Freecycle. They said please so they got the item.

Savvy_Sue

Nobody seems to want my stuff. Or even if they say they want it, they don't come and collect it!

Well, what's worth taking to the charity shop I wll take to the charity shop. Just not sure they'll want a rubber band ball!

HugoSP

We are getting a huge volume of wanted ads in our local groups, which in principle I don't mind

They are now IMO sorting them selves into 2 categories.

One lot is asking for valuable items, these invariably don't have the words 'please' or 'thankyou' anywhere in them. for example - 'Laptop needed as mine has broken' - or - does anyone have a XXXXXXX going spare? if so I'll have it.

The other sort asks for a range of stuff and use please/thankyou and is worded such as "Wanted Please......" or "Would like please......." The text in these is along the lines of "Thank you very much for reading this. I would be extremely grateful if someone has a surplus XXXXXX that they may be able to offer me for collection. I am in XXXXX and can offer prompt collection.

One as I replied to was asking for a gas cooker. It was very well worded along the lines of - 'My daughter's gas cooker has been condemned by a Corgi registered plumber and she can't afford to replace it at the moment. I would be very grateful to someone who could donate one that they may be replacing. We don't mind about condition and style. It just needs to be safe to use - Thank you'

As it happened we were in the process of buying a house and I knew there was one in there that we wouldn't want to keep. So I e mailed her back to let her know that one would hopefully be available when we took possession of the house, but may have to wait a couple of weeks.

I got a really nice e mail back thanking me for the time and trouble in replying, saying that she hoped to get her daughter sorted out before then but would get back to me to see if I still had it in two weeks time if she didn't.

As it happened I bought the house and e mailed her and received a reply to the effect that she had managed to aquire one, but she thanked me for thinking about her.

It was a good job as on closer inspection, this one was only really fit for the scrap yard!

HugoSP

Also, recently offered 2 sim cards on Freecycle.

This was met by one reply asking if I could post them and the postage would be refunded. I didn't consider that cheeky because I have asked the same before now and people have done this for me without asking or accepting a refund for the postage when offered. TBH it wouldn't have cost the earth to post them but I suggested that he go to T Mobile and fill his details in to get 2 free ones from them, so avoiding the postage. I even pasted the link for him - otherwise I probably would have posted them.

missyg_3

I had someone come to collect something a few days ago, and in the meantime I'd found an item that complemented it, so when they arrived I asked them if they wanted to take both (making sure I said no obligation whatsoever to take both as I could list the second one separately) - they seemed pleased at the time and took both.

They have just posted offering the second one up again which I have no problem with at all, I'm all for passing stuff on if they're not using it - but what has annoyed me is they say "if no takers, it goes to the dump".

The item is virtually as new, less than 2 months old with little use. Why so quick to threaten the dump? I can understand them changing their minds as it was a spot decision to take it, but it's the readiness to just dump it that has annoyed me.

I have offered to take it back, I know I'll have no problem finding another home for it. Just thought I was doing someone a favour...

angelatgraceland

It was not very thoughtful of them to put that in their post either-they knew you would read it! Some people are inconsiderate and thoughtless! On my group someone offered a b/w 5" tv still boxed-brand new this week and said if no takers, it will go to the tip!
As group owner I find that idea appaling to say the least. Why not a charity shop or a school for a fete-theres bound to be somewhere! I emailed them and asked them to try another local group if no luck on ours.
Unbelievable, this world of materialism with no values!:mad:

Ken68

A psychologist could probably work it out, Missy. They perhaps are ashamed to do Freecycle and subconsciously linking to the tip.

missyg_3

Agreed Angela - there are far more options than either Freecycle or the tip, even more so when it's good condition stuff.

I'm going to feel weird about offering anything extra again now. On one hand it saves a second car journey being made if they would like to take it, but on the other, maybe there's too much of a risk of it being dumped if they change their minds when they get home?

teabelly

Freecycle needs to get into the 20th century and offer an ebay like feedback system. Yahoo groups is a poor way to do things. With feedback between offerer and taker then the ungrateful scroungers would find they ended up with poor feed back very quickly and no one would let them have anything.

missyg_3

Origami500, don't know if you're still following this thread but your advice on page 4 about how to manage the replies has been SO useful to me!

My latest Freecycle 'transactions' have been running like clockwork! Getting them to think about how/when they will collect the item BEFORE they reply really does seem to filter out a lot of time wasters.

Thanks again

frugalpam

I go in fits and starts with Freecycle. When I offer stuff, I get really brassed off with the 'I'll have it, where are you' emails, and general bad manners of folk. At other times, I've given stuff to really nice people. I've rarely posted a 'wanted' ad, and only occasionally been the lucky recipient of an item.
If I offer an item, I never give out personal details until I've a firm commitment of the date/time they plan to collect.