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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People taking the piss on FB marketplace?

28 replies

Journeyintomelody · 02/01/2025 04:57

I am giving away a 3 in 1 travel system, with a brand new never used carseat. It was £300 new, used for 5 months before I upgraded to a running pushchair. I posted pictures on Facebook marketplace, a full description and links to the sellers website.

I am not kidding 12 people have asked to have it. They have asked loads of questions, for specific photos (eg can you take a photo with the newborn insert?), arranged pick up dates and then not showed. I am in contact with someone again now and they are asking me to hold it until the 10th Jan for their newborn doll. I just feel like it's taking the piss. I am literally giving away a basically new pushchair in mint condition! I don't get it. I had hoped that it would go to someone in serious need (I was there last year!).

If anyone in london wants a pushchair, bouncing chair and newborn bath. You can have them for free if you can collect before 6th of Jan. After that I'm donating to my local charity 😊

YABU - wind your neck in, the buyer is always right
YANBU - people are cheeky, just donate to your local charity

OP posts:
InformerYaNoSayDaddyMeSnowMeIGoBlameALickyBoom · 02/01/2025 05:12

I would be giving it to your local women's refuge, there will be someone there who will absolutely appreciate it.

If you're getting rid of something via FB you'll get less piss takers if you put it for sale rather than for free. Free stuff seems to give some people a sense of entitlement.

User2123 · 02/01/2025 05:14

You may be better off listing for say £20-50 then offering it for free when the buyer actually comes to collect. Putting a price weeds out some of the time wasters but not all unfortunately.

Sorry cross posted with pp, didn't meant to repeat same thing they said!

CuriousGeorge80 · 02/01/2025 05:15

I put stuff on freecycle and have never had somebody not turn up when they have said they will. If something doesn't go I give it to the local Baby Bank / Women's refuge. Works well for us. Marketplace, in my experience, is generally people having an idle look and aren't actually committed to it.

RaisinFlapjack · 02/01/2025 05:20

As others have said always set a price on FB to weed out this kind of thing.

I sold a car seat for a nominal price (£10) and let them take it for free when they turned up to collect - they were beyond grateful.

Original poster
Journeyintomelody · 02/01/2025 05:28

Good idea about putting a price on initially. I originally planned to donate to the woman's refuge but my local one isn't doing collections at the moment as they are overwhelmed. I can't believe the cheeky of some of the people I've spoken to. And if another stranger calls me 'hun' 'love' or 'dear' ... 😖

OP posts:
ReformMyArse · 02/01/2025 07:02

Journeyintomelody · 02/01/2025 05:28

Good idea about putting a price on initially. I originally planned to donate to the woman's refuge but my local one isn't doing collections at the moment as they are overwhelmed. I can't believe the cheeky of some of the people I've spoken to. And if another stranger calls me 'hun' 'love' or 'dear' ... 😖

Oh the ‘huns’. I was selling a pristine £300 bag for £20 recently. Had 8 good photos on there. A woman kept messaging me asking to see it at all angles, a million questions, calling me ‘luv’, making arrangements to collect then not turning up. After her final message ‘sorry Luv, completely forgot, I might be able to pick up Thursday’ I took great pleasure in telling her it had sold on Vinted.

There are loads of cheeky fuckers on marketplace. Am always shocked when someone kindly offers something they could easily sell for free, then a CF responds with ‘I might be able to take it if someone can get it to me’.

toomuchfaff · 02/01/2025 07:06

I'd agree, put a process tag on it. Weedles out the freebies hunters, most who are CF or some with ulterior motives to resell.

mummabubs · 02/01/2025 07:18

This is why I no longer give things away through Facebook MP. I now use Vinted for clothes or message in our village WhatsApp group as less likely to have time wasters. If I'm giving away for free I also only do "contactless collection" like people did during the pandemic (i.e. I leave the item in a bag outside our house for someone to come and grab without having to knock on the door - I got too fed up of being told a time for people to collect, waiting in and then them showing up an hour later).

PeloMom · 02/01/2025 07:22

I find whenever I give something away, people take the piss as you describe. If I ask for payment- 95% of transactions are seamless. So I no longer give stuff away

00deed1988 · 02/01/2025 07:25

Is there somewhere local that you are able to drop off too rather than collect? I often get donations for pregnant women I need from baby basics:
baby-basics.org.uk/other-locations/

They are amazing and you should see the women's appreciation when we get the donations and go round with a haul of stuff for them. That way you know it is truely going to someone who needs it! There are many of these types of charities. 3 in my local area (Bromley) that I know of. That's before refuges ect.

It's worth asking if they do collection but I'm not sure as many of these places are run by volunteers.

Cadburyscreamegg · 02/01/2025 07:27

Is there a baby bank local? I would try and donate it first coz then you know the person is in need of it.

