Who are these insane, cheeky people on Freecycle, FB Marketplace, Gumtree etc.?

[BurgerChops]

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been sorting out my house and posting free stuff online.

Most people who've come to collect stuff are very nice and completely normal but there are some absolute loons. Who are these people? Why are they so dumb and/or downright bizarre? How do they exist in the wild with things like jobs, families etc.?

So far I've had:

• I posted an advert for a bath of women's size 8 clothes with pictures of each item. Woman messages me to ask whether I have one of the items in a size 12 like I'm a suburban outlet of H and fucking M.
• A couple of people have arranged to collect things and been very active in real-time updates of their arrival time. And then never show up. Just plain weird.
• I had one guy who arranged to collect a chair but never showed up. Then he messaged me later than day thanking me for the furniture. I'm assuming he was messaging multiple people and collecting multiple items. But I quite like the idea that he showed up to a random house saying "I'm here to collect the chair" and the homeowners were too polite to send him away so just handed over a couple of their dining chairs.
• I advertised loads of massive cardboard moving boxes. A couple showed up on bikes to collect them. They looked perplexed for a while and had a bit of a row (they were Chinese, I couldn't understand what they were arguing about), then wobbled off home with them balanced on these bloody bikes. I do wonder if they actually made without being knocked over or arrested.
• A woman who walked around to my house with her dog to collect some stuff. Her dog had a massive diarrhea attack on my doorstep. Bless her, she was really apologetic and brought a box of chocolates around the next day to say sorry. But that's half hour of hosing and bleaching and Jeyes fluiding my front garden that I'll never get back.

I tried to give away a Mamas and Papas travel system on Freecycle. Woman emailed me saying 'can you deliver it to <insert town 12 miles away>'.

No I can't, you cheeky bint - if you haven't got a car, ask one of your mates for a lift, rather than a complete stranger who's already doing you a favour!

Oh yes, the people who request delivery. The ones who request local delivery are bad enough but, as you say, people who expect you to drive 10+ miles to deliver something they're getting for free are absolutely mindboggling. How do these people cope in actual life?!

I advertised an item on Freecycle that someone had said they could collect yesterday, I emailed back to say what time as if I was going to be out I would leave it in the porch and ..... nothing!

Why ask for something then just not bother getting back to confirm?

I've now readvertised it and if no luck then it will be dumped.

Cheeky bitch should have cleaned your doorstep.

I had a large American style fridge. Put a notice up in the newsagents saying it was free, with measurements saying it was very big so check doorways etc. (this was a time before freecycle and the like). Omg what a waste of my time!
I had people call, I'd reiterate it was very big and to check measurements. They'd show up see it and go 'oh no that's way too big'. Or not show up at all. Finally a bloke came, liked it said he'd get his mate and truck. Came back, had a major hassle getting it on the truck but did it. Deal done so I thought (actually deal was done but not the end).
I ran in to the guy selling Xmas trees a couple months later. He said it didn't fit in to the house, but as he had it he took it to the dump, only to be charged as he was in a truck. Poor guy - felt bad so bought two trees from him!

I advertised a fireplace mantlepiece surround, with measurements.very large and heavy
Four people turned up in a Mini, no roof rack, no idea how to get it home

Messaged a lady on Marketplace about a bed she was selling. She responded quite quickly to the two questions I asked about it (one of them being if it was still available). Then when I said I'd like to buy it and would the weekend be convenient I got no reply. The bed was on there for a good couple of months after that so I've no idea why she didn't want to sell it to me 🤷🏼‍♀️

More often than not people ask me where I am. This is despite my location in the listing, and I always put it in the description too with the first half of the postcode.

Someone else wanted an item of clothing from me and asked if I would post it. I got a postage quote and she thanked me for it and asked for my PayPal address. I gave it to her and she said she'd pay at lunchtime....I'm still waiting 4 months later...

I used to think EBay was full of timewasters but Marketplace takes it to a whole new level with stupid questions, false promises and general lack of manners & common sense.

"Will your 3 piece suite fit in my Ford Fiesta?"
Uh. No

A while ago we were selling a big expensive item (£2k... fancy electronic thing we didn't need anymore). The number of people who messaged offering a couple hundred pounds for it AND wanting us to send it FREE OF CHARGE to the other end of the country was unreal! Eventually we found a lovely, sensible man and it was all sorted but honestly, the cheek of some people! 😂

I also had someone arrive to collect a big desk. He had the measurements and I'd said I really didn't think it would fit in anything less than a large estate car but he was sure it would be OK.

