Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Shocked how rude people are when giving something away..

32 replies

londonrach · 10/10/2014 20:06

Ive got something i dont need anymore and have offered it free on a famous site. I got emails say 'you have x i want'. no please, nothing else. One person was very rude when i emailed back asking if he could pick up today. The other five people i emailed back re yes its available can you pick up today at various times today haven't replied. This has been all day, with me replying to everyone. Ive removed said item now and will bin it as its electrical and not sure charity shops will take it. Just wanted someone who needed it to have it. Why cant someone just come and take it. It works and like new! I can even leave it downstairs if they want so they dont see me!

OP posts:
gamerchick · 10/10/2014 20:08

Did you use a computer when replying? I tried to get rid of something in freecycle and was emailing via yahoo on my phone and they weren't sending.

HappyAgainOneDay · 10/10/2014 20:11

Please don't throw your unwanted, electrical item away. British Heart Foundation will take electrical goods. See if you have the instructions as well.

creampie · 10/10/2014 20:16

Just leave it at the end of your drive, it'll be gone before you've even shut the front door!

We left a broken dish washer out for the bin men. It was gone before we got up this morning. Wish I'd have known, it would have saved us the £10 council collection fee Hmm

Derleth · 10/10/2014 20:16

Give it the weekend and give it to the first person who says 'Please'

emms1981 · 10/10/2014 20:18

This annoys me too, I've had lots of items "free to collector" and people have said they will be over to collect it "some time today" and never turn up. I had a car seat once it was in good condition just no longer needed someone said they wanted it and would be over at 10, I waited until 12 before I asked if they were coming and she said oh yeah sorry my little one was up in the night I will be over at 12.30 and she still didn't come. Then asked if I could take on school run with me I don't drive and walk the school run so no. The best one was when I had some hampster food a full bag and a half because sadly little squeek had died and I didn't want to chuck it and was asked if I had a picture?

cheapskatemum · 10/10/2014 20:20

I agree that is quite rude to answer saying "you have x, I want", maybe English is not their first language? The non replies though might be because not everyone checks their emails everyday. A one day turnaround is quite unusual on Freegle, certainly on my local sites (East Anglia) maybe it's different in large cities though. Please hang on in there a bit longer to save it going into landfill needlessly and so that it can benefit someone else (even if their manners could be improved!).

Fabulous46 · 10/10/2014 20:49

Don't get me started on a rant about Freecycle. I offered a load of stuff including suite, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, beds, bed linen, fireplace etc on our local Freecycle FB page. Most of the stuff was months old and in nearly new condition. I stated I wouldn't deliver the stuff. The amount of cheeky gits people who replied saying they needed delivery was awful. I had one guy say he wanted various things and never turned up. I called a local homeless charity who came and took everything. I'll never use Freecycle again as some of the replies were just grabby and rude! Some people use our local group as a personal shopping list ie Black leather suite wanted, must deliver Confused. Another ad under wanted was for "red carpet, red lamp, and electric wall mounted living art fire. I've just got my first flat and must be able to deliver." Cheeky sod!

firefly78 · 10/10/2014 20:55

i am currently waiting for someone to pick up our changing table. not replying to my messages. it was arranged they would come at 8 30. earlier in the evening they said they were outside our house but didn't knock?? people are strange.

Original poster
londonrach · 10/10/2014 20:58

And then one guy replies with please and says be around in 30 minutes arrives in 20 and is polite and best of all he takes this working only used once household item. Yippee faith is restored...

OP posts:
Original poster
londonrach · 10/10/2014 21:00

(Its an iron by the way)

OP posts:
Original poster
londonrach · 10/10/2014 21:02

It was boxed, had instructions everything....am pleased now

OP posts:
NormHonal · 10/10/2014 21:03

If you use the site regularly, you get to know the good ones. During my last stint of Freecycling, I gave most of my items to the same lady, she took things for herself and friends/neighbours and always said please/thank you and turned up on time!! After a few times, I trusted her enough that I could leave stuff out for her (on dry days) and go out myself.

arethereanyleftatall · 10/10/2014 21:03

Loving the idea of giving it to the first person who says please!
We have a local fb site, and it's staggering the amount of people who when something is advertised for free, will say something like 'can you deliver it?' 'Can you measure it?' Etc etc. no I fucking can't. It's free.

charlieandlola · 10/10/2014 21:12

I gave away a BT phone with 3 handsets. After I'd delivered it (!) the lady emailed me after 2 weeks or so to say the speaker wasn't working on one of the handsets, could I come and pick it up again.
Surprisingly I didn't reply !
Have given up freecycle as a bad job !

gloriafloria · 10/10/2014 22:09

YANBU I offered 2 free britax car seats. I'd supplied a photo and described them as vgc and never been involved in an accident. First person said she really wanted them so I changed the advert to say they were reserved. She then sent me message after message asking for more photos, a more detailed description and then finally she said she wanted time to think about it. When she finally got back to me I told her they had been taken by someone else and she had the cheek to tell me I was selfish for wasting her time?? A friend of a friend got them and was delighted.

