to sell the item I just got off freecycle?

[2point4kids]

I use freecycle a lot. I offer things I dont need/use any more and I accept things that I would find useful. Probably offer as much as I accept.

Today I collected an item that I asked for as it would be handy for me and I will use it.
I just collected it and its in much better condition than I expected, with extras too.

I am very strapped for cash at the moment (arent we all?) and I am selling off as much of our stuff as will make money on ebay and here to try and make a few extra pennies.

If I dont sell it, I will use it and it will be useful but I dont need it and thats the criteria that I am selling off my own stuff on...so....

AIBU to sell on this freecycle item? Could make me about £30...

if you can live with the guilt, then do it. But it is a right cheek!!

I have read this thread with great interest. I signed on to freecycle recently with the express intention of giving my lovely stuff away when it is no longer needed to those who couldn't afford the type of stuff i have.

I won't now. I will give it to friends or family or donate to the local charity shop.

YANBU
It sounds like you 'need' the money more than you 'need' the item anyway - sell it if you want to.

I freecycle lots of stuff, and very occasionally receive stuff too. We got some great rollerblades for my son last year.
We could have afforded to buy them, but thought it was a good idea to try them without a big outlay.
Let's face it, which person 'needs' fun items liek this anyway?
How do all the posters who go on about 'neediness' assess that anyway? Does the recipient have to come round in a clapped out old car and torn clothes .

All this talk about the 'spirit' and 'ethos' and 'rules' of Freecycle is rubbish - as many people have said it's about recycling (hence the name - duh?) not about charity.

Usually I give my things away to the people who are the most polite and literate - I very much doubt that they are the most 'needy' (whatever that means?).

You are a funny lot on here !!

Hang on... "The original owner could have sold it but gave it away to help someone out.."

How do you know that? That's YOUR assumption...

I give stuff away because I don't need/ like/ want/ have space for it.
If it 'helps out' the person who receives it, then great, but it's not the only or primary concern.

There's a lot of smug, warm self-congratulatory back-patting going on here, surely? If you want to purely feel philanthropic then can I suggest helping in a soup kitchen at Christmas instead??

If the item is not needed by you 2Point4 then why don't you do the decent thing and either return it to the person on Freecycle you got it from, reoffer it on freecycle or even offer it on here for free. After all why should you gain financially from someone elses generousity Unless of course you told the person you got it from you were going to sell it?

I have to admit i have put this message in the Freecycle network group (the moderators group) and they are looking into the OP whereabouts as far as groups are concerned in Ipswich. Like it or not if she is found in a local group she will more than likely be given a warning or banned. Freecycle does not need people to take things for financial gain it is not what freecycle is about.

LE - Gawd, you really ARE up your own backside aren't YOU??

Have you nothing better to do with your time than report someone who is a bit strapped for cash and has fallen on a piece of good luck?

Check out the front page of the organisation you 'own' my dear...

"Welcome! The Freecycle Network? is made up of 4,638 groups with 6,158,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by entering it into the search box above or by clicking on ?Browse Groups? above the search box. Have fun! "

I don't see the words 'needy' or 'deserving cause' etc anywhere, do you?

Oh, and check out the mission statement too:

"Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."

Chablis no i am not up my own backside but it is wrong to take something you don't need just because it is there. The OP should reoffer the item or return it. She should not be making financial gain from someone elses generousity.

I would be pretty upset if someone sold something on that I had gifted on freecycle and
actually state, when gifting something myself that I don't want it selling on unless it is for charity.
I think personally I would put it back on freecycle or take it to a charity shop. I wouldn't feel comfortable selling the item on and I am extremely strapped for cash too!

LE - if that's YOUR OPINION then that's fine, and you're welcome to it, but you're spouting crap about the 'rules' of Freecycle which, as far as I can see, YOU have made up to apply to 'YOUR' (sic) local group...

The OP has no obligation to do anything you're suggesting. If someone sold on something I'd given them I'd say, "good for you".

All this holier than thou stuff is about YOU really, isn't it - because YOU want to feel that YOU are doing something worthwhile, and get a warm glow about it. But this scenario doesn't quite fit with what YOU want to think Freecycle is all about (but isn't really).

pinkmagic - if you don't want something sold on, then I think that's a good idea to state that in the listing (no guarantees, but might make you feel better).

"it is wrong to take something you don't need"

Please define 'need' in the context of this statement?

Absolutely at The Lady Evenstar.

