AIBU to ask whether Freecyclers can be time wasting CF's?

[TiddlestheCat]

Advertised a dishwasher on Freecycle. It's about 4 years old and in good working order. First 5 people fail to collect it despite making arrangements. Sixth person emails me with a list of specific instructions. No please. No thank you. Could I call him on his mobile number. He will leave his answering machine on for me to leave him a message. I am to provide him with a list of dates and times for him to collect it and he will pick the first one that suits him. He will also need the full make and model/series number in order for him to make preparations. He says that if I call him and leave a message, it will avoid a back and forth message exchange and simplify matters.
I cannot understand how leaving a message on an answerphone differs from an email reply, so I email him explaining that I am currently not living onsite, as my house is being renovated, but that builders are onsite all week mon-fri from 8-4pm. He is welcome to collect anytime without prior arrangement during these times. If he wishes to collect on a weekend or evening, let me know and I will arrange for it to be left outside my front door for him. He has just replied with "Dishwasher no longer wanted! Had you just phoned me T(just the initial of my first name), we could have arranged this so simply. It's now become too complicated. I'm out!". Wtaf?? AiBU or is he a contrary controlling CF?
I

Yes, only this week I made an hour round trip to deliver a bit of furniture for free. I felt a bit of a mug but at least it was reused not just thrown away.

Donate to Emmaus or similar charity

I'm in a strict group that throws people out for messing around/not collecting, so not everything goes, but generally people are grateful.

I Ebay anything that can be posted to avoid Facebook selling, and then either give things to people I know or the charity shop. Sometimes its better just doing a tip run than wasting time and effort on nobs on free cycle.

This is why I no longer use Freecycle/Freegle. It's upsetting, because I love the concept and I really like seeing things I no longer need helping other people. I did have some good experiences, but after being let down too many times, I've stopped giving anything away other than to charity shops - if something is free, I've found people behave like holding up their end of the bargain (basically just turning up when they said they would) is completely optional.

Now, if I have something large and awkward I need to get out of the house, I list it in ebay, collection only, starting the auction at 1p. Someone always bites, and it can be surprising how popular these listings end up being.

I gave up freecycling/freegling when I wasted evenings sat waiting for people who didn't show up and didn't make contact again. I now give stuff to our local charity shop instead, ours has the ability to PAT test so they even get electricals.

My parents have had more success with putting stuff on eBay with a stupidly low starting price, collection only. It weeds out some of the trouble-makers who just say "yes please" to everything.

I am aghast at some of these stories!

I've been quite lucky I think. I give away a lot of baby stuff on Freecycle and people are generally pretty good at collecting. If it's small enough I just leave it wrapped up on my front porch for them.

I did get irritated with the person who turned up for a Moses basket complete with mattress and bedding who then ONLY wanted the mattress (weirdly), meaning I had to relist the other stuff.

Our local British Heart Foundation collects and do a saturday collection so now for anything large we just contact them.

I don’t even bother with online listing any more.
I pop it at the end of my drive, labelled “Please help yourself”.
Invariably, after an hour or so, someone will ring the bell and politely check that I really am giving it away, sometimes they offer money.
It’s always gone by the end of the day.

I offered a leather reclining sofa. Woman waa first to email asking for it, no problem. Then lots more requesting it. So woman who asked was arriving within the hour, all good. Woman didn't arrive, it was 2 men, spoke barely any English, couldn't get sofa to split into 2 parts at first, suddenly one kicks it and turns and smiles. Next attempt get it apart, then as moving, instead of lifting along the laminate they drag it, and metal part of mechanism deeply scratches my flooring. Now I wish I'd told them to get out, and not having it, but at the time I was just speechless

I've obviously been lucky but I've got rid of a dishwasher, fridge freezer, table and 6 chairs, desk, computer stand, wall unit and garden furniture, only had really nice people come and all arrive dates and times discussed. There's lots of nice people out there too so don't let it put you off. However I also ignore all those who seem to be traders (middle of the night, always on, rude response etc).

I love free cycle but only give to polite responders. I did offer furniture to a charity shop but their first slot for collection was about 2 weeks away.

The lack of basic manners grates on me.
If I contact a seller about an item I always say please and thank you.
Example. I will ask, is this still available please? Followed with a thank you to their response.
I always make sure that I turn up on time too and if for any reason I couldn't then I would immediately contact the seller to explain the situation and if possible, rearrange.
But then, I was brought up with manners and common courtesy.

