I'm giving stuff away on Freecycle - so why do I feel guilty?

[Abubu]

I'm having a declutter and instead of ebaying everything have decided to give some stuff out on Freecycle to try to help someone in more need than me.

Anyway, I gave away something earlier, then realised that I had totally missed an email from the first person who requested it and should have given it to him.

Then I noticed that the person I gave my items to had put in a lot of WANTED requests and starting to wonder if she was just getting the stuff to sell at a bootsale....until I read one of their emails saying "sorry for all the requests but we are a very poor family"...so felt guilty again for thinking bad things.

I thought this Freecycling was supposed to give you the feel good factor?

I don't always give to the 1st response, there are so many people that say yes please to everything and some I have spotted selling at carboots. I usually give it 24 hours and see what response I get and give it to someone who is polite, gives a reason for wanting it etc. A lot of people do resell from freecycle though, its hard to be sure its going to someone who needs it.

Always best to wait for a while and not just give to the first person who requests it. Afterall, many people will be at work, some don't have internet access at home and will beusing it when they go to the local library, some people only get the daily roundup.

Wait 24 hrs then choose

I know what you mean, I find it a bit hard turning some people down.
I think caykon's solution is the best, then at least I don't then feel awful when someone in more need emails after I've given it to the first asker.

I do the same - I wait for 24hrs before offering it to somebody and always like some kind of reasoning as opposed to "I will have it, when can I collect?" which really gets me.

Don't feel guilty - you are giving it away full stop - doing your bit for the planet and helping somebody less fortunate than yourself.

Way to go!

Everyone freecycles differently.

I am a first come, first served job (don't care if they carboot tbh as they clearly can be bothered to work to sell my stuff, let them get on with it), others wait for the most reliable etc.

With "someone who sells" vs "someone who needs" - I don't see the difference tbh, everyone needs something. The seller may need money to pay for rent, which imo comes higher than the needer who needs a tv (does that make sense?)

It's a convenience to me if they take it away, I don't mind if they resell.
What I do mind is time-wasters; I get heaps of them. People who say they're interested and that they'll come asap but then NEVER come back to me about it. I had this with a stairgate recently.

Offered to first reply; they sounded keen. But After 3 days of no-show I offered it to the next emailer, who picked it up within 24 hours and left me a lovely Thank You card to boot.

There's also,
"I want it, ring me on 0797 (long mob. number)"
You don't want it that much, do you? If you did you'd be saying when you can pick it up instead of asking me to arrange collection. And given the high likelihood of time-wasting, I'm definitely not going to pay for a phone call to you about it.

I'm a first come first serve too!

I hate it when I get sob stories as replies. Always makes me more suspicious and less likely to give tbh.

Yes people who give you their mobiles are infuriating and never get called bloomin cheek.

Its the wanted posts that make me laugh!think half the posters have never heard of that other source of goods.....shops! The amount of request lateley for trampolenes with enclosures on ours. I can understand requests for small things, jam jars, books etc but laptops and the like pah!

Some Laptops are so ancient that they are no good to anybody. We tried but failed for ages to give away some perfectly good computer monitors.
I don't mind requests; what kind of car would you receive on Freecycle, anyway, if you did ask for one? Ditto dishwasher, trampolene, etc.

In the past 24hrs on our local one there have been requests for a Nintendo Ds, Tom tom sat nav and a greenhouse. Just greedy/cheeky

But yes would wonder on the condition of said items if given!

Message withdrawn

I thought it was illegal to sell something you'd been given on Freecycle, or against their T&Cs at least? You should report people you have evidence are doing it - they are stopping people such as the family above from receiving. Don't feel too sad about missing one email though!

Someone who only uses Freecycle occasionally for items they really would like/need may not realise that others are writing long "why I need this" emails. I would choose to give the item to someone who sounds polite and likely to turn up when they say they will.

The whole point of Freecycle is to avoid landfill so if people want to sell my stuff n - good luck to them. I'd do it myself if I could be bothered. I usually give to the first emailer, but always thank the others for their interest. I've had so many grateful people take the stuff but I always wan to say No, no, thank YOU for not making me have to look at that plug-ugly bookcase/rug/settee any more