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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

blimming freecyclers

36 replies

FreddysTeddy · 30/04/2008 14:16

Someone posted on freecycle asking for some DVDs.

I happened to have a box set which fit the bill, I could have sold them on ebay but they were for his DS and I thought it would be nice to pass them on so emailed offering them.

Two days later I get this reply "when can I collect these"

Not even a thanks, that sounds great etc etc. I thought that was a bit rude.

Anyway, I replied when I am in and they haven't got back to me. They've since posted more wanted requests after I replied so have obviously been on the PC (I know they get moderated by freecycle first but the date of the original messages is after when I replied).

Anyway. AIBU to now want to tell them not to bother, and to just keep these to sell myself. I don't mind passing them on, but some manners would be nice.

OP posts:
LittleMy34 · 30/04/2008 14:19

Definitely keep them - Freecycle is all about sharing with your local community, and that involves courtesy and respect. Neither of which is evident in this man's dealings with you.

Just drop him a note saying that as you haven't heard from him, you've disposed of the DVDs elsewhere.

I think that's perfectly fair.

HTH

Original poster
FreddysTeddy · 30/04/2008 14:23

Thanks littlemy, I don't recognise his name, think he's new and he's only ever posted asking for things. Wish I'd realised that before I offered.

OP posts:
SlartyBartFast · 30/04/2008 14:25

definately not gone to spam?

i don;t have much luck with freecycle either.
everything is always gone, i am too late, and when i have somethign to offer they don't get back to me properly.

Original poster
FreddysTeddy · 30/04/2008 14:27

Thanks slarty, checked and not gone to spam.

I know I'm being a bit impatient but I give away a lot on freecycle and when people are a little bit rude it really puts me off.

Obviously I don't expect grovelling thanks, but just a bit of courtesy.

OP posts:
Nagapie · 30/04/2008 14:31

YANBU

I was under the impression that you have to offer something before you can post a wanted item in freecycle - and only post 1 wanted a month???

glaskham · 30/04/2008 14:34

oh we get lots of that on blackpool freecycle!! I've offered loads of things,and had a man coming for a number of different items then i found out he had a second hand shop and was selling all our things for a fair amount, one was a large antique wardrobe left by DH's nanny but not our taste, and thought someone else could use it, he'd told us he was getting his daughter kitted out for a new flat so we gave him loads of furniture only to find him selling it in his shop!!

Original poster
FreddysTeddy · 30/04/2008 14:36

glaskham.

I'd heard that your first post has to be an offer nagapie, but not that you could only post one wanted a month. If that's the case he's definitely being cheeky. Sod him.

OP posts:
glaskham · 30/04/2008 14:41

yeah we were very angry and reported him, not seenhim on there since so gather he'd been banned!!

On ours you have to offer something ebfore you can ask for a wanted, and we have 'wanted wednesdays' where if anyone wants something they ask on a wednesday. I've only ever asked for 2 things, one being old wood for making a back gate out of, and the other being a pole for DC's pop up house, both never got any responses but i only asked on the off chance anyway!!

Ours is shocking, we have people asking for cars, caravans, laptops etc!! I know there are a lot of poorer areas in blackpool but surely these are WAY too valuable to be giving away???!!!

ClareVoiant · 30/04/2008 14:48

recently asked for on our local freecycle includes: nintendo wii, sat nav/pda, working laptops, caravan, campervan, car. though saying that, there are often people offering computers/laptops and white goods, dishwashers and the like.

Lollypopzmummy · 30/04/2008 15:54

Hi there I'm an avid Freecycler and I don't think you're being unreasonable at all!
I always give thanks before I even start my Email! Whether I'm offering or receiving in fact!

Every group is different, with our local one (we're with 3 groups as we're in the middle of the area's) you have to post an OFFERED ad first before you can post a WANTED ad, then you can have up to 3 WANTED ads per month, and even then it's tricky knowing when to post as some poeple don't check in every day and a lot of our's get missed and we don't get a reply ( haven't quite figured out the best time to post yet, saturdays don't seem to be doing any good, Sunday's it gets posted on the monday if you're lucky and posting friday it ends up on a sunday, but thursday is obviously a slow days cos it comes through that eve! lol Can't win! )

Maybe save his address in your address book with a note next to it. . . admittedly this is what I do to avoid any dissappointment when offering things, I know but if someone's not been very grateful then I guess you wont want to deal with them again in the future will you (unless no-one else has offered to take the bag of goodies that has been sitting in your spare room for so long that you just don't care if they're greatful or not Or I end up taking it to the charity shop on my way into town, at least they're greatful. . . sometimes!)

