Nestof3 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 We freecycle a lot. I love the idea. What I don't like is having to wait 24 hours while my email box fills up with tons of requests for the item and then having to wade through them to pick the lucky candidate. This is called their Fair Offer Policy -- allowing everyone to have a fair stab at the item. I'm giving something away -- no one is entitled to have a fair stab at it. Yes, I know I agree to those terms, and I do so I can get rid of stuff, but it still annoys me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeside Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 We freecycle a lot. I love the idea. What I don't like is having to wait 24 hours while my email box fills up with tons of requests for the item and then having to wade through them to pick the lucky candidate. This is called their Fair Offer Policy -- allowing everyone to have a fair stab at the item. I'm giving something away -- no one is entitled to have a fair stab at it. Yes, I know I agree to those terms, and I do so I can get rid of stuff, but it still annoys me. Is this policy for all of Freecycle or your local group? I ask because I signed up for the emails in digest form, which still come several times per day, but things are offered and taken within one digest. So either people near me aren't following the rules, or maybe the rules are different here. I haven't put anything up on Freecycle yet, but I'm sure that would be annoying to have to wait and then sort through a bunch of emails. How, then, do you make the final choice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 It may vary by location, but when we were in a panic to unload our portable storage unit so it could be picked up, I unloaded the stuff to the first person interested. I did not have the time to deal with such a quest for "fairness." On ours, before the message posts, you have to click a box that says you agree to wait 24 hours. Oh, and unless someone's post really stands out to me as more needy or something, I still choose the first person -- even after waiting 24 hours, because I am a first come, first served mindset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Oh bummer. That would annoy me so much, I don't think I'd use it! Our freecycle allows us to choose whomever we want! I always go wth the first responder and then post to the group that it's pending. That usually stops the emails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodhi tree Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 oops! I'm an immediate giver-awayer, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I've belonged to two freecycle groups and neither had that policy...that would drive me nuts. "Fair offer policy"? Yeah whatever. It's FREE stuff for crying out loud. How would they ever enforce that anyway? The emails come you YOUR private email and any further transaction is conducted in private. ;) (In the past, I've sometimes taken the the very first email - other times, I've waited a bit to see what other ones come, especially if the first email is kinda rude... got some of those...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 We do not have that policy either. I just cannot stand when people say they are coming and then NEVER show up. I had 1 woman do that for 2 months, I finally gave up and reported her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Our freecycle groups lets the owner choose to whom to give the item to as it is a GIFT. Nor do you get to expect something back from someone else. I also give away free things on the local craigslist. Since you sometimes get strange emails from craigslist, I specify to only ask me about the posted item and that's it. I also ask for a phone number on craigslist to be sure they are legit. I do call the phone number and talk to the person before I give the item away. I can tell if they are really going to pick up the item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Our group doesn't have that as a policy, per se, but it's requested that people wait so that those who get the digest have a chance to respond. I typically wait until the next day, because usually the first responders are just rude. "I'll take it. When can I pick up?" or "Yeah, I want all you got." If someone responds rudely or with a bare minimum of any sort of manners, they get shelved. Free or not, assuming you're the first to respond or the only to respond irritates me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Ours also doesn't have that policy, and we're in VA. I typically give to the first person who responds. Sometimes if the first person can't pick up that day I'll give to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I typically wait until the next day, because usually the first responders are just rude. "I'll take it. When can I pick up?" or "Yeah, I want all you got." If someone responds rudely or with a bare minimum of any sort of manners, they get shelved. Free or not, assuming you're the first to respond or the only to respond irritates me. That's exactly the sort of thing I was talking about above, when I said some of the first emails are rude - guess it's common? I don't know what it is with some people...whenever I respond to a freecycle ad, I always say hello, ask them politely if the item is still available, express my interest (as well as mention when I could pick it up, if it's okay - ie " I could fetch it tonight after supper if that works for you" ) and sign off with a "have a great Friday!" or whatever. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Hmmm. That's not the policy here either. I usually give it to the first person who responds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I also give away free things on the local craigslist. i like craigslist too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Wow! I'm dealing with my own Freecycle annoyance today, but having to wait 24 hours would drive me right over to Craigslist or the Goodwill store as well. I use Freecycle because I want it over and done with quickly. I don't want all the e-mails for all my items, plus the posting of the Taken posts, hanging over my head for days! That really stinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 That would bother me, too. I quit using freecycle for a different reason...no shows. When I had three separate people not show for the same item, I quit. I was tired of arranging my day to make sure I was home for them only to have them not come. Then there's the receiving end. When you ask for something and get something totally different, it's not only a waste of time to pick it up but then you have to get rid of somethiung that you didn't want in the first place. When I was pregnant with my last child, I asked for maternity clothes in a size 16/XL. One person gave me a bag of maternity clothes that turned out to be size small and medium. Really, how is a size 16 person going to wear size 4-8? Another person gave me a box of clothes that were a size 3x. Why did I waste my time and gas picking these things up, only to have to turn right around and spend my time and/or gas getting rid of them? Now I just dump our unneeded things at Goodwill or the garbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 We don't have that requirement on ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 We dont have that requirement on ours either. In fact I think they say quite clearly that why people want things shouldn't make a difference and not to listen to sob stories. Like JoAnn I'm completely fed up with no-shows. It's so rude! And the other thing is when people advertise something that you drive a long way to get only to find that it really should have gone to the rubbish dump. I got a set of Christmas lights once only to find that half of them didn't go. Surely this is something you should mention in your listing??? Another time we got a "cubby house" that was actually a pile of rotting timber and rusting metal and we ended up having to dump it at our cost. DH should have told them he didn't want it when he got there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 So far, I've never had a "no-show," and the two things I asked for were exactly what I wanted, and the people were so nice. So far, I've only had issues with my conscience and their "fair" policy. I am so over this whole "fair" mentality. I'm giving away something completely free to a complete stranger! To think that I am supposed to sift through 25 emails or more -- reading each one just to give something away! I hate NOT adhering to their policy, but honestly, it shouldn't be such a pain in the rear just to be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Wow! Ours doesn't have that policy, and what's not fair about first come first serve? It's free second hand stuff not the lottery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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