Why do people do it?

A friend advertised a wardrobe on a free site. A couple turned up in muddy boots, didn’t offer to take them off - and made a terrible mess of her cream carpet. She had to pay to get it cleaned!

I had a mental picture of you running up the motorway with your trailer on a bit of string Elegran made me laugh.

We offered DH's violin for sale on Freegle. He had had it since school days, and not played it since then either.

Next time we visited our local auction rooms, there it was for sale. It fetched £20.

Now if we think anything we have would sell at auction we put it up for sale ourselves.

Just going through exactly the same thing. People letting you down.
We put in an advertisement to give away two duvets. Woman said she would come to collect. She didn't arrive at the appointed time. Then wrote 7 hours later she had been in bed all day. She then said she would come on Thursday [day before yesterday]. Guess what? No show, no excuse, no apology. What is wrong with these people? Reliability is obviously not their strong point.

I think people reserve things they aren't sure about because things generally go to first comment.

It's happened to me a few times and I shortly afterwards saw someone who ignored my reply taking a different version from someone else.

I think it's a bit like when you see bits in a sale rack and carry around all the options you like then decide what to keep at the end.

On my way home earlier someone had put two desk top fans on their gateposts with a sign saying 'FREE'. I bet people will be too polite to take them,

I once put a desk chair out like that with a sign saying free.
When it was still there a week later I changed the sign to £5. It went that night

Elegran that is very funny and I hope it is what you said to him.
We have advertised items for free and they have been taken away gratefully by people so have not experienced any annoyances, but our son says he has been very angry when people do not turn up or turn up and look at the item then say no thanks.What more can you do than take photo and say it is free.

We have a local 'Reuse or Repair' page, where people offer things they were going to throw out that someone could recycle in some way. It's often things like odd rolls of wallpaper that children could draw on or use for paper mache, or yoghurt cartons for seedlings, tiles to break up for mosaics - that sort of thing. People are ingenious with their upcycling projects, and it's good to see things that would otherwise go to the tip get a new lease of life.

Once a week we can put up items to freecycle, such as an old TV, baby things, kitchen gadgets etc. The same couple of people pounce every time. They can't possibly need everything they take - everything from furniture to books to electricals, so presumably they sell them on, which is completely against the ethos of the site. Admin has tried restricting 'takes' to one a week, but that means that genuine people can miss out on things. For a while they tried asking people to message the giver, so that they could decide in private who got it, but that led to issues, too. It's really frustrating, and despite the numerous 'some people' threads, the 'takers' keep doing it, and others worry that it is they who are being talked about.

As an update, I message the person on Friday afternoon stating that someone else was. hankering. after the item and she should collect before Saturday evening. She promised to come Friday evening when passing, again another no show!

The item will go to a new home tomorrow with someone who I know has genuinely wanted it for some time and will appreciate it.

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and comments.

A week ago I had a lady ask for an item and we made a time of 5 pm for collection 5 pm came and went…. at 9.30pm I got a message saying ‘now leaving’ I answered ‘ok see you soon’ ( I wasn’t really happy with 9.30pm but wanted to sell the item

Anyway she must be coming a blooming long way because she still hasn’t arrived

Yes BlueBelle, it does make you wonder how some people manage their lives doesn't it?

I have two items up for sale at the moment. Had an enquiry about one this morning asking lots of questions and leaving two contact numbers. I called both numbers, both 'unavailable'. I left my number. Shortly afterwards I got a call from someone who said 'Why are you calling me? I don't know you. F* off! It was of the contact numbers from the enquiry to my ad. If the enquirer should call again I think I'll tell them it's been sold, I wouldn't want to sell it to them now.

I've often had people fail to collect sale items. Or ask to view something and then not turn up. It's so rude.