Is it me, or do these people have a nerve?

Over the years I have given away very many items on Freecycle both in London, (before I moved) and here is Weston-super-Mare. I always state full details, measurements, colours, etc. as well as photos, and that item has to be collected (also state if it will need van, nor car due to size, -and two people if heavy). I will only ever accept cash.

In the early days, everything was fine, but as time went on found that so many fraudsters of one sort of the other tried to get in on this. I noted that as soon as I advertised anything, virtually immediately I would get replies, saying they were interested usually asking for dimensions (which I had already given). These people never followed it through and I learned that there are computer programmes that send this message to all advertisers, then they pick and choose.

Where people are genuine and most are, I love the feeling of having helped someone along the way albeit with a bookcase, a bed, a wardrobe, a table - whatever.

Then there are the total criminals. I was offering a fridge. (nearly new, but I wanted it gone so was only asking for a ver small sumj). Someone contacted me and I thought we were in pretty much agreement - until I got a message saying that they had arranged for a delivery company to come to collect it and as they will be bringing some cash to pay for it they needed to have special insurance - so would I give that to the collectors with the fridge, and it would be included in the cash they were giving to me for the fridge.

Offering things free is only generous if they have a resale value, which much old furniture does not, and if the owner can be bothered to list it and package it or otherwise arrange delivery to the customer. As often as not, someone coming to get it is doing the owner a favour by removing the need to get rid of it themselves - few charity shops will now accept furniture or large items. A lot of people willing to take used furniture with no value will not have spare money. If they did they would buy new. The chances are higher than average, therefore, that they won't have transport, and if hiring a van will cost more than the item is worth (very probably, if it is being offered free of charge) then it's not worth it.

It is different if the item is a carriage clock or a vase - something that could be carried home by the taker or taken to a charity shop by the owner - but even then there is effort attached if the owner would prefer the item to be used and not clog up landfill.

We had a big clearout a couple of years ago, renovating some rooms and decorating everywhere. Quite a few items had to go to make way for new ones. I listed them on a local site and stated 'collection only', as the larger things needed a van rather than a car (eg a sideboard). There were two wingback chairs that had to go too. Someone took one, and a young woman came to see the other and loved it, but as she had a small car it wouldn't fit in the back. Mr D's car is quite large, so we dropped the back seats and put it in there and delivered it (about 8 miles). Why wouldn't we? The alternative was to take it to the tip or have it under our feet until someone with the means to take it home took it away. I also had a lot of adult colouring books and pens which someone wanted for a care home, but they were too heavy for her to take on the bus. Again, dropping them off was much more sensible than disposing of them.

I know what people mean about the tone of replies though. I have had some quite dreadful ones. I offered a free microwave and one reply was just 'Address?' before I'd even agreed that he could have it. I had given the area in the listing, so it's not as though he was working out whether he could get here or not.

Another time I was getting rid of a vacuum cleaner and a woman messaged to say 'If you take it to X shop at 6.00 I will get it from you there.' No 'please', 'thank you', or 'would you be able to?' If she had said she didn't have a car but would love the cleaner, so would I be able to get it to her then Mr D would have taken it happily. No more effort than taking it to the tip, which would be a shame, as it was fine - I was just replacing it with a cordless model. As it was, I was annoyed by the tone and we eat at 6.00, so I said no. There were others interested anyway.

Don't get me started about the 'no shows' and the 'grabbers' though. Our local site has started to ban those who say they want something then don't collect it as arranged, and those who never give anything but take more than three items a week. There are definitely people who have alerts set when items are listed, and pounce on far more things than one person could possibly need for personal use. That is not the purpose of the group, which is to pass on and reuse things that would otherwise be wasted. It is meant to be collaborative, not grasping.

The thing about Freecycle is that it is often used by people with no spare money and therefore no car. Yes, the items are free, but if someone has no car and can't drive (so can't hire a van) and the item is too big to carry on the bus they can't have it.

Possibly the person offering the goods doesn't have a car either for the same reasons. Although my experience of Freecycle was that, judging by the cars people turned up in, many of the people on Freecycle were quite comfortably off - and why shouldn't they be. We certainly got a number of things off Freecycle, as well as disposing of them that way.

I use freegle a lot and I once delivered to someone as she came to collect but couldn't fit the item in her car so I took it round as she was quite close by. She didn't ask, I offered! Some people post 'wanted's and say they have no transport but I would only help if they were very close by. I find most people are lovely but you can usually tell by the tone of the reply what they are likely to be like and if there is more than one person after an item I choose the recipient carefully!

You were perfectly reasonable. Offering it for free was generous, and asking £10 for delivery was fair. If they can't collect and aren't polite or grateful, you're under no obligation to go out of your way.

valdavi

I offered a bulky item on Freecycle a month ago (free), & it didn't go. Yesterday I had a reply saying they'd like it but had no transport, did I do delivery?
As I dislike waste & it's got years of use left in it, I asked where they lived & said if it was anywhere I'd be near in the next few days I'd take it for £10.
They replied to say where they were, "near-by" and gave a list of times they'd be available to take delivery!! As it was 18 miles distant in a direction I only travel once a year, I just said sorry no can do. The tip's a mile away.
No "thank you" at any point either!

You're too nice! ☺️ I'd have told them to f**k off 😡🤣

Nobody is saying why they think it's being a good responsible person to put things on Freecycle yet limit them to those who can afford cars.

