Mumsnet Talk

I put some of my maternity clothes on freecycle earlier. I've just had an email saying "give me your address I will pick them up at 2.30pm tomorrow. If you have any more add them to the pile".

She certainly won't be picking them up at 2.30 or any other time. Pity her poor child if s/he is going to be dragged up with manners like that

Grrrr

Yes some people are just grabby and greedy on Freecycle. I listed about 20 items a few months ago after my DD left home and told me to dump the belongings she had left behind.

I had the same people asking for every single item I had listed - with the same sob story (copied and pasted obv) - they must just apply for everything and anything ....and then probably sell it on.

And the no shows are a pain in the arse too.

My friend runs a charity shop (a well known one) and there are certain items that they can't take, like electrical items. They have to be binned so I told him that I would sling them on freecycle for him to stop them going to landfill. Yesterday I listed a fax/printer, iron, electric tool set.

One bloke applied for all 3 items, I asked him to collect by 2 pm - he turned up 10 minutes later and just said 'are they the freecycle things? Ta' - and fucked off out the door! He was here less than 30 seconds ...I was left looking like this

Just had a much nicer email

"If you still have these plese would you consider letting me have them? My dd has just told me she is pregnant and I don't have much money to spare so need to collect as much as I can to help her. Don't worry if they've gone but we'd really appreciate it if you'd let us have them"

How can people be so different. Was about to list the moses basket too. May just offer it to her direct

I would prefer it if people didn't give reasons. Just come and collect the stuff when you say you will.

All this more deserving angst just makes me feel embarrassed.

This is the thing that puts me off using freecycle. I was going to list out Moses basket but couldn't bear the thought of someone getting it to sell on. I really wanted it to go to a good home (for free) and be loved like we loved it. I've got so worked up about it that I've had to keep it for now!

I always pick polite replies.

Best picker-upper I had was a bloke who had agreed to take my beloved yucca plant, which I had grown over 10 years from a tiny pot until it was too big for the house. He obviously loved the yucca and I'm so glad she went to a loving home

I always pick polite replies too greenbananas like 'Hi I would be grateful to be considered for this item' rather than 'have you still got this, I will pick it up at 3pm'

The latter type can get lost!

God I sound like a freecycle nazi - I'm really not but manners cost nothing

I'm really confused as to why the people selling on haven't worked out that polite communications will get them what they want more often.

breathes I think they have. I was told by a friend that she gets most of the things she needs and sells at boot sales from freecycle. She says it pays to give them a good "sob story" for a better chance

Its the wanteds that make me chuckle - 'Hi does anyone have a laptop/iphone/blackberry/car/caravan going spare?'

Actually there are probably some soft arses who do give this sort of item away.

There was a message from my local freecycle telling people to use their manners - its not polite to ask for an item, turn up to pick said item up and then say 'oh I thought you were offering a flat screen TV/ iphone - not that piece of old shite - no thanks I'll leave it'

Basically saying - if you are in need of an item because you need it you will accept an older model - don't apply for something just because you want it and expect it to be top of the range right up to date stuff

I like it when they get specific. Saw one on our local freecycle asking for a white wicker (sp?) laundry basket. Surely if you need a laundry basket, as long as its clean anything will do?

I always am polite when asking and also pick polite replies. I had offered two things, gave one to one poster but later got an email asking for both, he reply "oh it's ok, I just wanted the other item" I replied "well why ask for both then" he said "I thought I might get it if I asked for both", he was very rude too.
I know some people carboot the items, they are the ones who have clearly set up a auto reply email, with very generic replies

Sneezing I am marking my place here to remind me to post a super-specific request to our local list, I saved it as it cracked me up.

Last week I had someone write to tell me that she would be picking my item up on Saturday or Sunday but "would let me know", and in the meantime could I send her directions to my house including bus, metro and tram routes.

The most obvious error there was that I had absolutely no idea where she was so could not have given her directions even if I had has the slightest inclination to do so (which I didn't).

I have been known to sell things for a low price on our local equivalent of Gumtree instead of Freecycling them, only. Because then I know the buyer really wants it. Sad but true.

This is why I stopped using freecycle.
Item 1 - one polite person replied, I foolishly accepted. This then turned into "you will need to deliver the printer between 4 and 4:30 at my house on a Tuesday, please use the public car park a mile down the road as we don't like cars blocking our driveway, I expect this comes with the additional accessories so if it doesn't please make sure you've bought them for me before you come here as I'll just turn you away if it doesn't have the x attachment. I'm doing you a favour you know!!!"

