Freecycle replies!!

[lisad123]

Ok I thought it might be fun to list all the lovely replies I get for what I have offered today;

I have offered a broken dyson (brushes arent working but sucking ok)

3 wheeler buggy great for walking.

Here are the replies so far, who shall I choose?

I don't give to replies that don't mention the item and arrive really quickly as in "I could make use of this" - as they've just set up an automatic reply and then will mess you about if they don't really want the item. I also will not deliver, and will not phone people's mobiles to arrange collection.

If there are still lots of replies I then pick the ones without text speak who say please, I'm quite happy to get rid of multiple items at once.

Was a request that made me smile on ours yesterday - someone asking for artificial Christmas trees - as hiding places for some shy pet quails (is the plural quail or quails, have never needed to write it before!)

I think quite a few people collect for car boot sales, they will accept anything and everything. I like to accept anyone who sounds like they need the item for themselves - eg I was giving away a piece of carpet and a lovely lady wanted it for her puppy, who kept slipping on her floors!

I don't mind curt replies as long as they actually turn up!
The one who prefaced with Good Afternoon was nice enough to take the time to write nicely, so I would bet on them actually turning up (or apologising if they can't after all). Easy choice.

I put in 2 wants this week and got the 2nd one rejected, humph! Because they have a max of 1 want notice/week. Which peeves because 95% of the time I offer and rarely put in wants. But no biggie.

There are a couple of repeat offenders on my local Freecycle.

One bloke always asks for expensive electrical items, never a please and thank you, always something like 'Xbox required' or 'new in box Kinect needed' (actually ones from this week).

A girl from a town not close enough to warrant membership of the group regularly does the same. Some of her previous wanted ads have been for 'any Apple items' and 'BlackBerry wanted: NOT Pearl'.

I keep a mental list of their user names and never offer anything to them. And yes, they always ask for things I post.

You can search Freegle (and presumably Freecycle as well) to check on someone's posting history. It's a fairly good way to sort the wheat from the chaff, I find.

I still wonder about some regulars though - there is one lovely lady who I have met when she collected something, and she has posted loads of stuff herself, but also replies to every single post I make with: "Yes please if it hasn't gone". I suspect that she is car-booting and then offloading the surplus ...

I used to be a big fan of freecycle. Then it got quite nasty and it was very obvious that people were asking for stuff and selling it. We live in a small area and people were giving away things then seeing them for sale at boot sales and furniture warehouses. I did get a fab desk, gave away some wardrobes and an old chair etc so it did work but I began to feel it was over exploited.

YANBU to ditch those that are rude, donlt show or expect fecking miracles like wanted: a laptop for my kids to play games on or a wii or xbox: wil take old one or without games. I also got annoyed about the standard of some things I went to see, yes recycling is great bit some things really really do need to be recycled.

I'd give to the first person, they were polite and asked for both. Before that though I would try cheap cycle, ESP for things which are not broken

Marking place, I could do with a laugh.

I get riled by the silly questions when I offer something, though my favourite silly question did make me laugh - when I offered a dining room table, someone replied with "will it fit on the back of a bike?"

I always put in a deadline if I offer an item....usually 24 hours...nothing worse than offering something and not hearing back.

and if it has been a popular offer I put a couple of "askers" on standby, just to say I have offered it but if it's not collected i'll let them know first. That seems to work quite well.

Just thought I'd add this response I got to an offer today, it simply says:

"Hello am i to late."

What does that mean, I wonder?

We had a wanted ad on our freecycle for a caravan this week, followed a few days later by an email saying it had been received!

A few months ago I put a collection of my daughter's clothes. The first woman I chose never came to collect, I told her when I was home and I didn't check my emails at work, yet she would send a message after I have left for work in the morning asking if she could collect that night at 7pm, but I was checking my emails at about that time!

Next lady just assumed I would take 2 buses to get the bag to her, and in the end contacted someone else and she came before lunchtime on the Sunday morning! I have kept her details so when there is another clear out I will just contact her direct.

I have been lucky to have put a request up for a playstation2. Lovely lady replied and I had no idea where she lived. Looked it up and it was do-able just 2 buses away but then I didn't know where her house was, and I asked if she would possibly meet me sort of just off the bus route. She did! She had offered to come and deliver it to me but then changed her mind, due to time and distance, and I had already told her, 'no, I want it, I come to you!'

I have never 'won' anything that has been offered, I think I always send a polite request. Our problem is not driving so sometimes I see something I would like but see they live a bit too far away

If people want their goods to go to someone they deem 'worthy' or 'needy' enough then donate them to a local charity who will pass them on.

If you want to keep things you no longer use out of landfill, use freecycle. Simple really.

I hate the way some people feel so superiour by offering their junk!

And if someone 'looks richer' than you, they may well be richer than you because they are frugal and don't buy new all the time. So just because someone drives a 4x4 they are not worthy of your rubbish? Puhleese.

takingit - I don't want my stuff to go to someone "worthy" or "needy" - I just want rid of it.

But "polite" wouldn't hurt, would it?