There is another thread going about the evils of fly tipping and how erratic and expensive it can be to get the council to pick up unwanted items. Ours is £25 an item unless you are on benefits, (and even then there is only a 25% discount), yet people would rather pay that than take an old microwave or whatever to someone's house knowing it will help them out and avoid landfill. I just don't understand.

Happens all the time! I always add pick up only! I'm not a delivery service

knspol

Never used Freecycle because have heard so many tales about people collecting stuff and then selling it to make a profit. Just take what I can to the charity shops and other stuff goes in a skip.

Why would you pollute the planet by putting things into landfill just to stop someone from making money by selling something you don’t want? Are you hiring a skip at your own expense rather than take your discarded item to someone who could use it?

I’d really like an explanation as I just don’t understand that way of thinking at all.

Also, those who pride themselves on using Freecycle ‘to help others’ - exactly how do you think someone with no money and no car is supposed to collect the goods you don’t want or need any more? It’s different if the item is small and can be carried on a bus, but the sort of things that go on Freecycle are usually old TVs, microwaves and furniture. Would you really prefer to drive to a charity shop with them than to the house of someone who could really make use of them? What if the charity shop sells the items to someone with an eBay shop? Does that change things? You don’t want the stuff anyway, so why does it matter what happens to it, so long as it’s not clogging up landfill?

I’m not suggesting that people hire Pickfords or go to huge lengths to drop things off, but if you are happy to drive to a charity shop or hire a skip, why not help someone out?

These people soind like pee takers supreme. I bet they are ruuning a scam or some kind of second hand,furniture business.

You were trying to be a good responsible person by using Freecycle. Next time l wouldn't bother. Just get your local council to take it away

Never used Freecycle because have heard so many tales about people collecting stuff and then selling it to make a profit. Just take what I can to the charity shops and other stuff goes in a skip.

They are a in a category of species recently discovered. They expect strangers to run around for them even though a kind friend or neighbour might help them out if asked.
My DH had an item on Facebook marketplace. Someone just a 25 minute drive away offered half of the very fair asking price as we "live so far away". A gentleman drove from the same town as the other person, to buy a few plants from me for £2. He didn't quibble or complain that I lived too far away.
We have driven all over the place to collect insulation and flooring we purchased through Facebook. Saved us a small fortune Never once have we been concerned about the distance. Makes a nice day out somewhere new and met some lovely people.

The thing about Freecycle is that it is often used by people with no spare money and therefore no car. Yes, the items are free, but if someone has no car and can't drive (so can't hire a van) and the item is too big to carry on the bus they can't have it.

I have used a local group to get rid of things, and to be frank having someone come to the house and get them is so much easier than taking them to the tip and costs me nothing, whilst getting the council to collect large items is expensive, and large items have to be chopped up to fit them in the car, which is a waste of time and is bad for the environment. Passing them on is as much a case of the collectors doing me a favour as it is me doing a favour for them.

Depending on where they live and whether the item would fit in our car, Mr D would drop something off to help someone starting out or to stop it going to landfill - why not? If Mr Dog wasn't available, however, I would have to say no as I don't drive, but I wouldn't think someone was being cheeky to ask.

What I don't like is when people are curt in their replies, such as just writing 'address?', or when they hold conversations with others about my things as though I wasn't there. 'Would this do for your spare room, Susan? If you cut the legs off and paint it orange it might be ok.' Why not message privately and point Susan in the direction of the offer?

People really do mess you about on free cycle. They are desperate to have the item and they don't turn up - no apology or text. So rude!

I once made the mistake of putting two things out on my porch for collection by two different people, on opposite sides of the porch. Heard one collecting a table lamp then the other one arrived and knocked on door. No petty cash tin on porch - the first guy had taken both. Had to apologise for wasted journey, then sent a very snotty email to the guy who nicked it.

I offered a water butt free on FB. Yes please says an acquaintance 200 m down the road. Can I take it round? She's 25 years younger than me. So it's still in my shed.

yes people are really cheeky

No, no, - up to them to collect or find a friend etc - you are just offering the item!

We had a very expensive rug but I posted it for about a third of the price . In pristine condition. I was offered £10 to deliver it and no more . It needs 2 people to even lift it . I did not even reply as I thought they were taking the mickey.

What really annoyed me in my eBay days was the person who asked if I would sell her both the two items I listed for the price of the cheapest one. She said the more expensive one wasn’t worth it and looked ‘below standard’. I replied that if that was the case, she certainly wouldn’t want it and that I wouldn’t be selling her the other item either! She wasn’t happy!

yes there are some decent people around ,,but there are many more who just chance their luck..

I offered some free crockery and the nice lady .who collected still wanted to pay. There are some decent people about.

We came across that several times when we were clearing out and moving to a much smaller property and always said we were unable to deliver.

We gave DH's old school violin away to someone with a sad tale. When we went to our next local auction, looking for stock for our antique stall, one of the lots was DH's violin. To our satisfaction, it didn't sell.

The only reason we had given it away was because DH said it was such a poor child beginner's instrument, that he could not justify selling it.

I have used freecycle a lot and the "customers" vary from a young photography student just setting out who was over the moon with the kit I gave him to someone collecting a table and some curtains who I am pretty sure was a dealer.