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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To pick the Freecyclers I want and not the most 'deserving'?

69 replies

Rosieeo · 03/01/2010 15:10

I'm replacing a few things in the sales and have Freecycled my fridge freezer. I had masses of replies, most vaguely rude and demanding, some sob stories and one 'I'll be there at so-and-so time as I need it the most, for my insulin'

In the end I picked the politest person who could remove the fridge easily and safely. Young lad and his mate turned up on time, very nice, wanted the fridge to put in his garage for their beer. Fine.

When telling my cousin about this, she was disgusted that I gave it to the bloke for his beer and not the rude woman with diabetes. She thinks it should have gone to the person who needed it the most. I went for good grammar/spelling.

Was I unreasonable?

OP posts:

ChippingIn · 04/01/2010 07:20

I love freecycle & think it's brilliant. One mans treasure & all that...

YANBU - pick who you like the sound of, for wahtever reason you like. I generally try to pick the most 'needy', but try to weed out those who are just able to tell a good story, then sell it on!

I usually say why I need something, I hope it comes across as just grateful if they choose me, but not a sob story??? You have me worried now!

My freecycle whinge.... people posting wanted ads, unless it's for something obscure. So it annoys me if people post wanting tv/settee/bed/fridge/wardrobe etc as I figure if people have these they will be offering them! But I don't mind people posting wanted ads for things like 'has anyone got a widget off of a wotsit that they no longer need'. Something you might have around the house, but not even consider freecycling.

Original poster

Rosieeo · 04/01/2010 09:33

Further conversation with my cousin reveals that I'm 'just using it as a removal service'. She is an avid user of Freecycle - and did I mention very sensitive? But lovely!

I have to admit that I often offer big stuff that I can't be bothered to struggle to the tip with or pay for someone to remove. But I wouldn't offer something that was broken or that minged beyond belief.

On the responsibility front, I do worry about the future performance of my belongings! Especially electrical stuff, although if someone told me that it didn't work and they wanted to bring it back I would have to laugh in their face. It's a secret worry

Love the list btw, do we live in the same area?!?

OP posts:

ChippingIn · 04/01/2010 09:40

Good grief - does your cousin put this much thought into everything?? Who cares why you are putting it on freecycle? If someone else gets some use out of it and it's not landfill - who cares what your motives are??

Blimey - me thinks she needs either a job, kids, or a life! (lovely or not!! LOL)

wannaBe · 04/01/2010 10:11

people ask for laptops?

BratleyGaveInToBaubles · 04/01/2010 10:26

Surely by putting it on frecycle in the first place you're doing your bit for the environment?
So what if you're 'only using it as a removal service'? Its still not going into a big hole in the ground. Therefore you're doing your bit for the environment, intentionally or not!

Back to my freecycling yesterday, I decided to do a little experiment after reading this thread.
I read the replies to my offered item, decided who sounded like they needed it most and offered it to them. I spent all day yesterday waiting for a reply from them and had nothing.
So at 6.15pm I emailed the woman I liked the sound of the most originally and she collected the toys about 7.45.

Point proved?

AxisofEvil · 04/01/2010 11:01

I'm another that goes for people who are polite, have written a personalised email which is not in text speak (rather than "I'll tke thx") and can come when I want them too. Some people can be wildly cheeky - recently I was giving away a washing machine and one person asked if I could give them a tumble dryer too!

Original poster

Rosieeo · 04/01/2010 12:01

Dear God Axis, that has to be a new low! What did you say? Apart from no, of course

OP posts:

2rebecca · 04/01/2010 12:34

I give to the person who can collect it promptly and conveniently. I don't see freecycle as a charity for the needy but a group of people not wanting stuff in landfill and who give to each other. I don't like feeling I'm being manipulated by needy people anyway and would probably feel a sob story was invented, as sounds like happens from post above.

2010aQuintessentialOdyssey · 04/01/2010 12:43

I have a tumble drier I dont need.
And a sofa
and some shelves.
Maybe I should join freecycle. Seems a lot of fun, sharing stories on these threads, I mean.

AxisofEvil · 04/01/2010 12:48

Rosieoo - I didn't say anything apart from "sorry the washing machine has already gone" which I sent to everyone (they emailed 3 days after I posted so it was due collection anyway). I thought about it and drafted several reponses pointing out their cheekiness but didn't want to get into an argument with them so decided to leave it.

BertieBotts · 04/01/2010 12:53

Oh did anyone see my freecycle thread last night? There was a woman on my freecycle group getting all huffy and posting a message to the entire group saying something along the lines of:

OMG I cant beleive eny1 is sad enuf 2 care that the sofa has gone 2 the tip. I gave him 1 and a 1/2 hours to collect it i no thats not much time but...

And another one from someone who needed a rabbit hutch URGENTLY as they had "suddenly noticed" theirs was falling apart

MissM · 04/01/2010 13:21

Bertie, you're not in the Leamington/Warwick group by any chance? I thought the huffy woman was in the right if you read the reply she got from the bloke wanting her sofa!

MargeSimpsonMyAlterEgo · 04/01/2010 13:38

For some reason I thought the rule was "first come, first served" - I always give it to the first person who asks. I wouldn't dream of trying to work out who "deserves" it. I think the most brilliant thing about Freecycle is that there are people who really want (& are often very grateful for) things that I have come to regard as junk.

MissM · 04/01/2010 13:42

I think the problem with the 'First come first served' rule is that if you don't check your emails regularly you might not see a post until it's too late to collect. I often see Offered and Taken posts for the same thing in the same email. I've seen people specify that they will wait for a certain amount of time before making a choice to give everyone a fair chance of seeing the offer.

Surely there were values attached to setting up freecycle, like keeping things out of landfill etc? So why shouldn't you choose to give your stuff to a couple of lads who want a fridge for their beer instead of a possible chancer? There are no rules to say that it's a social service.

MadreInglese · 04/01/2010 13:43

YANBU

IME the more polite the freecycler, the more likely they are to turn up on time and not mess you about

plus you don't actually know if any of the sob stories are true - and the point of the scheme is to reduce landfill (while also helping you clear stuff out )

MrLSG · 04/01/2010 18:35

YANBU. Totally up to you who you give it to. Anything I offer I tend to allow at least a few hours for people to respond before I decide who to let have it: but generally this is the first person who seems genuine. Anyone claiming extreme poverty is treated with suspicion, as how are they paying for their (quick) internet access?? [Yes I accept they may have been in the library, but how likely is that?]

But in preference I will give things to the local Lions Club instead before putting it on freecycle - if I think the Lions could find a use for it.

So for anything we don't want anymore, the scale tends to be Ebay, NCT sales, Lions (large items), Charity Shops (smaller items), freecycle (OWTACITW), and then the local tip. MrsLSG would probably add mumsnet in there quite early on!

Had quite a few trips to the tip this last week or so....

slob · 04/01/2010 19:30

Hi
Agree with most people that the object of freecycle/freegle is to minimise landfill and help environment. By all means set your own criteria for who it goes to - it's your stuff.
Re: cousin who is "really nice" - some people are just too nice for their own good -shame it doesn't extend to not upsetting their own family members by applying their own perspective and not being able to see someone else's!

BertieBotts · 04/01/2010 22:21

What is OTWACITW?

Yes it was the Leamington/Warwick group. I was just amused that she had posted to the entire group really. Though I suppose if she was warning others about him it was fair enough.

MissM · 05/01/2010 12:16

Agree Bertie - it did look a bit odd. Did you see that she's subsequently posted thanking people for their support! Quite funny really.

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