I consider myself to be of working class and have posted items on freecycle several times now. Each time items have been collected, the individuals collecting have come to my house in Mercedes, BMW and other high class vehicles way above my payscale. I do read some emails prior to deciding who to contact first. Not complaining as such because the items are still needed by somebody. Just quite surprised at all these well to do people coming to my ex-council house for items.
How do you think they stay so rich? By being tight of course ;) ;D ;D
Exactly Savage Blue, thats why they've the Mercs and BMW's,
PMSL @ SB
I don't bother with freecycle anymore...I might be hyper suspicious but I got the impression some people almost had an item list. I finally got the hump when someone asked for a tv...saying their's was about to go kapput,only they wanted a black one and defo not a silver one. Made me think that did.
The car you drive doesn't always show your financial situation. I have a friend who works for a car leasing company in Surrey and as he often tells me most of the Range Rovers Mercs Beemers etc etc are all leased and often by the company they work for. I have noticed that alot of things on freecycle are collected by people who then sell them on often via ebay. Theres been quite a few disputes on my local freecycle about this.
i cant grumble about freecycle - gave away a sleep over bed the other week there to a couple that were setting up a new home.
ive managed to get myself some good stuff off it myself - i wouldnt say im skint - but id rather get something for nothing than have someone skip or bin something thats still in good working order, in fact im picking up several barrels this week coming for the allotment from an ad i put on the edinburgh freecycle site.
but can understand where your coming from - but i can also say just cause they drive a big car doesnt mean they have loads of money - what do you thinks paying for the car - the more money you get the more money you spend i always find.
its not for any particular social group - its for reducing landfill and waste by passing on things you don't want to/ can't be bothered to sell but want rid of to someone who can use it.
personally i think there are some cheeky people on freecycle. I love it but i've only ever offered stuff and its been a brilliant way of passing stuff on that can be used.
With regards to the kind of car a person drives. When I met my natural mother,day to day, her husband drives a Peugeot 106. Back at home they have a Merc SLK, BMW X5,Aston Martin DB9. So I guess you can't judge the person by the car they drive. Actually his words were when my OH asked why he drove the Peugeot "So I can hire out a drill for £8 an hour and no one gives me sh*t." Nice man...not.
legless has it spot on....it's about reducing landfill. So I will be less judgemental about people and their lists.
It's about avoiding waste. I'm delighted if I give something to someone who's clearly got enough money to buy stuff but is really trying not to consume for the sake of it.
I think there's a bit of "Too poor for paint, to proud for whitewash"... I feel no shame in scrounging stuff - it's not a choice I make because of my financial situation. If I was skint (which might happen sooner than I'd hoped!), perhaps it would rub salt in the wounds of poverty...
I use freecycle a lot. As an allotment holder it's brilliant for picking up everything from plant pots to greenhouses! I'd rather house them than have them thrown away.
The only thing that gets me with it is some people literally sign up and put up a big shopping list of ridiculous things. I actually seen a posting a few weeks ago for someone wanting an xbox 360! Maybe that email was meant to go to Santa I'm not sure but still...
I don't have a computer at home and work 9 - 5 so use the computer at work and the times I have answered as soon as the digest comes in to see that at the bottom it has gone anyway is a little upsetting, plus I can't leave work at a moment's notice to fetch things.
I put a few things on it and I was deluged with replies - a lot of them were answered by the persons computer automatically - and I felt that they were getting in as much stuff as possible and then taking it to the next boot sale or whatever and selling it on - which niggled me a bit - because that isn't the aim of Freecycle!
The only thing I actuallly got was a bike - a couple of weeks back. But the rest which normally go to the first person that emails them you just can't do it if you work etc.
I have been put off putting stuff on the site - as I am not sure that it is being given to people that actually deserve/really want said items. I would rather give it to a Charity shop - and at least it will do a bit of good somewhere down the line.
Only problem is I don't know how to stop these digests coming through and I have literally hundreds as when I was trying to get a chicken house I signed on to 4!!!
Old Bird :o
I use freecycle quite a lot, but my rule of thumb is to a) if i'm asking for something I also post up an offered post even if it's just something small and b) if I'm offering something I try to wait 24 hours before I allocate it to someone (assuming they've asked politely - cant believe some of the emails I get, like "I'll have this" or "ring me I want this").
