Freecycle "Too much work?"

[BobA]

I have a working Cannon printer/fax/copier that is working and comes with all disks and some ink cartridges.  It was about a 600 dollar unit.

Offered it on Freecycle

First responder did not show
Second responder said it was too far away
Third responder did not show (too busy)

Have left email to the 4th responder but I am not holding my breath.

At this point I am thinking it might just be easier to garbage the unit.   Do people who figure it is free think that they have no commitment to show up?

I am spending more time on an item I could just garbage and save the effort.  

Edit:  By garbage I mean electronics recycle that our city offers.  It does not go to landfill.

[Ginsu Victim]

If nothing else, drop it off at Goodwill.

[Vigo]

Never had problems with no-shows when free-cycling, but I never pick the first responder. I wait a while and pick the person who seemed like they needed it the most, usually it then goes to someone who really needs it. (Sometimes it turns out to be a person with a BS story though.) The freecycling in our area encourages that we don't just pick the first person either.

My only problem has been with people that expected me work around their schedule. Some people can't seem to pick a time and stick with it. 5 phone calls and 3 reschedulings later, I end up regretting the person I picked.

Me: "We agreed to meet at 7:00; it's 5:00. I'm at a restaurant now with my family."
Him: "I know but I am in the area now, give me your address and come back to your house."

 


Oh, I have also gotten a number of sweet items from being the person picked after the no-show. I always detail out in my email why I would like the item, and keep a very grateful attitude whether or not I am picked. The donators are always pretty happy knowing that the person getting the item really appreciates it.

[SavannahLion]

I generally know that I can't work around another person's schedule. I've missed out on some sweet stuff because my ---smurfette--- sweet heart of a wife has more pressing matters to tend to (I personally think she comes up with some ---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow--- excuse to prevent me from doing the run).

As a compromise, I've often explained as such and to make it easier for everyone, simply to leave it out in the drive way or in some hidden cove and I would swing by and pick it up. They seem to appreciate not being bothered during pick up and I can guarantee pick up between X and Y hours. Most people seem to be OK with that.

Haven't done it with a cab or any "high dollar" item though. 

For the most part though, FC has become something of a joke. I've been seeing a lot of moronic requests.

[Howard_Casto]

If nothing else, drop it off at Goodwill.

What he said.

Goodwill is a better choice than freecycle anyway, because it helps support goodwill, which not only "recycles" stuff helps the community via jobs for the usually unemployable. 

[danny_galaga]

I went to pick up a 68 cm CRT from a free cycle ad, but ended up with two because of a no-show, and the second one rocks 

[Malenko]

I signed up for freecycle, and opted out like 3 days later. Never bothered getting anything, my inbox was filled with rule changes and "general news", when I say filled, I mean it. About 100 emails in 3 days, that seemed like a lot considering I didnt even try to get anything, or give anything away.

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

I used to keep an eye on freecycle, but the local "Trash or Treasure" group on Facebook has essentially replaced it.

[ChadTower]

Leave items outside for the person to pick up at their convenience on a set date.  I have given away hundreds of items this way and only had one or two problems.  This eliminates having to work around anyone else's schedule.  You can be home or not home and you don't have to tell them which it will be.

Freecycle lists vary heavily in usefulness depending on the area.  The Freecycle lists in my area are great.  Some of the lists from larger cities not far from us are hopeless.

[Vigo]

I would do this if I lived in a better neighborhood, since I only freecycle things of value like appliances and electronics. Leave anything valuable looking outside, and the crackheads from gov't housing building down the road pick up it's scent like zombies to human flesh. They will try to scope out the inside of your house too.

[HaRuMaN]

Things I've got from freecycle:

21" CRT VGA Monitor (2)
Dreamcast with games / controllers / steering wheel
NES Toploader with zapper, 2 controllers, and SMB 1, 2, & 3
Working C64 with Disk Drive / printer / games / joystick

Granted, this is over 5 years of freecycling...  I just set up a filter in my gmail that catches all the freecycle mail, and check it like once a day.

[ChadTower]

If I listed all of the cool things I've gotten off Freecycle it would take me half a day to remember them all.

Highlights:  Two pinball machines, a Tank II, so many PCs and game consoles, patio furniture, a whole car full of electronics repair equipment, presentation monitors, 55" and 60" WEGA HD RPTVs, several Tivos and DirecTV receivers, networking equpment, a gorgeous 1950s Delta tablesaw.  There is a ton more that just isn't coming to me right now because this is over the last 7 years.

Of course, I've given away a lot of stuff that had some decent value too.  Gotta give back and a lot of times I give back stuff I have received because I only use it for a little while.

[Hoopz]

Didnt you get a pool on Freecycle, Chad?

[ChadTower]

No, that must have been Justin Z.

