Freecycle takers rude and ungrateful
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For those of you haven't heard of the Freecycle network, it's a collection of Yahoo Groups that aim to promote waste reduction by passing your unwanted stuff on to people that can use it rather than just tossing it in the bin. As the name says, the items must be given away freely with no intention of personal gain. The moderators enforce this policy strictly. Freecycle is a good thing and it's all pretty straight forward. If you have something you don't want, then you post a message up on the board and wait for the responses. You then pick the most deserving individual and arrange a mutually agreeable collection time. Likewise, if something that takes your fancy you get in touch with the person offering the item and politely offer to take it off their hands. Notice the use of the word politely there. That is basically the thing I find irritating about Freecycle. The people that give stuff away are okay (at least the ones that I have met), it's the rude and ungrateful "takers" that really annoy me. Whenever I have posted something up that I don't need, I have noticed that a fair number of people can't even be bothered to say "please" and "thank you". As soon as the message goes up you get swamped by replies that appear to be nothing more than hastily typed out text messages. Is it really that difficult to write a nice polite email with a reasonable standard of English? I usually wait until I received a number of emails before I decide who should get the item, there's usually at least one deserving soul. |
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Another thing I find frustrating are the ones that don't bother to turn up after agreeing to collect. Why do they do that? If you can't pick up in a reasonable time frame, don't bother to ask for it in the first place. Leave it for someone who REALLY wants it. Finally, the real villain's are the greedy, selfish individuals who obviously can't comprehend what Freecycle is about. Rather than ask for things that they intend to use themselves, they go around picking up things that they think they can sell either on eBay or at car boot sales. These people should be ashamed of themselves. |
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Comments from visitors
Personally, the ones I find truly irritating are the ones who make multiple posts or one huge post asking for a TON of stuff! It makes them seem so cheap and greedy! I understand there are people who really can't afford stuff, but to treat FreeCycle like it's a wishlist? There are people asking for game consoles and games, specific cars (one I saw said "WANTED: running honda civic 2002"), or things like pregnant teen moms, two weeks before their due date, asking for EVERYTHING, and I mean literally everything. I cannot tell you the number of "WANTED" ads I've seen asking "having a baby in a couple weeks, I have nothing! Need everything, crib, car seat, diapers, formula, bottles, clothes, changing table, pack-n-play, bassinet, basically anything you have. thanks in advance!" Like, I'm sorry, how irresponsible are you that you have nothing for your baby, who could pop out at any time? It seems to me that they're just being really cheap, or they're incredibly irresponsible. I hate greedy freecyclers.
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I read the comments on this gripe thread with interest. Perhaps all the posters who are fed up with the rudeness of some Freecycle users, should just donate their unwanted items to a local charity shop instead? There seem to be plenty of them around these days. Freecycle seems a good idea in principle, but if as you say some people are just after something free to sell on at a profit, then don't give them the satisfaction!
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I too am fed up with impolite people. I'm also so fed up with the silly childish rules on freegle, I've set up my own recycling site for my area. No rules and regulations.
www.birminghamcche.co.uk
for the Birmingham & Solihull area but might spread it to the whole of the west midlands.
Recycling is great but plain good manners cost nothing.
www.birminghamcche.co.uk
for the Birmingham & Solihull area but might spread it to the whole of the west midlands.
Recycling is great but plain good manners cost nothing.
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But givers are doing takers a favour .... they are getting something for nothing ! Most of the people that have taken stuff from me have grunted a thank you . Last week I gave someone a table and chairs nice cond in solid pine ... I got a grunter thank you , no thank you email ! I have been so grateful when someone has gifted me something ! You wouldnt do it in a shop , so why do it to someone who is giving you something . but , on the other hand , the people who say you must collect in half an hour are sometimes unrealistic . when I advertised my table I had to say please collect today if possible as I dont have the room after my garage clearout , but for smaller items , I agree , its crazy !