My two major complaints are those who ask for things then blatantly go out and flog them at car boot sales. I'm happy to give to those who are doing a boot sale for charity, I'm not happy to provide someone with the stuff to line their own pockets. And those who don't bother to turn up and don't bother to tell you or apologise. Manners cost nothing as my great nan would say.
Never seen the boot sale thing on our local freecycle. They're supposed to be moderated, aren't they?
Old bird, go to the original site and you can unsubscribe to the group or just the digest there :)
I've used Freecycle a few times, both to give stuff away, and have recycled some unwanted good s from other people.
I use it to try to keep from taking items to the tip, and just occasionally someone will offer something that "I cannot live without"! - generally I'v found people to just be average, nothing outstanding about the wealth etc. just ordinary people.
I'm sure that the discussions ref. people selling items which they have "recycled" will continue, but I don't see the harm in it myself. f the original owner does not want to go to the effort (and expense) of selling something, then I don't see why the "recycler" shouldn't be able to, although I think it is polite to let people know that that is what you might be doing with the item - after all how long do you have to keep something you have recyled before you can recyle it yourself?!?
Kathi
Hi Bupster - Yes they are moderated but you can't stop anyone collecting some stuff and then ebaying it of selling it at car boots! They certainly don't tell anyone that is what they are doing!! Thanks for the tip on de-registering!!
Posie there is no "harm" in them doing it but the idea is "one man's rubbish is another man's treasure" not "Here we go grab as much as you can then you can make a few quid out of it!"
I would like my stuff to go to someone who will appreciate it - I did - once!
Old Bird
::)
Someone on one of the Freecycle sites in this area asked for,and I quote,"does anyone have a spare Cavalier King Charles spaniel pup they dont want"!!!.
Rudeness is rife too.....hardly a please and thankyou in site most of the time.
Quote from: bupster on May 12, 2008, 11:32:59
It's about avoiding waste. I'm delighted if I give something to someone who's clearly got enough money to buy stuff but is really trying not to consume for the sake of it.
Whilst I agree with the sentiment, nobody who drives a Merc, BMW etc can ever be accused of "really trying not to consume for the sake of it" no matter how much they use Freecycle.
I am a real freecycle addict (drives my OH mad!). Today I gave away some sacks and and some tom and aub plants, and picked up some honeysuckle and passion flower seedlings! We've had this same discussion before. I take the attitude that I know why I do it and I'm not that bothered why other people do it as long as the stuff is recycled somehow! I work with people on a low income and, as long as they can get access to a computer, it's a godsend for them, but that doesn't mean it's only meant for them.
What gets me is the people who desperately want whatever it is then they arrange a time and you never hear from them again having waited in all day for their convenience. I've ended up taking a brand new unused printer to the dump because after this happened three times in a row I gave up. Fortunately the guys at the dump were delighted so at least it didn't go into landfill. my OH now veto's anything being put on freecycle that he knows about.
I stopped using Freecycle all together.
It was the same people requesting and picking up items. Found out one, at a local carboot sale, selling the stuff off.
Unfortunately always a few people who have to make a fast buck somewhere and spoil if for everyone else.
What was funny, was I recognised the items I gave this person!!!!... I was not impressed at all....her reply, everyone does it!!!.
And here I thought it was all about helping folk in need!!!!
Our allotment project has had some great stuff from freecycle. We got some great flooring for our portacabin and wood for making fences. Our chairperson also gets the bargain pages and has got some westmorland stone and sandstone for next to nothing.
I have mixed feelings about freecycle, having experienced the good and the bad, so I continue to use it. If it works as intended it's great, but I don't think any one can stop the car booters.What else would you have done with the item except taken it to the tip? It's a chance we take.
I look upon the good bits ( pushchair, highchair, chicken wire) as a bonus and the stuff I offered has gone I know not where.......now I don't care.
This is interesting-we are `de-cluttering` just now and some good stuff we no longer want is free to those who could use it. We are new to the site and I suppose it is open to abuse-it seems a shame though if some are using it to pick up for free what they then later sell on.
If that does happen (and short of catching them in the act like SBG) how are you going to know? We see good stuff being offered at our local tip every time we go. Old garden tools for £1 a go for instance, and a shed full of furniture for more. But then not everyone is on the make in Freecycle. I'm not. :)
Quote from: Old bird on May 12, 2008, 14:23:10
Posie there is no "harm" in them doing it but the idea is "one man's rubbish is another man's treasure" not "Here we go grab as much as you can then you can make a few quid out of it!"
I would like my stuff to go to someone who will appreciate it - I did - once!
