Freecycle Freeloaders

[Marmalady]

I use the Freecycle group in my area, it's only a small one but it has provided me with several loads of firewood from people who have demolished old sheds, playhouses etc, and just want the timber cleared away.

[HappyFun Ball]

I tend to post a lot of things, I live in a college town and those kids will throw away perfectly good things.. So I dumpster dive ( not really dive, the good stuff is placed in front of the dumpster).. So I'll take the good things and Freecycle what I dont want.

[AccountingDrone]

My roomie is the person who runs the local freecycle. In addition of getting rid of a bunch of unused kitchen stuff, clothing in good condition and books we read and didn't want to keep we have gotten a couple cords of fire wood in exchange for cutting up the felled trees and hauling away, an unused hot tub in exchange for removing it, a nice chest freezer only slightly younger than me and a little black chevy s-10 pickup truck in good running condition, just sort of battered around the edges.

When done fairly, it works. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who think that the world owes them everything

[Dreamstalker]

I'd think that the only DSes being given away for free are the original models or broken in some weird way. DSLites are still valuable for the GBA slot (also I don't think you can safely use Action Replays with the 3DS).

Craigslist seems to have replaced Freecycle around here; I'll see Wanted posts for things nobody would just give away if they're in working order.

[Sapphire Silk]

I wish I knew about this site when I replaced my TV recently. I donated it to a thrift store which I guess is just as good.

I'll take stuff to a non profit thrift store and get the tax credit.

I tried Freecycle once. All that was offered was absolute junk and not much of that. Nothing I could use at all, and lots of requests for really nice stuff brand new, much like the OP's original complaint.

So I quit using it. The idea's nice, but it brought the EW's out of the woodwork.

[HappyFun Ball]

I tell a lot of people that they are lucky that I'm not the moderator for the local Freecycle, I would be a complete Nazi.

I used to be a smart ass for chronic "wanted posters, they'd say "If you have this, please let me know".. I'd email and say I had whatever they were looking or, but it's mine and they can't have it.. Hey, they did just say to let them know if they had it, they didn't say anything about if I didn't want it anymore.

When I moved, I posted a free for all, I was going to start putting stuff in my yard and everything would be out by 6:30 am on said day, I posted my address, told people that I would not hold any items for them, I wouldn't even answer emails regarding the stuff or where I lived, I put of the post that they could mapquest it.. I would be too busy moving to answer emails anyways. I get home from work at around 2 am, and I start putting things outside.. I got in all out in a couple of hours, so I went to lay down for a while. 5 am, I hear knocking on my door, it's someone wanting to know where ( item I listed) was, I looked in my yard and most of the stuff I put out was gone. I told her that it must've been picked up already. Between 5 am and 7 am, 3 more people knocked wanting to know ehere something was, so I drew up a sign, put it on my porch steps that said "This porch is off limits, anyone caught on this porch will be shot on site.. Do not test me."

Any email replies to that offer post, I deleted without reading. I had people show up a few days later wanting to know where the item was that they asked that I hold for them. I told them that my post said I would not hold anything for anybody and they hand me this sob story, blah, blah, blah lost job, blah blah blah, recession, blah blah blah we really needed that item. The item they anted me to hold? a pack with 50 tiny jars of Play Dough.

[Pixilated]

My experience with Freecycle and similar sites has been so-so. Here in Canada we have the option of Kijiji and I just recently posted three DVDs -- two unopened -- and got one reply. However, I've heard nothing more back from her about setting up a pickup time and place.

I have no problem agreeing to meet people halfway -- or further. I was giving away a lot of German-language records once and agreed to meet the taker at the Starbucks in St. Catharines, about 25 minutes away. Not that I had any ulterior motives or anything for picking that particular locale ...

*snip*

I always hated all the WANT posts though. I just didn't see the point in them. If someone has something to give away they will post it. Why can't they just read the posts to see if what they need is posted? IMO people aren't going to give away something or buy it for you just because they see your post that you want it.

*snip*

Not necessarily. On a couple of occasions I've seen a "Wanted" post for something that I had not thought about posting, but was happy to get rid of anyway. Our local Freecycle sites have fairly strict rules about "Wanted" posts: you can only request one item per post and can only post one a week. They say very pointedly on the home page that this is not a wish list site and they do not hesitate to edit posts requesting half a dozen items -- and leaving the reason for editing up on the post.