I can't quite understand your motivastions here. I too have looked at the philosophy and etiquette pages on the national site and there is NOTHING about selling on, and NOTHING about recipients being bound to keep the items they receive or be in dire need before accepting.

Freecycle is random. People end up with things they need, use, don't need or son't use - it isn't something you can really control, even if everyone tried really hard to. There are blatant abuses of the system, for sure, but this is not one of them.

The Lady Evenstar I believe you have real issues of your own here. Why is this upsetting you so much? I just don't get it and would be amazed if this resulted in the OP being banned.

It seems utterly petty and childish to me, sorry. The 'You can't join my gang' type of mentality really does bring freecycle into disrepute.

Also it may have escaped your attention but OP has stated several times that she does not plan to sell the item.

And you still reported her?

Thanks LES but having double checked the rules of my local freecycle there doesnt seem to be any rule against taking an item you'd quite like to have and then speculating on Mumsnet about whether its ethical or not to sell it
Doubt I'll be given a ban or a warning tbh even if they did have my email address or posting name (which is nothing like my username on here)
Even if they did ban me, I give away as much as I receive (maybe more) so anybody 'needy' receiving my items would have to then go without (they probably sell it on anyway )

Thank you FlightAttendant for saying so much more eloquently what I was feeling about LE's posts .

I suspect that The LE has taken on the role of local co-ordinator of the site, and has let herself build it up into a type of self-righteous, self-important role that it isn't

Can't see how she could get the OP banned anyway - what happened to anonymity?

Perhaps the local freecycle moderator can come to my house and check that I am using and that I 'need' the items I have received off freecycel in the past eh

Flight I don't have any issues I do however think that If you take something under the pretence of needing it and then decide to sell it it is wrong.

Why doesn't the OP ask the moderator on her local FC what the selling policy is??? Most members do not give away for this reason but to help others.

Doesnt matter WHY the members give it away. It matters about the rules.
The rules do NOT state anything against selling items gained from freecycle.

If I gave away some baby clothes with the intention of going to another baby but then they were used as dolls clothes would that person get banned as it wasnt my intention they be used that way?

Or if I took a chimney pot and then used it as a flower pot in the garden... could I be banned for not using it for the right reason as intended by the giver?

I think your fury over this is a bit ott

btw I have never taken anything with the pretense of needing it. Everything I ahve taken I have been honest in my email requesting it (as stated in previous posts)

2point4, this is out of order and I am very sorry that this thread has turned into this.

2point4kids

btw I have never taken anything with the pretense of needing it. Everything I ahve taken I have been honest in my email requesting it

So when you requested this item you told the giver that you didn't really need it although if you did use it it would be handy and as you were strapped for cash you were thinking of selling it?

Just asking a simple question....

I hate to do this to you TLE:

'I spend hours on freecycle, have got loadsa stuff for baby so far i have...

Bath,
brand new bed spread,
Brand new fleecy blanket,
8 bags of clothes for 0-12 months mostly gap, next and addidas
Muslin squares,
cot sheets,
cot,
did get a gorgeous pram but changed mind about it as I wanted a diff colour when i found out i having a boy.
Cot top changer (collecting tomoz)
and for me ......

A babylis bath spa hmmmmmmmmm

I had to buy it when I saw it and am now in lurve with it lol. have got a lot of clothes as well from 0-12 months....freecycle again. Bedding, bath, crib, steriliser, bottle warmer, first toothbrush (lol), hairbrush, comb, manicure set, muslin squares, 2 pkts nappies, Nike trainers (they asked me to buy them!!!) socks, vests, sleepsuits, cot top changer, errr i think thats it lol.. so what else do i need???????? jesus who'd have thought 9 yrs could have this effect???

lol flame, i didn't buy them they were given to me via freecycle along with 70+ nappies

By TheLadyEvenstar on Wed 08-Aug-07 20:28:24
I haven't scoured ebay for agessssssssssss since I discovered Freecycle. Collected another 2 bags of baby boys clothes the other day, at this rate LO won't need anything bought lol

Then this: ahem

and this : ahemmmm

Lady, it is quite clear from 2point4's posts what happened so either read things properly or get off your high horse and bog off.

The op asked a question, she was answered, the fact that you are named owner (which does not mean you own anything) does not give you the right to treat her like this.

If you have issues with peple selling from your site then you can go and post on your site about it. Stop trying to use 2point4 as an outlet for your own petty frustrations.

Oh FA4 thank you for sharing

Does this constitute trolling then Just a question

Oh gosh, we had better report LES to her freecycle moderator ... oh no wait.... she is the owner moderator