To think a skip is easier than the general fucking public

[bussteward]

I’m on a major declutter and obviously can give bags of things to charities – but the ones near me are small and can’t accept limitless donations or certain items, eg opened bags of nappies, boring baby things like mountains of vests, or “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” type stuff. Fine.

But JFC trying to give stuff away via Olio/Freecycle/Marketplace etc is a full-time job dealing with the hard of thinking. No matter how clear the ad stating the pick-up times available – and Olio even has a rule you’re supposed to mention a time in your first message – you get conversations that go:

Available?
Yes, until 1pm today or I can be around any time tomorrow if you let me know when so I don’t have to wait in all day.
OK, this afternoon.
As the ad states, I can’t do after 1pm today. Please let me know a time that suits you tomorrow.
Tomorrow afternoon.
OK, I’m not going to wait in all afternoon: so let’s say 3pm.
::tumbleweed silence::

It’s like pulling teeth.

Then there was the woman who did specify a time, forgot to come, rearranged, messaged once she was an hour late to say her car had broken down, never confirmed a new time then turned up randomly three weeks later when the item had long gone trying to give me a box of cat food. I do not have a cat.

Every pick up time comes and goes without a ring on the doorbell, then the message comes: just waiting for my partner to come home with the car then I’ll set off. OK?! But you said 9am and it’s now 9.30 and you’ve not set off, so that’s an entirely different time and I have plans.

Obviously I am not going to throw everything in a skip or set fire to it all but it would be easier. Can’t put it all out the front with a sign saying “free” because it’s constantly pouring down. Can’t specify “no fucking idiots, what’s wrong with you people” on the ad. I don’t have an AIBU because I’m NOT unreasonable: it is the people who are unreasonable, aren’t they?

If you have a local Buy Nothing group the behaviour is generally better than this in terms of arranging pick ups etc.

I don't think that helps because most of these people don't go "Oh hang on, I'm a time waster aren't I?" (more's the pity!) They usually think their behaviour is entirely reasonable.

My DC was at their dad's house for a few days after Christmas and I had zero plans so could completely declutter the whole house. Posted everything on the local free Facebook group. I had loads of messages and because I was home all week they had plenty of time to pick up.

Only one person showed up when she said she would and she was genuinely grateful and brought wine as a thank you. Shame the idiots ruin it for the genuine people. I took everything else to the tip.

I'm going through this at the moment. I literally despair. Why do people say they want stuff and then don't show up? I don't get it. When I say I wasn't something of fb market place it's because I do, I have the means to go and fetch it and the money to pay for it. Otherwise it would be a waste of my time and theirs to do otherwise!

I despair at the people who say they want something when they haven't read the listing properly.
Other things that are annoying are grabby or rude replies, or those who have a sob story as to why they should have it.

That is hilarious 🤣🤣🤣

I find that helps as well, though it’s weird because time wasters surely don’t know/care that they’re time wasters?

Perhaps time wasters and ditherers think I sound rude and steer clear, while straightforward people ignore that aspect because it doesn’t apply to them? 🤷‍♀️

I am in Canada and it is a franchise called Junk Guys. Not sure there is an equivalent in England but I would suspect there would be?

I have something on Freecycle at the moment. Someone contacted me earlier with "Is this still available?". I'm going to wait and see if someone with any manners responds in the next 24 hours and if they don't I'm going to take it to a charity shop. Twatface.

That's an acceptable question. Why make work tie yours the?

@DigbyTheDigger *make work for yourself?

It can be hard work giving things away for free but I tend to just leave things in the front garden rather than arranging to be in at a specific time.

What I find funny is that some things are very popular - 30+ messages on Facebook marketplace, freecycle etc - and then others it’ll take days to get a single taker and often it will be the things you don’t expect to be popular and vice versa.

I do feel obliged to get rid of things ethically though. Because of what a pain it is to get rid of things I’m definitely buying less, which is a good thjng.

Because IME the people who don't bother to say things like, "If this is still available I'd love it please" are the flakey ones.

And because I'm petty.

I do feel obliged to get rid of things ethically though. Because of what a pain it is to get rid of things I’m definitely buying less, which is a good thjng.
Yes! I used to be addicted to the “tat from Tiger” dopamine hit but now I have to have listed after something for months and thought about it often before I’m willing to take the risk of bringing it into the house and thus being responsible for getting rid of it should I come to regard it as clutter. Empty space is the new high. Although I am competing against DP’s Amazon Prime addiction and the way small children are tat magnets.

This is so true. I’m in a FB Freecycle group where you have to go strictly in order of who commented first, and they have 24 hours to reply.

I’ve come to learn that if the first person doesn’t send you a DM right away, they’re going to be a no-show at the appointment. These days I just wait 24 hours and then tag the next person, anyone you have to chase is simply not interested enough.

I don't understand this comment. What's wrong with asking if an item is still available? What were they supposed to say?

😂

oh so they’re free to go to another planet, then?

The people who aren't flaky wasters normally say things like "I'd love this if it's still available please." Something that sounds friendly.

Yep. Even a “Hello! Is this still available?” is a sign of a reasonable human who will not arse about.

If you have a lot of stuff it's worth setting a 2 hour period and putting on your local Facebook group that you have baby stuff for ages ? - ? First come first served

I tend to put a lot of stuff outside our house and put on the local Facebook group a photo of it with the rough address. It always goes. I've gotten rid of a bed, opened bag of nappies, pond pump, bench, moving boxes, shelves etc by doing it that way.

Round here people have started leaving stuff outside the house for someone to take. It seems to work although does encourage the thieves that do the gardens to pinch other stuff that is actually in the garden and not on the pavement or wall.
There is also a man with a van who picks up scrap.

Fully agree. At least our local charity warehouse is honest and make it clear upfront that items they collect have to be in perfect condition or they won't be collected, and want pictures etc before booking a collection, including a photo of the fire label on sofas etc. We went to their warehouse once with some smaller items (hi fi cabinet, bedside tables etc) that we could fit in our car - a lovely guy explained that they have to be in perfect condition otherwise they won't sell and it costs them to dispose of them. He said most of the customers were "regulars" who had property rentals, particularly student houses (we're in a Uni city), who'd come in almost weekly to pick the best of the sofas, beds, etc to put in their rental homes - they're apparently the best payers, as domestic customers expect a perfect sofa for £50 whereas the landlords will pay £300 or so!