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Takers should be polite and grateful but givers should show some semblence of respect for genuine, polite takers. From my personal experience, givers always act like they are doing takers a favor when it really goes both ways. Givers are given back their much needed space and saved the trouble and expenses of renting a skip or disposing of huge, cumbersome items too. I especially dislike givers who do not allocate items and instead leave them outside to whoever can get their hands on it first. What do you think those people are? Scavengers? Or those who insist a small item (like a purse) is getting in the way so you MUST come within the next 10 mins to pick it up. I feel that such givers treat people like garbage cans.
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TwoWayStreet - 13-Mar-11 13:53
Takers should be polite and grateful but givers should show some semblence of respect for genuine, polite takers. From my personal experience, givers always act like they are doing takers a favor when it really goes both ways. Givers are given back their much needed space and saved the trouble and expenses of renting a skip or disposing of huge, cumbersome items too. I especially dislike givers who do not allocate items and instead leave them outside to whoever can get their hands on it first. What do you think those people are? Scavengers? Or those who insist a small item (like a purse) is getting in the way so you MUST come within the next 10 mins to pick it up. I feel that such givers treat people like garbage cans.
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TwoWayStreet - 13-Mar-11 05:03
So many complaints about takers but none at all for givers? I've given and taken from freecycle and so far only had one weird experience with a taker where he showed up out of the blue one day (1 week after last communication) expecting my item to still be available. He hadn't replied to my last email confirming pick-up after postponing twice (I even volunteered to meet him nearer his place) so I naturally passed it along to the next person. Now, with givers, I have had quite a few problems. Those who give you broken/dirty items without mentioning anything about it being dirty/broken (I once took a fryer with used, old oil still in it - whole box was soaked and leaked slightly). Those who confirmed a pick-up time only to give it away to someone else without letting you know (travelled quite a distance for nothing). Those who confirmed a time only to not be home when I went over (no decency to call/text to let me know and did not answer my call/text). The offender from the last category is a moderator from a big SE London group who even once complained (about takers not showing up) on her freecycle group! The cheek. I really could go on.
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What ever the group (Freecycle or Freegle) as long as it is on the web, it is all down to how good the Modarator are.
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Anne wrote "If someone says "I would like X Item, please. Is it still available? Thank you."
The please and thank you are far more than I'm starting to expect here in North London!
The please and thank you are far more than I'm starting to expect here in North London!
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Yes but Anne , we are giving something we dont want or need to someone who allegedly does . We ask for nothing but good manners . The way they email me some think its their right to say what time etc , without a hint of gratitude . I f it is bin worthy it would go in the bin , but I think a one hundred pound toy or a pair of brand name girls shoes, is very definately not bin worthy deserves good manners . Thats my take on it . and you actually sound like one of the people I have mentioned !
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Sooo, you think people should grovel for your cast offs?
I mean, it is stuff you wanted to toss anyway, so aside from "please" and "thank you" what difference does it make?
I am fed up with this sort of attitude as just because I do not choose to pour out my own, personal family drama (husband disabled, 3 kids, supporting all of us on my own) and beg for someone to feel badly enough about us to choose us for their bin-worthies, someone else who is more willing to tell (read: make up) a sob story wins.
If someone says "I would like X Item, please. Is it still available? Thank you.
That should be all that is required.
Instead it is a contest of woes and drama and with whom can a be a most benevolent benefactor.
Please and thank you are the boundaries of requirement which should be considered when asking to pick up someone else's garbage.
I mean, it is stuff you wanted to toss anyway, so aside from "please" and "thank you" what difference does it make?
I am fed up with this sort of attitude as just because I do not choose to pour out my own, personal family drama (husband disabled, 3 kids, supporting all of us on my own) and beg for someone to feel badly enough about us to choose us for their bin-worthies, someone else who is more willing to tell (read: make up) a sob story wins.
If someone says "I would like X Item, please. Is it still available? Thank you.
That should be all that is required.
Instead it is a contest of woes and drama and with whom can a be a most benevolent benefactor.
Please and thank you are the boundaries of requirement which should be considered when asking to pick up someone else's garbage.
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I hate rude people on FreeCycle (Freegle is better) and I got fed up with takers who wrote blatant lies to try and "snow" me into giving me an item but I have nothing at all against people reselling items so long as they aren't dishonest about the fact; FreeCycle rules forbid reselling but I don't resent someone taking my junk away and making money out of it.