Yep that's exactly how I feel Old Bird. If someone's upfront about bootsaleing it that's one thing, but I've come across a few people that have collected from me claiming some desperate need for something, only to find them flogging it at the local car boot sale. It's the dishonesty I don't like.
We had one guy who would go around collecting stuff from people and if he didn't think it was saleable he was dumping the items in the back lanes of the people he was collecting from!
fFreecycle isn't about charity or giving to needy people/causes. It's about keeping stuff out of landfill - the Freecycle mission statement:
"Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."
I give the stuff away with no strings attached. Just because I can't be bothered to car boot/eBay it doesn't mean someone else shouldn't. It's still keeping the item in use instead of being dumped and saves a new one being made.
Quote from: ceres on May 12, 2008, 22:55:00
fFreecycle isn't about charity or giving to needy people/causes. It's about keeping stuff out of landfill - the Freecycle mission statement:
"Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."
I give the stuff away with no strings attached. Just because I can't be bothered to car boot/eBay it doesn't mean someone else shouldn't. It's still keeping the item in use instead of being dumped and saves a new one being made.
Spot on.
Its about re-cycling, its not a charity.
Quote from: ceres on May 12, 2008, 22:55:00
I give the stuff away with no strings attached. Just because I can't be bothered to car boot/eBay it doesn't mean someone else shouldn't. It's still keeping the item in use instead of being dumped and saves a new one being made.
Exactly. I hate throwing away something that someone else might find useful, and if a third party is prepared to go to the trouble of selling it on, they're welcome to make a bit of profit as far as I'm concerned. It's none of my business.
If you're concerned about where stuff might be going, contact some local orgs that provide support to shelters and other people in dire starights. Here abouts we have a local charity which takes old furniture ( with fire certificate labels) & appliances & redistributes it to homeless people being helped into accommodation, & families setting up a new home to get away from abuse etc. A lot of my furniture & stuff wnet there when I downsized & at least I know someone is getting the use of it who couldn't have bought stuff.
Perhaps worth making some enquiries where you live if you have concerns about Freecycle.
yes I agree, Freecycle is not a charity, it's just about getting rid of stuff you don't need that someone else might. If you want to make a profit, sell it at a car boot yourself! but not veeryone wants to spend time doing that, so good luck to those that do ;)
I am a subscriber but it has not really caught on in the French mentality. Having said this I got my big compostbox thru it and a gas hotplate that I will get around to installing in my kitchen to replace mine which is mixed electric gas but i only cook on the gas rings. My only regret is that I never have anything to offer in return :(
Last time I post on this thread!!
Just imagine you are wanting to get rid of - say - old garden tools - OK?!
Right you get 10 replies!
Would you feel happier/better in your own skin if one of the 10 was a new allotment holder, living on benefits, or tiny income and didn't have any garden tools of their own desperate for a garden fork/spade/hoe what have you?
Or are you just saying - don't care about specific people - not my problem! Whoever gets it can boost their benefits, drugs, drink or whatever money pot by selling said garden tools - and blow any deserving cases that would have appreciated them!
I rest my case!
Old Bird
Quote from: Old bird on May 13, 2008, 12:07:51
Would you feel happier/better in your own skin if one of the 10 was a new allotment holder, living on benefits, or tiny income and didn't have any garden tools of their own desperate for a garden fork/spade/hoe what have you?
Or are you just saying - don't care about specific people - not my problem! Whoever gets it can boost their benefits, drugs, drink or whatever money pot by selling said garden tools - and blow any deserving cases that would have appreciated them!
First one without a doubt. The chap who collected items from me today was well chuffed with them. Possibly the first person I have given stuff to via freecycle that I felt would most benefit and appreciate more than some others.
But if you are going to be cynical, how do you know whether their story is true? Life is too short- let's just keep the stuff out of landfill!
We are new to free cycle and I have been thinking about this-we want rid and can`t be arsed to go to a car boot sale,it is far too good to send to a tip, if someone collects and then sells on so be it-it`s not the way I would have it but once things leave my property it`s no longer for me to concern myself
QuoteBut if you are going to be cynical, how do you know whether their story is true?
That's the point. You don't. I'm sure the 'professional sellers' are pretty good at spinning a sob story. Short of means testing (and we don't want to go there!) there's no way of determining 'neediness'. And I don't think I want to put myself in the position of Mrs Bountiful, dispensing my cast-offs to the the poor. That's not why I Freecycle.
