Idiots who say they will and then they don’t 🤬

Please give it to the charity shop rather than the dump.

I love rummaging through the craft section in charity shops, even though I have enough craft stuff to keep me going indefinitely.

Or, on the other hand, are there no local church groups who would take it off your hands. They often run craft groups and make things for charity. My MIL's church knits dolls, blankets etc.

AreWeThereYet

There used to be someone on our Freecycle who responded to almost all ads, saying she was in a wheelchair and couldn't drive and could it be delivered. I felt pretty bad about not being able to deliver but told her I couldn't and gave it to someone else.

Found out later she responds to all ads, isn't in a wheelchair, quite a few people felt sorry for her and helped out by delivering - and she was selling everything on in the market. She was banned after a while.

There is somebody here who hoovers up any item that is offered on our local WhatsApp group, even if they could not be any possible use to her. For example I offered a high chair and she was after that, though she has no children or grandchildren.
I always try to give things to people who could conceivably be planning to use them themselves rather than sell them on, and now tell Mrs Hoover that the items have gone.

We have we a lovely neighbours what’s app group and if any of us has an item they have that’s useful and no longer needed we advertise it and either put it on the step to be picked up or take it round . I have been given loads and given out loads - we never charge for it . Otherwise always goes to the charity shop or if knitting stuff to a friend or my knitting group .

When my brother died we put loads of cds dvds, new linen, a few clothes, books etc marked free on the wall outside and in 20mins it was all gone. You often see things left outside here even furniture with free to collecter written on it. We picked up a bedside table ourselves
On FB its pot luck if they turn up or not even for free items
Ebay they need to pay before collection and give you a collection number to claim your money. Ebay has no commision fees now except for car parts. You can still get non payers though.
Hth xx

I also use freecycle.org
There is someone occasionally who is not very organised and makes me sigh - but I have given away quite odd (!) things successfully there.

Most people are very pleased to have it. Even fairly old/incomplete stuff.

I have had both free and paid-for stuff from Gumtree but haven't needed to use it for giving away things.

You are not alone. Usually things being given away, people arrange to collect and don't come , don't answer queries. I do put outside if weather wet. Lack of thanks also. I have a theory there is more commitment if payment involved

Millie22

I've got two winter coats that I'd love to give away to someone in need of one but how to find out if they are genuine.

It's a challenge as they may well just sell them on and keep the money.

Our libraries take coats and have a rail which says help yourself.
Personally I do not care what they do with my items once they have collected as it is no longer mine to worry about.

Too many people want something for nothing these days. I have a very old-fashioned, large tea set with side plates, cups, saucers, teapot, bread and butter plates, jam pot, cake stand, sugar bowl and milk jug. My children are horrified that it may come to them. Instead they have instructions to let a vintage tea shop have them for free where they will at least get used and hopefully admired.

Couldn't you donate it to a charity shop?

Whethertomorrow, I started Swedish death cleaning for the same reasons so my own AC wouldn’t have to deal with all our clutter for want of a better word. I put a chaise on Gumtree, a fire place and marble surround and 6 leather dining chairs on Gumtree, didn’t want any money just wanted rid of them without them going to land fill and all went within a day or two. I had tried some local charities, but as we’d removed the safety labels they weren’t interested. Now my final DS has moved out will need to start on his room, oh joy

I must have been very lucky! I've recently done a clear out in the loft: a large family sized suitcase on wheels, a rug, 2 lamps, an electric fan heater and a child'scar seat. All in good condition and advertised on a local facebook page. Everything was collected at agreed times and every single person who took them gave profuse thanks and a couple of people even gave me a box of biscuits in exchange. Happy with that!

Please, please take your unwanted items to a charity shop. It's a waste to dump perfectly good items. My mother makes hats and gloves for shoeboxes and wool from charity shops means that many more children can benefit from them because the wool is so much cheaper there.

Millie22.

Give your coats to a charity shop or the Salvation Army.

Homeless and hard up people will benefit then.