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Combat_Butler - 16-Dec-10 20:15
Most of the people I've met, either giving or taking, are nice and polite, but I've met people I was giving stuff to who just grabbed and ran, with no word of thanks. My local group has an area where we can comment on other freecyclers we've dealt with. I don't know if all freecycle groups do, but I think it's a great idea. I've seen both bad and good comments about the same person. I'm sure many of the locals have been spared encounters of the roach kind because another freecycler warned everyone about something they picked up from another freecycler.
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I Totally agree with you.
I place a lot of things on the Vale of Glamorgan realcycle, (that is our group name).
The amount of peple who must just sit there waiting is unreal.
Have you also noticed now that people are openly asking for carboot items now?
I place a lot of things on the Vale of Glamorgan realcycle, (that is our group name).
The amount of peple who must just sit there waiting is unreal.
Have you also noticed now that people are openly asking for carboot items now?
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Yeli, I know other people who have had similar experiences. Some people just use the system without any sense of responsibility nor do they consider that they might contribute as well as take. It’s a shame because it is basically a very good idea.
People who live in East London can donate to the Quaker run “Homestore” scheme. They will pick up furniture and electrical items which they then sell on cheaply to people on low incomes. Perhaps they might be able to tell you of a similar scheme near to where you live?
http://www.quakersocialaction.com/homestore
People who live in East London can donate to the Quaker run “Homestore” scheme. They will pick up furniture and electrical items which they then sell on cheaply to people on low incomes. Perhaps they might be able to tell you of a similar scheme near to where you live?
http://www.quakersocialaction.com/homestore
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I joined a Northwest UK freecycle group last year with all good intentions. I've given away 4 or 5 things and never taken anything.
I think I am going to stop using it now though because so many of the people who respond to offers are just so darn RUDE!
You get a barrage of emails and if you reply you usually either never get a reply back or they arrange to pick the thing up and don't bother to contact or turn up!
Even the ones who do end up turning up, I have found more than once that when you ring them, sometimes only shortly after they have emailed you, and say 'Hi it's ..... from freecycle about the ..item..', they sound completely clueless and the vibe is like 'why are you bothering me?'.
The mind boggles, it really does.
I don't drive but I think it's the charity shop or the bin for unwanted items for me from now on.
I think I am going to stop using it now though because so many of the people who respond to offers are just so darn RUDE!
You get a barrage of emails and if you reply you usually either never get a reply back or they arrange to pick the thing up and don't bother to contact or turn up!
Even the ones who do end up turning up, I have found more than once that when you ring them, sometimes only shortly after they have emailed you, and say 'Hi it's ..... from freecycle about the ..item..', they sound completely clueless and the vibe is like 'why are you bothering me?'.
The mind boggles, it really does.
I don't drive but I think it's the charity shop or the bin for unwanted items for me from now on.
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I ran across a new startup website called BrokenEquipment.com you can
post anything that you have that is Broken. I emailed them for more info on
what they are doing. I got an email back from the owner of the site Ed Soltan
who said the site is great cause anyone with anything that is Broken can post
up what they have with a picture. I think Ed Soltan in on to something!!!
post anything that you have that is Broken. I emailed them for more info on
what they are doing. I got an email back from the owner of the site Ed Soltan
who said the site is great cause anyone with anything that is Broken can post
up what they have with a picture. I think Ed Soltan in on to something!!!
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I was denied into the yahoo group, I'm a new mom hoping to swap some baby stuff.
I guess freecylce is not for me.
I guess freecylce is not for me.
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Freecycle in the uk is run from the good old USA, and the rules and regs are from the USA, that is why very recently about 35% of the uk freecycle groups upped and left and created their own umbrella organisation called Freegle and have set up groups in many parts of the country and aim to be the Friendly recycling group
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There are some just plain old rude mods (Surprise,Az mods) as well. Who seriously, take every oppurtunity to treat you like a child. Nevermind the fact that you are the one trying to give freely in the spirit of freecycling.
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