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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that perhaps not all these freecyclers are as ill as they say?

37 replies

greenbeanie · 13/09/2010 09:03

I offered on Freecycle 4 tickets to the Renault World Series next weekend as we are now not able to go. The tickets are free anyway but it is too late to get them now. So far I have had 18 responses, of these 3 replies wanted them for terminally ill relatives, 2 were disabled and can't get to the shops to get their much loved relatives a birthday/anniversary present and one has had a traumatic week and broken their arm so really needs the tickets!!

I have to say I have had the best laugh for a while. Grin Surely if you are that disabled/ill then you wouldn't be able to enjoy a day out anyway....

OP posts:
comewhinewithme · 13/09/2010 18:17

Ohhh Greenbeaie I think you are on the same freecycle group as me :).

I didn't send you a sob story though Wink.

muggglewump · 13/09/2010 18:29

Hecate, you're probably right, I s'pose I just put that to try and compete with the grabbers, whilst trying not to be one, because I'm not one!
I've not bothered with it in ages because it seems like a waste of time, and the whole grabbiness of it puts me off.

My friend got warned too for asking for too much.
She'd offerred 6 thing in a month, and asked for four. She was warned when she asked for planks of wood FFSHmm

(None of her asks were of the TV/games console variety)

PurpleCrazyHorse · 13/09/2010 20:00

YANBU. I often ignore the vast majority of e-mails and have started keeping a note of people who don't turn up (and don't let me know) so I don't offer them stuff in the future.

TBH it's not the sob story e-mails, it's the not showing up on time that irritates me more.

When asking for items, I just give a reason why I'd like it rather than a sob story. We were lucky enough to be given a basic DVD player on Freecycle - the reason we needed one was that I'd given ours away to another Freecycler before we had DD!! Plus I always mention I have transport and can collect at a time convenient to them.

WhatTheWhat · 13/09/2010 20:15

I quite like to know why they cannot go and get one from the shop as I would prefer to give stuff away to people who're in straitened circumstances, rather than moochers.
I know it's meant to be about keeping things out of landfill, but most of what we freecycle is perfectly good and saleable and if I weren't so lazy busy I would list them on eBay.
I think you can usually tell which are the porkies and which are probably genuine and I always speak with them on the phone before arranging collection.

octopusinabox · 13/09/2010 20:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pinkgrasshopper · 13/09/2010 20:50

Mmm. Having sadly had a lot of professional and personal experience of cancer, I've not yet come across anybody who gets diagnosed in the morning then heads home to see what's on Freecycle so think you can probably ignore that one greenbeanie!

What a shame that those in genuine need miss out because of others trying it on... Not sure what could possibly be done to rectify that though- some people!!

Original poster
greenbeanie · 13/09/2010 22:22

I would agree pinkgrasshopper, I worked as a nurse in oncology and bone marrow transplant for several years and freecycle usually wasn't top of their agenda!!

I don't really mind who has the tickets, after all I only want to get to see them used, it is the stories that they come up with that seem truly amazing sometimes. Just a polite response would do fine.

Anyway have chosen person at random and the tickets are now in the post Smile

OP posts:
lisad123isgoingcrazy · 13/09/2010 22:38

i certainly never metioned dh cancer when i email people, they are all full of pooh!

PinkElephant73 · 13/09/2010 23:12

mugglewump LOL we only get wanted ads for console games, laptops etc on our group! I have just listed 2 planks of wood that have been in the garage for years. will anyone want them though - no resale value whatsoever!

muggglewump · 13/09/2010 23:22

I have a few games I don't want, but no one will want them as they are for Gameboy not DS.

I'll charity shop them, as I can't be doing with grabbers and sob stories.

Mt friend did get her wood in the end but has not used Freecycle since!

brassband · 13/09/2010 23:32

The point of freecycle is to keep stuff out of landfill,not for people to act like Lord and Lady Muck deciding who is worthy and who isn't.[shudders]

MaMoTTaT · 13/09/2010 23:38

oh dear - I did on several occasions last years request things with a "sob story" - of my exH (we had just got back together at the time - but still living separately) who was living in a (literally) empty house........

thankfully people believed me, he picked the stuff up and everyone was happy.

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