WTF is wrong with people - Free Stuff

[Iamnotagoddess]

So I have some furniture that I have offered on Facebook Market Place, for free.

The furniture is in good condition but it has slight (cat) damage so I have offered it for free.

Women messages me asking for more photos which I sent, she then messaged me saying they are “too worn” and she’ll keep looking. They aren’t worn at all, it’s our furniture and has been for some time and there is nothing wrong with it - and it’s free!! Why not just say no thanks and leave it at that.

Other people messaging asking if it’s still free and if they don’t get a immediate reply sending another message “??”.

I reckon I would have been better off asking for a tenner. Wtf is wrong with people?!

DD recently emigrated and had someone try to scam her! They offered more than she was asking for the item (furniture, not free) and asked HER to send the extra to a delivery person. Lots of unnecessary detail about kidney treatment in a nearby hospital but shaky English.

Apparently, they pay the bigger amount, the victim pays the delivery amount and then the original payment is rescinded, leaving victim out of pocket. DD's 'buyer' got stroppy when told to make his own delivery arrangements separately and tried guilt tripping her. She told him it sounded like a scam to her and he was never heard from again.

Totally get you. Advertised a baby rocker for £90, got a message just saying '70' nothing else. I said I would take 80, they replied '70, I am driving from Chester for this!' Like it's my responsibility to cover petrol money....

I put a superking sized bed on fb for free.
I had one person message to ask if it would fit in a corsa and another asking if I could deliver!

We once had a big framed print we chose to give away when we moved house as it didn’t really go with the new place. It was nice, a large vintagey style painting of an American highway. I was never super keen on it but it was a gift, and I can see why people liked it.

Anyway we wanted to get rid of it quickly, weren’t particularly interested in the hassle of selling it and dealing with hagglers so I put it on gumtree under freebies and immediately got a large response. In the interest of fairness I gave it to the first bloke who messaged, he came and got it that evening. Easy peasy. I was in the process of changing the status to sold and another person messaged asking if they could have it. I explained sorry I’d just given it away, was just updating the listing to advise it was gone. The person they proceeded to bombard me with messages saying how badly they wanted it and had promised their son they were getting it for his bedroom and he’d be upset now. I explained it was gone so I couldn’t do anything, and they asked me to message the guy asking to bring it back!! Absolutely ridiculous. You get all sorts on there.

I just put everything on the drive now with a free sign. Everything goes and I don't have to message anyone. Win win. I got so fed up of people being awkward or just not showing up.

Freecycle is excellent for this sort of thing and most people very polite and grateful! Try there!

We put stuff outside with a "free" sign on it. Disappears in no time.

Last thing was a huge desk. Was gone in 20mins!

Being free doesn’t mean She cant be fussy,

No - but it would be more courteous to say it doesn't suit the room or whatever, and thank the advertiser.

Freecycle is as bad in my experience and there is a narrow pavement outside my house with no drive

I gave up trying to offer stuff for free. I advertised a load of DS's toddler clothes (worn once things as he'd grown out of them) and toys on those Freecycle boards. You usually put a closing date on them, allow people to ask and then choose someone.

I had a child minder contact me about the toys along with a few others. I decided on her as she said she could pick up within a day or two at the most. Then I had every excuse going. Three weeks later she still hadn't collected so I told her two days or they go to the next available person. Nothing. So I contacted the next person on the list who came round that night. Four days later the child minder contacted me by email saying I was unreasonable to give it to someone else. I told her I wasn't a storage facility.

Another woman was coming to pick up the clothes. Her car broke down three times over the course of a week then she contacted me to say she was away on holiday for three weeks and could I keep them. Er, no!

Apart from that I had most people collecting stuff within a day or so of 'winning' the items. But I'd never bother again. The charity shop gets it now.

My best one,

I was giving away a single bed for free, not only was it advertised as a single bed, I had describe it as a single bed and put measurements, plus photos.

guy messages me asking if he can have it. I said yep, he came over looked at it and said oh I wanted a double bed. I pointed out that it was a single bed as advertised and he just repeated he needed a double bed and looked at me, I told him to wait a moment while I pulled it out of my arse.

he left in a bad mood

I've given up on Market place for this very reason - just full of CFs that want something for less than nothing and making out they are doing you a favour!

As others have suggested, we put a £15 fee on ‘free’ stuff. Seems to weed out the uninterested thankfully. Give the money to charity or to the kids.

