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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that Freecycle has turned into a nasty greedfest?

99 replies

stickybeaker · 03/04/2009 19:12

I used Freecycle 2 years ago when pregnant with DD. I got some great stuff for which I was REALLY grateful. I was polite, collected on time etc. I also responded to other peoples (reasonable) requests and offered stuff I no longer needed.

Cut to now... I went back on there (signed up to start receiving emails again), as I'd really like a sofabed but can't justify buying one. Anyway, I am horrified at peoples 'needs'. Every day someone asks for a car, there's been requests for flat screen TVs, tumbledryers/washing machines/dishwashers/ X-boxes & pets (which I REALLY don't understand). There are also always posts re-offering stuff due to non-collectors (who are these people?) Is this a nationwide thing or just the South East??? It's horrible. People don't even give good reasons for their unreasonable requests, and they aren't polite about it.

I'm going to stop looking because it's doing my head in. Deep breath....

OP posts:
BoeuffinMum · 03/04/2009 19:56

I've had very positive experiences. I've given some good stuff away to very grateful people who always emailed me nicely to say thank you, and I asked for a coffee machine recently and got a nearly new one that has been a pleasure to adopt. I think it's a great system.

FAQinglovely · 03/04/2009 20:03

ahh well you see he isn't (getting HB)- I'm pretty good with money - but I know there's no way in hell I could have run the house he's now living in (and he has no choice but to stay there for the time being) on £242 a month, and feed myself when the only thing that I didn't have to pay for was the council tax. I was living in that house until the end of February so I know how much the water, gas, electric etc costs for it.

We have one laundrette to serve the whole town (I'm in shock as I just "yell"'d them and discovered that the one this side of town is no longer running)

Sidge · 03/04/2009 20:03

Our Freecycle group is very intensely moderated so we don't seem to get much of the really cheeky stuff.

In fact I recently received a first strike (of a two strikes and you're out policy) because I asked for a costume for my DDs school play, and said if no-one had one to give could I borrow one. I have had a strike against me from the mod because borrowing isn't allowed and doesn't keep stuff out of landfill

FAQinglovely · 03/04/2009 20:05

why doesn't borrowing keep stuff out of landfill Confused

pointydog · 03/04/2009 20:06

it's a place where strangers get free things from each other. It was never going to be pretty

bloss · 03/04/2009 20:09

Message withdrawn

JeMenFous · 03/04/2009 20:12

Ha Ha, someone asked for a Phil & Teds the other day!!

There do seem to be lots of fridge freezers on ours, I was tempted to ask for one, I don't care what colour though

Sidge · 03/04/2009 20:15

bloss I thought it was harsh. Apparently Freecycle is for stuff that would otherwise be thrown away, so borrowing goes against the Freecycle ethos as it isn't reducing waste

I also think FC is a Good Thing, but that slightly wanky email from the mod has really put me off using it. Along with the people that reply to your 'offereds' with "i wannit call me on my mobile xxxxxxxxxx".

Er, don't think so...

Helen31 · 03/04/2009 20:18

I think it's a great system, but I have definitely had mixed experiences. And while some people send really nice thank you emails, others barely even speak to you when they come to collect the things. But I am far too lazy to ebay things, so I am happy to take the chance that people are taking my stuff to sell on - good luck to them.

Bizarrely (imo), I've had the poorest responses when I've replied to Wanted posts - I think I've done this four times now and only once got a reply, after about a week and a chasing email. This was when we were offering two Wii games which would sell on ebay second hand for £8-10 each. The other stuff we offered was obviously deemed too rubbish to even warrant a brief email back to us... .

There is one person who seems to reply to almost all our offers, with very odd emails, who DH won't let me offer anything to even if they are the only reply because he doesn't want them to know where we live.

Queenoftheharpies · 03/04/2009 20:20

Sidge - I have borrowed stuff from freecyclers before, (in my case drain rods).

Part of the ethos of freecycle is IMO not just about keeping things out of landfill but preventing people buying more stuff, when the stuff they need is already in circulation.

Although I think it went under the mods radar a bit because I put a request for the rods but got loads of e-mails back saying 'we can't give you these but please borrow them.' So the lending was arranged away from the board itself.

