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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU re freecycle?

37 replies

UghReally · 22/03/2015 11:45

I know someone in need of help so went on freecycle to see if any items she needs are on offer. All I can see is "WANTED- PS3. Must be newer model not the fat one" "WANTED- TV, must be at least 18in and wall mountable".
AIBU to think these people take the piss and should be removed from the site? its really annoying to see tbh. some people genuinely need help but others seem to be taking the piss out of everyones generosity!!

OP posts:

cleanmyhouse · 22/03/2015 11:49

yeah, makes me a bit furious too.

Viviennemary · 22/03/2015 11:50

I think people on freecycle sell the things they get. I'd not donate anything or ask for anything. I give my things to charity if I don't want any money for them.

Nomama · 22/03/2015 11:52

Yup. It is ludicrous.

I used to use it a lot. But I can't bear it any more. Too many chancers asking for the earth.

Mind you, round here you are just as likely to get requests for a mountain of manure

fairgame · 22/03/2015 11:55

On my local one a woman was asking for a brown leather corner sofa. Someone offered a brown sofa and she declined because she wanted a corner one. Not many on my local one are in dire need, they just want stuff for free. There are always loads of arguments as well. Its pretty grim tbh.

WorraLiberty · 22/03/2015 11:58

I thought the main point of Freecycle was to stop things going into landfill?

Therefore, although the requests are cheeky they're still valid if it saves the items ending up at the dump.

Not that I imagine anyone would dump a PS3 but they might dump a perfectly good 18" TV or a corner sofa.

BudsBeginingSpringinSight · 22/03/2015 11:58

Ugh I am a regular FC user, maybe its where you are, I very rarely see a cheeky post, think - dont we all love and ignore.

Mostly its been in valuable to me, and indeed furnished most of my house! The stuff I have had is incredible as is, the stuff I have given away.

mayfridaycomequickly · 22/03/2015 11:59

Yanbu - ours is full of scroungers wanting new I-phones and specific buggies.

I do wish there was a special 'cheeky free cycle' though as I like laughing at some posts

BudsBeginingSpringinSight · 22/03/2015 12:01

Not many on my local one are in dire need, they just want stuff for free

Its not about being in dire need although some people will be, I have been to huge houses to pick stuff up and had expensive cars come to collect things as well.
I also went to pick something up in my Mums car, which she spent ££ on as she is disabled and needed certain things, but she lives in a hovel. I didnt have a car at the time, and needed baby stuff.

Does it matter? As long as there is flow of goods, it benefits everyone, the pious, the landfill savers, the poor, the rich who buy the nice stuff and want it gone and cant be bothered with ebay, the poor who are in real need...

Nomama · 22/03/2015 12:06

Worra my problem is that over the years the tone has changed. The type of request is changing. The responses are weird.

For example, we had some hedge trimmer to get rid of... the hedge trimmer still had bits of hedge in it and the person collecting shouted at me on pick up that I was taking the piss, no box, no receipt and it was dirty!

He refused to take it 'in that condition'. So I sold it for £50, exactly as it was, instead!

WorraLiberty · 22/03/2015 12:07

Exactly Buds, it was never about dire need.

I've never used it but my son and his girlfriend asked for a couch of a specific colour to match their living room.

They already had a scruffy couch that sagged badly in the middle, but they weren't in such 'dire need' that they needed to accept anything.

They got the couch they wanted after a couple of months and were very grateful for it...as was the previous owner who didn't want it going to landfill.

WindYourBobbinUp · 22/03/2015 12:08

I think it depends on the area. I've got some amazing stuff for baby and maternity clothes from there. I'm not in dire need but it all helps when on maternity pay.

Some do make me laugh though and wonder especially when there's a massive sob story and its sent from the latest iPhone that was released yesterday.

There was a young girl that claimed to have had a preemie and wanted items. I got in touch with some advice as I also had one and some offers. She said no, which is fine, but it turned out she wanted a very specific expensive buggy and other bits. When i had my prem and had nothing ready i was grateful for anything to borrow / tide us over. Sometimes it just doesn't ring quite true.

WorraLiberty · 22/03/2015 12:08

Jesus Nomama that is hugely taking the piss!

DarthVadersTailor · 22/03/2015 12:10

YANBU. I expect those posts on the various fb groups you get and even Gumtree but not on Freecycle.

fairgame · 22/03/2015 12:16

Buds that particular group was set up to help people who are in need not for the cheeky requests. When it first started it was to help out others who didn't have a lot of money. Then people started saying that they had just got their first flat, pregnant, skint etc and need white goods. People would offer things but the requester would turn then down due to colour or not new enough or the wrong brand etc.
Now it just for people giving stuff away for free.