Surely if you are trying to squeeze a large bit of furniture into a small car, you don't arrive with 2 superfluous large child seats taking up valuable space.
No, it didn't fit.

Yes I delivered it using my husband's car but charged bloke £10

I didn't mind her bringing the dog around - it was dog stuff she was picking up and we'd had an email chat about dogs.

She did offer to clean it up but said she'd have to drop her dog off home first. While I would've trusted her to come back to clean it (I think), I didn't want to leave liquid dog shit on my doorstep for any longer than necessary. I also didn't fully trust her (not just her, anyone) to clean it to my standards . Easier all round to do it myself.

The fake sob stories are so annoying.
I can’t collect as I am dying.
Can you deliver I am dead and so is my whole family and my dog?
I can only afford £5 (for a £50 item) as I am very poor.
😡

I've also noticed that some sellers are completely crazy to think that anyone would buy their old, tattered, out of date, hideous things for any amount of money and not the almost cost price of buying them new.
Seriously, I went to someone's house w my mother to look at a suite (don't know what she was thinking, the suite was hideous) and when we got there, it was dirty, damp, had marks , tears and dog hairs on it, was seriously not in date and the woman was asking for a high price for it. I giggled a bit under my breath and we both politely said thanks but made an excuse that it was a bit too low.
The crazy thing is the woman was obviously loaded as well 🙈

LidlCinnamonBun brilliant 👏 🤣

So what race was everybody else since you mentioned they were Chinese?

We have a local free cycle like Facebook page. The amount of cheeky requests on there are enough. Someone once asked if anyone was giving away a pair of Ray ban sunglasses for free. The worst though is the people who don't collect especially after I've given out my address. I recently put my oven on there and it had a lot of interest. It's supposed to be 1st one to comment gets it. Anyway the 1st one messed me about so much over a few days that I relisted it as couldn't find the original post. The amount of upset this caused people saying they had commented on my other post and how it wasn't fair etc etc... I'm giving away a free oven for goodness sake. I've been messed around so much I'm not going to bother anymore.

Oh my goodness, yes. It's not fucking X-Factor.

She was explaining that she couldn't understand them because they were speaking a different language. Why are you looking for reasons to be offended?

Also people who ask if somethings available and then don't respond for hours, then get really irate that you've given it/promised it to someone else.

I posted a pic with a boot full of free Tim’s of dog food asking if anyone collected for animal charities & the amount of abuse I got calling animals charities - My dog has no teeth, I’m skint, I’m seriously ill blah blah, lots of the asking for me to drop it off at theirs, no please/thanks or anything!

And usually with a 'Need gone today' post too ...

Conversely, I recently listed a leather sofa that was (genuinely) in really good condition 'in the flesh'. I could NOT get a photo of it that didn't make it look as if it needed condemning. 😂If anyone had taken notice of the 'this looks shit, but it isn't honestly!' note in the listing, I have no doubt they'd have bitten my hand off for it. Heinous waste to chuck it on the tip, but there it went.

I turn into a Poundshop Rankin when I'm taking pictures of items I'm advertising to make sure I capture them accurately (flaws and all). Takes bloody ages

OMG @Blughbablugh - I find this SO stressful.

The number of people who challenge you that 'they were first, you MUST let me have it' because they posted 'Int' first and didn't come back for 12 days 🙈🙈🙈

That’s me too, the amount of comments I’ve had on eBay/Vinted say the item was in much better condition than described!

I did recently buy an item from eBay that stank of stale smoke, absolutely awful, the seller swore blind she didn’t smoke 🙄 after 3 washings, some fabreeze and a two day airing I gave up and binned it.

I had a beautiful pod style Moses basket that my baby just wouldn't take to, so it went on Facebook marketplace for a fair price, think I paid about £150 and it went on for £50, unused. I just wanted it gone really. A few people messaged with son stories asking for it for free, which I almost gave into because I'm an idiot. Anyway a really lovely woman messaged, had a lovely chat and I agreed to drop it round for her for the £50. I arrived and she just stared at me, it was really bizarre. I checked I had the right house and asked if she still wanted it, it was ok if not... she didn't say a word... turned around (left the door open) and disappeared... came back with £50 in an envelope and basically threw it at me and snatched the Moses basket off me. Slammed the door.

Bizarre but just put it down to a weird encounter. Got home and a message pinged I'll "thanks so much! I love it! Was nice to finally meet you, please drop me a message if you are selling anything else in the coming months, im not due for about 10 weeks so, bear me in mind for other baby stuff!"

Just out and out weird 🤷🏼‍♀️