I’m another one who just puts things outside now. But if using Freecycle I specify a collection window and if possible just hide the thing down my side return for them to collect. Works well.

Chuck us a few pics, my mate might be interested'

I don't think asking for a picture of what you're giving away is CFery at all, especially when it's something as permanent as a fitted kitchen

I stopped using mine after far too many knob heads. I gave away one of DD's toys once and the guy was suddenly in my hallway rooting through DD's toybox and telling me he'd take those too! Ha!

Then there was the scrap man who tried to sell the stair lift I'd taken out of my recently deceased Mothers house who tried to flog it for £200. I knew he'd try it so I ripped out the internals. Took great pleasure in pointing out it didn't work on his Shpock listing.

These days I take almost everything to the charity shop, and what I can't I stick on eBay on a ridiculously low BIN. For some reason it seems to weed out the idiots.

Yeah, some of the Freecycle types are feckin annoying, entitled CFs sometimes. However, I'm an admin for a local FB freesite and, after a slight uphill battle, we've now weeded out the time wasters and CFs and its running really well. After we moved in to an inherited house (with furniture) we sold a few bits, but gave the majority of our double ups and overspills away and we only had one person let us down. The others have been lovely and so very grateful.

Offered a Laura Ashley two seater and three seater sofa. Very good condition.
Person responded - did I deliver? Erm, no. Turned up with partner to ‘view’, after 15 minutes of umming and ahing, they decided they would take it and could I throw in the tv table (that my tv was sat on). Erm no.
Turned up next day with a van and asked if I could contribute to cost . Erm no.
Also had some good experiences but that one took the biscuit!

Oh God they are the worst, DH put a camera bag on there and people were asking him to take it into the city for them to pick it up and generally being annoying. It got collected by someone, when someone else who had been interested messaged wanting to get ot he told her that it had already gone and she figured out from his email where he worked and sent a horrible email saying how she was basically owed the item because she hot in contact first and would expect more of someone in his position. Never again there are some entitled CFs of the highest order on there

There was no reason why leaving an answerphone message differed from an email.

An answerphone message is surely far, FAR less convenient for all the details he wanted?

I hate when people leave me rambly detailed voice messages.

Truly, most of the time. I have pretty much given up Freecycle for offering. Even stuff that would be ideal for allotments. People will not turn up when they say. Still lurk on there looking at other peoples offered. I always ask politely and when they reply it has been taken, always reply thank you for letting me know. Manners really do cost nothing.

'I'm out'. Is that the Dragon's Den approach to Freecycle? Perhaps they need to feel in control, even in inappropriate circumstances. I suppose it's not impossible there's a MH angle, equally possibly not.

@AdobeWankerNobi

It was the way he said it, as though to say, look you're going to struggle to get rid of it, so i'll do you a favour luv.
If he had said, do you have any pics please, a friend may be interested, then sure, not a problem.
But to say, chuck us some pics, a mate might be interested smacks of arrogance.
As it is, it generated more interest than enough. The lady who took it didn't even want pics, her daughter was desperate and she was polite.

We had one the other day - a wanted ad for something we actually had to give away. We’ve moved from that village but visit almost daily for the Post Office or seeing family.

She didn’t drive so I offered to drop it off since we are there daily.

So many messages back and forth, then I couldn’t go with my husband to drop it off and she wanted him to message her on his way, message when be got there then carry the darn item up to the forth floor of her flats.

Never again. Straight to the charity shop or homeless hotel next time

I get better results on gumtree or local FB sites selling for £5-£20 than freecycle

@Bebopper

Seriously?!! That beats my controlling "Christian Grey/Dragons Den chap of the Free Cycle World" hands down!! What absolutely cheeky fuckery. Some of these stories are great!

I have had lots of lovely grateful people in the past, but have found larger items much more troublesome. I shall take everyone's advice and donate to charity!

I also refuse to deal with anyone who starts off with "Hey Mate", or "can collect l8r. R U in" etc.
I actually got so fed up a while back trying to sell items on a local site (people trying to haggle £50 quid brand new items down to a fiver etc and asking four thousand questions etc), that I ended up cancelling the ads and giving the lot away to a Romanian Big Issue Seller in the village who had just had a baby, but was still working. She couldn't have been more grateful and was absolutely lovely.
I drove the 90 minute round trip to take it to her house. And it did rather hack people off who had offered me £6 for a brand new baby nutribullet blender, to learn that I had given it all away for free.

Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall re the pram hagglers example above though! Serves them bloody right. Hilarious!