I've almost given up on Freecycle. More than once I've sat in a parking lot waiting to meet someone to GIVE them stuff, only to be stood up. I don't usually like people coming to my home; I don't know those people, how do I know they're not casing the place?

*snip*

Yeah, same here. Nowadays if I'm not trying to sell something, I'll likely donate it to the thrift store I volunteer at. (The latest thing I'm trying to give away is part of a store uniform. I posted it because I'm trying to put it out there where current employees might see it. Still not having much luck.)

I usually pick a They're Everywhere! coffee and doughnut shop to meet takers at. People who donate stuff from their houses often leave the items bagged on the front porch with the taker's name on it. Yeah, there's a chance somebody else might walk off with it, but it means the homeowner doesn't have to sit around waiting for a taker who might not show up, and also they don't have to worry about letting a stranger into their home. I live in an apartment building so can also meet them in the lobby, which is nice.

I tell a lot of people that they are lucky that I'm not the moderator for the local Freecycle, I would be a complete Nazi.

*snip*

Not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you have to get tough when people refuse to abide by the groups rules.

[hotelslave]

I've used freecycle in the past. I finally had to stop. Kept getting people expectimg me to take the items to them

[HappyFun Ball]

When I first joined Freecycle, I was cleaning out my storage shed which is on my dad's property 30 minutes away. I said items can be picked up on the upcoming Saturday between the hours of noon and 4 pm, I didn't just leave them out because it's my dad's property and it was going to rain that Sunday, I didn't just leave my shed open because I didn't trust that they would only take what I was offering.

I have a Futon frame with no mattress, frame was in good condition. The first lady that contacted me about it said she was in [town] that was 45 minutes away, they are broke, no car, daughter sleeps on floor boo hoo hoo I was new to Freecycle and had not learned about the potentially fake sob stories. Now we had to do pictures in that town in a couple of weeks, I asked my dad who uses a truck to haul the equipment, if we could take the Futon frame to this lady.. Well we took the time to figure out how to do this, planned to leave early to take the Futon to the lady basically went out of our way to get her this Futon frame. I email her and tell her everything is a go to bring it to her that morning and what does she do? She says she no longer wants it because there is no mattress. Pissed me the Hell off. After futher cleaning of my shed, I found the mattress (I really had no idea I still even had it) so I reposted the Frame with the mattress.. Who asks for it? That lady, I told her that I can't bring it to her because I drive a Kia.. She hands me that whole I was going to bring the frema, and I told her that was when I was going to her town anyways, I won't be back that way for 6 months and then she has the gall to ask me to hold it for her.. I just said no I can't do that, I already busted my ass to try to get the frame to her that was as far as I was going to go.

[evileatinggrasshopper]

I've only used free-cycle twice. I used the first come, first serve rule. Otherwise people just try to out-sob story each other. I got rid of my Furby and a riding helmet that I was never going to use again. I did one trade at my house and one at the convenience story I used to work at because it was easier for both of us.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

I've only used Freecycle maybe twice, and that was to give stuff away...fortunately I had people who were more than willing to come to me to get the item(s) and didn't pull any crap. I do laugh at some of the Wanteds too, though. Give me a break...

[protege]

After seeing my dad deal with Craigslist and Freecycle idiots...I don't bother with either. If I need to get rid of something, it has to wait until the local church's annual junk sale. So far though, I've had good luck putting things out by the curb, and putting a "free" sign on them. I shifted a load of cinder blocks that way...along with my dead lawn mower with a cracked engine block. The blocks I could see someone wanting to build something...but the mower was good only for scrap.

Locally though, we have places such as Construction Junction and the Center for Creative Reuse. CJ takes in old items removed from home remodeling projects, or buildings that are being torn down--light fixtures, railings, doors, windows, appliances, etc. are all at reasonable prices. CCR is more of an "arts and crafts" type place. They are more geared towards reusing things to make craft-type items. Old CD cases, magazines, various little parts (gears, electronic parts) all find a home here.

In fact, I was over there yesterday, dropping off some scrap computers

[HappyFun Ball]

Oh.. I just saw the crown jewel.. A person asking for a kidney on Freecycle.

[lupo pazzesco]

Wait, what?? A KIDNEY?

Wow...

I'm sorry, but that's not something I'd just give away. We'd have to talk money first!

I get that this person or a family member of theirs needs a transplant, but really, Freecycle is not the way to go about getting it.

[kibbles]

I ignored her because she asked for more than one thing I was offering.

Ohh..I understand..I haven't heard a lot about freecycle before. Thanks for the reply