Freecycle

[zazen999]

Just joined a few groups again, mainly for things for the schools for their gardens. I left 2 groups a while back but since joining last night, I've seen wanteds for Ipod touch [he really wants one, but please make sure it works ], and an IMac [apparently it is a must for her daughter going to uni].

I can tell I'm in for some good old fashioned ranting over the next few weeks as I sift through them...

[Incy]

Cheeky so and so's

[northepaul]

Yep sounds familiar! I saw one down here wanted a car....working of course "to take granny (or similar) to her hospital appointments"....hmm

[Bigmallly]

Be careful Zaz (but then I'm sure I don't need to tell you that). A guy on our freecycles was giving away a laptop as he had got a new one with his mobile phone. Fair enough, I thought so showed interest as you do. The following day I received a post saying I had won the laptop BUT as he was moving to Birmingham the laptop was there & would cost me £15.99 P&P. I told them I was not interested. The next day I received an email from freecycle saying it was a scam & that he had told everyone interested that they had won it......Hmmmmmm! 100+ winners @ £15.99........not a bad earner.

[vegnut]

I don't think i'm gonna comment on this, due to swearwords accidentally slipping out. B@**^y scammers and beggars.

If you want an ipod then save your pennies and buy one

[Dottie]

Yep unfortunately the groups have totally changed from what they started out as, and the idea of keeping things from going to the dump, seems to be lost. I'm sure when I joined you had to put at least one offer on, before you requested a wanted. However these days my local sites don't seem to be monitored anymore, as it's not uncommon to have an individual place 10 or more wanted post, as they come up one after the other. In the old days these would have been stopped and asked to put in just one post, and just put various in the subject. Also like the post you mentioned, they make it sound more like a shopping list, with the condition it must be in and recently I've seen posts asking for brand new products. I stopped looking at wanted post sometime ago, as I found that manners were sadly lacking, in their emails and on collection. It was like they were doing me a big favour for taking it off my hands, whereas I actually only decided to get rid because someone had requested and I thought I don't use it much and someone else could benefit

A couple of weeks ago I was giving a load of stuff away and I tend to give to the first person, unless they have said something like "I'll take it off your hands" and that's all the message. Anyway I said collect asap and I had a feeling from the way this woman was sending messages, that she was just saying yes to everything (car-booter? I don't give to). She said she'd needed a couple of hours (it was already about noon) to get her 7 kids sorted and some other rubbish, when I then saw she'd made the mistake of sending a request for several other items to the whole of the site to read, rather than sending to the individual. So I told her that my white artic christmas tree and bag of dec's had already been taken. And as it happened, I passed it onto someone who had previously collected garden plants from me and was working at a local junior school. So they could have a winter wonderland display, as it was to wide for my home and I'd said it would be ideal for a school, hall etc. In the old days I never use to ask a set time they could collect, but I had a lot of no shows. Maybe the no-shows were folk like the woman above, where she just said yes to everything and anything, then decided what will make the most money and zooms off to get those and not bother with the others?

I was going to put a small slow cooker on there today, as I only use it about once a month, as I use a larger one most of the time. But didn't have the energy today to be bothered with all the emails and having to wait around for someone. I'm thinking there is a local charity shop that is not up with all the rules and regs yet, as I've noticed 1 or 2 electrical stuff in the window, when walking past. So maybe give it to them and get a charity bag together to drop off during the week. However I do like the idea of the slow cooker going to another kitchen gadget freecycler, as there are plenty of us out there.

[Dottie]

Be careful Zaz (but then I'm sure I don't need to tell you that). A guy on our freecycles was giving away a laptop as he had got a new one with his mobile phone. Fair enough, I thought so showed interest as you do. The following day I received a post saying I had won the laptop BUT as he was moving to Birmingham the laptop was there & would cost me £15.99 P&P. I told them I was not interested. The next day I received an email from freecycle saying it was a scam & that he had told everyone interested that they had won it......Hmmmmmm! 100+ winners @ £15.99........not a bad earner.

