Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To begin to dislike Freecycle?

56 replies

breatheslowly · 01/08/2010 17:27

Freecycle is a great idea and has worked for us really well in the past - both ways. But in the last week our local group has had wanteds for:

TV 36 inch or bigger
Ikea Trofast storage system
Washing machine in working order
Wooden high chair

Surely these are too specific and freecycle isn't a personal shopping site.

I don't mind the many other wanteds and lots of them are actually for sensible things - jars for jam making etc.

OP posts:
Clumsymum · 02/08/2010 09:50

No, I disagree Professor. If I want a specific item in decent condition, I anticipate I'll have to pay something for it, and start by looking on Ebay.

ComeWhineWithMe · 02/08/2010 10:03

One woman asked for a "Good quality video camera" as she wanted to make a video blog she also asked for it to be delivered .

We have people asking for specific colour Ds's and Bugaboos among other crazy stuff.

I did once give my pram away a big huge chicco and the man who came to collect was so grateful I gave him all my newborn clothes too and a few weeks later he fetched the DC some biscuits and colouring stuff.

Most people who come to collect are rude gits.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 02/08/2010 10:12

And then someone who has that specific item gathering dust in the loft (but hasn't thought to put it on Freecycle yet) keeps it in the loft, and no one is any better off (except the person you buy from on eBay, I suppose, if you can actually find the item on eBay given that bulky items tend to be "for collection only").

Trofast is hardly a luxury item, after all, and "a wooden highchair" is quite generic. I am more dubious about specifying particular models of washing machine, etc., as that really does seem to be taking the piss. Similarly anything really expensive (like a Bugaboo) is taking the piss.

I suppose I'm thinking that in a few years I will be quite happy to get rid of the DCs' Trofast system to anyone who would take it off my hands, but probably wouldn't have thought of putting it on Freecycle (largely because no one has ever wanted anything I've offered, sob) and wouldn't eBay it because of the hassle factor.

ProfYaffle · 02/08/2010 10:21

Our Freecycle seems to work quite well, I guess the mods do a good job of keeping out sob stories and the more extravagant requests.

I do find myself becoming less tolerant of all the faffing about e-mailing, waiting for replies, waiting in etc It's not just takers who mess you about, it's the donors too. One woman on ours regularly offers well rotted horse manure from her stables but I spent 3 months being messed about with cancelled collection dates etc and gave up in the end.

lenak · 02/08/2010 10:28

I've offered and got rid of quite a bit - I tend to find that offering quite a few different items at the same time helps you weed out the grabbers because they ask for everything, half the time not realising that the offer is from the same person.

The only two things I've ever put a wanted add on for (and got) were a farm house style rocking chair for feeding DD when she was a baby and a concrege sectional garage which my hubby needed as a workshop and we couldn't afford to buy one. Couldn't believe it when someone replied that they had a garage available!

EnglandAllenPoe · 02/08/2010 10:31

i have got some great stuff from Freecycle ...and two minor things annoy me -

  • the area our freecycle covers is small, and the neighbouring one won't let me join (claiming 'green' reasons - though as it is a town where i work/ go shopping anyway and not actually further than most of my current freecycle area, this seems overly up its own arse)

  • when you list Wanted for collection posts, they will still reject it if it doesn't state your area (when the area is unimportant as i will collect from anywhere..)

generally its a bit over-worthy and prissy,

i haven't had a no-show yet, though i have only listed stuff that went super fast so far.

I don't mind specific requests, as there is no point in saying 'baby feeding chair' when what you want is a specific one (i guess expect to be disappointed the more specific you are)

TheLadyEvenstar · 02/08/2010 10:53

I am moderator for my local freegle - formerly freecycle. Last night I was sat here approving messages and this one popped up

"I am hoping out there is someone who can help me. I am in desperate need. I want and need an iphone as i can't afford to buy one. if you have one you no longer need i will take it off your hands you will make me very happy as i have just had surgery"

obviously I didn't approve it.

inchhighprivateeye · 02/08/2010 10:57

Best Freecycle I ever heard about was a request for "A Nintendo DS for my youngest child - all the others have one, and he feels left out"

emptyshell · 02/08/2010 11:31

We've had cars requested, caravans, numerous DSes, a Wii requested for a Christmas present (this one was posted at about 9pm on Xmas Eve) - it really does annoy when you go to check your email and find it's ALL flipping ridiculous wanteds.