Good luck & happy Freecycling!
xXx

benandalex · 30/04/2008 15:57

i have got rid of some bits through my local one and some people are just plain rude !! wanting photos ect eerrrmmmm im giving it away for free if i wanted the hassle of pics ect i would have ebayed it !!

superflybaby · 30/04/2008 16:11

I've just started using Freecycle, got rid of loads of good enough stuff. Some people are just plain rude & ungrateful & some I believe are trading on the goods.
But the way I see it is if people are desperate enough to sell on your old junk, then they deserve it! and the nasty rude people will get whats coming.... perhaps some fleas or nits from old clothes or something equally nasty!
But some are really lovely people & I've been glad to help them out. Those few nice people make it all worth while. Just as proof that nice things happen to nice people;
I put a wanted request up for a Toddler bed & matress after I had offered loads and a lovely local family gave me their Toddler bed & unused mattress as their son didn't get on with it. They could've got £30 on ebay but they didn't, so I gave them a bottle of wine as a thanks.

ClareVoiant · 30/04/2008 17:54

i eat my words about the games conoles, someone's just offered an xbox cos they've bought a ps3

windygalestoday · 30/04/2008 17:57

ahh the x box on is a ploy to get hits on a pyramid selling scheme thing ...weve had at least 3 on ours and apple i phones

onepieceoflollipop · 30/04/2008 17:58

It is the same as a lot of things in life - a few greedy and ill-mannered people try and spoil it for the rest of us. After a while you get to notice the people who both give and request and are reliable.

Libra1975 · 30/04/2008 17:59

Ignore his email, put the DVDs back on freecycle and select an email from someone who responds politely.

Also someone who constantly posts wanted is not a "freecycler" he is a leech.

ClareVoiant · 30/04/2008 19:17

really windygales? thats dreadful.

cmotdibbler · 30/04/2008 19:26

Today on ours there was someone asking for black bridesmaids dresses (matching) in specific sizes.

Theres someone on ours who I suspect car boots stuff she gets as she almost always asks for my offereds whatever they are, and never says anything about why (not that people have to, of course, but its sort of nice).

No restrictions on wanted posts on our Freecycle.

spicemonster · 30/04/2008 19:32

This is what people put at the end of messages on my freecycle board:
Fair Offer Policy: I agree to take a period of time to see what responses I get before deciding who to give item(s) to. This gives
members on Daily Digest, or those who don't have continual access to the Internet a fair chance to reply.

I think that's probably a better system - then you can pick the person who seems genuine rather than the person who is running a business (if you care about that kind of thing)

boogiewoogie · 30/04/2008 19:38

There are some extravagant requests on ours too, wedding dress and freeview digital box being some recent ones.

I thought that you weren't allowed to ask for things like dvds and cds though.

We actually had one person requesting for "car boot stuff"!!! How I laughed!

Squirdle · 30/04/2008 19:48

I give quite a lot of things away on freecycle too and will only give to polite responders. We did give a television away to someone once who was incredibly rude. His reply was quite rude but he was the only one who wanted it and we needed the space. He had my mobile number and called me 10 minutes before he was due to say could I come home now as he was stood outside He also wanted me to leave him downsatirs in my house while I searched for the paperwork to go with the tv upstairs! I said no I really didn't want to give him the TV after that, but as DH wasn't home, I felt it was just safer to let him take it.

I have however just asked for my first thing on freecycle...some playmobil! Didn't actually expect anyone to reply but a lovely lady has s few bits she wants to give us!! I am soooo excited

Squirdle · 30/04/2008 19:48

I give quite a lot of things away on freecycle too and will only give to polite responders. We did give a television away to someone once who was incredibly rude. His reply was quite rude but he was the only one who wanted it and we needed the space. He had my mobile number and called me 10 minutes before he was due to say could I come home now as he was stood outside He also wanted me to leave him downsatirs in my house while I searched for the paperwork to go with the tv upstairs! I said no I really didn't want to give him the TV after that, but as DH wasn't home, I felt it was just safer to let him take it.

I have however just asked for my first thing on freecycle...some playmobil! Didn't actually expect anyone to reply but a lovely lady has s few bits she wants to give us!! I am soooo excited

Squirdle · 30/04/2008 19:49

Oh gawd that happened last night, seems I repeating myself again!

Needless to say, I will be taking the nice lady a bottle of wine and I will get the boys to make a card for her to say thankyou.

Umlellala · 30/04/2008 19:50

I have given away a bin liner of random stuff that I advertised as good for charity or car boot. If someone else can be arsed to sell what I can't - good for them! (although would be a little if it was for a shop, not sure why. It's still keeping out of landfill).

It's best when it works as it should and people are really chuffed and say thank you (like when I posted a bag of xmas baubles in jan and a really sweet bloke came and collected cos he happened to be doing a late xmas for his girlfriend who had just come back from abroad... ahhhh).

And I only ever ask for things that people might have kicking around their house (ie asked for an old car stereo - anything as long as the radio works... was chuffed to get a rather up-to-date number!!).

Squirdle · 30/04/2008 20:01

Yes, I totally agree! I had a lady who collected my double buggy for her daughter who had just had her second baby. She was soooo grateful, also a lady who had my teenagers outgrown clothes for her 3 inherited stepsons I really like giving to people who are genuinely grateful for it!

I know how they feel now! I'm twitchy with excitement about the playmobil DH may not be quite so twitchy, but it'll shut the 3 of us up for a good few hours