Yep we've had TV's and things like that kind of scams, more than likely we'll get more as Mod's no longer check and you have to inform them. Recently had a plumber offering his services and someone commented that it was not in the spirit of freecycle, she was told off by the mod's for her comment going onto a post instead of to them direct (which is the standard line), but what surprised me was that she'd got loads of abusive emails telling her to lighten up, but told so quite rudely. I only know as I'd was one of her supporters and had sent her a message about how the Mod's would likely to respond. Yep the Mod's told her off and said they ask the plumber to respect the service in future, but no mention of been banned!

[zazen999]

Be careful Zaz (but then I'm sure I don't need to tell you that). .

No - I can sniff a scammer out a mile away!!

We only want waterbutts and stuff; as one school has no access to water and literally nothing but sand to grow on so if someone offers manure delivered [some hope!] I'll be in there...

I've been into freecycle for about 8 years, but after a brief lull was just amazed at the cheek.

[zazen999]

However I do like the idea of the slow cooker going to another kitchen gadget freecycler, as there are plenty of us out there.

I used to put a line right at the end saying 'if you are really interested, I am only responding to replies with a time and date when they will collect, and please type this random sentence backwards at me so that I know you are genuine....'because home good a cooker slow your give to want I'.

This tends to keep the riff raff out and only the ones that actually respond properly even get a look in. Most people respond to anything and everything so you want to delete those right away!

[Dottie]

This tends to keep the riff raff out and only the ones that actually respond properly even get a look in. Most people respond to anything and everything so you want to delete those right away!

I'm sure your right as been a mod you'll get a 6th sense, just as we do in whatever we spend a lot of time doing. But I have to admit I'm not keen of giving too many rules and regs when offering stuff, as there are still some lovely folk out there who you meet via freecycle. I've not responded to offers where they lay the law down too much, as I want the exchange to be a pleasant one and would rather do without, if I have to encounter what can come across as rudeness. Although I wouldn't be put off by having to write the request in the subject or sentence backwards.

The way freecycle is changing so quickly these days, I think at some point it will either fall apart, or yet another group will start up again, with the old ethos of saving stuff from the dump, giving as well as getting lucky every now and then. My recent collection of an old grubby Kenwood Chef I'm thinking was probably rejected by a few Guildford locals prior to my collection, as I didn't get a reply until a few days later. So folk who see the site as just a freebie shopping site are likely to reject a grubby machine, but I'm happy to try and bring it back to it's former glory. Yep it saves it from going to the dump, but for me I also get a good old strong machine that I wanted (once it's no longer a health hazzard).

[Chef_uk]

Only started using Freecycle over the last couple of months and so far have received 32 paving slabs and replacement greenhouse glass so can't fault it one bit. The OTT Wanted's just make me laugh out loud. You do need to have your common sense head on though so to not get caught out by the scammers.

[taff]

I reject messages asking for anything like an Ipad/iphone etc etc for being extravagant.
I rejected one womans post for one speicific mobile phone for being extravagant [ they weren't going for less than a £100 new, and she replied to me saying they were on ebay for £40. I was tempted to tell her to bladdy well buy one from ebay then, but unfortunately, I can't

The people who ask for this and that because of their disbaled desperate mother asap really pee me off, but I have to be nice to people.....it got so bad a couple of years ago, I left modding alltogether, down to one person, who just sent me e-mails constantly complaining because I wouldn't let her post her desperate urgent messages all the time, I used to dread coming home and opening my mailbox because she'd have written about 10 times a day.

[zazen999]

Ooh Taff - you a freecycle Mod in Wilts?

Might have to join your network as well - one of my schools is also down the road from Wootton Bassett...

[taff]

For swindon freecycle.
and edited because this forum is searchable...

[kirsty b]

I only go on my group occasionally now, and some of the 'wanteds' are laughable.