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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get p*ssed off with timewasting freecycle hippy b*stards??

44 replies

Lovecat · 07/03/2007 16:04

This is now the 4th time I've had to wait in for someone who is apparently 'desperate' to pick up my old keyboard only for them not to show up.

I am SOOOOOOOOO fed up with these people! I get inundated with requests for something and then no-one bothers to come for it! Why reply if you don't want it?

To add insult to injury, despite my stating it hasn't been used in the entire 5 years it's been in my possession (it's really not my thing, I'm resolutely unmusical, it was given to me by my Dad, who does random things like that..) I get people emailing me saying

"Do you play it often? Is it compatible with a pc? Can you post it?" and today -

"I want you to check it works before I come to collect it" - excuse me? Did I even say you could have it? Given that the dratted thing works on batteries, I am buggered if I'm going to schlep out and buy batteries purely to satisfy some ill-mannered git who can't even say please!

Aaaaand breathe....

OP posts:
southeastastra · 07/03/2007 16:13

hehe rude bu**ers

skirmish · 07/03/2007 16:15

i've just had a similar thing with ebay!!!

aaaarrrrgggghhhhh...why did i bother listing it only to have to relist it agin!

fibernie · 07/03/2007 16:16

Not at all! Freecycle is about generosity of spirit and feeling good about your waste being someone else's treasure and not ending up in landfill. If you have the goodness to offer something, people should first of all say why they want it, and then if you decide to give it to them, honour their promise to pick the thing up!
We advertised a camera recently on our local group, and had loads of really brief messages from people who assumed it was already theirs. We said we'd wait 24 hours to give people a chance to reply, but then got messages from people asking why we hadn't contacted them.
Sigh! Sometimes I wonder.... have faith, there are a few of us honest souls still around!

Original poster
Lovecat · 07/03/2007 16:17

I know, Skirmish, and I feel for you!

I went with Freecycle because I couldn't take the hassle of getting rid of stuff via ebay, but it's been such a nightmare!

Anyone here want 2 bedside tables, a folding screen and a keyboard that may or may not work???

OP posts:
massagemum · 07/03/2007 16:19

Where do you live? and what sort of folding screen?? please thank you??

Original poster
Lovecat · 07/03/2007 16:21

Ilford - just off the North Circular.

It's black metal with 3 cream fabric panels and curly bits at the top, if that makes sense... one leg has had an accident with a spilled pot of yellow paint but it's nothing that a quick spray of plasticote won't but right...

OP posts:
massagemum · 07/03/2007 16:28

Thank you! I used to live just down the road in chadwell heath when i grew up!! Is it like a room divider?

LazyLine · 07/03/2007 16:36

You know you can "report" them for not turning up? Freecycle has a kind of three strikes and you're out policy, except I think it's two strikes.

littleducks · 07/03/2007 16:37

Haven't had this but i was upset this week when i said i would like a blind and was told it was mine, took down the address and was expecting to collect the next day as arranged only to get an email later saying it had been collected.

Original poster
Lovecat · 07/03/2007 16:38

Ooh, LL, no, I didn't know that, I'm fairly new to all this freecycle stuff - I shall have to check with the mods.

Massagemum, it looks like this .

OP posts:
misdee · 07/03/2007 16:42

i detest the rudeness of freecycle. i recently advertised a benno dvd holder thing from ikea. i got 15emails. one person said please and thank you, so i gave it to them.

massagemum · 07/03/2007 16:42

It looks like exactly what i need!! Only problem is i'm not sure when i could get to you??

Let me know if you get no other offers and I will arrange something. Obviously if somebody closer to you wants it then by all means go with them.

(My nan still lives in chadwell heath so will be there at some stage soon.)

skirmish · 07/03/2007 16:43

i vow never to use ebay again...i will from now on offer it to all the lovely people an MN

Original poster
Lovecat · 07/03/2007 16:44

lol misdee - I do the same - but lately even the polite ones then don't respond or don't bother to turn up!

The only ones who've been lovely, polite AND reliable have been those with kids, who've been collecting my old baby gear that I'm getting shut of.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lovecat · 07/03/2007 16:46

tbh, mm, I'm so fed up with offering it to people who then don't come and get it, that I don't mind waiting a bit for a 'sure thing' IYKWIM...

I've given this no-show person til tonight to come back to me, she wants it for her aged mum so I thought she'd at least have had the manners to call and say she couldn't make it, if I don't hear anything from her then you can have it (providing you turn up for it!;))

OP posts:
massagemum · 07/03/2007 16:54

Great - i can use it in my treatment room for clients to undress behind. At the moment i have to leave the room each time and then dc's ant all my attention!!

Let me know about other person and then will arrange something.

thank you very much!!

Iota · 07/03/2007 16:57

I used Freecycle a few weeks ago and posted a very similar rant here about people not turning up.

LunarSea · 07/03/2007 17:42

Is it just our freecycle, or do they all have a few people who manage to find something they want (rather than something to dispose of) almost every day? Really bugs me when they post "wanted, preferably unusued"....

OrlandoTheMarmaladeCat · 07/03/2007 17:46

I've just had something very similar here. We offered a playhouse - a proper wooden playhouse, albeit a bit tired - and the first FOUR people who were allegedly "desperate" for it never actually turned up despite mucking me around for 10 days in total.

So as someone said earlier, I found the most polite email from the hundreds of others and they came and got it that day.

Frankly it's a bit dispiriting actually, if not downright sad

Iota · 07/03/2007 17:53

having ranted about timewasters, though, in the end the 2 people who did collect stuff from us were very appreciative - one sent me a nice email thanking me and saying how happy her son was with his new toy and the other thanked me profusely at the time and seemed quite overcome that anyone should give her something for nothing.

So it all came good in the end

bandstand · 07/03/2007 18:01

wont oxfam take it?

alittlebitshy · 07/03/2007 18:02

what are the bedside tables like?
(i'm basically in ilford)

alittlebitshy · 07/03/2007 18:04

ah pants that sounded rude didn;t it?

sorry.

start again -
hi lovecat, if you wouldn't mind, would you be able to post a pic of the bedside tables? We have a lodger who does not have one and they may be useful if suitable or if i was polite enough.

LazyLine · 07/03/2007 19:38

I'm not sure why people are such tossers about it. I put some old baby stuff up on there and had a woman promise to collect it 3 times only to never turn up and then get annoyed at me because I should have offered to deliver it to her!

tribpot · 07/03/2007 19:44

Have had similar problems with freecycle - didn't realise you could report people for not showing up. Will definitely do that, I think it's a great idea being spoilt by a small majority of tossers. And I definitely would not check anything to make sure it works - surely the whole point is that they take it at their risk, given you are giving it to them!

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