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Freecycle vent - Page 2

post #21 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:15pm
Thread Starter 
So, I offered the chair to someone who I know will collect, I've met her before. So I posted a "taken" post and then got an email back from someone who'd asked for it. Her email was this:

Hi,

Did you get my message yesterday? Am happy to collect but will need the address if so. Can you help with this please?


Well, it's nice and polite but the title of it was RE:taken.... so she knew I had offered it and not to her. What does she want me to do now? Let the other person down? Hmmmmmmmm. I just don't understand sometimes.
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post #22 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:22pm
Sheesh, same lady posted this again:
Does anyone PLEASE have a vera bradley CARGO SLING PURSE that they have
no use for no more! I have been despretley looking for one and i cant
aford one! they are pricey! i would be more
then gratefull if anyone has one or one like it that they dont need or
want no more! this will be the best gift that i can give my self so if
anyone can please help me i would be so gratefull! thank you! pic
included to give idea what im looking for
post #23 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 
CaliMommie that is totally ridiculous. I'm sad for the person who calls a purse the best gift she could give herself.
post #24 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:27pm
I just keep opening it b/c I don't pay attention to the names & think it might be something someone actually NEEDS.
post #25 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by calimommie View Post
i just keep opening it b/c i don't pay attention to the names & think it might be something someone actually needs.
lol!
post #26 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:42pm
I am totally cracking up here! I love freecycle but it does tend to attract some people who are definitely missing something in the manners/common courtesy department....

My big thing with freecycle is my own issue with the people who immediately email and they want EVERYTHING I've just listed in a decluttering frenzy....the houseplant pots, the random mugs, the nonstick skillets, the kids' toys, the shower curtain, the old speakers, the wastebasket, the light fixture, AND the 10 years of back issues of Scientific American! Even though it would be one-stop shopping to have one person come and collect everything, I can't help feeling I'm contributing stuff to someone else's obsessive-compulsive need to collect and hoard. I don't know why I get so tied up in knots about it but it's hard for me to feel like I'm contributing to someone else's problem, KWIM?
post #27 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:43pm
Thread Starter 
I hear you Quirky!
post #28 of 52
12/19/08 at 7:50pm
This is why I don't use Freecycle. It's way too complicated imo!
post #29 of 52
12/19/08 at 8:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmcneal View Post
She got a really bad attitude and told me that I should get a job and *work* for what I want and need, just like everyone else does, and that no one is going to hand me everything on a platter. (DH and I were *both* working, and the poster who had posted originally had said they were just going to put the stuff on the curb if no one needed/wanted it.) Some people...
Wow and wow. That would not fly on the list I am on. They would get kicked off pretty quickly.

yes on the rudeness. I hate it. People that don't ask if they can have it, they TELL you they are going to get it.

A few months ago I was de-cluttering cloth, patterns and crafts. I listed each pattern in what it was, the brand of the pattern and they number.
For example
1- Maternity dress pattern size 10-14 uncut, McCalls #00005

Then I get emails "what is the first pattern you listed? Can you take a picture of it? I need girl clothing" Then when I send her a picture "oh god no, I don't need that"
post #30 of 52
12/19/08 at 8:09pm
Thread Starter 
How rude?!?!? Incredible.
I often wonder what freecycle would be like if it had to be conducted in person somehow. I think it's the internet makes people think they can behave any old how but hasn't it dawned on them they have to meet you to collect? (Well, if that's how you do it - it's how I do it, I don't have a porch/kerb)
post #31 of 52
12/19/08 at 8:43pm
My biggest pet peeve about freecycle & craigslist (when listing free things) are all the questions.... what color is it... it's the FREE color.... what condition is it in ..... did you not read my listing?..... can you take a picture of it... no, it's FREE, take it or don't. ARGH.

I don't even bother replying when people ask a million questions. Just come and get it and stop your bitch'n.
post #32 of 52
12/20/08 at 12:14pm
Wow! I can't believe some of the requests I'm seeing posted, they are incredibly rude. Maybe I should ask for a million bucks or something
post #33 of 52
12/20/08 at 1:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mystiquesmom View Post
Wow! I can't believe some of the requests I'm seeing posted, they are incredibly rude. Maybe I should ask for a million bucks or something
Our freecycle has a rule against asking for money

Again, I'll say - this is why I don't get freecycle emails! I only look at it online, to avoid that aggravation!
post #34 of 52
12/20/08 at 1:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrabbit View Post
Our freecycle has a rule against asking for money

Again, I'll say - this is why I don't get freecycle emails! I only look at it online, to avoid that aggravation!
Ah. I never use it, mostly because hearing these and other comments like what is in this thread have turned me off completely.
post #35 of 52
12/20/08 at 3:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrabbit View Post
Our freecycle has a rule against asking for money

Again, I'll say - this is why I don't get freecycle emails! I only look at it online, to avoid that aggravation!

