QUICK! freecycle etiquitte help!

[cpbaby]

I posted some things on Freecycle. I just checked my email and have two replies. One is 3 hours earlier than the other, BUT the earlier one is very short and almost rude and demanding. The later one is very polite. Do I give it to the hateful person or the nice person?

[tngirl]

I would offer it to the nice person. I hate those people that act like they deserve it or something. I think a bit of graciousness in order when you are wanting something for free. I have passed over short and rude replies while freecycling.

[Heidi]

I would offer it to the nicer also. Even if I have no one else reply and I get and email that says "I want it". I'll delete it and wait longer. I hate rude responses.

[Tasha405]

Its totally up to you but since none of them know who emailed you first, you could give it to the nice person and just email the other person and tell them that someone beat them to it.

I've also encountered some rude people on our local freecycle too.

[amysusi]

There is no rule that says you have to give it to the person that replies first. It's gives others that don't spend their day in front of their computers a chance.

Definately give it to the nice person. The rude one needs to go back to kindergarten and learn how to ask nice.

[LuvBigRip]

I try to give to the first response, but I have also received some responses that were gimme gimme gimme in nature. I ignore those and give to the first polite response.

[killbarney]

You give it to who YOU want to, not who replied first. I've had the same problem, or someone asking me to do this/that and I don't do it.

[Blackerose]

On our local group, we are asked to wait 24 hours before picking someone. This allows for those who don't sit on the computer all day a chance. I've had some people reply to every single item I've offered.

[Jolie Rouge]

I generally wait 24 hours before choosing someone to give items to, so that the people who don't haunt their computer have a chance also. I immediately delete the rude or "gimme" emails, I go with the politest or at least the best story. I also post *that* information when I post my follow-up "taken" post.

[volkswagon7]

I delete the "gimme" emails too. I once had a woman email me every 15 minutes demanding I give the item to her....she didn't get it.

[Mom2jal]

Our freecycle has turned into the local Goodwill. It's always someone asking for donated stuff to haul to the needy. I'm all for helping the needy but who's to say that's even where the stuff is going. I'm bettin she's had some nice garage sales. :D

[tljohn123]

I generally give the first response. And if that doesn't work out, then the next gets is.

There are two people here that are constantly asking for stuff, then turning around and selling it on another group!

I've gotten some great stuff from free cycle, and I've really needed it. Buying groceries is very difficult with no money. Today I picked up like two dozen thingys of yogurt. The lady also gave me another bag with other food stuff in it. She was just the nicest lady I swear.

Whoever posted about freecycle in the first place, thank you thank you thank you!

[nanajoanie]

I've only encountered one bad apple. She weas looking for stuff for her kidlettes and I had some stuff to share. I even delivered it to her aunt where I drove 10 miles to do that. Then a few days later she had the items on freecycle. I had given her exact descriptions of what I had and we exchanged several emails. She wanted the stuff. Just P*SSed me off big time. I never let her get any of my stuff again or her aunt either. She did that with several folks. Wonder why to moderators never scolded her or booted her out. It's when I first got acquainted with freecycle and was a newbie.

[YankeeMary]

I just do first come first serve. That way its out of my hair more quickly.

I have gotten a cell phone from freecycle and 2 different occassions and both times I went to get them I took a thank note with me to give to the "giver". It made there day and makes them more willing to give again to others. Everyone likes to be thanked.

[JerseyMook]

It's your stuff - give it to whomever you please!!! There are no set rules on pecking order as far as I know

[Tashagirl]

question...what exactly is freecycle??:confused:

[YankeeMary]

question...what exactly is freecycle??:confused:

Go to www.freecycle.org its great. Its a site that allows you to list items you have and no longer need for free, and you offer it to others that are members in your area and vice versa. Its a wonderful way to recycle and keep stuff out of our landfills.

[Specialk]

I wold give it to the most polite person, the other person doesnt deserve it being rude, besides that rude person wouldnt know that she was first, she has no way of knowing she sent you the e-mail first. Besides theres no rule stating that you have to give it to the first person who responds.

[MistyWolf]

I'd go with the polite person too .. If your going to be rude why get it?

[JKATHERINE]

You give it to who YOU want to, not who replied first. I've had the same problem, or someone asking me to do this/that and I don't do it.

