No shows on Freecycle drive me crazy!

**krbshappy71** · 06-26-2010, 06:24 PM

Ok, I know not everyone sits at their computer all day like I do (well, a good part of the day) but if you respond to someone saying you want their item, the person gives you their address, shouldn't you at least acknowledge and perhaps give an approximate time? Date?

I have had six people wanting my stuff and due to no shows I'm weeks into having this stuff on my porch. No joke, because I am giving people a day or so to pick up, then it sits, then I have to remember to post it again, no show again, what is going on? The first time I just offered the box of shoes, excellent shoes, received them from freecycle and passing them along 'cause cannot fit them. Oh oh everyone wants my shoes, my shoes got it goin' on but no one would show up. So now the shoes and the clothes are on my porch, and once again hours have gone by with the first person not picking them up yet. HOURS. I am the "jump in car go get it person", I guess I am judging them by my own standards.

I have started a list, no kidding, of who NOT to offer stuff to due to no shows. Anyone else deal with this and would like to vent?

**monkeywrangler71** · 06-26-2010, 06:38 PM

A few things I started doing when I was still using freecycle:

Put email filters on my account so that any email from a previous no-show (or someone rude) would be in red text, and any email from people I'd had positive dealings with would be green. Then if I had a lot of responses, I knew who was more likely to show up.

Not give my address until I had confirmation of a pickup time. So my first response back to someone that I was gifting to would always be - "It's still available, please let me know when you can pick it up and I will forward you the address." Because half the time you never hear from them again, and if you've already given them the address you are never sure if they are going to show up at some point.

Never gifting to anyone responding in the first 5 minutes unless there were no other responses later. There are too many people who just sit there all day responding to everything then deciding later whether or not they actually want something.

**krbshappy71** · 06-26-2010, 06:42 PM

Good tips!! Thank you! I finally wrote to a second person that gave me an actual time. I am going to use your tips, this is pretty frustrating.

**stinkbug** · 06-26-2010, 07:43 PM

I actaully say in my ad, must be picked up by: (whenever) I also don't respond to rude people who obviously WANT everything anyone is giving....I tell people to set an appointment time. If they are late, I will go to the next responder.

**krbshappy71** · 06-26-2010, 08:05 PM

I am going to have to do that. Please state what time. Then move on when they no-show. I was trying to be nice and leave stuff out for them to swing by, but now I was gone to the store and it rained. My stuff was on a covered porch but you know how the wind blows rain. Grrr. Hopefully since it was in plastic bags it wont be a problem but some of the shoes did get wet. BAH.

**zakity** · 06-26-2010, 09:52 PM

I never give them my address. That isn't safe. I meet them at a grocery store parking lot.

**TheresaRHPS** · 06-28-2010, 08:32 AM

I've successfully picked up some vintage hats, and successfully gave away a TON of brand new baby clothes. And then I had 4 no-shows in a row on two boxes of books I was trying to give away, lol.

I also have another gripe...or two, but its more of a board issue. I have three FreeCycle groups in my immediate area...one for each county that I live in or am nestled against. The one that is specifically for MY county is the one I generally try to use. However, people WILL put a pick up by date on stuff...usually THAT DAY by a certain time. That's fine, except the moderators don't often get around to approving the message in time, lol.

**Lady_V** · 06-28-2010, 09:36 AM

I usually go by the time-stamp, first reply gets first dibs...

When we gave away the mini-fridge, the first person "needed it so badly" so we lugged it outside to the patio for them to come get it... then it rained so I had to lug it BACK inside... The second person on the list was there within 15 minutes of me telling them it was available.

I gave away a HUGE trash bag of Diva's old clothes (15+ pairs of jeans, 5 pairs of shorts, a velvet dress, 5+ shirts). I didn't think it would take 3 days!

What killed me is person #1 lived on my street, replied 3 minutes after I posted, said they could be there in a few minutes (this was after midnight) so I put the bag out... waited an hour and she sent an email saying she was sorry but she couldn't get it until the morning. So... I had Old Man put them out at 5am on his way to work, at noon I sent her an email asking when she would be by because it looked like rain... at 10pm I sent a final email telling her the clothes will be out there until midnight and if she really wanted them she needs come get them because she has driven by my house twice already. Person #2 was nicer, she told me to give them to someone else because they were away for the weekend and she understood I needed them gone. Person #3 said she would be by when HER freecycle pick-up person came... She sent a very nice email saying her person stood her up and she understood if I gave the clothes to someone else. I told her to come get them the next day since she was kind enough to let me know and I understood no-shows.