I gather there's been a lot of noshows on our local one as there's an increasing number of offereds coming up with "no timewasters or rude people, anyone who doesn't show up the item will be reoffered within an hour" type advisory notes on them.

RandyRussian · 02/08/2010 11:49
  • the area our freecycle covers is small, and the neighbouring one won't let me join (claiming 'green' reasons - though as it is a town where i work/ go shopping anyway

Just open a new account and use your works address

steamedtreaclesponge · 02/08/2010 12:05

Our freecycle is quite good - most of the people I've met through it have been really polite, although I have had the odd no-show.

I agree that it's really down to the moderators - ours are very strict so we don't get all these ridiculous messages from people wanting playstations etc.

BuzzingNoise · 02/08/2010 12:12

I am always shocked at the requests for cars - but I have seen them given away on our group.
I asked for old towels once for the dogs

Mammie81 · 02/08/2010 12:19

I dont like Freecycle because no matter how quick off the mark I am, everythings always already been taken.

lovechoc · 02/08/2010 12:27

YANBU - somone on my local freecycle site requested a pink TV for her daughter just so it matches her pink bedroom theme . Surely if you wanted a TV, you'd be grateful for any colour!

TitsalinaBumSquash · 02/08/2010 12:34

We had a woman asking for several week in a row for a Pushchair she desperatley needed as she was due soon and didnt have any money ect.... although she put that it HAD to be a I-Candy in Pear Green or some such nonsense like that....

We also get alot of requests for working cars/computers ect.

One lady i know posted to say her son had been brought to Nintendo Wii's for Xmas and she wanted to give one away, she got 300 replies and 99% of them were literally just saying 'i want it' in the end she donated it to the local childrens ward.

BuzzingNoise · 02/08/2010 12:41

I've just offered something and had 5 requests in 5 mins. I don't want to be inundated with emails all day so I have offered to a lady that is always offering things, and she asked very nicely.

MathsMadMummy · 02/08/2010 12:48

I've never used Freecycle although friends have raved about it, and I don't think I'll ever be arsed to either from reading this thread! never used ebay either, the only time DH did (he bought me a NY Giants shirt from the US) it ended up full of hassle.

most of my friends give stuff to each other anyway - recently I've had two lots of clothes for DS, and a stairgate. I'm happier like that as we know what condition things are in.

another MNer who I know in RL was telling me about somebody who wanted ALL her baby stuff because she was pregnant. when she asked what the girl's due date was, she named a date in september - which at the time was almost exactly 9 months away.

BuzzingNoise · 02/08/2010 12:51

The good outweighs the bad, MMM. I have met some lovely people through Freecycle.

ninedragons · 02/08/2010 12:57

We have a regular piss-taker on ours.

He has asked for an iPhone and "any old jewellery you don't want any more".

MathsMadMummy · 02/08/2010 13:02

I wonder if he had a Cash4Gold envelope ready and waiting?

TruthSweet · 02/08/2010 13:12

MMM - I guess you are talking about me?

I had actually divvyed the baby clothes up into unisex and girls. The unisex stuff went to a very nice man who sent a thank you email.

The girls stuff went to a woman who was due in Sept (was offered in Feb ). When I asked her (was making conversation on phone whilst she wrote down our address) how old her daughter was she said 6 years 'Oh so when are you due your baby girl?' 'End of Sept' She was about 5 weeks pg when she answered the freecycle ad.

We ended offering to drop them off at her house after work and she wasn't even there so we ended up hanging around for ages before she showed up. Next time I won't be so easy (I think she was selling them on but as I had said she could have them I felt I couldn't go back on my word)

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 02/08/2010 13:16

She'd have had to be more than 5 weeks pregnant, though -- I know one pregnancy I was due 24 September and miscarried at 5 weeks or so on 21 January (DS's second birthday, which is why I remember the date). But still a little premature to be picking up bundles and focusing on girls stuff, yes.

MathsMadMummy · 02/08/2010 13:20

hello yes TruthSweet
oh sorry I got that wrong I forgot that it was girls stuff she wanted.

I remember people asking when I'd found out about my pregnancy because he was due late august.

MathsMadMummy · 02/08/2010 13:21

anyway how are you TS?!

flyingmum · 02/08/2010 13:32

Clumsymum

I have a bike. For what age are you looking for and whereabouts (roughly) are you???