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?

You laugh but I had someone come and collect a big wooden steamer chair type sunlounger (the kind you can lie right out on but the backrest is adjustable, it had broken slats) on a pushbike! I only noticed when I watched him cycle away with it, it was very impressive actually.

We're currently decluttering. It is a mammoth task - not the sorting out, but the process of getting rid of it all in an ethical way. It's unsuitable transport that gets me the most - so many people turning up to collect big bits of furniture in a Nissan Micra. My personal favourite was the guy who turned up to collect a 50 inch flat screen TV on a bicycle.

I've had a few skips over the last year or so and people come and route through them and take things so not everything ends up in landfill 🤷‍♀️ I don't have the time or patience to deal with people off marketplace

Completely agree.. I actually couldn't face the hassle with my last clear out bag and dumped it in the bin. I know it's terrible for the environment but it felt so cathartic.

If it helps, baby vests etc can usually be donated to a baby bank, or sold for a fixed amount on eBay/Vinted as a bundle. I tend to buy all of ours secondhand now because the bundles are as easy as ordering new - I sell everything on again too for basically the same price.

We have a street Whatsapp group - have often given things to close neighbours. I always try that first anyway, then the village marketplace, then a few other local groups. I never do general FB marketplace after loads of time wasters with one item.

I put tons of baby stuff on Facebook and had nothing but scam messages from people who wanted to buy it but would arrange for a DpD driver come and take payment etc. ended up shoving it up the loft and I’ll give it to a charity shop at some point. I did call charity shops but they didn’t want it as they had too much stuff! Can’t give it away!

I recently bought a cheap new bed for a spare room. I wasn’t happy with the mattress so purchased a better one. I advertised the original mattress on a local selling site for £10, however, I planned to give it away. I figured that if someone was willing to buy it they were less likely to mess me around and be grabby for the sake of it. Sure enough a lady sent her husband to pick it up and pay the £10. When I handed him the money back he was visibly emotional. Later his wife messaged me to say thank you and that her and her husband were sleeping on the floor after purchasing new beds for their children and they couldn’t afford a bed for themselves. I actually shed a little tear that I’d made someone’s day.
Since then I’ve never offered for free and have always handed their payment back on collection.

I love a skip though 😍

You probably could have given it away on fb marketplace, or a facebook free group easily. Used baby clothes aren't really worth anything as there are so many in charity shops or car boot sales but you'd be amazed what people will come and collect gratefully for free. I've given away all manner of stuff in all sorts of conditions, if it's free there's usually someone who can use it and will want it. Scammers target sales not free items.

You can guarantee that if you put it in a bin or skip they will fight over it or take items when its dark.

Me too!

’Poor Woman’s Ikea’ (according to Caitlin Moran’s Raised By Wolves sitcom).

It broke my heart trying to give baby stuff away for free on the likes of facebook. Actually it was one single car seat but fuck me, she was corresponding for weeks. First I clearly stated what town I was in, she suggested we meet in a car park 50km away, then she wanted to meet locally, subsequently cancelled. Then sent her husband who didn't show.

We also had to clear out a relatives house so in the end I contacted a local refugee centre who's clients were delighted to take anything. So out went all the brilliant quality and barely used baby stuff, loads of household equipment, small furniture items, kitchen utensils, applicances and crockery, curtains, mirrors, lamps, rugs, childrens clothes and women's clothes. Toys, books - everything. Anything they might not need themselves they were welcome to sell it on and keep whatever they managed to get for it.

“The hard of thinking” ….. that’s a great line.

I agree that a skip would be easier but it feels so good to give stuff away. I always say I will leave it outside so they can come whenever they want so at least that bits not tricky. We have a big trampoline so can leave things under it if it’s raining.

I can’t believe people just bin stuff that can be reused. It’s not that hard to take it to a charity shop or Freegle it. This is why our planet is full of crap.

The wanting to meet you you half way meant she expected you to say you would deliver it to her too.

I never bother with those online places because they always try to get you to do at their times or deliver it too. And some try to get you to part with other stuff. I just have a clear out and either our local shops get it or a charity comes and takes it all.

Anything I'm giving away, I leave it outside the door. People do tend to turn up if there's a danger someone else might pinch it.

This is exactly why I stopped with freecycle. A great idea ruined by selfish idiots.

Just put everything in the front garden, stick a picture on FB Marketplace and say "first come first served". That seems to work in my neighbourhood anyway.

I really recommend anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/

It is a free collection, you don't have to be in, just leave it on your doorstep and it all goes to charity rather than landfill.

I do the same as other posters - wrap in plastic and if I'm feeling generous l put in in one of my numerous amazon boxes..... then leave outside.

I refuse to wait in for anyone collecting a free item.

Our local tip has an area for where secondhand goods can go too.

You guys would have found me hilarious. I look a bargain and found 6 dining rooms chairs at £60. Now these were chunky chairs and I turned up in my boyfriends Mazda and preceded to Tetris 6 chairs into it with millimetres to spare. I aware the man was looking out his window at me putting them on and out.

However they did all fit and I turned up on time and with cash.

If time doesn’t suit me I say it will be on the doorstep!

I use a local Facebook’whisking’ group with strict admins. Never had any problems. You can state that it’s first to be able to collect who gets your item. One man I was giving a bed to did ask if he could pick it up a day later and I said sorry but I couldn’t have it lying around my house with young kids so he said fair enough and he arranged someone else to pick it up on time.

🙄It's like any other kind of inheritance; they get what's left, if anything, and if they don't like it they can turn it down.