Do You Get Upset at FreeCycle People Who Pick Up Items Under False Pretenses?
By Pigglies
@Pigglies (9329)
United States
August 17, 2008 10:35pm CST
I offered up a very expensive computer monitor (over $2,000) that is especially for people who are visually impaired. I did not say I would only give it to someone visually impaired or even only to someone who desperately needed a monitor. After I had 5 flakes on it (yes, seriously!), I was going to give it to anyone.
So some family poses as pretending to badly need a computer monitor and said they'd even take more computer stuff if I had it. So I gave them that monitor, plus a normal sized monitor, and even some brand new spare computer mice I had.
Then tonight I check FreeCycle and they have a wanted ad up where they're looking for computer monitors and other supplies to sell for a band fundraiser.
I would have given them the stuff for a fundraiser too, so why do people feel the need to lie?
One of my friends offered up a refrigerator on FreeCycle and got tons of responses. One lady said that she had a family of 8 kids and they had no refrigerator. My friend thought that was total BS, but as long as it was picked up she didn't care. So she told them to come and get it. The lady must have brought every kid she knew with her and one of the kids even told my friend, "Thank you so much lady, we've never had a refrigerator before!" Seriously! Do these people really think we're going to believe them? Just say you want it and have a use for it, don't waste time with the stories. I will give my stuff away to anyone who won't flake out on me.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
19 Aug 08
I completely understand that!!
I wonder if we have something like that around here...I don't think I've ever heard of it before.
@trishasantos (1296)
• Philippines
19 Aug 08
I am totally new to freecycle. I accidentally opened a link and found it. Its freecycle Philippines. I've read some of the posts, I dont know if they are lying or something. But based from what you post here, well that is very sad. Freecycle is for people who badly needed some help and I think if they will sell the stuffs they get, they should tell the truth.
I posted one in freecycle Philippines. I needed a pasta machine. I told them what will I use it for. I need it for my polymer clays. I want to have a business because I cant find a job. I think telling the truth to people is really a good thing, lying to them or making up stories can be very upsetting.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
19 Aug 08
The one in the United States is generally open to anyone, not just people who badly need help. Although, there is a double standard on there. People who drive nice cars and live in nice places are just fine on the group when they are giving their nice stuff away. And then people get upset if those people actually find something that they want to pick up from a person not as well off. The point of the groups around here is recycling, not helping the poor. Although helping the poor is always encouraged.
I'm glad to hear there are still good people out there like you though. You could have lied and said you needed a pasta machine to serve starving children, and instead you told the truth. I wish you much luck in acquiring one.
@Anne18 (11029)
•
18 Aug 08
I am going to say yes i do get upset when people pick items up from freecycle under false pretenses. I have only just realy heard about freecycle and in writing sounds a very good idea but in practice it has its problems.
i did read somewhere that someone had been to freecycle and colected something and were going to give it a jolly good clean and then sell it on ebay as they were short of money!! so wrong and gives these services a very bad name.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
19 Aug 08
Exactly. It definitely sounds good on paper, but in practice most people on there are flakes or they're just "gimme gimme gimme" type people.
A lot of people on there are out to sell things. Generally, if something can be sold that I'm offering, I already would have sold it. The monitors might have sold with some trouble, but I was hoping someone would actually use them. At least the one.
What really sucks is I'm sure these people will also sell the monitor I gave them that only barely works (good enough to use if you have nothing better, but definitely not something you'd sell).
I realize this isn't a service for the poor or anything like that, but I don't get the lying. I always give the item to the first person who responds unless they flake.
And lately I've been keeping a list of flakes and they'll never get a chance at my items ever again.
