AIBU to just donate things to charity rather than use Fb market place

[Notthecorner]

DP and I are selling some (working) household electrical items we don’t need. We don’t have any issue taking them to the dump ourselves, but there is still plenty of life in them so would rather someone else get use out of them, and assumed someone might want a bargain as it’s a cost of living crisis and we assume people might need these things on a budget.

We also often buy second hand locally ourselves - we have bought TV’s and furniture from market place and they have been great. We would always look 2nd hand first before buying new

We checked out the prices other people had similar items on and as we want them gone for the space, we put the prices pretty low. Even a washing machine at £10! I put all the sizes in the listing and many photos so I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong there. It’s not about the money but putting free doesn’t make any difference either to the people who respond.

I get messages either asking for the sizing and telling me a sob story their car is way too small so can I drop it off (when it’s already in the listing collection only and sizes) or demanding my full address immediately for collection immediately. I feel really uncomfortable with those messages as if they are planning on doing our house over. No pleasantries exchanged or making polite arrangements for me to be home at the time they are demanding. I respond asking to schedule a time between us and they just keep asking for my address, which is so off putting so I end up blocking them. Also the expectation that I am going to deliver a £10 washing machine using my own petrol and car 20 miles away?! The dump is 2 miles away I would rather do that 😂

We aren’t out to make a fortune so AIBU to just ask a charity to take them as donations at least if they can sell them I know the money has gone to a good cause and I don’t have to deal with the general public myself

Charities probably won't take old electrical items for safety reasons.

British Heart Foundation does. They aren’t very old. The only things they don’t take are ones that have had safety recalls I think and furniture with no fire labels

I just put things up for free on Facebook marketplace in these circumstances but I am quite clear in the description that they have to be collected etc and unfortunately I don't have time for a back and forth conversation. I have good success in this way

Nope, not unreasonable at all. Your time has a value and FB Marketplace uses up that time and eats into any profit you might make.

I recently had a big clear out of clothes/shoes/bags. I planned to put some on Vinted but ultimately, I didn't have the time or headspace for taking the photos, writing the descriptions, checking for any flaws. Then dealing with the messages and almost certainly, the cheeky fucker offers. THEN you need to package it up and schlep to the Post Office. Nope! The £50-100 I might have made just wasn't worth my time. Off to the charity shop it went.

The British Heart Foundation sells used electricals in their shop near me (along with furniture). They will also pick stuff up. Have a look at their website.

Red Cross and heart foundation both offer collection of these donated items in some areas, drop them an email or look up recycling in your area.

Of course yanbu. Get rid of your stuff however suits you best.

Lots of charity ties are very happy to take electrical items including appliances.

OP, I often donate things that I could sell as it’s often easier and I get some value out of donating to good charities. Do you have any local WhatsApp groups or other smaller more select groups where you could sell or give away your items?

We have a great street Whattsapp group and it’s amazing what gets offered and what gets taken.

If you live on a through road could you just leave items outside your house with a note on them. I get rid of things like that. Meter items like appliences disappear within hours.

For sure ask them. They will only collect items they think are worth it.

Or just stick them on freecycle - people there tend to understand how it works and aren’t as demanding as FB

Nothing at all wrong with that. I absolutely hate it when people take good, working stuff to the tip; but if it gets put back into 'the system' and reused, it doesn't matter whether you take the hassle on yourself for a few quid, or whether you just give it straight to charity for them to handle.

Lots of charities will absolutely take electrical goods - especially large items like washing machines - they usually have somebody on hand to do all the PAT testing and try items to check that they work.

Also, as well as charities that sell household items to raise funds for their cause, there are plenty that help people who are struggling financially, those who have just escaped homelessness or DV etc and have nothing that they need; so they will just give the essential basic items directly to them.

Most people on FC are like that, but you do get a fair few CFs.

They tend to be the ones who would never dream of giving away something good for free themselves, so they assume that, if you are, you must either know/suspect that it doesn't actually work (and you can't be faffed going to the tip) or otherwise you are a mug who is ripe for the plucking, whatever they want.

They just cannot fathom a savvy person who would knowingly give away something very good and potentially worth a fair few quid to a stranger, just to do a good turn (and get the unwanted item taken away too, of course).

Basically, they would gladly take advantage of you; so they assume that you are of the same moral mindset as them - thus they see it as them doing you a favour and taking a risk.

In my experience the cheaper the price, the more demanding and cf people are. Maybe because they think you're super charitable therefore try and mug you off. So just give them to a charity!

I list stuff for on FB but if it doesn’t sell for the price listed then I take it to a charity shop or bin it. I don’t entertain hagglers or anything

I give away things on FB but I find specific local groups are more reliable for people turning up and not messing you around. I wouldn't just list on marketplace - and I think part of the issue as well is that FB can be quite vague on location and just give the name of the nearest town, then it turns out it's actually a village an extra 20 minutes' drive in the wrong direction. But in my local area there are selling and giveaway groups which are very focused on a small group of villages or a specific town, and people pretty much always turn up to collect the thing. You can also see whether they are CFs because you see their previous posting history on the group; I'm always happy to give things away for free to people I can see doing the same for others.

I have emailed BHF with photos of the items I will see what they say. Putting free on a listing doesn’t always help! I would give a washing machine away for free to someone who needs it but I don’t trust some of the people who message I think they are scammers.

I have also joined some more specific groups and posted on there too

FB marketplace is full of time wasters and scammers. Far better to get BHF to collect if they can

Personally I would rather give stuff away rather than sell it for a tenner. A PP is right, the cheaper the item the more awkward the customer quite often, and it's just not worth the hassle. It is getting more difficult to give things away though and we have had to resort to taking good items to the tip as we just don't have the space.

We have bought some great stuff on Facebook market place, a £6000 wardrobe for £300, DH has bought lots of expensive hi fi stuff too,

I'd second freecycle. I found it quite good for getting rid of stuff

I almost always give unwanted items away as it's not worth the time invested in listing and then liaising with time wasters and buyers. It makes more sense for me to spend that time working

I give things to charity as I really can’t be arsed dealing with people. I do buy the odd bit from FB Marketplace though.

I recently gave a perfectly good electrical item to the council to take as a bulky waste collection. Yes I could have tried to sell it, but it would have been sat there until someone showed any interest. But I wanted it gone out of my way asap. Then the person might start haggling for a reduced price, then might ask to hold here it for a couple more days until their brothers mate’s son can come with his van to pick it up. Then they can’t come for it because his van’s now broken down so will be a couple more days. Then when it’s finally gone they might be still be haggling about it because apparently it now doesn’t work or they can’t work out how to work it. You can almost write the script!

I cba with facebook market place People wanted it delivered for nothing. Loads of hassle.
I give everything to charity. Thames Valley Hospice take some electricals and good quality furniture

Everything gets donated or thrown in this house can't be doing with the hassle

Not being unreasonable at all. I sell stuff on ebay and vinted all the time. The only big thing we really needed rid of was our old bed. Be careful cos one guy who was meant to come and collect didn't turn up and we really believe it was because i told him my husband was there to help carry it out, husband thought he would try to overpower me to rob us but my husband is 20 stone of solid muscle. If you say collection only eventually you will get someone who will come, the guy who came to get ours had a cup of tea while we waited for his mate with a van.

I completely get your point about time wasters, hasslers, CFs etc.; but why would you object to them asking for a lower price, if you're perfectly happy to give it away free?!

Some people even deliberately advertise something for £10, £20 or whatever - to deter time wasters - fully intending to tell a genuine person to just take it and not to worry about any money.