OfficeNewGirl · 10/10/2014 22:16

I offered a baby gate for free on my local baby selling site. I explained it was a Tomy extendable, screw fit one.

First comment.. "Have you got a picture? I ve never heard of that make"

My response.... Its FREE! Not messing around taking pictures, if you dont know what it is,then google it!

champtastic · 10/10/2014 22:18

I offered some used dining chairs on my local Freecycle. One woman asked "are they new"?. Errrrr, no love. I reminded her they were used, she asked if they were in perfect condition! Again I replied they were in good used condition. Clean. She asked for pictures. Sent them, no reply! Not even 'thanks but no thanks'.

Luckily a very nice chap took them off my hands the next day.

Don't even talk to me about bloody Gumtree either.

Rant rant rant Smile

Clawdy · 10/10/2014 22:59

When we moved house we had some furniture we didn't need, wooden chests of drawers,coffee tables and an Ercol court cupboard. I rang a local charity for homeless families and the guy they sent shook his head morosely and said "Can't really use this stuff..." He took one wonky Ikea plastic side table. I then rang the British Heart Foundation who sent round two almost totally silent grim-faced men who sighed and then reluctantly carried out one chest of drawers. I told them that the Ercol cupboard was selling for quite a lot on Ebay,and he took a photo on his phone,muttering under his breath. He obviously showed it to someone in the shop because the van arrived to collect it the next morning. Now I didn't expect profuse thanks from any of them,but a smile or a thank you would have been nice!

gamerchick · 10/10/2014 23:03

She wanted to return them Charlie ? Christ on a bike.

gamerchick · 10/10/2014 23:07

I won't give furniture to charity shops now. They're so picky with their huffing and puffing like you've been a total waste of time and begrudgingly take it. I call my favourite second hand shop to come and get it who sell it for more without the whinging.

chocolatedonut · 10/10/2014 23:21

Yes giving away baby clothes for free and not one polite message back. Really would like the stuff to go to someone though so I have replied to all messages and not one person has bothered getting back to me about coming to collect items. Sad

gloriafloria · 10/10/2014 23:22

Yes the charity shop furniture collections are a right faff. I had a pine dresser and table and four chairs from Ikea and phoned our local hospice shop. They wanted confirmation that it was in re sale condition and if it wasn't they would expect a call out charge. I said it was well used but still acceptable although obviously not in excellent condition but then I started worrying that they wouldn't take it so I cancelled the collection. I sold it on gumtree for £40.00 and it was gone in 2 days.

treehugginhippy · 10/10/2014 23:28

I put a wardrobe on gumtree once free, took a picture and said it was dis-assembled ready to be picked up. First response was - Mine I can collect have a van waiting. Okay, well I wanted it gone asap so I said yes to this person and they turned up ranting about it being a waste of money them getting a van for a wardrobe that's not even assembled!! I was gobsmacked, i'd taken it down thinking some poor soul in a ford fiesta would turn up or something plus they said they had a van waiting!? People are bizarre.

sunflower49 · 10/10/2014 23:28

We have had this too.

If you've read other posts from me you'll know my DP is a mega hoarder drives me insane however now and again he will get the guts to have a clearout.

Each time, we get things like what the OP describes, happening. Last time we were giving away some lanterns, for photography etc, 20 of them worth about £4-£5 each, free.

'You still got can you deliver today before 3pm' . No please, no would you mind...

'I want lanterns'. Just that.

'I'll have them but only if you deliver'. No 'Are you able to deliver at all/please'. It's so rude!

Or, people saying they would have different items and arranging a time and not turning up. This really disheartened DP and makes him more reluctant to get rid of stuff, and me more reluctant to not be ethical and kind , rather to just chuck stuff in the bin (I haven't done this with anything yet).

ecuse · 10/10/2014 23:35

Just to lighten the Freecycle mood - it's how I met my DH Grin

But, yes, some people on there are cheeky tossers.