Freecycle - has anyone used it?

Over the years we have given away lots of stuff via our local "Freegle/Trash Nothing" group. Most of this was totally value-less (eg: jam jars, a useful length of garden hose...) and it's great to see these things not going to the tip! Occasionally we have had items from there (e.g. children's outside toys for when our DGC visited us). Our experiences continue to be positive overall.

Chestnut

M0nica

Chestnut Have you ever looked at the range of goods on offer on Freegle? We had a lot of people wanting DH's violin all with convincing and valid reasons for wanting it.

No school or musical school would have wanted it it was quite old and never a good instrument. DH said one of the the reasons he stopped playing it was because it was such a poor instrument, with poor tone and his parents couldn't afford a better one. And it sold for only £20. However I am now very careful what I put on Freecycle/Freegle.

If it was old and never a good instrument, and you didn't want to bother selling it, then why is it an issue when someone else sells it? I don't understand. You hand it over and from that moment it's not your problem. Let it go.

That's my view of it. Freegle/Frecycle/Trash Nothing are recycling sites, not charities. I have seen people insisting that things they are throwing out go to 'someone who really needs it', as though they are donating their organs, not clearing out the house.

If you (generic) have something you don't want, you can go to the hassle of selling it yourself if you want the money, but I don't understand being annoyed when someone else sells it if you can't be bothered.

M0nica

Chestnut Have you ever looked at the range of goods on offer on Freegle? We had a lot of people wanting DH's violin all with convincing and valid reasons for wanting it.

No school or musical school would have wanted it it was quite old and never a good instrument. DH said one of the the reasons he stopped playing it was because it was such a poor instrument, with poor tone and his parents couldn't afford a better one. And it sold for only £20. However I am now very careful what I put on Freecycle/Freegle.

If it was old and never a good instrument, and you didn't want to bother selling it, then why is it an issue when someone else sells it? I don't understand. You hand it over and from that moment it's not your problem. Let it go.

but does it really matter that the recipient sold it ?
presumably the gifter could have done that ?
when i first read freecycle, i saw the phrase,
no time wasters please.
i thought that sounded a bit off, until i got involved and realised exactly why that phrase appeared.
a friend wanted to get rid of an old but serviceable sofa, to make space.
a student said he'd love it but needed to liaise with a friend who had a big enough vehicle.
i told her to say it was available on one saturday morning only, to the first taker.
but she felt sorry for the student and held it back.
various promised collections came and went.
he never said he wasn't coming/didn't want it anymore.
and the others who had been interested had got something else.
when clearing a flat, we just gave the locality and a strict time window. people who rang up and sounded sensible were given the address.
one woman kept trying to convince us to hold over items until she could come. no can do.
we had no time for messing about. she was a nuisance, kept ringing while we were trying to work.

Chestnut Have you ever looked at the range of goods on offer on Freegle? We had a lot of people wanting DH's violin all with convincing and valid reasons for wanting it.

No school or musical school would have wanted it it was quite old and never a good instrument. DH said one of the the reasons he stopped playing it was because it was such a poor instrument, with poor tone and his parents couldn't afford a better one. And it sold for only £20. However I am now very careful what I put on Freecycle/Freegle.

A lot depends on the items being gifted. A violin is very likely to end up being sold! I would have sold that myself or found a genuine recipient through a local secondary school or music school.

I have probably gifted about 50 or more items over the last few years, some being absolute rubbish (but taken gratefully). I would suggest putting a good description and photograph, it makes a huge difference. I've not had any trouble with the recipients, just one out of all those messed me about re collecting. They always come and pick up, no-one has ever asked me to deliver! Maybe Trash Nothing is a better site, I don't know. I have used it in two different parts of the country and both were just as good.

Maizie Freegled a printer/copier and a computer keyboard yesterday.I have previously freegled lamps. So no problem with electricals

kittylester Ercol is highly valuable, you would probably have been better auctioning it - and then giving the money to charity. We were watching an auction this morning. A vintage Ercol table went for £1,000 and six chairs for £500.

But I know what you mean, we were furious to find DH's learner violin, in an auction room only days after we gave it to some one

I used Freecycle regularly at our previous house. The small print says the person taking the goods has to collect. We had a couple of no shows but on the whole everyone turned up and was grateful (we got wine from one and chocs off another which I didn't expect). However we moved home 12 months ago to a semi rural location and since then have had no success in giving goods away. We got let down numerous times once I told them the full address. Since then I contacted a charity about 10 miles away who collect. No issues at all they've taken electrical items, small pieces of furniture and bric-a-brac and on the day/time agreed. No longer post on FC as folk don't appear to want to travel more than 2 or 3 miles from nearest town.