Item 2 - exercise bike, again the original reply offered to collect. Ended up with me staggering up six flights of stairs to the lazy bugger's individual's office while on a parking meter because 'he didn't feel it was appropriate to collect freecycle items'

Item 3 - this time I said 'collection only'. Woman turns up and starts helping herself to the plant pots outside my door 'as a little extra thrown in'. Naturally I hadn't offered them!

Deleted my freecycle account after that - too many nutters out there!

The best wanted I have seen was "wanted -maclaren pushchair with accesories. Must be black or red, no girly colours please"

I suppose if you don't ask you don't get but I didn't fancy their chances

We offered our manure heap on freecycle, as 'can deliver locally'. I got an email from a bloke who had asked the last time we did this, and had missed out because our car broke down. He wanted free delivery to the other side of town. At least half an hours motorway drive towing a quarter of a tonne of muck. I said we could deliver, but as he wasn't 'local', we would appreciate petrol money. He went septic! We weren't in the spirit of freecycle, he would report is for trying to obtain financial gain, blah blah blah! He failed to mention that collect it yourself is the usual Freecycle protocol and we were doing him a favour! I told him to get stuffed and named and shamed him on the site. He's asked twice on subsequent offers. He can piss off!

I have gone right off Freecycle too. In the past, as others have said, we have put on a list of diverse items and one person wants the lot....so you need an old guinea pig hutch, an iron and a 4 year old's bicycle Plus the ones that say - Ring me on xyz. i can pick up in N HOUR.

I tend to find I get offered stuff by being the first person to reply with a "please"

Got rid of a lot of stuff on there - some fairly decent kit - things like a PS2 and the like - but I still get flipping emails asking about that three years down the line! Helps if you've lurked the group for a while to see who the serial mickey takers are before you start offering stuff, and I'm quite firm when I post offereds that I won't entertain sob stories, I'm not ringing mobile numbers and you must be able to collect this weekend or whatever - I'll be re-checking my email at X point in time so there's no point in sending me 10 emails asking if it's gone yet before then.

Best wanted we had was a "wanted an iPad because I can't buy one as I'm saving to have my cat put to sleep"... and the best sobstory I had was for the PS2 - "I do some stuff for the premature babies so can I have it"

I don't freecycle anymore, I list on Ebay for 99p. Then u get more polite people who actually turn up!

Freecyle is great but like life - the people on there tend to me the same.

I.e, some people are nice - some are rude, some are on the make.

They don't take a christian vow of goodliness before joining.

Equally some people who give stuff away are also taking the piss and use it like a free collection service for stuff thats only fit for the tip.

Sometimes I want to shift stuff quick, some times I want to genuinly give back as I have had alot of amazing stuff on there - sometimes I do care if its sold on - sometimes I don't care.

Re moses baskets - they are two a penny - the market is flooded with them.

In five years of freecyling I have only come across one lady who was rather abrupt - when offering a gas BBQ.

She didnt want it = and wasnt very nice about it. Hey ho.

In regards to success asking for an item, I've asked for a few and always said please and just explained why I would like it (no sob story though) and didnt get any replies. The only successful request I had was when I did a more detailed explanation as to why I wanted the item and what I planned to do with it and they said they chose me to have it based on that and the fact they knew I really did want it. I think it was just luck that they were soppy like me and wanted the item to go to a good home where it would be loved (like I did my Moses basket!).

I've got 3 things off Freecycle - and actually needed them. I did explain why I needed them.

I've offered several things - and I hope the person who got them actually needed them.

People are strange.

I've had mostly very positive experiences using Freecycle. Like several posters if I am replying to an offer I aim to be polite and explain why I would like the item (no sob story) and when offering myself I look for similar replies. Recently turned up to collect some DVDs and the Freecycler and I hit it off. Had a cup of tea, stayed for 2 hours and we've now started regular playdates with our toddlers.

I think my local group is pretty well moderated - I've had a few no shows but generally very good experiences and people taking away all sorts of tat that for some reason they want.

l gave away most of the dt baby things on freecycle I gave a huge amount to one lady who said her sister was having twins and gave a sob story about how the 'dad' had run off and left her with nothing.

i gave everything i could find cots/bouncy chairs clothes she wouldn't of had to get anything for 6 months +

I found the furniture and bigger items on ebay and she had a table at the local carboot sale piled high with the rest of my stuff. I was gutted if she hadnt of lied to me i would have donated to the local womans shelter where the stuff would have been given to people who actually needed it

Here's my one from our local Freecycle as promised. I don't think the person got what they were after (but who knows?) In fact I know that s/he was banned from the site for abusive behaviour towards other members!

"I am looking for an old fashioned style winged armchair in reasonable condition, small queen anne legs, preferably a plain colour, for an old fashioned style classic interior"

and another wanted ad from the same person:

I am looking for a square dining table, classic queen anne leg style, dark wood and possibly 4 matching chairs"

Specific much?!?

