AIBU that a lot of Gumtree/Freecycle users are rude?

[LoobyLou1976]

Hi
Just posting a few things on Gumtree as we are hopefully moving house soon, this morning I posted a pine chest of drawers, in pretty good nick but with a few splotches of pen/paint inside the drawers as it has been used to store children's craft items. FREE to good home, explicitly took pictures and described the item fairly, said it could do with sanding down/re-varnish/painting etc or to be upcycled. Had loads of replies within minutes due to being in the FREE section, asking how bad stains were etc (pictures showed!), could I deliver etc.
Also posted a 6 seater oak dining table and black leather chairs, item is immaculate apart from one tiny scratch on the corner, barely used, had it on for £100, (but have just sold it for £45 as needed uplifted now) Replies like "do u still have it" etc with no please or thank you, just really rude responses.
AIBU that some people have no manners? I remember posting on freecycle years ago and had a similar experience - maybe that's why I stopped using it and jut took everything to the dump!

What are your experiences using sites like freecycle or gumtree?

You’re not wrong....

I struggle to find any that are decent any more. Yesterday I gave my dd’s old bike away. It was like new, suitable for a 5 year old. Asked for donations towards her international guide trip to have 1 offer that just said ‘fiver for kids bike’.
Both dd and I said it was worth more to see the little girl who we gave it to’s face light up when we gave her it, and her mum was over the moon.

Or people say they want it then never show, or turn up and take it and leave without a thank you. I don’t post on there any more

I gave up Freecycle due to the vast numbers of no-shows, or people who claimed items and then said could they come for them next week, when I wanted them gone swiftly.

I also offered a large quantity of cat food pouches, probs £12-15 worth [typical cat decided to refuse to eat certain varieties out of mixed packs] on our local Facebook page. Asked for a donation to a local charity.
Woman showed up, agreed to take them as if doing me a generous favour and grudgingly dropped £1.50 into my hand.

Never again.

Not unreasonable at all, it seems the cheaper an item, the worse the buyer. A few years back I was doing very well, had my own business and regularly bought/sold nice cars (not as a business, just because I liked to change regularly). The people were always lovely, you got very few time wasters, no ridiculous offers and people turned up when they said they would.

I recently tried to sell my old £500's worth of car...dear god! The people were unreliable, made stupid offers, were rude, didn't respond to message etc. In the end I sold it to a scrap dealer for £300. It's even worse if you try to give something away!

The problem is that people buying the cheap or free items are USUALLY doing so to try and 'flip' them for a quick buck. This is most prevalent on FB Marketplace, Gumtree and Freecycle. These people are, almost without exception, the rudest people you will ever deal with. They want something for nothing and genuinely represent the lowest rung, the bottom of the barrel, a real underclass of 'trader'.

If I have something cheap to get rid of now, despite the fact that I'm not doing as well as I used to, I give it to charity. I can't be bothered to deal with these people any more.

YANBU

I've just had a flurry of selling redundant furniture. The people actually buying in the end have been fine, but plenty of flaky people, pisstaking "negotiators" or cheeky fuckers who ignore "collection only" and want me to take it to a completely different town. I've survived a month in India, I know how to barter, and am open to a shuffling down in price or discount for a multiple purchase, but I have started at a fair price and just asking for something ridiculously low is just a no, and I reinforce my original asking price.

I sold an old oven on facebook, it was in perfect working order but it had been sat in the room while the old kitchen was ripped out so it was dusty. It was clean inside, i had oven prided it!
I wanted £100 for it, it was worth that all day long, i had loads of interest but nobody committed, then it needed to go that day so i sold it to a woman who could come right now, for £40. I had another message after i’d agreed this sale but sorry, it’s sold.
The lady who bought it went straight home and messaged all the people who commented on my post to say it was disgusting, needed cleaning and she would clean it up and wanted £75 for it. One of them messaged me to tell me this...!!

So in short... yes, it’s full of total tossers!

When it says 'collection only' why do they ask if I can deliver.
When Iv given all the measurements why do the ask ' what are the measurements
Read the bloody advert numbskull

Yep, freecycle is full of really rude vulture types. I regularly put things on and totally ignore the ones that say can I have it! If I ever ask for an item I ask in a polite email and explain why I'd like it and state when I can collect. Manners cost nothing.

So the lady who bought my dining table and chairs (now dismantled and awaiting her collection in my hall) has just messaged to say she cant pick up tonight and can I hold onto them for her! Unbelievable, turned away about 10 people to sell them to her. This is really putting me off.