or perhaps it's not customary in their culture to throw around with words of gratitude and politeness. I think some people are simply not aware how they come across.

I must admit it somewhat bug me to know that some people use freecycle to collect stuff and resell it, it would feel much nicer to know that some item is put to genuine use by someone who otherwise had no way of affording it.

pulliptears

I was having a clearout of DD's toys ready for putting our house on the market. I posted 2 offereds for various toys and almost immediately got a reply stating that I was

"not bother posting offereds, I will take lot now. here phone call"

Made little sense anyway!! Unsurprisingly he didnt get a thing from me.

Shortly after that incident I found the freecycle thread on freebies and started to post some of the outrageous requests and amusing offereds along with my views on how disallusioned I was with freecycle and some of its ignorant members. A week or so later the mod from our group joined MSE with the sole purpose of having a go at me for posting about her group! LOL I never realised Freecycle was covered by the official secrets act so there you go.

The amusing thing that came out of it all was one particular "lady" from the group who could see no wrong at all in the group and I was truly evil for posting about it. She threatened that I would get a "Strongly worded PM!" should I ever post any of her messages on here (Perhaps because they were mostly wanteds haha), anyway, last week she posted a wanted for a microwave after her son put a metal plate in it and she recieved 2 rather nasty replies about how it was tough and she should teach her son better!!! She is now complaining about the replies in the chat group!!!

It made my day