Agreed. I am an owner/moderator of two local groups and have gone through the same thing. This is my rule of thumb: If the item is special/expensive/popular, I pick whomever I want to give it to, if it's something I just want to get out of my house, sometimes I'll pick the first responder and sometimes I'll pick someone I've dealt with before who I KNOW will show up on time.

Like killbarney said, it's ALWAYS your choice as to who you give your items to. :)

[PrincessArky]

I would offer it to the nicer also. Even if I have no one else reply and I get and email that says "I want it". I'll delete it and wait longer. I hate rude responses.

me too and I get alot of those off freecycle I just wait for the nice one

[lisahiser]

When I gave away my prom dresses, I received TONS of emails, but when the two girls's mothers that I gave the dresses to wrote me and told me that they so desperately wanted to send their girl to the prom but were in a financial bind, that is how I did it.
I received several very rude emails and the gimmes...... and what was even more funny is that when I posted that they were taken, I had a couple people email me asking why I didnt let them know that they were taken???????? what more did they need??? I just laughed them off and knew that my decision was right.

On almost everything else, I usually go with the first response.
but if I were to recieve someone rude, I think I would wait to see if there are other responses before I would give.
Kill them with Kindness.........

[cathych]

I quit our local freecycle because of the rudeness. You find rude people everywhere.

[cathych]

one other thing, I think the 24 hour rule really sucks, (pardon me). If you post an ad in the paper, the first person who calls gets it. You don't wait around for people to read their paper.

[buglebe]

I choose by several things. If someone has given me something before then their name goes to the top of the list or if one person says she doesn't know how soon she can get it opposed to someone who says she can get it at my convenience (tomorrow or sooner) then they go up on the list. The rude request are discarded , example "When can I pick it up" , no hello I would like to have it, or better "Can you mail it to me?" You are giving a gift. It is up to you what you want to do with it.

[aicirtaP]

Yeah,I would give it to the nice person too,i've done that on messege boards before,if I offered to give a book away or something and more than one person responded,I would give it to the person who acted like they wanted it more but wasn't demanding or whatever...LOL!

[killbarney]

Why did it make you mad? It's not like she turned around and tried to sell the stuff. Maybe something in her house changed. Maybe it just didn't work for what she needed. You gave it to her, and when she decided she couldn't use it-she turned around and PAY'D IT FORWARD and gave someone else a chance to get the items free. If something like this pisses you off, then you are on the wrong group totally. The moderators never scolded her or booted her out because she did NOTHING wrong-it's possible that since you were a newbie you didn't know that's the way it sometimes works.


Then a few days later she had the items on freecycle. She wanted the stuff. Just P*SSed me off big time. I never let her get any of my stuff again or her aunt either. She did that with several folks. Wonder why to moderators never scolded her or booted her out. It's when I first got acquainted with freecycle and was a newbie.

[Urban Cowgirl]

Our freecycle has turned into the local Goodwill. It's always someone asking for donated stuff to haul to the needy. I'm all for helping the needy but who's to say that's even where the stuff is going. I'm bettin she's had some nice garage sales. :D


I understand how you feel. I do have to say though. I used to live in san antonio and our freecycle there encouraged for nonprofits to participate. WE even used to do drives where several of us would be drop off locations and then the nonprofits would come get the stuff, it was so much fun. I now live in ME and my local freecycle doesn't allow post to state whether or not its for a charity and I think that stinks. When I first moved up here we were allowed to, and I made a request for stuff for a family that had relocated here after Katrina.....the outpouring was huge, had to actually turn people away because we were going to end up with more than the family could use. Now the new mod does not allow anything like that. I don't get it, if people question it they don't have to participate, or they can ask for proof of whats being done with it.

[Urban Cowgirl]

When I gave away my prom dresses, I received TONS of emails, but when the two girls's mothers that I gave the dresses to wrote me and told me that they so desperately wanted to send their girl to the prom but were in a financial bind, that is how I did it.
I received several very rude emails and the gimmes...... and what was even more funny is that when I posted that they were taken, I had a couple people email me asking why I didnt let them know that they were taken???????? what more did they need??? I just laughed them off and knew that my decision was right.

On almost everything else, I usually go with the first response.
but if I were to recieve someone rude, I think I would wait to see if there are other responses before I would give.
Kill them with Kindness.........


Great idea for your prom dresses!!! I am too late this year, but next year I was thinking of going up to the high school to see if they knew of a student taht probably could not afford one. One question...How old were your dresses? I graduated in 95 , you think mine are too old? They still look great, but probably not the latest style.