Bournetilly · 02/01/2025 07:29

Put it on for £20 it will stop the piss takers. You can still give it away for free when they turn up if you want.

yipyipyop · 02/01/2025 07:30

Facebook marketplace is full of weirdos and time wasters. Agree with another poster, donate to a women's refuge if you can

Original poster
Journeyintomelody · 02/01/2025 07:31

00deed1988 · 02/01/2025 07:25

Is there somewhere local that you are able to drop off too rather than collect? I often get donations for pregnant women I need from baby basics:
baby-basics.org.uk/other-locations/

They are amazing and you should see the women's appreciation when we get the donations and go round with a haul of stuff for them. That way you know it is truely going to someone who needs it! There are many of these types of charities. 3 in my local area (Bromley) that I know of. That's before refuges ect.

It's worth asking if they do collection but I'm not sure as many of these places are run by volunteers.

I would in an ideal world but I am a single mum no car (so I would have to push two pushchairs) and am currently nursing a knee injury. it would be very difficult to take the bulky stuff myself.

OP posts:
Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould · 02/01/2025 07:40

How about your local children’s centre (if you have one). They will be able to find a home for it. Or contact your local children’s ward at hospital. They are always after decent prams.

BookishBabe · 02/01/2025 07:44

I felt really sad about getting rid of all our newborn baby clothes, bath, muslins, I'd used them for both our children and it just felt so sentimental. I definitely didn't want to just sell it all for a couple quid, that didn't make me feel better.
I found a women's domestic violence charity who collected mother and baby bits for women fleeing abuse, they took everything and I really felt like I'd done a good deed. Worth it. There were drop off points and one was a church a few miles away.

Original poster
Journeyintomelody · 02/01/2025 07:50

BookishBabe · 02/01/2025 07:44

I felt really sad about getting rid of all our newborn baby clothes, bath, muslins, I'd used them for both our children and it just felt so sentimental. I definitely didn't want to just sell it all for a couple quid, that didn't make me feel better.
I found a women's domestic violence charity who collected mother and baby bits for women fleeing abuse, they took everything and I really felt like I'd done a good deed. Worth it. There were drop off points and one was a church a few miles away.

This was what I wanted to do as they helped me when I was pregnant. Unfortunately I just can't drop off bulky items.

OP posts:
DinosaurMunch · 02/01/2025 07:52

If you have a lot of stuff a charity might collect - worth asking. But otherwise there's no point giving stuff away for free. Someone desperately in need is not going to be constantly checking Facebook, won't have a car and probably doesn't live in a middle class area. Free stuff of any value probably gets resold anyway . You would be better selling for the going rate and giving the money to charity. That way someone still benefits from a cheap pram.

If I have something of low value like a used cot mattress or second hand potty or baby clothes that have seen better days, I sell for £1 which seems to make all the difference in terms of time wasters and hopefully avoids usable stuff going to landfill before it needs to

FriendsDrinkBook · 02/01/2025 07:59

I never use fb market place for this exact reason. I was giving away 6 large unopened packs of pampers nappy pants that my son had outgrown. I had 3 people ask to have them. The first ghosted me , the second changed their mind and the third was very disorganised about collection. I donated them to a local charity in the end.

With an item like yours op , I would list it on gumtree for £50 or so. I've sold things around that value several times on there and never had a problem.

Good luck!

User2123 · 02/01/2025 08:06

You could also try the Olio app if it's got a decent user base in your area. I've listed quite a few things on there for free and never had time wasters.

Randomontheinternet25 · 02/01/2025 09:48

There are other sites you could use. If you are on faceache do you have any local mum groups or mumbler?

dentalflosser · 05/01/2025 15:03

I had been offering items for free on a local Facebook group. I also had the no shows including one lady who assured me she desperately wanted the item and asked me to reserve it. She didn’t turn up at the agreed time, I gave her an extra hour before contacting her, she confirmed she was on her way and was 10 minutes away from my home. Then she had a “family emergency” five minutes later and had to cancel collecting the item. She then ghosted me, I just take everything to the charity shop now.

mondaytosunday · 05/01/2025 15:19

I posted a fridge for free on my newsagents window (yes 'back in the day' when this is how you did it). I had all the dimensions of the fridge, I warned that it was American sized so please measure your doorways and they'd need two people and a van. Got several calls, about half who said they'd come came (on their own), all of them took one look and said 'oh it's too big'! One guy said he'd go get a mates van but never returned. I did finally get rid of it but thought never again! I'd just call the council and ask for them to collect it. I know they recycle white goods.
With yours I'd give it to charity.

PassingStranger · 05/01/2025 15:20

Perhaps consider putting outside with a free message on it. It will soon go and no waiting around for people or asking questions.

HoppityBun · 05/01/2025 15:25

PassingStranger · 05/01/2025 15:20

Perhaps consider putting outside with a free message on it. It will soon go and no waiting around for people or asking questions.

Please don’t put it outside because it’ll get peed on by digs and rained on. Take it to a charity shop