Years ago we sold a toy. We asked a very reasonable £60 or something. Man phones up and says "I'll have it for £50". We said nope, no offers (especially if you are so rude). He agrees on full price. Turns up and oh no! He's forgotten his wallet and only has £40 on him. I tell him I'll hold it for a day so he can get the £60. After lots of pretend faffing his friend in car has another £10 (phew!) so we'll NEED to let him have it for £50 (which apparently us all it's worth anyway). Nope. The price is £60. I actually wanted to say it had increased to £70 but he was a bit aggressive and was doing his best to intimidate me. Then his daughter was ill blah blah blah. I tell him again I'll hold it for 24hrs but I'm not standing at the door anymore. Suddenly the £60 appeared and was practically thrown at me while he walked off sulking that he couldn't get me to reduce my price.

On the other hand we were selling a washing machine. Guy comes is really polite. Seems surprised at the good condition of the washing machine and offers to pay more because he is worried we didn't know what we were selling. We declined and he paid what we asked. Everyone happy.

I've stopped using Freecycle because I can't cope with the "I'll have it" posts.

I got rid of a dining room table once, all fine, bloke came to collect etc. Anyway I'm stood in the kitchen showing him the table and he starts telling me what else he will have !!!! Pointing at my chair in the corner etc and saying oh I'll have that too! I had to say no you bloody will not!

He leaves with table (only!) and texts about 5 mins later. I think oh he must be texting to say thanks...nope...am I sure he can't have the chair etc! It didn't even go with the table! I'm pleased we were moving house that week as dh pointed out he had essentially cased our joint for what he wanted while I stood next to him 🤦🏻‍♀️

user1471439310
I am in the US too, and I often see stuff with a 'Free' sign on it on the curb. All such items tend to be gone on my return trip.

I myself picked up a lovely old Jenny Lind kitchen table in an alley, and a Jenny Lind bed frame too on another occasion. Plus a nice student desk.

I used freecycle to get rid of a few things, with no problems. Then I put a small sofa on. The woman who got in touch first said she'd collect and asked how big it was. Gave her the dimensions and an hour later a taxi turned up, with just the driver. He, I and my DP spent 20 minutes wrestling the thing into the back. Didn't get a thank you, bloody hope he got a good tip.

Gumtree is worse! I appreciate it wasn't free but I was trying to sell an immaculate office chair for £20 (no longer suited the office set up) and had one bloke who first asked if he could cycle it back to his house 8 miles away (through London traffic btw) and when I said no insisted that I drop it off at a yoga class he was teaching (also 8 miles away) that evening. When I refused he accused me of being rude. Some. People.

However, I will say that sometimes people taking furniture away is 'taking it off your hands' as it is as much of an arse for them to pick up as it is for you to take it to the tip/charity shop/dispose of it appropriately.

I only give things away on the village facebook page, if it doesn't go or can't be posted there it goes to the tip. The wider marketplace type facebook pages are full of twats.

I've never had much success with Freecycle either.

I did once have some doors I needed to get rid of, put them on the village fb page, no-one wanted them - they were in the driveway for ages, got rained on, snowed on.... and they weren't very good quality in the first place (hence replacing them) and one day I came home and they had gone. They couldn't be seen from the road, which is a cul de sac as well so not much 'passing trade', so lord knows how anyone knew they were there unless the postman took them!
But, hey, they were gone!

I put a dining table on Marketplace, collection only. Guy said he was interested but was in Cambridge town centre. So what do you want me to do? Run up the M11 with the table on my back?

Personal fave thing I’ve seen on Facebook market was someone screen shotting the next website and asking for the specific (current season) clothes for free 🤔

I've given away lots recently and advertised on Facebook market place. Several people agreeing a time then not turning up or asking if they can have a bit of it but not all of it! So frustrating!

And while we are at it.. I want wardrobe for DSs room. I was 3 put up this afternoon and tried to express an interest in all of them. I literally sat there refreshing so my answers were pretty swift. The first was £30 and I was beaten by someone.. fair enough. .The next two.were free.. again I was beaten by someone.. the same person in both. I scrolled through and they'd put "interested" on every single free item put up over the last 2 days be they rabbit hutches, wardrobes or crockery. So obviously taking them to sale.

I did get a wardrobe for £35 though and the lady said if I'd like it delivered her husband could biring it over after work in his van tomorrow for a tenner.. it saves me a lot of effort so very pleased .

The people just grabbing anything free within less than a few seconds drive me mad. wonder if they all go on to demand free delivery

It's when people don't bother to read the description at all that bothers me.

'Pair Of Adidas trainers, size 5, good worn condition. Collection only from xyz'

In flood the comments - 'what size', 'what condition are they in hun', 'can u deliver plz.' Arggghhhhhhhh. You turn stay in all day just for them not to show up and collect anyway. Charity shop, tip or bin all the way now.

@Sparklesocks Ahhh, the classic line of these people, "Thanks for nothing. Kids are crying now."

@Sobeyondthehills I applaud your response. Very funny.