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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think a lot of people take the piss on freecycle?

64 replies

elvenbread · 14/09/2014 15:58

I've put quite a lot of stuff on over the last few days. One no show and no reply to emails. Another asked me for the titles of all the books I'm offering. I was quite clear it was two large bag full and it was a mix of genres and authors. It's around 40 books. Does she want me to sit and type them all out. Sod that. Last time I put stuff on people were even worse
No thanks etc. Aibu to think just because it's free you shouldn't take the piss.

OP posts:
ScrambledEggAndToast · 14/09/2014 19:47

A couple of years ago, I saw a sofa I wanted and emailed the woman offering. A couple of days passed and I heard nothing. Fair enough I thought, maybe someone else had got it or she had changed her mind so I didn't pursue it. About two weeks later, I got this angry email accusing me of messing her about for not collecting it and saying she was sick of time wasters Shock I emailed back to say I didn't know what she was on about as she hadn't contacted me with a pick up time and never heard from her again.

Weird!!

AlpacaMyBags · 14/09/2014 19:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 14/09/2014 20:04

I've given up too, so many non-responders and I only ever seem to get 2 or 3 replies of which it's rare to get a genuine nice sounding person. I have been using it for 10 years, used to get rid of masses of stuff that way but only ever asked for things a few times.

Missus2ndwife · 14/09/2014 20:24

And there I thought it was just me having bad luck with Freecycle!

I too have lost my faith in what was originally a brilliant service and opportunity to give away worthwhile items. As others have said, people have become greedy, selfish and unnecessarily demanding. I often feel like the 'takers' are doing me a favour.

We just dropped a load of stuff off at Cancer Research this weekend who were very grateful. It's the charity shops or tip for me going forward

Nohootingchickenssleeping · 14/09/2014 20:30

Once had someone asking if anyone had fruit trees; they were wanting 'a few windfalls' to make cider. I mentioned our big pear tree and put my address on saying they could take a few if they wanted. No 'thank-you,' no acknowledgment but the entire fruit crop vanished within two days while we were at work! Didn't even leave me any cider. Hmm

UsedtobeFeckless · 14/09/2014 20:33

I've ditched ours too - for every one person who can actually write sentences and turns up when they say they will there seem to be hundreds who can't and don't!

The local charity shops seem to take pretty much everything nowdays, anyway ...

EverythingCounts · 14/09/2014 20:48

I also ignored all the copy and paste 'I'll take it' one line replies. Have stopped using it now because a) the system has blocked me from posting and though I emailed the list owners nothing's happened, and b) someone made me aware of a local charity shop that has a car park right outside and where the staff come out and help you unload the stuff from the car. Bingo.

DebH1975 · 14/09/2014 20:59

We always just give to charity shops - they are always very grateful

Cariad007 · 14/09/2014 21:14

I'm a little concerned at the amount of car seats for babies that I'm seeing on Freecycle these days as I don't think you should take a chance with something like that.

flipflopsandcottonsocks · 14/09/2014 21:32

I never use it, but do love looking at all of the wanted posts. I saw one recently that said-

WANTED: Pedigree puppy, must be pure bred jack russell with papers and free insurance. No older than 10 weeks.

Right....

Cariad007 · 14/09/2014 21:53

Some of the offered posts too... Recently someone was offering half a box of Tampax and someone else was offering a Tesco cheesecake that had only had one slice eaten. Both offers were gone by the time of the next email digest!

rainbowinmyroom · 14/09/2014 22:04

It started as a great concept, but it relies on truly good mods to eject pisstakers.

Gruntbaby · 14/09/2014 22:07

Generally had good experiences - quick pick up, not fussy, polite and grateful. We put all sorts of stuff up because we've discovered people like the weirdest stuff -broken garden slabs anyone?

A couple of times we've been suspicious that it's a builder, but as we'd otherwise have to take to the tip ourselves, not too bothered.

Last time we offered a TV though and ended up in a complicated conversation re: model. Then they wanted it delivered, then they asked if we could fit it and set it up too!!! It went to the tip.

lauriebear · 15/09/2014 00:10

totally Shock at some of these accounts. Makes me so sad. Whenever I responded I was polite and like others said tried to accommodate / give back (someone offered us pears from his tree and we posted him a nice recipe as a thanks). Think I will be charity shopping it from now on too. Sadly.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 15/09/2014 01:00

My DSil recently asked if someone had a baby bouncer, which someone did. She then wanted pictures and a link to the website it came from so she could have a good look before she made up her mind. I was actually tempted to comment and say it's free for goodness sake, take it and say thank you!

lauranorder50 · 15/09/2014 02:50

I used Freecycle as I was clearing out the house prior to moving overseas. The majority of the stuff I gave away went to the, 'right' people.

Basically genuine, honest people. Some excess Christmas decorations went to a disabled charity. Two knee high pig statues (don't ask) went to a guy who on collection smiled and said, 'they call me pig.' There was someone who, yes, I said they could have them. I got so confused as to who I'd agreed was getting them that I just had to say, sorry, they've gone. She got a bit shitty with me and said she wanted them for the garden. I thought, but didn't say, they are made of plaster and would have melted away within weeks as the rain fell ! They were never meant to go outside.

