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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to eBay something I was given on Freecycle?

178 replies

quandry · 03/01/2011 11:41

My Mum's freezer stopped working and I asked on freecycle if anyone had one we could borrow/have to tide her over until she got a new one.

A man offered us one, saying he was just about to freecycle it when he saw my request.
Said we could have it, and could we freecycle it after we'd finished with it.

Mum now has her new one, so we need to get rid of the temporary one. Thing is, it's actually in really good condition - only about 18 months old, and I reckon I could get at least £80 for it on eBay.

I can't decide if it would be 'wrong' to eBay it. After all, when we picked it up the man said we were 'doing him a favour' by taking it away...

I can't decide... £80 would certainly be useful after Christmas! Blush

OP posts:
LadyBubbaAndBump · 03/01/2011 13:54

Just another vote for freecycling it back - for me that's the whole point of freecycle, is to help people out who are in need. By not at least offering it on freecycle, you're depriving someone/a family of a probably much needed fridge.

welshbyrd · 03/01/2011 13:55

The man that gave her the freezer, did not know for a fact the OPs mother needed a freezer,[not suggesting OPs mother did not need it] he chose to be charitable, and believe OPs mother, now it has helped her, the decent thing to do, is the same as the man who gave it to her.

pooka · 03/01/2011 13:56

YABVVVVU

Picking over the nuances of his chat with you in order to try and find an 'out' that suits your agenda is pretty rubbish TBH.

BoffinMum · 03/01/2011 14:11

IMO if you have to agonise about it, then you are generally doing to wrong thing for you.

I would freecycle it again.

TrillianAstra · 03/01/2011 14:13

In the case of the carbooter - it's not that he claimed to be a "young unemployed couple" that is wrong so much as that he claimed to want it "for his baby". Which didn't exist.

goingroundthebend4 · 03/01/2011 14:32

I need a freezer as mine keeps breaking down ,I'm hoping freecycle comes up trumps

I give stuff away regulary on itind I got annoyed someone asked for what I had when said sorry Its gone he asked if I had anything else on freecycle

guess who won't ever give to him again annoys me that someone does it to sell on

Original poster
quandry · 03/01/2011 14:38

Gosh - what a lot of horrid posts!

No, I'm not a troll, but I don't post here very often, and now I remember why...

I was genuinely asking the question, but didn't expect such a bashing Shock.

I think Trillian seems to best understand where I am coming from with this.

Unlike the people who took our baby toys we didn't LIE about our situation - I was very honest about Mum's temporary need.
She actually isn't getting a 'new' one - rather a 'replacement' from a family member who no longer needs it, but they can't bring it over until the end of January when they are in the area.

I'm not 'picking over' the conversation with the freecycler who donated 'to suit my story'. He genuinely didn't seem too bothered about it - just wanted it gone. When we picked it up I was surprised that it was so new, and commented on it, and said why hadn't he ebayed it instead. He said he couldn't be arsed!
As I said he didn't make it a proviso that I freecycle the freezer on, just more of a suggestion. He certainly didn't strike me as someone who would get worked up about it (unlike some people on here) Hmm

I'm also interested in this whole 'hierarchy of need' thing that seems to exist around freecycle. My mum is 79 and yes, she lives alone in sheltered accommodation. She has Parkinson's and dementia. At the moment she has a broken tooth where she had a fall, and I can't find an NHS dentist to fix it Angry. If we sold the freezer then we could probably pay for her to have her tooth fixed? I certainly wouldn't be pocketing the money, that's for sure...

I'm a net 'exporter' of items through Freecycle, so I don't consider myself a 'freeloader' by any means. In my mind there is a huge difference between someone LYING to get items in the first place, and this situation.

Anyway, you've all made your point of view quite clear (if rather nastily in some cases)
Let's not forget - a crime hasn't actually been committed here... Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
quandry · 03/01/2011 14:47

Oh, and I can't easily bring it back to ours to freecycle, as it won't fit in our car.

We had to pay a man with a van £15 to collect it in the first place Sad!

