Grrr at entitled freecyclers

[Kit-Ginevra]

Since I have a LOT of books,occasionally some need to be removed-since they're in good nick they go on Freecycle. Since some are VERY popular(Twilight stuff,Harry Potter stuff etc etc...)there are a lot of requests for them. Most ask nicely and understand that there is a good chance they won't be the lucky one. Some...don't.

I have had replies saying 'Yep,I'm having them','When do I come and collect them' and 'They're mine.I'll be there at XX to collect them.Make sure you're in'

You don't decide to have them.Simply saying you'd like them doesn't automatically make them yours.I choose which of the applicants goes to the top of the list.Replies like those move you straight to the bottom of the list.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Since I have a LOT of books,occasionally some need to be removed-since they're in good nick they go on Freecycle. Since some are VERY popular(Twilight stuff,Harry Potter stuff etc etc...)there are a lot of requests for them. Most ask nicely and understand that there is a good chance they won't be the lucky one. Some...don't.

I have had replies saying 'Yep,I'm having them','When do I come and collect them' and 'They're mine.I'll be there at XX to collect them.Make sure you're in'

You don't decide to have them.Simply saying you'd like them doesn't automatically make them yours.I choose which of the applicants goes to the top of the list.Replies like those move you straight to the bottom of the list.

Haha, yeah, when I gave some of my old Discworld books to Mom to put up on Paperback Swap, they were claimed in MINUTES. By all accounts, though, the requesters were polite about it.

If it were me, the "DIBS!" replies would get a reply stating, in big bold letters "NOPE."

[AccountingDrone]

My roomie is the coordinator for the local freecycle - you would not believe some of the people participating.

When we move, we plan on leaving everything we do not want in the barn and announcing a freecycle free for all. We will roll out and leave the barn unlocked. First come, first grab.

[cleorose]

As someone who uses Freecycle frequently my suggestion is this. When you post ANYTHING on freecycle, put a post script. NO SOB STORIES, NO GIMMES. All that we require is the time you are available for pickup. Do not ask for delivery or anything else.

When we moved from Abilene to post (Fort Riley) we literally started over with a lot of things rather than move them. Like Toys, kids clothes, furniture.

People are very demanding especially in this area. They ask for pictures, they want you to deliver it (and I am not talking one or two miles this is all rural country so its like hey ur coming to fort riley drop that couch on your way over and its like yeah we have a marquis.)

We also have alot of wanna be traders. I had a guy offer us a VCR (yes a vcr) that was brand new supposedly for a galaxy s2 phone in perfect condition and we only asked $50 for it which is what we paid.

[dalesys]

... Like Toys, kids clothes, furniture...

Drain derp... I read that with a comma after "kids," and thought "Damn! Why didn't I ever do that?"

[Kit-Ginevra]

Judging by your profile pic,you've already made a start :P

[Pixilated]

I used to use Freecycle a lot and I remember getting similar responses ... not so much the "Yep, they're mine!" but "When can I come get it/them?" Um, maybe never? When I responded I used to say, "I'd really like blah-blah, thanks for considering me."

As for the NO SOB STORIES -- ye gods. I remember somebody writing about using Freecycle and asking for advice and I was one of the responders. I suggested she include that in her ad and she misread it and thought I was accusing HER of being a sob sister. She was, in all truth, a major drama queen, but I was still astounded. I did respond to explain what I had meant and she sort of stood down but IIRC it was still somehow my fault that she'd misinterpreted my comments.

The last place I used Freecycle people had set it up as a series of Yahoo groups (for various cities and towns). Here in My Hometown it's not a Yahoo group; but I've lately been using Kijiji instead. Easy to use, easy to post photos ...

Oh, and the mods of the Yahoo Freecycle groups found it necessary to say that, while people were allowed to request items, this was NOT a free-for-all wish list and people were limited to one request per week.

[camjuniper]

Freecycle can be a bear to deal with if you get the wrong person/people. I had the flipside to the gimmes/when can I have its:

I posted looking for a couple of 5 gallon buckets. Not much response, then this guy (who's a local fixit person) who said he had some old paint bucks. Great. But it's the middle of the week and I get distracted that evening, forget to ask my partner about coordinating pick up and don't get back to him until the following day in the evening. In the mean time BucketMan shoots me two emails bitching about how slow I am to respond and I guess I didn't want them after all and how RUDE I was to not answer him.

[renfield1969]

I can't figure out the Freecycle attitude around my area. It's almostthe opposite of entitlement. I have tried to use Freecycle multiple times, and I almost always get the same result:

ME: I am offering item X.
EF: I would love that. Where are you located?
ME: In Neighborhood Y. Can you pick it up tomorrow?
EF: Yes. What is your address?
ME: 123 Street Name. Here are excellent directions to the porch where the item will be left.
EF: (no reply)
ME: (after item is not picked up) Do you still want it?
EF: (no reply)


After multiple attempts, I have successfully Freecycled exactly one item. I can only imagine there are a lot of people trolling Freecycle that are trying to get a response to the tune of "I can bring the item to a remote parking lot late at night. I'll be the one wearing all the expensive jewelry."

[fireheart]

I'm just getting this in my head...

[Pixilated]

I can't figure out the Freecycle attitude around my area. It's almostthe opposite of entitlement. I have tried to use Freecycle multiple times, and I almost always get the same result:

ME: I am offering item X.
EF: I would love that. Where are you located?
ME: In Neighborhood Y. Can you pick it up tomorrow?
EF: Yes. What is your address?
ME: 123 Street Name. Here are excellent directions to the porch where the item will be left.
EF: (no reply)
ME: (after item is not picked up) Do you still want it?
EF: (no reply)


After multiple attempts, I have successfully Freecycled exactly one item. I can only imagine there are a lot of people trolling Freecycle that are trying to get a response to the tune of "I can bring the item to a remote parking lot late at night. I'll be the one wearing all the expensive jewelry."

I like your analysis! When I used Freecycle fairly regularly to give stuff away, I started compiling a list of these no-shows and putting in the ads that "previous no-shows: don't waste your time because I won't even consider you."

Currently I'm living in a house so I'm a little warier about the Freecycle method. Once I get back into an apartment building (where I can -- usually -- meet people in the lobby) I'll probably start using it again to get rid of "stuff."

[smileyeagle1021]

I tried freecycling only once... I had installed an over the range microwave (totally overrated by the way) and needed to get rid of the old one. I posted that on a freecycle board, mentioned the make, model, wattage, and condition... after a dozen responses of people telling me that it was an old piece of crap... excuse me, but it works well and it's free, if you want something shiny and new, pony up and pay for the one you want at Home Depot. Within a week I had taken the add down and chucked the microwave in the dumpster.