Sidge · 03/04/2009 20:25

Queen - that was my logic; she needed a costume for 2 nights for a school play, I saw no need to buy one or even buy the stuff to make one when someone might have had the stuff kicking about.

I think our mod has got a bit inflated with his own importance

sprogger · 03/04/2009 20:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ABetaDad · 03/04/2009 20:31

To be honest I tried to give away a sofa bed. Very high quality John Lewis one that needs a new cover but otherwise perfect.

I tried a local charity that I knew had rooms it needed refurbishing for students and also the local council recycling scheme. Neither of them wanted it - the reason being that the new cover cost as much as a new sofa.

To reply to the OP I think the whole idea of getting free stuff, buying at car boots and then flogging it on Ebay has taken off as tax free way of earnng a few quid. I suspect that quite a few of the occassions that people do not collect from Freecycle is when they have not been able to flog it on and so are not interested any more.

I know another local charity that does recycle furniture/fridges etc for people on benefits. They get loads of buy to let landlords trying to get cheap furniture off them to furnish flats they are renting out.

It disgusts me really but that is life I suppose. Would I just not give stuff away and dump it just to stop someone else making a few quid? Not sure.

BouncingTurtle · 03/04/2009 20:46

It is against Freecycle policy to offer pets.
Lots of freecycle groups have freecycle cafes associated with them for selling and borrowing.
The main point of Freecycle is to keep what people perceive as rubbish from being put in landfill. If something is to be borrowed it clearly was never meant for landfill.

Original poster
stickybeaker · 03/04/2009 20:51

I'm glad it's not just me.

I actually wrote to the mpoderators once as someone had posted wanting a dog 'any breed/size etc'

I just couldn't understand why this would be allowed through. If I was going to re-home a dog (which I did) I'd want the new owners to WANT this particular dog, and to have researched it, and have the money to pay for it, and its bills. It's not going to be put in a landfill so why would this be allowed on freecycle?

As for someones comment that I should be a moderator, There would be hundreds of posts I wouldn't let through - including ones with txt spk.

OP posts:
BouncingTurtle · 03/04/2009 20:58

I AM a moderator... I would love to reject the txt speak ones... but I'm not allowed too
Would love to screen out all the x-box and rude ones, but again, if they conform to basic policy then they have to be allowed through. It's up to the members to reply or ignore a post!
I've offered plenty of stuff on freecycle and I ignore rude or txt spk type replies.

dittany · 03/04/2009 21:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Meglet · 03/04/2009 21:05

I freecycled quite happily in 2007 but last year I got so pissed off with ridiculous requests and non-collections that I stopped.

Did you know some people set their e-mail to automatic reply to freecycle e-mails, so they can be first to respond 'yes please, can I have it' to absolutley everything. I used to get that a lot, I would only give stuff to people who asked nicely without txt speak.

hannahsaunt · 03/04/2009 21:07

We've used Freecycle so far to give things away and almost without fail the emails have been very polite and people have always arrived to collect things, sending thank yous afterwards so we see it as very positive. The only time we've responded to an offer, we didn't get a reply which was a bit disappointing; I always make sure everyone who asks gets an answer so they know what the score is.

Wisknit · 03/04/2009 21:17

YANBU
This is personal bugbear of mine. Recently there has almost always been more 'wanted' than 'offered' posts. takes the piss frankly.

RumourOfAHurricane · 03/04/2009 21:44

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dilemma456 · 03/04/2009 22:13

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dilemma456 · 03/04/2009 22:16

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Sidge · 03/04/2009 22:23

Ah that's nice dilemma.

I responded to a wanted last summer - a woman asking for a balldress.

I offered her two dresses that I'd had for years that no longer fit me which she collected, thanking me effusively as the dress would be for her daughter's school leavers prom.

I then got a lovely picture through my door of her gorgeous daughter wearing one of the dresses, looking absolutely stunning, and a sweet note from her mum saying how grateful they were. They had told their DD she couldn't go to the prom as they couldn't afford a dress for her, but thanks to Freecycle (and me!) she had been able to go. I was so touched.

Original poster
stickybeaker · 03/04/2009 22:32

That is really nice. I have definitely met some really kind people when I have responded to offers.

I had no idea there could be an automated response for emails. That's ridiculous.

OP posts: