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Original poster

Freecycling isn't much fun.

28 replies

BroccoliSpears · 14/09/2008 14:05

We've freecycled masses this weekend and it's really not been a terribly happy experience. Really good stuff too.

One bloke got home and then rang up to complain that he thought there would be more weights in the set (there were precicely the number I'd specified in the offer).

On two occasions, people told dp that they'd been promised way more than had actually been agreed. This meant that one woman turned up to find that someone else had taken the baby gates she'd come for. I can understand why she's a bit fed up, and have appologised and explained what happened twice now in on email and in person, but have now got a shitty email from her because she made the trip for nothing.

I really don't want to be the munificent and adored benefactor. I don't even mind much that no one has said thank you - it was only stuff we needed rid of anyway, but have been left feeling vaguely guilty, and that's irritating. Surely passing on something useful to someone else should be a pleasant experience? Load of grabby wankers round here.

OP posts:
bumbling · 14/09/2008 14:07

How annoying. Greedy buggers. Reminds me of all the "Green cyclists" round here, who think it's fine to ride their bikes on the pavement and nearly run DS and my cats over...

Imnotok · 14/09/2008 14:09

No tis not much fun ,I gave away a brand new electric fire a few weeks ago and she rang to say one ofthe legs was missing. I know she must have misplaced it because it was stood on all fours in my hallway until she picked it up.Anyway I looked for it and put up with a weekend of shitty phonecalls and emails from her ,then I got a text saying
"found it sorry" .

I feel your pain.

Original poster
BroccoliSpears · 14/09/2008 14:14

Half the time people don't turn up anyway.

OP posts:
lingle · 14/09/2008 14:16

Sorry to hear about this Broccoli. I hope it wasn't on the Freecycle group that I run!

I think you may have had some bad luck. Lots of people stuggle to understand Freecycle. We try to remember that the greedy and ungrateful are still (perhaps unwittingly!) helping us in our environmental mission by taking second hand goods that might be thrown away.

When I have a run of ingratitude, (which doesn't happen often) I reward myself by replying to a few "offers".....!

ilovemydog · 14/09/2008 14:17

There's a sofa project near where I live and I was happy to donate it, but one of the zippers on one of the cushions was broken, so they wouldn't accept it

If I was homeless, I wouldn't be bothered about a zipper.

Less hassle giving to charity shops!

BigBadMousey · 14/09/2008 14:17

It's the same round here. You're lucky if you get a thank you .

I'm not expecting eternal gratitude either but I do expect people to show some manners. On more than one occassion people have offered to 'take off our hands' other things that were in the vacinity of the item I had offered. One guy who came to pick up a printer even offered to take our race modified Triumph GT6 (60s sports car) that was also in our garage 'if it was in our way' (he was serious too ).

Seems there are a lot of morons on freecyle

crokky · 14/09/2008 14:19

I wouldn't bother freecycling if you just get hassle. In our tip, there is a place called "Too good to bin". You can't just put anything in there, you have to ask the men if the item is good enough and they put it in the place for you (it's locked). They do something with it - pass it on/sell it but either way someone gets to use it and it doesn't get landfilled. If your tip doesn't have this, you could email the council with a suggestion.

wobbegong · 14/09/2008 14:29

Our freecycle is full of flakey people. I spend all afternoon sat in waiting and... no show. It happens all the time.

One time a guy came and expressed total amazement/ annoyance that the 30 cardboard boxes he had agreed to collect were too many to carry. He had to borrow my mobile phone to call someone to come and help him, and that took ten minutes of my credit (I counted). I think he was also catching up on all the family news at the same time.

Also when I have been giving away pregnancy/ baby stuff, people say that they are pregnant and then when they come... not pregnant. I always suspect that they are selling it.

That is funny BigBadMousey about the car. I'll take it off your hands if you still have it about!

cat64 · 14/09/2008 14:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

artichokes · 14/09/2008 14:32

I has similar experience. Peoples' attitudes, the lack of thanks and the money grabbing nature of it has but me off FC. You offer some nice stuff for no money, 10,000 e-mail you persistantly asking for it, you agree to give it to one person and everyone else gets arsey, then the recipients complains because it is not like shop bought (even when you never said it was and you are giving it away free). I once found loads of my stuff from freecycle being sold on Ebay so the complainant was actually making money from me...

I am using charity shops again.

Original poster
BroccoliSpears · 14/09/2008 14:33

Oh yes, asking for other stuff. One woman collected my daughter's old swing and asked if she could also have the toy piano dd was playing with! Erm, no we only bought it last weekend!

lingle - it must be disheartening for you when you give your free time to something like this only to have people bitch about it. Sorry. I do appreciate what you and the other organisers do and I do believe it's essentially a good thing. Unfortunately you can't enforce good manners!

OP posts:
misdee · 14/09/2008 14:35

wobbegong, i am 7montsh pregnant and honestly have just started showing. with previous 3 pregnancies didnt start showing til laround 8months.

GrapefruitMoon · 14/09/2008 14:40

I haven't had any problems with people moaning about the stuff I've offered - but I have a few come around who I'm sure were taking stuff to sell on.... it did nark me a bit but at the same time it is better than taking the stuff to the tip. Lots of the charity shops around here are a bit snooty about what they will accept too....

if I have a few people after things I am offering I now tend to
do a search to check that the person i am giving it to is a regular genuine freecycler. If I am desperate to get rid of something and only one person is interested I am less fussy!

onager · 14/09/2008 15:23

I live in a very poor area. When I've had stuff I didn't need any more I've put it outside with a big note saying "TAKE ME" and someone always does. I don't even care if they resell it. No hassle to me and someone gains out of it.

I even got a thank you note through my door once which felt good since they didn't have to do that.

And yes the charity shops I tried before that made me feel like they were doing me a favour even though there was some nice stuff.

expatinscotland · 14/09/2008 15:35

can you report people who complain to the mods? i mean, they do need to be aware that the items aren't going to be like brand new out of a shop.

maybe the mods need to send out a manners reminder.

Sarimillie · 14/09/2008 15:40

Onager - I was going to say the same thing! Everything I've ever left outside the house with a note has gone, and thjs always makes me happy.

mustrunmore · 14/09/2008 15:43

Ime, you either get a milion enquiries or none at all! Then you arrange for someone to come, they dont, you get hacked off because the item is now in your way cos you got it ready.
But I did meet one nice granny on our freecycle, so I just email her first now if we're lobbing toys out , kids clothes go to friends.

But I have a table here that was a no show.
Wish our tip had a 'too good to bin' section I see so much stuff I want, and am not allowed to pick it up

expatinscotland · 14/09/2008 15:48

i think you should be able to report no-showers and time-wasters.

wish we had a too good to bin in our tip, too.

mustrunmore · 14/09/2008 15:54

Northanmpton has a good section where they flog things off cheaply (not that I was sad enough to go out of my way between london and Shropshire just to look what they had ) I'd love to work in the tip, but dh would have a heart attack at all the stuff I grabbed!!

Flibbertyjibbet · 14/09/2008 16:02

I just joined our local freecyle 3 days ago. I was debating whether to 'unjoin' and this thread has convinced me that its not for me.
I don't want to offer stuff in case the recipients sell it - I would rather get off my arse and ebay/charity shop it. They are not going to say 'can I have it please so I can sell it', they will give some reason why they are desperate for it, then sell it. Which is the bit I have the problem with.
And at first the lists of wanted were funny, but they are getting on my nerves now. In 3 days there have been requests for umpteen computers (must have a tower) laptops (I am disabled so need a laptop ) SAT NAT ffs (I have started a new driving job and keep getting lost) undercounter freezer (must be in excellent cond with no scratches on the front) but today the best of all, someone has put a wanted on freecyle for a farking CARAVAN.

catsmother · 14/09/2008 16:25

I really don't care if someone sells something I give away. We all know that no-one's going to collect anything unless there is some benefit in it for them .... and that might be actual usage, or it might be the opportunity to make a few quid. All I care about is getting rid.

But in view of the fact the recipient is one way or another, going to get something out of the experience, I bloody well wish a few more of them would employ some basic manners. I was trying to get rid of something a few weeks ago and specifically asked the guy to call me if he was unable to come and/or changed his mind so I wasn't sitting in all afternoon. You can guess what happened ..... I found an email later that evening after wasting half a day. A call would have been 10 seconds.

In future, I'm going to stop trying to be quite so helpful and suggest an hour's (not an afternoon) window to pick something up ..... and if they come outside that time, tough.

Onlyaphase · 14/09/2008 17:14

I've had nothing but positive experiences using Freecycle, so I suspect it depends on the area. I was using Freecycle in the Essex/Suffolk area, and offered a lot of stuff. Everyone came when they were supposed to, were incredibly grateful for whatever it was, and often emailed afterwards to thank me again.

Actually, thinking back, the only not so positive experiences was getting rid of baby stuff, and I did think at the time that they were just taking it to be sold. Next time I had baby stuff, I gave it to someone else.

And someone did offer a caravan once, so not that unreasonable to ask for one I suppose!

supercollider · 14/09/2008 17:17

Yes, my experiences with Freecycle have all been good, whether I'm giving or getting.

I do understand that it's irritating if people are rude, or don't turn up. But it's never happened to me.

frogs · 14/09/2008 17:20

I've pretty much always had good experiences maybe I've just been lucky. The only suggestion I would make is not to offer stuff to the first person to reply wait for a while to see what responses you get, and then check through the emails and choose the person who sounds politest and most reliable.

filthymindedvixen · 14/09/2008 17:25

I've only had positive experiences on mine. Though there are the usual tossers who offer nothing but a used pair of tights and then start posting for cars, wiis etc.
Of course there is the risk that people are selling on stuff - but I'm sure they are in a minority and as I can't be arsed to flog tat on ebay, they are doing me a favour in just getting it our of my house! IYSWIM.
I'm afraid I'm a bit cliquey now and I have a mental list now of people who I know to be genuine sorts and they get preference if I am offering something...