To wonder if I'm missing something here? (freecycle)

[BibiBlocksberg]

Put a few things on my local freecycle today as having a clear-out.

Almost without exception I'm getting e-mails saying 'yes, very interested, call me' or in one case just 'ring on this (mobile) no'

Is this the norm now? Am I missing something here?

Why on earth would anyone think it should cost the giver money in phone calls to mobile no's - and just WHY? Do you want it or not? If you want it tell me when you want to pick the item up and then come and collect.

Job done surely>

[PipkinsPal]

If you are giving your stuff away for free then I would expect better manners from people. Please and thank yous are free too but mean a lot.

[DorisIsWaiting]

I believe some people have automated reply's which is what you could be getting.

I very rarely freecycle only If I can't sell it cheaply first (people are generally much nicer when I put stuff on gumtree).

[ReluctantlyBeingYoniMassaged]

Lots of the ads on my local site say no phone numbers etc.

[BibiBlocksberg]

Yes I find that as well DorisIsWaiting, no one wanted the items I had on Gumtree so thought, sod it onto freecycle they go.

A no phone numbers rule would be good for my local group I think, might suggest it.

I just cannot see a need for me to make calls to the collector - I don't want a half hour umming and ahhing chat at my expense thanks all the same.

Fair enough if you prefer to ask questions directly but then ask me for my number not the other bleddy way round.

Is it too early for wine? :)

[lljkk]

I would reply with my phone number & tell them to contact me without 36 hours or item will be offered to next interested party. This works quite well, ime.

[seesensepeople]

OP - You have just opened my eyes!!!

I usually reply saying I would like item and explaining why I need it. I then ask them to call me. This is solely because our freecycle insists on you having a hotmail account for all their messages and I never use it.

I hadn't thought of it as costing the donor money!! Next time I will ask them to text me so I can call them back.

[Bogeyface]

The moderator on our group now puts something along the lines of....

"Polite replies only please, and do not include a phone number as I only make arrangements via email" on her posts.

[StinkyElfCheese]

i had a lovley fridge nearly new to gift away.. i had 20 replys before my first please and thankyou and the lovley 'bob' came to collect it when he said he would.

most just said 'yes followed by there number'

[BibiBlocksberg]

Sorry seesensepeople :)

Maybe it's just because I never have any spare credit on my mobile (extreme pauper :))

With hindsight, I should have stated e-mails only please, will do for the next lot of stuff I give away.

[LastTangoInDevonshire]

I, too, refuse to phone a mobile when I am giving something away. I usually say "give me a landline number" or "ring me at 3pm".

I do not have a contract mobile, so it costs me a fortune on BT to phone a mobile.

[MyHeadWasInTheSandNowNot]

It's so hard to know what to say & not say!

I always say please and thank you (of course) and generally a little indication of why I'd like the item...

I can't believe people are so rude :(

[specialsubject]

since when does freecycle insist on a hotmail account?

I ask the person for a landline, or I am prepared to give them my mobile number so they call me. (Everyone assumes that everyone else has infinite free mobile calls - newsflash, mobile contracts are expensive so this is not the case!)

I always want to talk to the person before I give out my address.

been lucky and always ended up with pleasant people, and some even send a follow up email with a further thank you!

[LaGuardia]

I gave up on Freecycle after I did an 'open house' after my DM died. We took out everything that was left in her will to people, and the personal stuff, then set a time/date for everyone to turn up. The cheeky emails we got! "can you save a dressing table for me, I can't get there until noon" and suchlike. Two guys turned up from Portobello Rd Market and just filled their vans and one didn't even thank me. Too many dealers on there now. Never again.

[DogsAreEasierThanChildren]

Groups vary like crazy. Where we used to live (vair posh area in central London) was so bad I stopped using it - people were rude, they asked for things and didn't turn up and it was generally a waste of my time. Now we've moved a bit further out to a less posh patch and people are mostly polite and show up when they say they will. Though I have noticed that every time I say yes to someone who says they want something for a charity, they don't turn up, which is a bit depressing.

[GoingVerySlowlyMad]

I too find Freecycle totally soul destroying these days. It was a lovely idea and worked very well when it first started but these days I find our one full of rude, grabby, entitled idiots. Tend not to bother with after I advertised some co-ordinating Mamas & Papas nursery bedding and room accessories. Out of 17 people who replied only one person said please and thank you and they also didn't stipulate that they would only take it if it was a certain range eg. millie and bloody boris. Sickening, talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth!

The lovely lady who did reply nicely turned up with a tin of homemade biscuits as a thank you so not all was lost .

[SvetlanaKirilenko]

I have had some really annoying time wasters - one woman took the trouble to ring me and thank me profusely for the item, spent ages offering me various stuff in return which I said I didn't need, vowed to come collect the next day, didn't turn up, then ignored my calls/texts/emails chasing her and I never heard from her again! What was the point of that?

I always say in my ads that respondents must reply with a date and time they can collect - and most do not, I just get "I want it plz". Baffling.

[Cloverer]

I use freecycle quite a lot and have never had a bad experience!

I tend to give it to the first person who replies with "I would like this, if it is still available when would be a good time to collect?". They have always turned up, said thanks, and taken it away.

I wouldn't call people and I wouldn't give out my number either.

[mum2bubble]

A few parents from my DD's school started a Facebook group for local parents, which grew and grew and then a spin-off group was created just to deal with things being given away (and sold) and it has worked extremely well. Very local and everyone seems to know someone in common. Much more friendly and polite and a lot less mucking about

[Trill]

YAB a bit U

If I wanted your item I wouldn't say "this is when I can collect it" (as you suggested in the OP) as I would assume that you should get to choose when it will be picked up.

YANBU to ignore messages that are not personalised - if the person doesn't say "Yes please I would really like your XYZ" rather than "Yes I want it".

[TheseFoolishThings]

I do give away quite a bit on Freecycle and I've learnt to not check e mails until a few hours later then I can go through the replies striking out any that are rude/abrupt/entitled! That usually leaves only a few and I go through them to see if anyone needs a thing for a specific and good reason otherwise I give to the first (polite) responder. Works for me but I do know what you mean OP - if you allow it to it can depress fuck out of you.

[JeeanieYuss]

lljkk - within 36 hours?

Surely by next day or goes to next person, I wouldn't want to hang on to the stuff and wait for 36 hours to get rid, if they want it they'll get in touch asap...