What I got on Freecyle BRAG Thread

[recessionisnotfun]

I don't understand it either walkonby, I really don't. Like the saying don't bite the hand that feeds you. One helps someone and it's never good enough. I keep saying the only tattoo I am missing is one that says stupid on my forehead lol

[gourmetsue]

Like lots of you I used to freecycle stuff. I hate to think about anything decent going in the landfill when it has lots of life left. I got so ticked off by someone who I gave a load of craft supplies too and found out she put them up on kijiji and craigslist. She had the nerve to put in a description her "purchase price"! Oh heck no you didn't.

The outrageous posts began to tick me off, people looking for treadmills, Wii's you name it. People wanting something badly then not showing up or not even apologizing when they don't come or show up hours late. Grr I don't need that sort of frustration.

[recessionisnotfun]

no you don't, it's insane. Now I give to my neighbors. a couple weeks ago our friend had 2 truckfuls leave our garage. We listed our place for sale today so didn't want no clutter. This is also the friend that everytime he comes here he gets handed old spice lol. He's good to us so he gets our things.

[jen66]

It's too bad that so many people have had bad experiences. I know the Calgary freecycle group has 4 moderators and some pretty strict guidelines. There's always someone monitoring the posts and if someone slips up (spams, offers something inappropriate or is just being a jerk), they get put on moderated status for ages.

I also hear you in terms of feeling burnt out on the whole "giving" front. I used to volunteer at a community center here in Calgary that had free clothes and small home items that were offered for free to families in need. We had people come in all the time who would go through everything, only take the best stuff and then turn around and sell it. It got so bad that we started having to hide the really nice donations and give them only to clients we knew were in need. I couldn't take it after a while and stopped volunteering there.

[recessionisnotfun]

jen, that is so sad to hear, it really is sickening. It's only getting worse every bloody day.

[r0c0upons]

oh man! i feel for all of you who have had bad experiences on freecycle....and the things you're giving away seem very generous. i joined freecycle and a local group called full circles a while ago and i've had decent experiences so far. i have been extremely grateful for many of the things i've picked up for the baby i'm about to have...including a gorgeous change table and many bags of baby clothes, and i always try to make my appreciation known. i don't like thinking about perfectly useful things sitting in a landfill, but i never write out a sob story like i'm expecting charity because of my situation...i don't think that's what these groups should be about...unfortunately there are many people who are less than truthful when responding to ads...and it messes up the experience for others who are being genuine and could actually use an item.

for me it's been a fantastic service to give and receive, and i'm thankful i live in a town with some really great moderators who keep the group in check. i don't get spam because i think all the freecycle posts have to be accepted by the moderator, but sometimes i wonder how people can realistically ask for some of the things they ask for!

[danielhawke]

thanks

[lor1492]

I've been a member of my local group for 2 years. Being that I live in a small town where just about everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows I also sell at the fleamarket on occasion I make sure when I respond the the add that I let them know what i plan to do with it, I never sell the stuff I get on freecycle, I'm usually looking for stuff for my kids or a charity. The freecycle members were awesom last winter when I was looking for materials to make cloth diapers to send to haiti and the fabric/towels/flannel sheets/ thread etc helped me make over 100 cloth fitted/velcro diaper and 100 reusable fem pads- some people saw my ad and gave me kooshies they'd been hoarding- $1000s worth - I told another lady that I would be using the bag of yarn she offered to make baby blankets to donate, she sent 4 bags of yarn instead of 1- how could I ever abuse such generosity and still sleep at night?

Sometimes I get boxes of assorted stuff with things I don't need, I store them in the attic and at least once a year we help someone in the community start out in their own place, usually single moms or people burned out, providing them with furniture, accessories, dishes, curtains.
Sometimes I ask for and recieve mason jars, or crabapples then when I bottle in the fall I always drop off a couple of bottles of jam or relish to say thank you.
Last year my house and yard got so crowded that I freecycled tons of it, including 2 cords of firewood I was tired of waiting for hubby to split, kids bikes, a huge LT barbie house, doll cradle etc I was just so tired of the stuff cluttering up the place. Hubby said, "aren't you concerned someone will turn around and sell it? (I never sell anything I got for free, if I got it free I give it free- I only sell what i pay for)....but I went into it knowing that was likely to occur with someone else and I went in with my eyes open, I just wanted it out of the house- I don't look at freecycle as a charity, and more like how it started out, to recycle unwanted stuff. I guess its because I personally know too many people who "need" and I can focus giving on those.
I also have a policy for posting stuff on freecycle:
I always write "ITEMS WILL be placed in front of my house in the next 10 min, first to pick it up gets it, anything not picked up goes to the dump in 24 hours- I will repost when its gone." then I give my address- this approach has been much, much more successful than holding onto things for people. If asked I say no. Then I don't have to worry about who is coming to my door. Without exception everything has been picked up in record time. Putting stuff out in stages also means no one person is going to get everything.
However I also posted once or twice that I was looking for donations of unwanted stuff to send to haiti, that some donations deemed unsuitable would be sold at a yardsale and the money used to buy rice and beans to ship. (I received 4 garbage bags of winter coats and mits!) anyone could request seeing the "paper trail" for their donation- shipping manifest/food receipts. I also posted pictures of the process on facebook.

The story about the camper was certainly a little heartbreaking for me, I've always taken my kids/grandkids camping,(tenting) but for the last 3 yr I couldn't, I'm too crippled up now to be sleeping on the ground in the damp- I keep dreaming of a camper, hoping, planning but every time I'm almost there something happens (busted hot water tank, van needs repairs, property taxes go us etc) and the money is gone, after 3 years I've pretty much given up hope. But I would never "ask" for such a large item, if i ever got up the nerve I wouldn't set "like new" conditions on the giver. The person who got this by being deceitful will be the recipient of karma eventually.

I think perhaps I wouldn't make such an offer on freecycle- I might put it up for sale for a reduced price and "feel out" the people who came to look at it, with preference given to a senior on pension, single mom student or someone working a mim wage job (ie if they worked at TH or wendy's or something like that, then I'd give it to them) Bringing the kids with them to look is a sure sign. Guess 30 yrs experience dealing/selling secondhand is worth something...lol.
Sometimes ignorance is bliss too. I helped an expectant mom (18 yrs old) set up an apartment through a 3rd party. I didn't know her, didn't want to - Sally ann gave her furniture, we gave tons of baby stuff, even a digital camera so she could take pictures of the new baby, and bedding, dishes, a cradle, TV- if i thought she could use it, I sent it. I prefer to believe that she needed it, appreciated it, and it made her life better (she was raised in foster care) and it gave her baby a better start than the one she had- I don't want to think it was abused/sold so I never asked about her or the gift.
I hate to see people so jaded about freecycle (though I understand the reasons) and hope that one person who appreciates/respects it is worth 5 who don't. Greed is everywhere, but sometimes the people you deal with are genuine, sincere and honest- its just usually impossible to know most of the time.