I agree with the poster above who said that Freecyclers are just a reflection of the wider society; some of us are nice, some are not so nice. Personally I have had almost all very nice experiences. We've given away some stuff which was really useful to others and we've been given some lovely stuff ourselves which has helped us out in a pinch (eg a lovely big solid wardrobe for our son's room). Also met a few weirdos. But a few weeks ago I went to pick something up which was very, very useful for a friend of mine who's on a fixed income. I got chatting to the woman giving it away and we ended up having tea and cake and talking for nearly 2 hours! It was a lovely experience and I sent her a thank-you card afterwards. My friend was rapt with the item and so everybody was happy!

After reading this I think I will pit the hamster cage on gumtree, rather than somebody else do it.

We had a lovely couple with 3 small kids who collected DS2 old drum kit and a storage unit. After they collected they sent me pictures of them, kids and granny having a go on drum kit and my storage unit revitalised with storage boxes named cars, dinarsours, art etc.. So lovely to see it goes to a good home.

The rest of my experiences are fine and do 't actually mind if they sell items at car boot sales etc.. Can't imagine they make a fortune and admire anyone who gets off their back side and shows some entrepreneurial spirit.

I had a bloke that turned up to collect the item, and once I had handed it over he looked around my hall and said "what else you got"! Cheeky fecker

I got a best friend on freecycle
I'd moved to a new area and she had posted a wanted for the very item I was on freecycle to offer.
Offered it to her she actually lived round the corner.
When she arrived with her dc she stayed for a cup of tea. We continued meeting at the school gate and a couple of years later I was her bridesmaid.

One time I saw a sofa I wanted on freecycle so I said that I was interested and the lady said I could have it. I said thanks but there was no further response, no time for collection etc. After 3-4 days, I contacted her again and still no response. A further 3 days or so went by and I got an abusive email from HER saying how rude I was for not picking up the sofa Honestly, was I supposed to knock on every door in the city in the hope that it was her house!!

I've stopped listing ds's old clothes on freecycle because the same woman always asks. She lives around the corner from me and I have give her loads of stuff in the past, but when I see her out and about she blanks me - she didn't always though.

I've given away a few bits on freecycle, and it's worked the way it should - people receiving things they need and preventing unwanted but perfectly serviceable items from going to landfill. I also got a really lovely thankyou email from a young couple who were setting up home for the first time and received something from us.

However, there always seems to be a large number of really cheeky requests on the local pages - "looking for a 3 seater sofa and 2 chairs, must be brown leather and in excellent as new condition" or someone asking for fishing gear and flat screen TV's (MUST be 42" or above) to give as Christmas gifts!

The ones that get on my tits are the responders (sic) who just put 'Hi I can collect this item?', in response to a post where you ask people to advise in their emails when they can pick up, contact details etc. Well good for you, but I'm not going to enter into a protracted email exchange, just to find out that you will only pick up on Monday nights after 9pm, so these automatically get ignored.

The vast majority of my Freecycle exchanges have been positive. I've had a homemade loaf of bread, a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates to say thank you, from people who have collected things I've given away.

The best thing I got from free cycle was a lady offering a groupon voucher for hair cut and colour! She couldn't get an appointment that fitted her before it ran out. I could have kissed her when she gave it to me, hasn't been able to afford a cut for ages!
Mostly people are nice but I don't respond to idiots, and some are rude.

Lovely just had a thank you email with an attached photo of someones gorgeous baby in the bouncy chair we gave away yesterday. So lovely to know DS's outgrown things are being well used

I got a wonderful brass bucket type preserving pan on freecycle. I think it must be Victorian. The older chap who gave it me was a bit taciturn and shy and said it had been in his family but he had no one to pass it on to. I cherish it and hope to keep it in my family for a long time to come.

When I offered stuff I did get some cheeky people. I just went with the first polite response to be honest. This was about 7 years ago though now, I don't think the car booters had heard about Freecycle then. Greedy so and sos.

On the last Freecycle I was a member of you weren't allowed to give any reason why you wanted something, to prevent sob stories etc. This meant replies were often extremely terse!

I've given plenty of things away on freecycle, and sometimes it is difficult to choose who to give it to. Mine tend to go to those who are polite, give a reason and can pick up the soonest.

I gave away two freezers to a woman, who I'm sure went on and sold them. She very cheekily asked me if I wanted to give the mirror on the wall away too!

Recently I've noticed some people reply with a couple's name ... So two names in the sig, strange. I've been deliberately ignoring those, as it sounds like you are trying too hard ...

Once picked up some baby items from a lady. They stank and were in terrible condition I am so reluctant now to pick up anything on freecycle.