Had a lot of annoying no shows, while clearing my MIL's house recently. Worth looking at this charity which comes to collect - we also had lots of blankets for a dog charity, which a lady came to pick up.

anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/

Doodledog

I use both Freecycle and a local recycle page which takes things like offcuts of wood, half tins of paint and cones from the centre of knitting yarn. People use them for all sorts of projects, it gets them out of your house when you've finished with them, and it saves on landfill.

Freecycle does attract some 'grabbers' who pounce on everything and probably sell it on, but so long as they turn up and take the items, I don't really care. If I want rid of something and someone else can make a few quid by selling it, it's a win-win, as far as I can see. What annoys me is when you take the time to measure items so that people can see whether they'll fit in their car, and state clearly that you want them to be collected, then you get people asking if you'll deliver as their car is too small, and/or messaging you at the last minute to say something has come up and they aren't coming. I've had a lot of that lately and it's maddening.

I don't measure, deliver, or waste time. Come take it or not. Be timely and we'll let you in the locked gate and show you to the locked shed.

It’s amazing what people will take. For dd’s wedding I did simple flowers for the dinner tables - in jam jars covered with hessian! Table numbers were easy to add on brown gift tags.

Afterwards I put the jars - 20 of them IIRC - on Freecycle. I never really thought anyone would want them, but someone did.

Chestnut

kittylester

I stopped doing it because the items often turned up on FB market place. Most notably an Ercol table.

We prefer to take things to our favourite charity shops as it helps fund raising.

Our charity shops do take electrical items. and have people who PAT test them.

A charity shop is preferable if the items are worth selling. Trash Nothing is more for items unlikely to sell. I don't care what happens to them. The person has come to my house and taken away something I don't want and which no-one would probably want to buy. What's not to like?

I'd be thrilled if someone sold my discards/made money. Recycling.

I use both Freecycle and a local recycle page which takes things like offcuts of wood, half tins of paint and cones from the centre of knitting yarn. People use them for all sorts of projects, it gets them out of your house when you've finished with them, and it saves on landfill.

Freecycle does attract some 'grabbers' who pounce on everything and probably sell it on, but so long as they turn up and take the items, I don't really care. If I want rid of something and someone else can make a few quid by selling it, it's a win-win, as far as I can see. What annoys me is when you take the time to measure items so that people can see whether they'll fit in their car, and state clearly that you want them to be collected, then you get people asking if you'll deliver as their car is too small, and/or messaging you at the last minute to say something has come up and they aren't coming. I've had a lot of that lately and it's maddening.

kittylester

I stopped doing it because the items often turned up on FB market place. Most notably an Ercol table.

We prefer to take things to our favourite charity shops as it helps fund raising.

Our charity shops do take electrical items. and have people who PAT test them.

A charity shop is preferable if the items are worth selling. Trash Nothing is more for items unlikely to sell. I don't care what happens to them. The person has come to my house and taken away something I don't want and which no-one would probably want to buy. What's not to like?

I have been using Trash Nothing (Freecycle) for several years and have gifted countless unwanted items! No matter what it is someone will want it. Even some used hair rollers and a box of old roller castors! It's absolutely brilliant.
Trash Nothing Website

I use Olio ... I have put items on there, although never had anything ... the person having the items collect them, at a convenient time to you, no hassle at all

I stopped doing it because the items often turned up on FB market place. Most notably an Ercol table.

We prefer to take things to our favourite charity shops as it helps fund raising.

Our charity shops do take electrical items. and have people who PAT test them.

I've used it, though not that recently. I got rid of two wing chairs, and later a beautiful but too big for the than current house dining table and chairs.

The good thing was, presumably still is, that you invite requests and then choose one. I guess that way you could exclude persistent grabbers.

Many times giving away some good stuff when mil auntie and uncle died. I eventually stopped because too many people were expecting photos measurements deliveries and being a nuisance messing us around.
We thought we were doing one person a favour by delivering something he wanted as he said he was disabled. We drove ten miles to his flat and he wasn’t in. He had both of our phone numbers and could easily have arranged another day but he didn’t I thought that was so mean of him.

Yes, I've used it often. over the years. Its also quite good if you are looking for something that is not easy to get hold of. I've given things mostly. There is a slight negative that people say they will come and then don't show up... but there are 'ratings' given to people for how reliable they are, so I read that. It's next to the persons name. I check out all the people who are interested before I commit to anyone. I try to find the person nearest for ecological reasons but also like to get a sense of who the person is.
Some people say 'I want it'... others say they would love it because... I tend to give it to the second type.

Yes, have often used it to get rid of something and have also collected things.

Yes I have - got rid of an old garden chair (the huge armchair type )

Thanks for your response. I’ve registered with three different towns so we’ll see what happens.

Can you Freecycle electrical goods? I have a few electrical items in fine working order to give away. The local charity shops won't take any electrical items.

Where we live now, I've delivered a few times, because I know the person and that she has social issues and doesn't drive. On my way to do other stuff, so no skin off my nose. Why not.