I put lots of things at the entrance to my drive, and the vast majority went. Depends on how busy your road is, of course, and sounds as though this may be physically demanding.
I've also given away a lot of things on Facebook, with great success. Found everyone polite, and gave them second chances to collect. Only a sofa didn't go, and I can understand that as it didn't have fire retardant labels.

It’s generally easier to take things to charity shops, and some will collect. Also the local rubbish tip has a shop where items in good condition, half used tins of paint etc are sold. When we downsized earlier this year, we got rid of a lot of stuff that way.
Also got a bit impatient with time wasters for things we did sell and if they didn’t show up, just relisted the items.

Sadly it’s very common for people not to turn up. I have posted a lot of free items on marketplace. People ask such stupid questions about the items, then ask if I can deliver the item. Items are free but a lot of people want more! And then when we arrange a suitable time for collecting many don’t turn up and never let me know.

However I once gave away a lot of bubble wrap, we had just moved so had loads. A lovely lady turned up at agreed time with some cakes in exchange for the bubble wrap.

Tools with a Mission will, in some areas, take tools, knitting machines,sewing machines etc. They refurbish them if necessary and then transfer them to some countries in Africa for example to enable women to set up their own businesses. They do have a website

Just on the point of people accepting second hand items and then selling them on. This really doesn’t worry me as I had finished with the item and if the money raised helps pay a gas bill or buys food for their children so be it. I feel you have to give graciously.

I admire all of you who take the time to recycle and help others but here it is all but impossible to do so. We have few charity shops (just one in our town and none in the three neighbouring towns), Freecycle attracts no takers here, and whenever I've tried advertising in the post office I've had no response. My Son in law emptied our loft this weekend (50 years of stuff up there) cos we are having a new roof and I'm afraid the whole lot has gone to the refuse centre. I made the effort to sort it so clothes, books etc when into the right areas but otherwise it mostly went in "non-recyclable waste". I simply couldn't manage anything else.

Our dump has a shop, so all the clean books, ornaments, cookware, vacuum cleaners, pictures etc are sold in there for local charities.

Agreed, Tilly8.

In many cases, the person collecting the item is doing the donor a favour by saving them a trip to the tip or the cost of a council collection, but I sometimes see items offered ‘to someone in need’ and even requests for people to message the donor to say why they need it🙄

If I don’t want something I could sell it myself if I could be bothered. If I just want rid of it, I don’t care if the recipient sells it on. The only thing that does irk me (apart from people not turning up) is seeing the same few people taking everything. They must have alerts set to tell them when a new post is made, as they swoop at all hours.

The site I use is mainly for upcycling/recycling, and is supposed to be a community resource. It’s obvious when the same names want everything from highchairs to old doors and radiators and three TVs in as many weeks that they see it as a business opportunity which is not the purpose of the site.

I have been on next door .com to give stuff away with no success. I have had lots of success with Freecycle though, & Gumtree for things that are worth a modest amount. Ebay takes a bit of getting used to to get the best from it, but I've got several of my hoard on there at the moment, collectors use it praps more than other sites.Vinted is my favourite,for clothes / pet accessories, so easy to put things on, so easy to keep track of payments, timely refund when the "locker to locker" system failed on a purchase, good sales, so easy to send things. Whats not to like?

I wanted to get rid of a ten year old oak sideboard which still looks good. I can't be bothered to sell on any of these websites so I got in touch with the Princess Alice Hospice furniture donations. They pick up free of charge, inspect to see if it's in good condition and take or not take. They were very quick to respond, took it and thanked me for what they said would be a generous donation which made me very happy.

I had a friend who worked at the local dump. He was amazed at the stuff people took there and the workers often got the pick of the stuff people were throwing out. Some things would have been totally saleable but their owners just couldn't be bothered! He gave me some electronic items to save from landfill. He said they once got a brand new TV because it was the wrong size! The person getting rid said 'The wife wanted a bigger one!"

I'm a big believer in Freegle having given and received many things over the years. Most people come as agreed and are very grateful for what they receive. The few that aren't are definitely in the minority.