Mum wouldn't be able to handle strangers arriving to collect it, so I will have to go around to oversee it. That's why I don't want to end up with lots of potential 'no-shows' either. (And the residents at the accommodation are not allowed to leave stuff outside either...)

Gawd - I've just been trying to do the right thing for my Mum and suddenly I'm the one who is out-of-pocket and a villain! Shock

OP posts:
southeastastra · 03/01/2011 14:49

i'd ebay it as i can't be arsed with freecycle - i think freecycle is a bit up it's own arse too, you could sell it at a 99p start price if you want

BootyMum · 03/01/2011 14:50

quandry What is a net exporter of items through freecycle?

tyler80 · 03/01/2011 14:52

How are you out of pocket?

You've paid 15 quid (for the delivery) for a fridge for x-amount of time

belledechocchipcookie · 03/01/2011 14:52

The laws of karma will not work in your favour on this one. Should you decide to sell it on eBay (I am guessing you have already decided to do this), then in a couple of weeks time this freezer will break down and you will be out of pocket big time.
You wanted opinions and you got them. There's no need to spit the dummy out of the pram now and claim 'What a lot of horrid posts' A lot of people don't agree with you, it's their right. I don't agree with you. It's irrelevant how you are planning on spending the money. It's not a legal crime but morally you are in the wrong.

You asked a dumb question and you asked it in AIBU. You recieved replies, I've no idea why the hell you are moaning. Freecycle it back and do someone else a favour rather then line your pockets.

OpenToLawSuits · 03/01/2011 14:56

YABU. Freecycle is for poor people who need specific things when times are hard.

Put it back on freecycle and allow someone else. Someone elderly that can't use Ebay.

Momentarynamechange · 03/01/2011 15:00

A funny aside: my Mum told me about someone who left her fridge outside for a day with a note on it saying "Free, good working order, please take away if interested"

Nothing doing.

She then replaced the note with "£30, good working order".

It was nicked within the afternoon Grin

May be an urban myth, but it made me laugh!

MollysChambers · 03/01/2011 15:00

Quandry - Perhaps you should read your OP again.

You stated quite clearly that the man asked you to freecycle it when no longer required.

Followed up with stating that you could do with £80 after Christmas.

Got lots of responses that were not at all horrid IMHO. Just didn't agree that ebaying would be the right thing to do in those circumstances.

Now you're saying that the bloke wasn't fussed after all and you'd use the money to pay for your elderly mum's dental repair?

Hmm
cocoachannel · 03/01/2011 15:01

OP, if you genuinely thought your decision to sell the freezer was correct you would not have asked the Q. If you didn't wish to be challenged you should never have asked AIBU. If you really wanted to ask anyway, you should have given the full context of your situation in the opening thread and certainly not said the £80 would be useful after Christmas accompanied by a smiley, which to me implies it would be a bit if extra pocket money...

southeastastra · 03/01/2011 15:02

people can't be that hard up if they have a computer for freecyle in the first place

i'd stick a note up in teh newsagents if i wanted it to really go to good use

Momentarynamechange · 03/01/2011 15:04

'net exporter through freecycle' I'm guessing means you give away through freecycle more than you receive OP?

Imarriedafrog · 03/01/2011 15:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pirateprincess · 03/01/2011 15:06

Not a quandary is it though? Freecycle it.

PuppyMonkey · 03/01/2011 15:16

I think it's yours now, you can do what you want with it. Previous owner couldn't be arsed putting it on eBay, you can. C'est la vie.

Earwigging · 03/01/2011 15:17

How will you feel if you freecycle it and then see it on ebay!

I'd sell it, although you will still have to hang about for someone to collect it.

I think freecycle is for things you can't be bothered to sell, doesn't matter how you got it, it is now yours.

SerendipitousHarlot · 03/01/2011 15:37

I'm interested to know how you're out of pocket? Hmm

But in answer to your question, I think you should find a way to give it to someone else for nothing. Put it in the paper or something if freecyling is too much hassle. Anything else just isn't cricket.

OpenToLawSuits · 03/01/2011 15:45

If you thought it was OK to sell it, you wouldn't have asked us...!

saltyseadog · 03/01/2011 15:52

YABU - freecycle it. End of.