Freecycle is set up as some have already said to stop landfill. The ethos of it is that there should be no conditions and no money changing hands. It also states that you should not ask people what it is for - this is against the rules apparently. However, many ask you to give a good reason and say they will pick the person with the best reason. This encourages people to exaggerate. Some people even specify that they are giving stuff away that will be good for selling at a car boot sale.
I think it is a good idea, but appears to be packed full of allotment holders. Sheds, greenhouses, wheelbarrows and other stuff go within minutes - I think you need to be a full-time freecycler to get much useful, although stuff i've offered has had oodles of responses. There are always people asking for gardening/allotment stuff. It gets highly competitive and can feel too much like greed than a positive social good at times.
What annoys me about this otherwise very good scheme is the cheek of a few people asking for items - e.g "wanted any shed, greenhouse, garden tools, patios slabs or other allotment items". I think that covers everything. I feel like putting putting on " wanted - Moon on a Stick".
Anyone want around 200 pre-recorded video tapes?-buyer collects and a small donation to a duster would be welcome-we are trying to de-clutter an attic room ;D
someone on here recommended video tape for keeping birds off veg, Cleo, so you should have enough for a few years there (as have we!)
My experineces with Freecycle have been excellent.
I often look for stuff for school projects or for some of ther families I work with who do really need things.
I have also used it for finding homes for stuff I have no need for.
To be fair I think if I am giving it away I shouldn't be upset if someone sells it as my aim is achieved when it leaves me.
I answered and got a music keyboard recently for my lunchtime club at school, they took three days to get back to me and very kindly delivered it.It was brand new, the box had not been even opened and it is wonderful. I have puzzled over why it would be given away, the man that brought it arrived in a big new car so maybe it was simply a pressie he didn't need. I also got an excellent photocopier some time ago which was worth quite a bit of money.
I must admit I do read all the e mails I get and the polite ones do get preference., I have posted a mega lot of freebies recently and often get lots of response, but not usually from the same names.
There are some names that crop up time after time on our site but as we are restricted to one ask a month it is usually the same folks giving rather than asking.
Personally on the whole I think it is very worthwhile project and hope to see it continue.
XX Jeannine
well i take what i can to the local charity shop, anything too big to take or too tatty to sell but still usefull goes on freecycle, people moan that there are lots of people not giving as much as them, but im sorry, didnt kno i had 2 give my life away on freecycle! ::) id sooner give what i can to a charity shop so i know im doing good there i dont usually have much 2 give away as i simply dont have anything to give away not because i dont want to, and i agree manners cost nothing! i offered a set of roofbars and some of the emails i got, ring me on 07.... does it fit a.... could u deliver.... i just didnt give them away in the end ignored the lot, ill give them to a charity shop or sale of some sort instead, freecycle has its used but i find on ours its valuable stuff thats asked for and actually taken and there is frequently posts now asking for and offering boot sale items, aswell as people specifying stuff as not being for a boot sale.. i guess its a chance u take? lifes 2 short 2 worry and id simpyl rather stuff was used over dumped, of course it would be nice 2 benefit people who cant afford the items (ie similar position 2 myself, i cant afford a shed for the lotty or anything else, just about managed a fork from wilkos) but u cant always choose, personally id rather a rich man made use of an item than dump it because a poor man didnt need it but thats just me i guess, and if u dont want some1 2 ebay it charity shop it if its any good :) theyre always greatfull
I think Freecycle is great, but agree I am amazed at the rudeness of some people when requesting stuff. I find politeness goes a long way when replying to an offer, and I also select recipients based on the politeness of their e mails!
I have probably given more away than received, but that is not the point, better than it going to landfill. I find a wide range of people use it, some you get to know are the sellers from their repeated wanted posts or replying to everything, so I try and avoid giving to the same people all the time.
I find I look at it in fits and starts, I get the digest summaries so not many emails.
I think you will find there are 2 different types of people on FC. After being a member for the last year I have cleared my garage of stuff that would normally been dumped and |I have also got some stuff to complete jobs. But Yes there are a group out there who recon the world is there to give them a living and want it all but dint want to do any work to collect it. A few recent ones were Wanted a HD TV delivered and a Jacuzzi tub but will only give to the really needie. I would love a HD TV and a Jacuzzi tub but I'm not going on my knees to beg for stuff and there should be an unspoken rule if you are wanting stuff you should offer your unwanted stuff. Alls fair in love and war.