To think that Freecycle has turned into a nasty greedfest?

[stickybeaker]

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....

Slightly off-topic, but someone was offering a 'Saved By the Bell' DVD on ours the other day. That made me larf.

Poor Screech. I saw a Canadian reality TV show a few years ago where he appeared as part of an audience of style judges. Weird.

Saved by the Bell was great!

I choose to give my items to responders who are polite in their emails. However I now put when I want it collected by in the post and ask them to reply with when they anticipate collection. Easy to delete replies where they clearly haven't read my post

Got rid of loads of stuff on FC and love the ethos. Get quite a few no-collectors though, but I'm pretty quick off the mark and get it collected by the next person ASAP. I do use eBay to sell items I think might go crazy on FC!

I've just had a lovely polite young lady come and collect something.

I've found putting my rough location in and when people can collect works well. For many small non-valuable items, I just leave them on the porch so people can collect whenever.

Had a lovely woman and baby round recently - she was hugely grateful that I was giving her a steriliser. I told her only 2 people were interested and the other one didn't say please or thank you. Had a nice coffee with her.

Was thinking of giving a thank-you card and photo of A to the woman who gave us a pile of reusable nappies last year - does that sound too stalkerish or obsessed with my baby?

We have to put the first part of the postcode in our offered posts - and I always put that I am near the hospital so people know roughly where I am.
I think a card and photo is a great idea. I have sent cards before when something has been so nice and we have really appreciated it.

We had one recently that made my laugh.

WANTED - PUSHCHAIR MUST BE PHIL AND TEDS, RECENT MODLE PLEASE - DESPERATE.

Yes so desperate your asking for a specific modle/make. Twat.

things like that really grate. Either you are desperate or you're not.

We always advertise on there when we do a charity boot sale, we get loads of decent stuff, last year we also got a box of dirys/smelly porn in with a bag of kids clothes. [boak] that wasn't so nice.

I like the ethos of offering something before you can ask for stuff. (alhtough paperclips is just stoopid).

The posts like the one requesting phil and teds are the ones that make my blood boil. I have now come off of the individual emails and have made my peace with the fact that I've had my day, and I can'ty complain about the stuff I acquired when I was pregnant so it's time to move on!

Utter freaks on our local Freecycle. Most of them are blatant Ebayers/Gumntree-ers who are just looking for stuff to sell on. I give stuff to charity or car boot it. Freecycle can sod off.

I joined freecycle months ago, but only used it for the first time today - well, I did offer a TV a while back, but the person didn't get back to me. I needed a double bed for DS2 and his GF, so I could pass on his 3/4 bed to his pal, my new lodger - and lo and behold, one appeared on freecycle today! I emailed immediately and DS1 went to pick it up within the hour.

dead chuffed emoticon

Oh I've just been offered a teasmaid. Happy days!

On our Frecycle some people think they can ask for anything and almost everyday someone asks for a hutch for their newly bought rabbit. or vice versa.

One that really got me was one poster that looks like she was basically furnishing her house with post like these

WANTED PLEASE PINE COFFE TABLEWANTED PINE VIDIO/TV UNITWANTED PLEASE BRASS AND GLASS LIGHTSHADE FOR FRONTROOM CEILINGWANTED PLEASE PINE FURNITURE FOR A FRONTROOM

These were just some of her emails and no please or anything and she was literally looking to furnish her place in only PINE but for free.
So what did I do I sent her a lovely email asking her to try and furnish her own house and save up for it and to offer something in return as well. As luck would have it I never received a reply

Oh I couldn't agree more with OP and I thought it was just me who didn't 'get' why that kind of behaviour was considered acceptable. I'm in Scotland so it's not just the south east. The other thing I think is bizarre is the number of people who have said they're interested in something I'm offering but never replied when I've then contacted them to arrange delivery... or worse, the number of people who simply don't turn up to pick something up.

I've totally gone off Freecycle recently (London borough)

I recently offered an infant car seat - when the lady came to collect, she was clearly an ebayer and I felt robbed as someone else said above.

I offered a huge amount of baby clothes recently and got the rudest emails imaginable. The lady who came to get them was really lovely, but I swear I got this response from someone else:

"I'll take any clothes with labels or logos on them as these are very desirable to me".

Next time I'm going to put all the kids' clothes into bags for the Heart Foundation.

There's a request for a satnav on mine tonight, on the grounds that his got stolen. Yeah, cos you'd chuck it out otherwise, eh?

I dont see the problem with want ads, if someone asks for a lap top, flatscreen tv or washing machine... and some one has one to give away... then whats the problem? Its not like anyone is forcing you to give them stuff...

Rudeness is a different issue... theres no need for that, and if anyone is too picky about items then thats annoying, but theres no harm in asking questions about the item... If an item turns out to be not what you want then you have just wasted time, and a car journey to pick it up...

We got a beautiful dolls house from freecycle yesterday. It is really stunning, the owner said it had been in his hut for years and needed some TLC, so when we collected it and it was in lovely condition with only a few cobwebs i was delighted. My ds loves it.
I offered a phil&teds pushchair, a single one though, not a double, and i got lots of replies from people asking if i had the double seat and other accessories, like elbows (lol i dont even know what they are). But it went to a lovely lady who needed it for her holiday. She was so kind and spent a while playing and cooing at ds.
I like good freecycle stories :D

last year, a lot of members on my local FC were getting upset about people being too greedy.

My response was:

since everyone here is feeling so "happy" at the moment, I thought
that since it's nearly my birthday, I would submit my "wish list"

Mercedes SLK 200, 230 or 320 (in black)

any diamond jewellry

A radley handbag (or 2!)

a rolex watch

Swarovski crystal wine/champagne glasses or jewellry

a pair of Jimmy Choos shoes or sandals (size 4)

well.....if you don't ask......

It made a few people laugh and i got some great responces from it but sadly no one had any of the things on my list

Oh God, I once saw a long, extremely detailed and well written Freecycle request... for a Dualit toaster. Which are over a hundred quid in John Lewis. And they lived in a staggeringly expensive area, too. Really seemed to be taking the piss, that one.

QuantitativeMeasure, I'm moving up to Brum & have some decent, reasonably new/unused IKEA furniture from the spare room that we don't have room for, could you tell me the name of the charity?

Qally-
Its ladywood furniture project