Nomama · 22/03/2015 12:19

I changed to Freegle... round here more people still offer jam jars and other 'land fill' stuff on there

I got a lot of jars last year and took a pot of jam back to the woman who gave them to me. I gave back a shopping bag out of material I got from another woman. I got the idea when I received a hanging basket from a man who came and cleared out my plastic pot collection

I probably will carry on using both, but I really must grow a thicker skin first

Original poster

UghReally · 22/03/2015 12:23

I worry I came across really badly in my post, sorry. I don't mean that you need to literally be on the bones of your arse when you use these sites, what i mean is no one behind these posts is really in need, you need a microwave/something to cook with, a kettle, plates, a bed side table. Thats the sorta stuff you "need" or will come in handy. the stuff you don't need (i.e ps3 and flatscreen TV), people asking for that stuff pisses me off.

OP posts:

woodhill · 22/03/2015 12:32

yes it does sound cheeky.

QueenInTheNorth · 22/03/2015 12:36

There's some serious discourse between whats offered on my local one and what people ask, its sometimes really funny to see what people offer (think 200 empty coffee jars) and what people ask for (60in flat screen TV). I suppose as they say round here 'shy bairns get nee sweeties'.

BudsBeginingSpringinSight · 22/03/2015 12:47

Fair must be different FC then, as ours was purely for Landfill.

You know people also off load utter shite on it, if you have a huge awkward piece you want gone, its great, people come for FREE and take it away for you, it works both ways. I have also had people moaning about literally being used as a rubbish collection from some people giving away utter unsueable rubbish and gone straight to tip with it.

I had a BBQ giving away and the people didn't want it, so what, the next one did. Its them who will be shifting greasy old thing into their car.

I had to hire a huge van for something I needed. It cost me, but was cheaper than buying the product new.

If you only want to give to people in need, maybe there are local fb pages for such things?

We must be very lucky where we are.

fairgame · 22/03/2015 12:50

Oh definitely a different FC then buds. They don't like to come for free for it round here, they like you to deliver it to them in pristine condition. They also like you to meet them in town and leave you standing there when they change their mind about turning up!

WorraLiberty · 22/03/2015 13:07

I agree no-one needs a PS3 but a television?

Ok no-one needs a television but since most homes have one, I don't see the harm in someone asking for one?

Also, I think all TVs are flat screen now anyway, aren't they?

Discopanda · 22/03/2015 13:42

YANBU, our local 'for free' page on Facebook was closed down by the admins as people were being too rude and grabby. You'd see people posting entire shopping lists of things they want. Luckily our local freecycle group isn't like that, I think it varies area to area

PrincessPilolevuofTONGA · 22/03/2015 13:50

We had a nice sofa, used but a good make. It did need a bit if a clean on the arms which I photographed and detailed and advised on how best to do. Nothing. Nada. No one wanted it. We had to chop it up and take it to the tip. It seemed such a waste.

unlucky83 · 22/03/2015 13:53

Our house TV isn't flat screen....
I offered an fat older style tv on freecycle (left in house I bought)...family size but not huge. No-one wanted it - nor did local charity shops or even the local reduce landfill recycling charity....it ended up going to the dump (and now I regret it slightly...renovating it and if I try and go to work on it when DCs are around they get bored and under my feet - there is no Wifi etc there (and no TV license!) but I could have kept it to plug in a dvd player or the Wii.
Lots of good and bad experiences of Freecycle/Freegle over the years - mainly good.
But just remembered another bad one - the house was carpeted when we bought it. It was being renovated etc -doubt the carpets would have survived and trying to do it quickly -so I offered them on freecycle before completion ...and someone wanted them.
Except when I looked at the downstairs one (one big room) when it was empty of furniture it was badly sunbleached and one bedroom stank of stale urine (had been lived in by old people)
The other two bedroom carpets were ok (bit dusty dirty round the edges) and some of the downstairs carpet. I told the person on freecycle if they wanted to they could come and look at them in place... either we could lift them then or they could come back for them or I could just lift them now and they could take them away. They arranged a time to come and look ...thinking it would give them a better idea of the condition of the downstairs one I took my carpet cleaner (and did the bedroom ones whilst I had it there). They cancelled at the last minute, didn't show up the next time a few days later and then just ignored my emails for a week. Couldn't wait any longer, took them up and dumped them ...then they got in touch they did want to come and look - and were stroppy and surprised when I said they had gone!

thebear1 · 22/03/2015 13:53

I use one and there are very few cheeky posts. I had a toddler bed to give away and got three emails, all lovely and would have liked them all to have it.

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