Whenever I respond to someone-elses posts, I always tell them I can be there at their convenience... matter of fact, I am waiting on someone to give me pick-up details for some yarn I was lucky enough to be the first responder to.

**leighcat** · 06-28-2010, 05:49 PM

Every time I post a want nobody responds. Whenever I answer an offer even if it is only a minute after I receive the email, the item is taken. I am going to quit my freecycle account. It has gotten ridiculous. I have been stood up before after waiting for an hour in a parking lot for someone years ago. I will just donate whatever I have to a thrift store.

**Momto5RN** · 07-08-2010, 10:56 PM

i have a bin beside my home i put most things into - i tell them the name or number on their bag and just ask they pick up when the say they will or at least let me know when they wont for whatever reason ( stuff happens esp if you have kids- or parents you take care of or jobs that can totally ruin a previously set plan )

that way it isnt sitting all over my porch like a mess and i dont have to wait for anyone .

if stuff isnt picked up i will sometimes reoffer sometimes i just take it to a thrift .

i do like to offer on freecycle first because there are some people out there who cant afford the thrifts even - especially since in this economy many thrifts near me have taken advantage of the new rush to the thrifts and raised prices.

my biggest annoyance ie people not reading - i will say its in a blue bin - driveway side of house ( left side when facing house ) next to porch .....

then i get a yelling at me email stating they opened the bin and saw nothing but plastic and bricks- which is the tarps we put down to prevent my basement from leaking when we get a few days in a row of heavy rain and is on the RIGHT side of my house - no driveway on right at all - and is almost in the backyard .

i also will block people who have been rude from my emails BUT i also save the names/ emails of people who seem to be able to use my kids hand me downs and were nice in emails were appreciative and picked up as they said they would - and i email them directly if i have something i think they can use and give them first shot.

**Momto5RN** · 07-08-2010, 10:59 PM

alot of people use a program that automatically answers every post as they are trying to get the " good things " they think they can resell-
i dont give out my addy or consider it 100% taken until they have responded to my you can have it when can you pick up email - the auto responders also arent very specific - so i am mor elikely to answer / give something to someone who states something that references the item in their response IE for - "i have a 10 yo who these will fit perfectly " - the ones that say " - i will take it can come right away " - i tend to delete as auto reponders .

**TheresaRHPS** · 08-20-2010, 09:11 AM

I just did another round of giving stuff away, and I also think I'm about done with FreeCycle. I have NEVER had anyone respond to any of my wants--and its never anything big or unreasonable--its history books and board games, lol. I did manage to snag some vintage hats, which was awesome, but I don't see something like that ever coming my way again, lol.

However, I just posted a few things this week, and within seconds of the moderator approving the messages, all the things were spoken for. I posted at 2pm...message wasn't posted until 1am. Even after I sent THREE messages saying all had been picked up, I was still getting emails. I literally got over 100 emails for two boxes of books, a bag of baby clothes, and some bigger item baby toys (swing, bouncy seat, etc.) over the course of 4 days.

What gets me the most was that most of these emails were really quite self-serving, lol. It wasn't like..."I'm interested if these are still available. Please contact me." It was more like, "Give me your address and I'll be over at MY convenience to get these."

So yeah...I think I'm done with FreeCycle. I have a contact with a local church that does a clothing closet for those in need, so clothes will go there. Hehe, I won't donate to Goodwill if I can help it, for reasons I've stated in another thread.

**Russ** · 08-20-2010, 09:18 AM

Freecycle is the same as anything else, you will get a bunch of *crapfaces ruining a good thing for the people who really need it.

I believe a lot of people are taking the goods and having constant garage sales with it.

*crapfaces- credit goes to MrsMcD.

**frugalfranny** · 08-20-2010, 01:53 PM

I don't use my freecycle. I went on to register and they wanted more info than I was willing to give.

I do use CL A LOT and if I am posting something free I state that it will be first come first served and I take the emails in order rec'd to see who can come first. When a time is agreed upon I also tell them that I give a 15 minute courtesy wait and after (with no phone call) that the item is unavailable and will go to next person. Sounds gruff but with the public I have better results with upfront forthright statements. (most people laugh and just say I must be a CL veteran!!

)

**mndtrp** · 08-22-2010, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

I don't use my freecycle. I went on to register and they wanted more info than I was willing to give.

That's no kidding. I felt like I was signing my life away. Plus, they only give you a couple days to respond to their approval, and I was out of town when they sent the email.

I simply donate everything I don't want, unless I can find someone I personally know who wants whatever that may be. It's not worth the hassle to me.