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?

I live in an area where it's very common to leave stuff outside your house that you no longer want/need free for other people to take - we've gotten rid of so much this way (high chair, chest of drawers, books, etc). I take a lot to the charity shop or pass on to friends with younger children or people within one of my hobby groups. I dabble with Marketplace occasionally if there's something I don't want to let go for free but most of my experiences with that have been hit or miss.

I got rid of a large sofa and chair by listing it for 99p on Ebay as an auction. Made it very clear it was collection only. I actually listed just the sofa, but offered the chair when they came to collect. It was a man wanting it for his daughter as she was leaving home.
Freecycle is often a waste of time for large items but have given a lot of smaller ones on there, bags of clean jars for jam makers, clothing, kitchen items, all sorts. I wait for a few responses then choose the ones that look reliable, keep a note for the serial requesters, there is one on there with at least 3 versions of her name who asks for everything. I set a time and leave it out, it always gets picked up except once when the man went next door by mistake.
Table & chairs I got from Freecycle, I can't get rid of them on there, will have to go to a shop or failing that the dump. Might leave it out on the pavement when the weather is better, it's a style that is currently being taken for upcycling. I would Ebay it but difficult to take photos as I can't move it.

Round here we have someone whose current business "venture" (they've cycled around a million of them) is as a student landlord and they won't pay for fucking anything - and they spend literally ALL day on the free groups grabbing absolutely everything they can for their student houses - if it's battered, looks like shit, might get a couple of days use out of it - they'll have it and in it goes. They've hogged the free groups for years - the student landlord is just her latest grift attempt.

I listed a big American style fridge freezer recently - really good condition just doesn't fit in our new house - had some lovely comments about "I've got a smaller one if you're just needing to swap" etc and then student slum landlord jumped in demanding it... and got completely ignored by me (she's pissed me off as a school mum already) - and it went to a young lad who had a mate with a van and rocked up exactly on time, with selection of mates to wrangle the fridge freezer.

I haven't noticed that. Most people make a quick public comment (if any) then PM in a polite way.

I'm still waiting for two people to show up to pick stuff up. I gave them both an ultimatum earlier; pick up tonight or I'll repost. One came back saying she hadn't left the house as she has been ill since the weekend when I listed it. Why tell me you're going to pick up the same day I listed then? The other 'forgot' and said she would be there by 5pm tonight. It's still there.

I used Freecycle but I only consider people who are polite with good spelling and grammar in their messages. I know this is horribly snobby but I've found it a pretty good formula

100% this . I've had messages that just say 'yep' or 'I'll have it' and the people always turn out to be a nightmare. I can tell if someone is genuine just from their initial reply. If there's no please or thank you, I know they won't turn up.

Yep 100%.

There is a local Facebook group that has amazing stuff and lots of people seem to collect.

Maybe get a yellow hippa bag, if it's not collected, it's for the skip?

I'm taking it that you literally have too much stuff?

They really don't do this,

What is it with people? I had a young couple come to pick up a huge chest of drawers in an old Mini !

Giving stuff you don't want away for free isn't an altruistic act, it's to save you the time and hassle of selling it/ storing it/ taking to a charity shop or the tip. When I give stuff away I see it as a mutual exchange, we're helping each other out. Makes me laugh when I see sofas or fridges, for example, on local fb free site saying 'must collect today' and 'no time wasters' - there's never any acknowledgement that someone taking it off your hands is doing you a massive favour!

You could see if there is a ‘baby bank’ or something similar located near to where you live. I have donated things to the one near me a few times and they are grateful for nappies, vests, toys, anything for children really. You have to drop them off but I guess one trip and knowing they are being out to good use would make you feel better than throwing them away 😊

Only for large items.

'No reason to make any effort'...oh, ffs. Everything does not break down eventually. Make SOME effort, at least.

Of course it does, venus! In 20,000 years there’ll be barely a trace left

So you're quite happy to make no effort in those 20,000 years?

I've found Gumtree really good for giving away free stuff. the people appear more 'normal' 😀

https://wendyswish.co.uk/

there are charities that you can book to come and collect all sorts of things, like the one above, clothes, nic nac’s, books etc. they turn up on an agreed day and just remove it all. Can leave covered outside if you’re not going to be in. Simples.

I do though........!

i feel your pain cleared my dads house, was losing the will to live with some people would arrive in a mini car to pick up a double wardrobe, can i not deliver iut NO.,i found a small asheltered area at side of dads garage would live small items there for collection.how about a plastic container with lid by your door leave stuff in it, for collection then you are not hanging around waiting that worked well for me good luck

Absolute nightmare, I find even selling on Facebook marketplace a nightmare, people haggling the price of something that was only £3 to begin with, and all the “is this still available” messages that I reply to and are met with radio silence!

we tend leave things out the front and they are usually taken. Even once left an old deep fat fryer out (which FIL was going to come and collect on his way to tip to save us the journey) and someone took that. It was ancient and filthy but to each his own 😂

The type of people who are looking for second hand freebies are usually not the type of people you want coming to your house. They’re either scammers or thieves, will try to steal other stuff that you aren’t giving away, and will blatantly ask what else they can have. And they do stuff like spitting on the ground outside your house. Or they smash up your freebies and just take the bits that have value, and leave the mess for you to clear up. It’s awful but you’re better off putting it in a skip.

FFS, I’ve just had someone cancel saying “I was actually collecting this for someone else but they say they don’t have room for it”. Perhaps let the someone else use Olio and stop bagsying stuff they don’t want on their behalf? She’d actually messaged with a collection time and was very clear in her communication but it was a TRICK.

And yes, for various reasons (babies, hoarder DP, moving house and what once worked now doesn’t, capitalism, buying my feelings), I have too much stuff. The pain of divesting myself of it though has cured my “shop the feelings away” habit for good, though!

Ooh, we have an excellent, if scary, admin on our free facebook page. You put a foot wrong and she comes down on you like a ton of bricks. Thought she was an actual dragon till I met her in person. The group runs very smoothly, though you're right, non rainy weather is a godsend, so you can just leave stuff out for people.

I remember giving away my sons toys he’d grown out of just before his 2nd birthday in December time. All practically brand knew cos he was spoilt. Giving them away for free.

A woman messaged saying she’d like them for some toy drive she was doing for Xmas, but could she pick up following day as she couldn’t drive in dark due to glare of car lights. Agreed 10am next day.

We get a knock at the door at 5:30am next morning, I jump thinking something is wrong - it’s the bloody woman asking for the toys! I was dumbfounded! And worst of it was I gave her them instead of telling her to feck off!

I probably should have added the sarcasm tag! 😂