Allotments 4 All

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