Freecycle is it corrupt??

Ken68

In reply to a wanted post, I offered some jam jars. Picked up by a lady in a Porsche. Whatever next. Rich people using Freecycle. I said "don't want you selling them".

linni

It wouldn't bother me if they looked like they have money because you can't always tell what their circumstances are but I will sometimes give things to poeple who have given to me 'Freecycle Karma'.

shiningdove

Ken68 wrote: »

In reply to a wanted post, I offered some jam jars. Picked up by a lady in a Porsche. Whatever next. Rich people using Freecycle. I said "don't want you selling them".

To be fair, freecycle is for recyling its not supposed to matter how rich she is?
Maybe she wanted some jam jars to make some jam for?
Maybe she'd rather reuse jars than buy more.


Myself and my partner just moved into our first place together and our of our family homes. We had a fridge kindly given to us by a family member unfortunetly after a couple of months it died - so we were in need of another quite urgently. We noticed that on freecycle a man had posted offering one and kindly replied (with please and thank yous, we always do ). My partner then collected this fridge whilst i was at work, and had a great time with this old couple. The man from that couple is actually retired from the job that my partners currently in and has offered to give some equipment to us for that job. We've also given things way tvs, clothes, washing machines etc and the people we've had collecting them have always been very nice and somewhat in need of them.

mandragora_2

Ken68 wrote: »

In reply to a wanted post, I offered some jam jars. Picked up by a lady in a Porsche. Whatever next. Rich people using Freecycle. I said "don't want you selling them".

I have to say, when my son (skint, too young to be a parent but baby on the way nevertheless, setting up home with his girlfreind) was offered a washer dryer by a kind freecycler. we picked it up for him using our older car car (J reg) rather than the new one. When we got to the pick up address and it was a static caravan I was pleased we'd done it. The generosity of that couple - and others like them, was a good reminder that there are more saints than sinners on Freecycle.

Ken68

Smile...my post was in the way of a joke, and when requesting offers I usually say will arrive by bus. Don't think I;m supposed to do that but usually the donors bring them, and they get a cup of tea or whatever surplus veg. in return. Good way of meeting nice folk.

RacyRed

Well, at the moment the UK moderators are fighting a hard, painful battle to try to stop the parent organisation in the USA turning Freecycle into a faceless, uncaring, money making organisation.

A number of outspoken UK volunteer moderators have been sacked over the last few weeks for speaking out against the USA approach. Groups are diasppearing overnight (3 last night - you can only find them now if you know where to look).

I know this for certain because I'm one of the mods they are trying to sack and my group has been removed from the Freecycle network.

There are lots of thngs the moderators would like to do to make their groups better, but right now we are, quite literally, fighting for our survival.

If you value Freecycle at all as it currently is and as it could be if it is run by local people, without interference, then support your local group while you still have one.

sarahg1969

I gave my wedding dress to a lady on freecycle the other day, because the wedding shop where hers is has gone bust, and her wedding's in 3 weeks. She sent someone to collect the dress, and I have to say, I felt a little disappointed that she didn't email me to say thanks.

Ken68

Hi Racey Red...any chance of an explanation (or a link) to the different Freecycle approach.

isabelle304

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I gave my wedding dress to a lady on freecycle the other day, because the wedding shop where hers is has gone bust, and her wedding's in 3 weeks. She sent someone to collect the dress, and I have to say, I felt a little disappointed that she didn't email me to say thanks.

This - ie people who send someone else to collect (usually their husband/boyfriend/father :rolleyes:) and then don't even email to say thanks - is a pet peeve of mine. Happens A LOT and always saddens me and makes me feel a fool. :mad:

valk_scot

I've given a lot away on Freecycle, the most recent item being a trailer tent. I got a LOT of reponses for that one, have to say! But what I did was put only brief details in the "Offered", then choose in two layers...I weeded out all the "I will take it" reponses, plus all the single parents with seven disabled children(An amazing number of these live locally apparently, but a trailer tent needs two fit adults to erect plus it was only a 4-berth anyway!) and drew up a short list of eight, then send them the full details plus reminding them what trailer tents were all about ie you need a towball, somewhere to keep it etc etc. Only four of them got back to me and I basically chose the young family who got it on the basis of nicest letter.

So, you know, you don't have to give to just anyone. You don't have to actually give it away at all, come to think of it, though that's a bit mean. I once posted some lego up as an offer and I don't think I got one pleasent response...I gave it to the local library instead.