Small FreeCycle rant

**madhen** · 07-31-2009, 05:10 PM

First of all, let me say that I love FreeCycle. I use it often, both giving and receiving.

BUT...I just listed a pasta maker. I bought it some time ago via the web, stored it forever, took it out to use it, and realized that the clamp doesn't fit any flat surface in my house. More trouble to remember where I got it and try to return it than to FreeCycle it. So brand new pasta maker.

The administrator of the Freecycle group in which I post responds. First, I think she cherry-picks, as she often responds before my post actually shows up in FreeCycle. But that is beside the point.

She wants me to deliver the pasta maker. I politely tell her I can't really do that for various reasons, and she gets pushy and rude about it. Says if I can't deliver it, can I hold it for her for a week, because she has company over.

Her last email to me was very snippy and hostile. She mentioned how she came out to my house twice for an item that she didn't receive, and how basically I "owed" her a trip out to her. (The first trip, she ignored my directions to go to the first CLOSED gate and didn't come up the drive far enough. Then someone took her item by mistake, so it wasn't there the next day, when she returned. Too bad, so sad. I attempted to find it, but no one confessed to taking it.)

My last email to her explained that my policy is typically not to hold or deliver FREE things that I am giving away, as the whole point of me listing them is to have them NOT be a headache to me. I pointed out to her that I was basically just responding to her exactly as I would respond to anyone else, and that it was not personal.

I am waiting to see if my future posts to FreeCycle get lost in cyberspace, as she is in control of moderating it.

**Nishu** · 07-31-2009, 05:15 PM

Hm. So you think she's using her position as admin to claim all the good stuff? I don't really know how fc works...

Maybe you should tell her you changed your mind and then list it in the free section of craigslist.

**frugalwarrior** · 07-31-2009, 05:25 PM

But Madhen she's doing you a FAVOR by taking that unwanted item off your hands. I am offering free yellow jackets today. I have about 5000 in the ground right now. Perhaps you would like to deliver some of those to her, w/ the pasta maker.
Sorry not feeling "up" w/people today. Some wacko lady grabbed my bad shoulder today and started wacking me claiming I had a yellow jacket on me at a garage sales today. Mind you I am not afraid of bees for the most part and usually brush them or blow on them. I was thoroughly ticked and let her know as my DD is allergic. The woman was swinging her arms like a helicopter yelling BEE.BEE. So i do submit there are no depths to crazy or stupid.

Tell her you threw it out. or sold it to a child to play w/ outside.

**craftypam** · 07-31-2009, 05:31 PM

She doesn't deserve your free item. Some people!!!!

**monkeywrangler71** · 07-31-2009, 05:38 PM

Has your post shown up on the list? Or is she holding on to it. I'm sure someone else must want it. I usually don't respond right away to people like that, I just wait until I get a reasonable person to ask for it, then I send my standard 'sorry, that item is currently ppu, I will keep your email in case of a no show' email to all the jerks.

**Karen1** · 07-31-2009, 06:27 PM

yea she is cherry picking it sounds like and yes you should be ticked.
she should have found a phone and called you if she was so close to your house and couldn't find it.

not your problem. it is hers if she wants it to come get it and Nope, I wouldn't deliver it ever!

yea it would tick me off too that situation....

**savvy_sniper** · 07-31-2009, 06:34 PM

I don't know where you live or if this is possible, but there are several freecycle groups in my area. If that happened to me, I would leave that group and post my items on other groups. Or as someone else stated, give it away on craigslist.

She is overstepping her bounds as a moderator!

**MommyBliss** · 07-31-2009, 06:39 PM

What a difficult person. I'm sorry you are having to deal with her.

**onencgirl** · 07-31-2009, 07:20 PM

On the freecycle here they say in the ad that they are picking a name on friday (example). That way it keeps the cherry pickers at bay.

**Greebo** · 07-31-2009, 08:00 PM

You might consider forwarding this moderators emails and your concerns to the freecycle admins. I suspect that this kind of cherry picking via moderation is frowned upon.

**Nana2two** · 07-31-2009, 08:39 PM

We had one like that also. She was reselling the items on ebay.

**mauimagic** · 07-31-2009, 09:58 PM

What a pain in the okole!! Sorry that you are dealing with such an unprincipled person. They so want to drag you into their attitude and point of you. She's not worth any energy.

**dean** · 07-31-2009, 10:12 PM

I have 2 freecycle groups close to me, as I live very near the county line, so I deal with both. One has a few people that I swear do nothing but monitor freecycle to get everything first. If they contact me for an item on a regular basis, I say sorry PPU. I have even said in my add, I won't give everything to one person, if I have bags of clothes, books, etc.
This lady is terrible I think. She is on a power trip at the expense of people who can really use a break and a few free items. I agree she is probably selling them. Don't deliver to her and if she does pick up the pasta maker, give her a piece of your mind, free of course, after all it is freecycle!

**madhen** · 07-31-2009, 10:19 PM

She did post my offer, just after she made sure she was the first to respond. Initially, she said she wanted it, and I do try to give it to the first responder, if possible, so I can leave it up to the fates vs. people who have picked up before expecting me to always pick them. My general policy, however, is that I won't "hold" it for someone, and I won't deliver it, unless delivery is VERY convenient for me. The way I look at it, you are getting it for FREE. The LEAST you can do is go out of your way to pick it up!

After I told her she was the first to respond and that she could have it, THAT is when the "oh, and can you deliver it to such and such a place at such and such a time" started, followed very quickly by attitude when I told her that I was not able to deliver it, even though I told her that I was dealing with a back injury and it was very painful for me to drive. I immediately got the story about how SHE had guests and couldn't pick it up (even though I am only about 20 minutes away) and didn't want to make the drive because she hadn't gotten her item the LAST time. I have since offered it (and it has been taken) to the next person on the list, even though the last email I have from the mod is telling me she really wants it and can pick it up, but not until some time next week.

I am on two lists that both cover my area. She is the admin person for one of them, but not the other. I hate to leave the list, because a lot of good people are on it, but we'll see. The worst she can do is either kick me off (which I think she won't have the huevos to try) or not post my listings. In which case, the rest of the list won't get to see what I have to offer, but I'll still see what they have and be able to respond privately.

No big deal, either way. I was just really annoyed this morning, when I got her huffy little email. It read as if I had borrowed the pasta maker and was being unreasonable about returning it, not as me GIVING her a FREE pasta maker! Some people.

Frugalwarrior, I am like you with bees/wasps/etc. I pretty much let them buzz around, and then they usually leave. Swatting at them just seems to annoy them and increase the possibility that you will be stung. Some people seem phobic about them, though, and go a little nuts. I hope she didn't hurt your shoulder too badly!