[BobA]

Finally got picked up by a univ student who can really use it.   I think I will use the evaluate and choose route to select the recipient.   I am sure that some people are watching for every post and pull the trigger on almost everything.

[danny_galaga]

Freecycle lists vary heavily in usefulness depending on the area.  The Freecycle lists in my area are great.  Some of the lists from larger cities not far from us are hopeless.

Where I live they've split the city north/south for the mailing lists. Not a bad set up...

[ChadTower]

Yeah, when done to the "Freecycle standards" they try to cap each group around 30,000 people.  My group actually covers three towns because they are less than 10,000 people each.

[TOK]

I signed up for this a couple years ago based on claims of free 25" monitors and other cool stuff for MAME cabs.

What I discovered is that this is the place for people that are too weird even for Craigslist and 99% of the stuff offered is just total crap.
After a week of reading through 400 posts per day of kids toys, dirty mattresses and trash the normal trashmen won't take like paint and worn out tires, I unsubscribed. Whatever freebie I might have snagged wasn't worth the wasted time.

The only way I'd deal with those real-life Jawa's based on what I read would be to offer something for free and tell them it was at the curb... Get it before the trashmen. 

[ChadTower]

Nice!  A Freecycle person just dropped off camping stools at my house.  Their offer, they dropped 'em off.   

[ChadTower]

One man's trash.... Chad's treasure.

Yep.  We camp a lot these days.  These ones pack up smaller than folding chairs.  Win! 

[danny_galaga]

Yeah, when done to the "Freecycle standards" they try to cap each group around 30,000 people.  My group actually covers three towns because they are less than 10,000 people each.

Ha, that's funny. Maybe it's because Aussies are less generous, or not such bargain hunters, but the split into two for my town makes it about 500,000 for each group...

[ChadTower]

It's probably more like a lack of volunteers to run more localized groups.  Each group is started by someone who came forward themself and applied to Freecycle for approval to use their name.  If that has only happened twice in your million people city then you end up with 500,000 people groups.

[danny_galaga]

It's probably more like a lack of volunteers to run more localized groups.  Each group is started by someone who came forward themself and applied to Freecycle for approval to use their name.  If that has only happened twice in your million people city then you end up with 500,000 people groups.

Ah, makes sense...

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

...
At this point I am thinking it might just be easier to garbage the unit.   Do people who figure it is free think that they have no commitment to show up?

I am spending more time on an item I could just garbage and save the effort.  

Edit:  By garbage I mean electronics recycle that our city offers.  It does not go to landfill.

I don't know where you live, but here in NYC, which is a bit of a madhouse generally, the key is to be very specific in your requirements, and then to stick to it.  (Minor disclosure: My gf is a mod for the Manhattan Freecycle group.)  Set out what it is, when people can pick it up, and what your communication requirements are to be considered.  Here's a little trick the gf taught me: require responders to send an email to a DIFFERENT email address than that of the original post (create a junk email address for yourself for this purpose) with their phone number and specific time they would  pick up.  Don't list the email address until the end of the post.  Also specify, once confirmed, NO CHANGES. If you don't pick up, it goes to the next person. 

In my experience, that's usually just enough work (for the responder) to easily weed out morons that don't read, and get you to someone who actually wants/can use the item.  If nobody bites, Goodwill is your friend indeed. 

New Yorkers respond to brusque efficiency. Your mileage may vary.

[theredlineboss]

My local freecycle site is littered with want ads and people offering coupons from the Sunday paper.  I rarely go there anymore, but when I do, it's always the same.   

Now, I had a decent couch that I wanted to give away, so I listed it in the free section of Craigslist.  I got interest, but when excuses started to fly, I sent an email to the 6 people who had inquired, saying it was out on my lawn & they are welcome to get it.  Left home & it was gone when I came back.    That said, the stupidity I ran across with this basically soured me on offering stuff for free.  So when I had to dispose of some older PC's (mostly P3's), I took them all to the dump.  Not much of a loss, but it goes against the grain to just dispose of stuff like that without at least asking if anyone wants it. 

-Rob

[compute]

I like to use "curb alerts" whenever possible.  Leave it on the lawn, post an ad, and the stuff usually disappears.  I picked up an empty Outrun cab for free.  My experiences with ---uvulas--- setting up a time and then no-call/no-show has helped me be a better buyer, though.  Generally I use CL for the same reasons that others have mentioned:  FC here is mostly "wanted:  brand new laptop" or "offer:  broken, ---steaming pile of meadow muffin----covered toys that even the landfill won't have."  I did snag a broken VCR (building a spinner) from FC, though.  Usually when something of any value of is offered, it's snagged before I get the email.

[Hoopz]

New Yorkers respond to brusque efficiency.

Besides the Met, my absolute favorite thing about people from NY.