to be a tiny bit judgmental about some requests on Freecycle? Yes, sorry, it's another FC complaint. I have judgey pants on today MNers.

[taintedpaint]

This has probably come up before. In fact I'm not even certain I haven't commented on it before myself. But people are getting increasingly cheeky about Freecycle requests aren't they? Please tell me I'm not imagining it?!

This week alone, I have seen requests for a Blackberry mobile (it must be a newer Curve or better), a DSi (specifically not a DS) and a car. A frigging car, I'm telling you! It has to be a decent car btw (can't remember the exact wording, I deleted the email as soon as I got it out of shock at the bloody cheek of the man!). How can people actually ask for these things?

AIBU to be judgey about this? I can never bring myself to ask for anything on there, and there are people asking for cars!

I gave up on freecycle as seemed to be giving loads away to the freeloaders freecyclers and never every received or found anything that i could use, so i call the local womans refuge who come and collect everything i need to get rid of and are very greatfull, a bit hard to arrange sometimes as you need to talk to someone at hq who you have to liase via for local service.

MITOCHONDRIA: if you are reading this, I think I must live in the same town as you; - that list of "wanteds" looks very,very familiar....

See Spooky, that's exactly the kind of 'wanted' I would willingly reply to.

I have received a couple of very useful things from freecycle, but equally often do not get anything I wanted! I wish I was in a position to offer stuff on there, because I feel like a bit of a freeloader sometimes, but unfortunately, I don´t have anything that would be worth giving away. I tend to use stuff till it´s tip fodder, as I am very very broke.

I think what annoys people is when someone seems overly fussy about what they want. I mean, if you really are that desperate and can´t afford to buy it, you will be flexible and be grateful for what you can get.

Tryharder - Yorkshire, nice tea rooms?

I don't mine the general asks either. But there is a difference between "Please, has anyone got a spare....." and "I desperately need an ipod, must be brand new"

Realistically, if anybody does have an ipod they're probably going to be using it....

Oh I hate this sort of thing too!

"need a new buggy, must be x colour to match change bag"

"wanted, black leather sofa" - whats wrong with just ANY sofa?

"wanted 3 rabbit hutches as my 3 girls are getting bunnies for easter" - WHAT!!! so you factor in the cost of their homes before agreeing to buy them then - I often wonder about the fate of those poor bunnies now

YABU. I know two people who have received cars from Freecycle.

MITOCHONDRIA - yes, Yorkshire, nice tea rooms - we definitely live in the same town. Small world....

Oh the black leather sofa one appeared in my inbox today. The text was "....electric cooker with double oven and good condition black leather 3 piece suite".

When you're getting something for free, I really don't think you should be that choosy. The irony, of course, is that the more specific and demanding the requests come across as, the less likely the poster is to receive anything at all.

TFBW, the main reason the car one shocked me was because they were, again, so specific. It had to be in a particular condition (I'm talking more than simply roadworthy) and there were other things as well (I can't remember exactly what because as I said, I deleted the email).

If I was asking complete strangers to give me stuff, I would be grateful for anything they could give me, I wouldn't be so bloody picky. You get the things you really want when you've got the money to get them. If you're desperate enough, you will take what you can get. And that's why I never believe the demanding sob stories, if they were genuine, they would take whatever was offered.

I'm giving away two plants today to people that, via email, seem really nice. There is always the risk that they won't turn up but I shall keep my fingers crossed.

Blair, that is a huge amount of wanted posts. Our group has a limit per person. Could you ask the mods to look into it?

Re: black leather sofa - I totally agree that a private person looking for a freebie is taking the mick, but...

That's actually one of the things my nursery (Surestart maintained nursery so no budget - ta Mr C!) is after. Wouldn't have to be black or real leather but needs to be wipeable with 100 kids using it on a weekly basis!

some people must be either totally skint or tight, theres people asking for clothes props on our local one.

MrsLN, that's different though isn't it? You're not being fussy, you're being practical, and I don't know anyone who wouldn't try to help you in those circumstances.

Had another black leather sofa request this morning. It's an epidemic. If you had asked MrsLN, I wouldn't have been shocked, I would've even asked around for you, to see if any of my friends could help. But this same chancer was asking for her son's Christmas presents on there as well. And we're not talking cheap.

Sigh. I've just offered something and stated collection only. Someone asked straight away if I can deliver it today to them. I'm not even going to bother replying.

Brand new Christmas presents?

I wouldn't reply either Spooky. And oh yes, brand new.

As if people have boxes of brand new toys just waiting to hand over to strangers!

I know, it was ridiculous. The main item she was asking for was a bike. It had to be new. It had to be a particular make as well. I was tempted to reply asking if a used cheaper brand would do (not that I have one) but I resisted the urge. I would've loved to see her response though!

I give toys to charities at Christmas (in fact, I'm sure I have donated to Surestart before :)) so I'm not Scrooge, I always give when I can, I just can't stand people who are so blatantly cheeky!

A new bike??!!! I am sure a little boy would be just as happy with a second hand one - my son was! He doesn't know the difference.

TBH I've never heard of freecycle but going for a gander in a bit as sounds like an interesting website [site]

We have one, who on a weekly basis posts exactly the same story, but with the item changed:

Hi, I'm looking for an X as mine has just decided to stop working today. Money's tight as I found out this week I lost my job.

Either she has the worst luck in the world, lives in some kind of electrical Bermuda Triangle where everything stops working (hope not cos it's my part of town!) or she thinks people don't remember it all!

TV I've got on there at the moment is going to the first person to send me an email using the word please with vaguely acceptable levels of punctuation and no text speak. Strangely putting "no sob stories, time wasters or people wanting me to call their mobiles to arrange collection" seems to have deterred the worst though (no premature babies wanting playstations this time).

Before Christmas it gets ridiculous - we had Christmas Eve requests for Wiis the other year, plus some long tale about how a child had wanted X game for Christmas, they'd bought him the game but he didn't have anything to play it on and they didn't want him to just open the box and be empty handed that day - like why would you buy the game when you KNOW there's no console there... again that was a Christmas Eve or as near as close to one.

An extremely nice and very grateful man has just collected a plant from me.

I looked today after seeing this thread and someone wanted duvet which I have a summer -so thin - but I couldn't register and when I tried again it kept saying wrong password for this email.

I would happily use it as have a hoover that someone could have and would easily request something but I agree with emptyshell without the sob story.

Basically as a single parent although I have a wage and can and do save I would accept something that someone is giving away.

I think it's cheeky to ask, but to be honest, if there are people out there who are too lazy/rich to find another way of disposing of their stuff, then it's better than it going to waste.