I read it online too but it still irritates me!
post #36 of 52
12/20/08 at 4:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mystiquesmom View Post
Ah. I never use it, mostly because hearing these and other comments like what is in this thread have turned me off completely.
I guess you have to decide "what" you want to do with your stuff. I really do enjoy freecycle, and I've had friends in other parts of the country who do, too.

Yes, there are idiots and jerks in this world, but so what? If I allow myself to be annoyed, that is only "my" problem. I have complete control over how I feel about it.

I find it waaaaaaay more annoying to deal with idiots and jerks in person, such as at a garage sale. So, I've decided that I'd rather give away my stuff instead. And, since I've worked in the resale business for the past 7 years, I know how much crap gets "donated" to them, so I'm very selective about what I'll give to charities.

That leaves curbside or freecycle or TRASH. I have had such great success with freecycle, so I keep doing it! It's obvious that not everybody has the same results, and I sure don't blame folks for getting annoyed. But ........

--janis
Purging My Life One Box At A Time!
post #37 of 52
12/20/08 at 5:15pm
I'm going to say this because I have been on Freecycle for over 2 yrs. I love it! If my place wasn't so hard to get to with all the construction going on I would post alot more items. Now here's the but... I have noticed that people on Freecycle are VERY rude. From the no shows to people asking for outrageous things, my favorite is when people offer something and do not bother to post when its taken and ignore inqueries as to if its still available. I feel like I'm more than curtious in my responses and questions but whats really wrong with asking a question about an item? I would rather ask first than waste time (both parties) gas and energy in going to pick up an item that I'm just going to have to turn around and repost. It is my honest opinion that FREE=RUDE Whenever something is offered for free then you have everyright to be rude its really dissapointing. Freecycle is a wonderful idea but it has horrible sideaffects
post #38 of 52
12/20/08 at 5:41pm
Thread Starter 
Although I started this thread, I actually like freecycle too but sometimes the rudeness, ridiculous requests, no shows, endless emails asking very specific questions just bother me and I wanted to get it off my chest! I mean, I'm not going to have therapy to deal with it but I just needed to say it!

What I often find is that I end up in quandries with it - who to give to, whether to hold onto something for a few days if I don't hear straight back etc etc. I probably overthink it. For example,

Wednesday just gone a woman in the next village to me posted "WANTED: a DVD player." Well my grandmother just bought us a new one (don't ask me why, our old one was fine) so I wrote and offered her our old one. She responded right away and we agreed she would come on Thurs at 5p.m. Well that time came and went. I checked my email and she had written at 5 45 saying "I just remembered I was meant to come over, I feel ill can I come on Saturday instead?"

Okay, well I wrote back, yes of course, Saturday is fine, please just let me know a time when you can. She responded that she'll email me Fri night with a time. I haven't heard back. It's now early Saturday evening here so today's a write off for collection.

We are trying to tidy our house before Christmas so the question is do I:

a)pester her for a definite time/a "no thanks"
b)offer it to the group
c)stick it in the loft because I feel bad about offering it since she may be genuinely sick

I dunno
post #39 of 52
12/20/08 at 5:50pm
I feel the exact same way... like I want to offer something and I have to really think Hmmmm maybe I should just bite the bullet and bring this to the Salvation army instead (Although they charge WAY too much for their stuff)

For the woman with the DVD player I would email her and say "I have to have this item out of my house by x time if you would like to come get it OR send someone for it its yours If you don't want to get it by this time I'm offering it to the group." Its polite and gives her the option to still come and get it and if she says I'll be there at that time and she's not just post it to the group. I get such guilt over posting and going on to the next person that I have nightmares.
post #40 of 52
12/20/08 at 8:36pm
Erin's suggested email is perfect!

I don't get many no-shows, but when they happen, i do get irked.

Right now, being 40 weeks pregnant and still nesting in a big way, I've updated my freecycle offers with a stipulation:

*please note these stipulations*
I am at the end of my pregnancy, so items must be picked up promptly.
I reserve the right to go into labor at any time without any warning to you.
I don't do phone calls.

(I always say I don't do phone calls. You'd be surprised how many people reply to something and say "call me at xxx" - or maybe you wouldn't be surprised ... depending on my mood, they either get deleted or I reply as I normally would "the item has been claimed, you are a back-up")

--janis
Purging My Life One Box At A Time!