to be sitting in my house drinking coffee ignoring the freecycler who has knocked on my door 45 mins early to collect an item?

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Yes, I probably am but sod her.

Eight emails over two weeks (after asking for it she announced she wouldn't be picking it up this week...) just to collect a baby bath ffs. I had to send her my address twice as she didn't read the whole email, then had to send her directions, and finally a map (I live in a mormal street in the middle of a small town- it shouldn't be this hard!) and in almost every email I said see you at 1pm on sunday.

So she knocks on my door at 12.15pm.

I'll open the door in a minute, don't worry, just having a miserable sod moment.

I wonder who it was knocking at 12.15.

LFC, she believed it was the Freecycler who had knocked, so my comments stand.

Bit thick to ignore the door and come and post on here when it wasn't even the person she thought it was - if, indeed, it wasn't.

This thread has made me feel really sad

I just hope that the woman who came to pick up the bath isn't on here and reads about you moaning she sent you 8 e-mails. When I was expecting my ds I was quite panicky about not getting things in time for his arrival and would have probably sent you about 20 e-mails

I always leave the item on my doorstep and tell them to pick up whenever they like (before 9pm, I bring the item in at night).

Despite this, the last 3 things people "wanted" have been no shows!

I'm surprised that the op didnt make the woman wait because she was LATE picking it up!!

Before the internet and therefore freecycle, I used to leave unwanted used things outside on the public pavement eg highchair, pushchair

I saw a woman with her baby using the pushchair one time and thought "good"

In Holland people used to leave tons of stuff in the street, proper large furniture and everything

I lived in area of Denver that had a HUGE alleyway and all the skips that served the blocks of flats were on it.

You just left unwanted goods next to the skip and they'd be gone long before the bin men came.

I used to live in a block of flats with a communal sort of 'bin room'. Whenever you had something that may be of use to someone, there was an unwritten rule that you left it to one side instead of putting it in the bins.
We got a nice coffee table out of there once, cleaned it up and used it for months. A neighbour came in once and said she had got that table from the bin room when she moved in, and put it back there when she no longer needed it. Then we had it. When we finished with it,we put it back, and it was gone within an hour. So that table is in its 4th home in those flats, at least!

Aw it has worked out ok
no harm done

I have been late and early for all sorts of things and have always apologised in both situations. Clearly, someone else was knocking at 12.15 and if you own Premium Bonds let's hope they came up and they took them back!

Out of order I say, some people ARE so skint they need to get things for free, they are not bad people just skint, I think your smug attitude has upset people the most!

Nice. Sorry to use the "c" word, but what a class act.
I feel really quite down after reading this.

Ok I'll be honest here.

I freecycled an item of furniture a few weeks ago. The recipient was late collecting- half an hour late in fact, but the look on her face when she saw the item ( which was a sofa costing around £1k that a friend was going to take to the tip and the gratitude she exuded made me not care how late she was. She gave me a massive hug, thanked me about 10 times and I have to confess to feeling a tad tearful after she left!

The opportunity for that lady who was a single parent with 3 children to have something so lovely, was well...great!

On the same day I collected a bread machine that another lady no longer wanted. She'a a Grandmother who is about to move. I actually spent a good 20 mins in her house chatting and we have exchanged lovely, chatty emails since.

That is what Freecycle is or SHOULD BE about.

i feel the same shiny,
esp seeing as i am perpetually 20 mins early for everything, otherwise i get very panicky (anxiety disorder)

with most freecycling i've done its always in a 'come round about 2'ish' sort of thing

i leave things outside the house too, much easier

I think you are being a bit unreasonable. I also don't like the other comment from someone 'they drive me mad'.

Freecycle is benefiting both of you. You are getting rid of something, they are aquiring something.

Some of the posts here make it sound like by putting stuff on Freecycle you are doing people a favour. They are doing you one too!

A Freecycler is not just the person collecting, a freecycler is also the person offering! Some of you sound like awful snobs to me.

Just read the rest - it doesn't really matter that it wasn't the freecycler at the door, the meaness was aimed at the freecycler by the OP. All a bit bad taste in the mouth to me.

That is absolutely awful of you, we use freecycle a lot and have had people/been invited in for a coffee when collecting.

Just today I received four huge bags of clothes for the DC.

The lady was extremely lovely, when I emailed her to ask about bus routes so I could collect she offered to drop them to us. She did today, even though we were out so didn't get a chance to meet her.

It is all lovely monsoon, boden, baby gap etc and clean and folded and I am incredibly grateful. If you are a mumsnetter, thanks again!