Freecycle

[Sanjo]

I've started to use Freecycle thanks to grapes on here and I'm very happy that I am able to get rid of usable stuff without wasting my diesel to take it anywhere.
We had been saving electricals for the Heart Foundation as they sent a flyer round saying they would collect.
One day last week we saw a HF van outside obviously collecting bags and I asked if he would take the items and no he wouldn't you have to contact the shop. Did so and left a message only for them to eventually contact me and say they won't pick up small items (DVD player and VIDEO player) and bring it in. As that meant a bus journey I didn't bother.
I put them on Freecycle and got a lot of response.
Like Zaz says in minor rants some people are very rude (I had one reply that started "I'll have that") but my problem is this.
Being naturally polite, I started to answer those who still wanted the items whilst I was waiting for them to be collected. I felt it was only polite to let them know the position.
BUT it took me a long while when I could have been doing other things, like gardening.
What do other folk do. As soon as they were gone I posted immediately that they had been taken.
Do you answer every request for the item or ignore them hoping they will see the "taken" notice?

[veggiechicken]

I post a message saying "Taken subject to collection" as you can be let down. I answer every request but not until the item has been collected. If you copy & paste your message, it doesn't take too long to reply to everyone. If you've asked for something, its good to know asap that you have no chance.
I also never give to anyone who is rude or abrupt and doesn't refer to the offered item by name. I think some people send a "I'll have it" to everything that's offered in the hope of making some money on Fleabay. I also never ring anyone's mobile or agree to deliver, never mind how sad the sob story.
If I can, I leave the item outside the front door, so that I don't have to wait around for it to be collected. I also remember the really nice prompt people and give them first chance if they want a second item.
The more you do it, the more you find what works for you. Happy Freecycling!

[taff]

^ what she said, except I don't reply to everyone if it's taken, I just post a taken. I don't reply to anyone who asks for it after it's been taken.
I remember the good ones and don't give to the greedy ones. I never ever reply to the 'I'll have it's' I think they're more or less automated messages because the person replies to everything.

[briggsy2011]

I love freecycle and have got a decent bits from it. The best thing i got was a pine cabin bed complete with chest of drawers, desk and cupboard. I put a 'want' on and the nice lady offered it to me. This was nearly new and she could of got £100+ off ebay for it!. My son used it for 3 years and I reoffered it back on freecycle. I have gone to get other stuff over the years and some of the stuff people offer should really belong to the tip.
In my first year of growing veg i over planted tomato seed and most came up, so i managed to give away 100 tomatoe seedlings via freecycle!
I never reply to all the people who request my stuff, only to the 2nd person advising that if the first person doesnt turn up, its theirs.

[arpoet]

When offering goods I always state when it will need collecing and that i will take time considering before deciding who will have what ever i am offering.
Its amazing how many just ask for the stuff and not read what i have said.
Then I make 2 lists of applicants emails... the good ones who write nice emails using 'REAL' words and the rest.
After i have take a day to decide which email i like best i email them back telling them to contact me soonest to arrange collection. When i get a possitive reply I then email the other good ones and tell them its been taken subject to collection, but will keep their email addy in case it is a no show. I then email all others who have applied and say its been taken.
Roger

[Mato]

They have Freecycle in the U.S. as well. I haven't used it yet. I absolutely love the concept of giving away and using "hand-me-down" items that are in good condition.

[Two_Sheds]

Do you answer every request for the item or ignore them hoping they will see the "taken" notice?

I'm quite ruthless because it does, as you say, take up some time.

I immediately delete the rude people
I then contact the one that sounds most likely to collect, and tell them they've got 24 hrs to collect. I leave the item on the doorstep so I don't have to be around for them.
If it's not gone in 24 hrs, I contact the next person, and so on.

When it's been taken, I then send an individual email to everyone who responded saying "sorry,it's gone". I'm not a fan of putting up a public IT'S TAKEN email, they're just inbox clutter

[Sanjo]

Thanks to everyone who replied. We mostly seem to have different approaches. I like the idea of deleting the rude ones immediately so that helps me.
I've got a better idea now of how to deal with it. Again many thanks

[Two_Sheds]

I also include the message TIMEWASTERS WILL BE BANNED in my advert, and if someone fails to turn up, I put their email address into my spam/junk folder so that their future emails go straight in the virtual bin

[Farmer_Gyles]

my freecycle offers always say:

Please reply by email, including your phone number and when you could collect.
No phone number or collection time = no reply.

Priority will go to freecyclers who give things away on freecycle. It's only
fair!

i do check to see if people give things away - i get emails saying "i don't have anything to give away" which to be honest is nonsense - we all have something to give
i work from home so it's easy to arrange collection whenever it suits them

if someone doesn't turn up, i immediately offer it to the next on the list
and i never give to those who simply say "i'll have it"

i've picked up some really handy stuff from freecycle:
a breadmaker, which was a kind of swap for an office chair i had
a van load of timber, which will become a log store, a chicken run, a tool store and other things
a chicken coop
a whole car load of winemaking kit (8 buckets, 17 demijohns, fermenting cabinet, heaters, dozens of bottles, tubing, bungs, corks, airlocks, etc etc)
and today, a parafin greenhouse heater

hoping for a small dining table and chairs now .... loads being offered, always miss out

[RedThorn]

I offered our expanding 6 seater dining on freecycle before we left loads of responses most wanted me to deliver and 2 separate times got let down by non collection... I sledge hammered it and put it in the skip

[alldigging]

@farmer_Gyles
I'm going to use your sentences in my next giveaway on freecycle!

"Please reply by email, including your phone number and when you could collect.
No phone number or collection time = no reply.

Priority will go to freecyclers who give things away on freecycle. It's only
fair!"

I do like the idea of watching out for people who have given stuff away too.
I think a lot of second hand retailers use it near us for aquiring stock.

I do hate the greedy requests though.

[Farmer_Gyles]

I sledge hammered it and put it in the skip

don't blame you ....
the missus moved in a few months ago ... 2 houses into 1 is a tight squeeze, so some stuff had to go ... and then her daughter moved in with her boyfriend, so even more stuff ended up at ours and had to be got rid of ... so an almost new double bed got smashed up and dumped .... 4 tvs ended up down the dump ... on the plus side, a guy down the dump wanted the tellies and found us a stack of large plant pots ...

@farmer_Gyles
I'm going to use your sentences in my next giveaway on freecycle!

go for it!

I do like the idea of watching out for people who have given stuff away too.
I think a lot of second hand retailers use it near us for aquiring stock.

there's a living to be made from selling stuff you can get for free on freecycle ... if people are giving, hopefully they're not scrounging off others ...
to check if someone is a giver, do a search for the first part of their email address ...

[petal]

freecycle is great, I have an old electric flymo I am going to give away on there later. i keep hitting my head on the damn thing where its hooked up in the barn!= mind you, its usually a load of greedy wants here in bedfordshire so an offer might shock the website!!!!!

[dominic10]

I was introduced to Freecycle through this site and at the time I volunteered on an allotment where funds were very limited. I was able to get various items including pallets to help out and hosepipes. I have freecycled stuff which was given to me and people have assured me that the items would be used - even taking a picture to send to me. I have been let down by someone who kept spinning me a line about when she would collect - when she answered another post I reminded her of the previous time she asked for something. I do give preference to anyone who is polite and do post a TAKEN when it is collected. Occasionally, I will reply to others but it is time consuming. I was amused to see someone asking for solar panels today...