To think giving away things for free just isn't worth it?

[LarryForPrimeMinister]

Having a massive declutter.
Listed various different things online for free with collection only.

Had people asking if I can deliver, can I deliver a good 25 miles away, asking if I can hold things for a week, no shows.
Even someone having a go at me in the comments for giving away glucose lift shots (for diabetic hypos) saying I can't give prescription medication away despite the sticker being ripped off and it's just a glucose drink no actual prescription drugs in it? If I gave to the pharmacy they would just throw them away anyway!

Aibu to think its just not worth the hassle anymore?

Good idea.

Friend of mine had a fridge at a holiday home. Tried to give it away. People not showing, wanting it delivered and asking about guarantees etc. They removed the ad, put it on local but and sell for £10 and sold it straight away.

That's not been my experience. I am usually very specific in my listings - what the item is, measurements and by which date it needs to be collected. I have had zero questions and, while one person was vague about collection times, I told her right away that if she is not around by 2pm, it will go to the next person on the waiting list. Usually, I shift items within 48 hours with no issues.

I shop a lot on marketplace as well and if the seller didn't bother including basic information in their listing, I just scroll by. But, I would imagine, they are inundated with questions that should have been addressed in listing description to begin with.

Charity shop or Freegle. Touch wood, no problem with Freegle

Not everything that is prescribed is a prescription-only medicine. I think they've clamped down on it now, but there was a time when low-income families (qualifying for free prescriptions) could get things like ordinary shampoo prescribed for them.

Also things like bandages and incontinence pads can be prescribed for people - again usually not because the items need to be carefully restricted or could be harmful if not gatekept by a GP and pharmacist, but just because the quantities that are regularly needed might not be readily available and would cost a fortune if they all had to be bought from a shop, so the person who needs them may well otherwise have to go without them.

It would be madness and such a dreadful waste to just throw perfectly good, useful things away when somebody else needs them, if, say, the person to whom they were prescribed has since died and left unused stocks of them behind. As has been said already, if you take them back to the pharmacy, they will be duty-bound to just bin them regardless.

I run a free cycle group. If people don't turn up or are reported for messing about then they f get banned

Absolutely agree. I’ve just got a new settee, it would have done someone as there was nothing wrong with it. Put it on for free, honestly the cheeky fuckers that responded were awful.
Eventually I went into our local charity store, they came and collected it and will be able to sell it for a profit for the charity. Will always go down this route in future

A very good point. I was interested in some furniture but the seller couldn't even tell me the width. Then complained about people asking insane questions

yeah weirdly if you add a small charge to items, they tend to treat them better/ show up for pickups.

I haven't used Freecycle/ Freegal in years but it was useful.

I've given away countless things and I never have any trouble with it and I think it's down to two things I always do.

I always specify collection from (general area) and then when someone asks if it's available I always ask them if they can collect that day and what time (a time period is fine) and then and only then when they've said a time do I give out the address. This avoids giving out the address to lots of people.

I never hold items over multiple days or give out the address until they've said a time as I find that people will forget if it's not done that day or not specific enough as they haven't really thought about when they can collect. The same applies whether you're selling items or giving away in my experience.

If anyone asks for delivery i just say no and nothing further so that's no bother. Everyone I've actually given anything to has always been really grateful which is nice and it's lovely to put the things directly into the hands of people who will use them if your primary aim is to keep things out of landfill. It's amazing what you might think is rubbish but people will collect and find a use for and it's so convenient because they collect often from outside so i don't even have to be in. i never go to the tip any more.

Agreed, it’s easier to take most of it to the tip in truth.

I did this when I moved and realised that if something was free, people gave it no value and didn’t turn up etc.

If I charged £5, £1, £20, whatever sum - they did come and get it!

Strange psychology, but if you charge people will pay you to come and get it.

Same. Freecycle is excellent.

Interestingly I find the complete reverse, it's much easier to give things away as the demand is usually high so they go quickly that day and you can put them outside for collection so there's no waiting in or having to listen for the door or quibbling over the condition or price etc. I find it so convenient for getting rid of things.

I just ignore people who ask alot of stupid questions. Ive started blocking people that dont show up. Seems to attract hoarders.

If you've got loads of stuff the easiest way to get rid of it is to out it outside with a free sign and to snap a pic and put it on facebook marketplace and your local facebook groups and then just wait, most of it will be gone on that day.

I had the same issue. I've since stopped listing items individually or on places like marketplace. I now get as much of it as possible in one pic and stick the picture on our villages local page offering free for collection by X day. Most of it gets collected by mums walking by on the school run the same say, or their partners on the way home from work if a car is needed. I rarely have anything left after 48 hrs and have only been messed around once since doing it this way

I found that posting in the local Facebook group is much better than marketplace. I gave away a shed (new build and builders plonked an ‘eco bike store’ directly in front of the kitchen window) someone came the same day and had her son dismantle it.

I found sofas seem to be better if you put them on eBay. I tried all the groups listing for free but then I stuck it on eBay and got £40. A guy collected in a massive lorry- they were buying them off eBay to stock their shop.

After too many years of shit giving stuff away on Facebook, I gave up when I was accused, in several messages of ruining a 5 year old little girls birthday because I refused to drive a free dolls house from Wolverhampton to Bristol.

The absolute monster sent me videos of her child crying and begging, “please, please give me the dolly house I haven’t got presents.”

That was the last straw for me.

If only putting the details on stopped the stupid messages... Last month a put a shell lampshade on sale stating clearly it was collect only. The first ten messages were "Can you send it to me?".

The tip is so much easier, that’s what happens to our stuff.

same here. I found I got a lot more hassle and time wasters on my local freecycle but my local facebook group is really good. Timewasters and no shows are suspended then banned and of course on FB you can block people if they ask dumb stuff. I mainly give away craft stuff and it often goes to community stuff like clubs, playgroups and schools so I feel i am doing a bit of good as well. One lot went to a lady who is a TA at a local primary and when she collected it she said that the kids would be so excited to use the stuff....She took it into school and messaged me to say that the teachers were more excited than the kids!!

yeah see if you post through a good local group, all that rubbish doesn't happen

I take to a charity shop or, if it's something like a high chair, just leave outside with a "free" poster. It's gone in minutes.

All the free-grubbers round here are a bit thick and don't really understand why I wouldn't want to drop off something big enough to require a van. The same sort who try and sell a £50 shop voucher for... £50.

Around here we just leave things at the top of the drive with a notice taped to it saying “free.” Nothing ever seems to be there longer than an hour.

It's well known it's not easy to give things away it just doesn't happen to you OP.

Yes people don't turn up. Yes people ask if you can deliver.

Can you just leave them outside in your porch or front garden if you have one.vit seems to be the thing to round here. People will list stuff and say available now. They don't get involved with anyone. Take it if you want it.