Deciding who to give to on Freecycle?

[Pootle]

Many people on our Freecycle group put names in a hat. Firm but fair! It also gives those who can only get to the computer in the evening a fighting chance.

I think that's the best solution if they all seem equally 'worthy', at least you can reply saying you had such a big response that you had to randomise who received your items.

It's true that there are people who just reply to everything and also people who post the most ridiculous 'wants' all the time - I personally choose not to give things to them or to the really curt ones. It doesn't take much effort to be polite (or reasonably grateful!)

[NOG]

I always offer to the first person who replys except If they have let me down before or cross post or post loads of Wanted.

[Tigerella]

Hi

When I am wanting or giving, I try to find the closest bidder.
It is supposed to be a time of climate change and freecycle helps that.
It is also better for them to collect if they are closer, so you wont get time wasters who can only make it at a certain time.

T

[rustylady]

Haven't used Freecycle much, but the few things I have advertised (via daughter) I've been glad when people have actually turned up to collect. Apart from one idiot who came to the lottie to collect some stuff I'd inherited from the shed and spent most of the time telling me what I was doing wrong whilst trampling all over my plants. I did get a bit cross with him.

[lozza_9]

Hiya

I normal check how active people have been on freecycle. Some people just take everything and dont give anything.

I am a moderator for Freecycle and we have a database for people who dont turn up or just mess people around. Three strikes and they get removed from the group. have you considered letting your freecycle moderator know?

LW

[lozza_9]

Is there a quick easy way to check what people post? I get the daily digest and when I've created a new post I do it through the link onthe bottom of the email.. I don't really know my way around the site itself . Good point though

Just type the username in the search box at the top

[Alison]

I tend to give to the first one who replies that doesn't annoy me - ie if they they are rude, have previously been useless, difficult to contact etc then they're crossed off. Am also mighty suspicious of sob stories. Other than that, I've done by bit so it's up to them to make use of the object.

[batpixie]

I recently got a good response from an item I put on freecycle. I gave each of the replies a number and then asked OH to pick a number at random. Similar to putting names in a hat, but I didn't have to waste time or paper writing down all the names.

[Starchild]

Hiya

I normal check how active people have been on freecycle. Some people just take everything and dont give anything.



LW

I don't give much on freecycle, I don't have anything to give! I did furnish the house via freecycle when we first got it. I tend to use stuff until it's unusable.

[Rockhag]

I don't give to people who say"I'll take the lot "when I'm advertising a lot of random stuff as it's probably for a car boot sale.

Yeah I had a guy recently who said that to a various offer I posted. I let him take one decent item and the rest of the non decent items. Seemed ok with it but it blatant that he wanted the other stuff just to re-sell.