A young girl in her twenties came and collected a couple of china serving dishes that belonged to my Grandmother. Not antique, not rare, probably purchased in a department store in 1940's/1970's but the way she smiled I wondered if she thought I was a mug.

A bloke in his early thirties came for our barbque and lawn mower. These things were just to heavy to take to the charity shop. They only had a couple of years left in them anyway. We helped him put them in his car. I was just glad that someone collected these heavy items.

I gave away some of my late mum's clothes. All bought from chain stores in the last few years. The woman that phoned up for them asked if they could be delivered as they did not have a car. OK, only had to drive to the crappy end of the town where my mum lived - no big deal. It was a bloke that answered the door, remarking that she (the girlfriend) was in the bath. So I gave him the clothes and I've always wonderd was it some sort of scam i.e. they would just on-sell the clothes. I'm not that bothered I just wanted rid.

I had taken so much to various charity shops that I was running out of local charity shops to distribute all the unwanted stuff to so that I dindn't overload one particular shop !

I used Freecycle once, probably wouldn't bother again, especially hearing about how it's degenerated into just greed and grasping.

lauranorder50 · 15/09/2014 02:54

The crappy end of town where my mum lived - I mean the crappy end of the same town where my mum (and dad lived)

Also, the bloke in his thirties that got the barbeque and lawn mower was a young Dad who could really use the barbeque and lawn mower. I was genuinely glad to help.

sashh · 15/09/2014 07:51

I've had mainly good experiences.

But I ignore any 'I'll take it phone me' messages.

I have a lovely old wardrobe brought 20+ miles and the lovely man would not take petrol money and only a cup of tea. It had been his father's and I think he was doing a house clearance.

I also emailed someone who had just got a council flat and had no furniture, I didn't have anything to offer him but could give him some advice about budgeting loans and I got a lovely reply.

My local group has a 'fair offer policy' so everyone has to wait until the person offering decides.

londonrach · 15/09/2014 08:01

I use gumtree. Just got rid of an ikea bookcase. Lovely young couple came for it. Email later saying thanks its sitting in proud of place in their new flat. Another lady also wanted the bookcase and kept hinting about five times she had no transport. I ignored her as collection only. Still think the funnest was a washing up bowl i didnt want. Thought if someone local they might like it. Contact with someone 20 miles away. Can you deliver. A 99p bowl and she wants me to use my time and petrol to deliver. Suggested the 99p shop....

lordnoobson · 15/09/2014 08:11

We used it once. H just out the bike on our drive when we were out. Take or leave it

icymaiden · 15/09/2014 09:03

I think there are problems on both sides.

  1. there are some pisstakers who request the most ridiculous things that nobody would give away.
  2. People have to realise that the purpose is purely about keeping items out of landfill, it is not about 'helping people' and playing lady Bountiful to the deserving poor. 3 Lots of people just can't bear the thought of throwing things away and are desperate to dump their rubbish on someone else.I am sure most of us have at least one relative like that.So it is understandable people want photos first
MsAnthropic · 15/09/2014 09:09

I've used Freecycle a LOT and there are a lot of annoying people, entitled people and chancers on there, in amongst the genuine, normal and deserving.

I always say "Collection available at such and such times. Please reply letting me know when you can collect. Will go to first person to can collect at a convenient time" and invariably I'll receive a bunch of messages saying "My phone number is xxxxxxxx, please phone to arrange". Uhm, NO

I never give my number to anyone after some guy phoned at midnight asking if he could come round then to collect the item we'd arranged for the next day.

My worse experience was actually my very first: to cut a very long story short, we gave away something reasonably expensive to someone. At the time, my ex and I lived in a Victorian terrace with the garden on the basement level. My ex did dismantled it in the garden in the dark and pissing rain and we both helped carry the pieces up the stairs and out to the car. She stole my purse with £40 in it out of my handbag which was in the front room! (She also had the audacity to send a very gushing thank you email to the group saying we were the nicest Freecyclers she'd ever met - I bet!)

Another bad early experience in that group (we moved) was the moderator sending me a nasty email calling me a liar - another high value item and I said it would go to the first person who emailed. Her email saying she wanted it arrived second, but she said that was impossible. So basically she allowed the message and emailed simultaneously.

I've met some really good people too and have asked for 3 things which I got from really helpful kind people.

daphnehoneybutt · 15/09/2014 10:37

My mate offered a bookcase or something. Creepy bloke turned up to collect and starting asking for his tv as well!

That put me off ever trying to be nice on free cycle.

SistersOfPercy · 15/09/2014 11:48

The best wanted I'd ever seen appeared on ours a few years ago.
I can't remember it exactly but it was an enormous list of wants and every single one was preempted with the phrase "Because I'm disabled". When asking for a 42" flat screen TV it was 'because they were disabled' they had severe mobility issues meaning they could hardly move so needed something to occupy their days. 15 requests later they must have forgotten their 'severe mobility issues' because they wanted a 4 ton trolley jack as they were restoring a car Hmm

It was amusing actually, one long list of complete contradictions and pie in the sky wants interspersed with 'because I'm disabled'.

GwenStacy · 15/09/2014 12:28

I have away two old laptops that were fully wiped, so needed an OS installing but were still usable.

The abuse I got off people who I didn't choose was insane. It really put me off using it again :-(