Freecycle Reviews 249

When replying to a mail from a freecyle member, the message has to be typed into a box one line high. The reply cannot be formatted, and if you forget and hit "enter" to start a new line the unfinished message gets sent.
Bring back the old version, much better.

New site is awful. I tried listing something 3 times, and it never was published. However, when I do a search for the item, I can see it. This new site is poorly designed and difficult to navigate. I will give up posting.

Cant see any benefit whatsoever in the new layout..takes forever to load, then after only a few hours worth of postings, it wont load anymore. Cant look at a specific item, then go back where you were, it reverts back to the beginning.
it seems impossible to see any postings over a couple of days old..which is utterly useless, i had 2 items i wanted to email about, had to wait to get work schedule before answering ads so i would know when i was free...and now cant access them at all.
I've emailed the site twice now and got back a polite message each time, similar to the responses given on here, to just give it time..but both versions were available for long enough to see the pitfalls...and if not then , its certainly been long enough to iron out any 'teething 'problems' since...i'll give it a few more days then give up...which would be a real shame, ive had some great stuff from the site, and handed on some great stuff too.

Following my previous reviews on this site. After being singled out, bullied and victimised by a local group moderator after he broke Freecycle's most hallowed rule, I have now had my account closed again and have been informed by freecycle that I will not be allowed to join any freecycle group ever because I questioned the legality of this despot's actions. So the hierarchy have condoned the local group moderator and joined him in his victimisation. I should have been applauded for reporting the offending post and if the moderator had nothing to hide he wouldnt have minded an alert. I have been affected by this victimisation which has left me feeling vulnerable and anxious. Its a rubbish site anyway, quite literally. Most posts on there should read " can someone take my rubbish to the tip for me".

I can't think why you find it necessary to change the listing format. It worked well and it was so easy to see the photos and contact the donor. Now I can't find a way to see any photos and the listing is confusing and I personally find it difficult to read in that pale green colour you are using.
If things don't go back to 'normal' soon, I'm afraid I'm off to another site.. I really don't want to do this and I'm sure you won't miss me but if too many people think as I do, you could have a problem.

New website reasonably accessible on the computer, impossible to use on the phone. Please, please take it back to the old platform. In this case less was SO much more!

Whoever at freecycle thought of changing the format of the website does not have the idea to deal with it. He/she should be listening to people here. The site now allows people to look at only a few posts of combined 5-6 membership areas in one opening screen, which means you get to see, at best only one or two posts from each area/town you are member of. This will be cause the demise of freecycle as people move away. I dont feel like opening and browsing anymore, purely because it is such a pain.
I would request freecyle.org moderators and those who manage it to seriously consider adopting back the old format.
It they dont go back to old format, then unfortunately I will remove it and cannot support it any longer.

Pleased that the redesign now makes the web pages usable on a mobile. However when using both email and the site to respond to messages I am struggling to relate emails to website message threads. Could the thread id be shown on the site message pages maybe?

Website changed for the worse
I agree with so many others on here. What was a really simple and clear to use website has been butchered. I've used it a lot over the years and as I've been clearing my mother's house have checked the 'wanted' page almost daily. The new browsing experience is awful and I certainly won't be using it so much.

I have Meares-Irlen Syndrome (also known as Visual Stress/Scotopic Sensitivity) the new site font colours 'very pale green on bold white' are a nighmare to try and focus on. I can't be alone in this, whether other Freecycle members have the same condition, or dyslexia, or even perfect eyesite. What was the rationale behind the choice of colours, fonts, and lay out? It is appalling, and very discriminatory to those with eye conditions or sight problems, I can't imagine the distress of those with cataracts, and macular degenerative conditions - mostly by those who are already marginalised or forgotten about by society -
Bold black on a coloured base was fine.
As for when typing in your offer/wanted details description Freecycle have not put a note above the box stating to only use your keyboard 'Return' key when finished - I automatically use it when wishing to start a new line of text and to make my advert clearer to understand. Instead you present a small box, that appears to limit the sentence length - it is not clear that you are to keep typing your whole advert in one long stream.
Incurring multiple headaches and nausea everytime I open an email from Freecycle is going to undo the good that has been acheived by this international community hub. It must be very difficult to read arabic, chinese, or other language fonts in pale green. Please Freecycle go back to the former layout instead of isolating and losing the army of people reducing landfill.

Can’t understand why the site has changed. Not bothering with them anymore. I’m sure I’m not alone. So will be deleting. Believe charities will benefit.

Ugh. I completely share the views expressed by other users that the new online format is much less user friendly. It's clunky, slow to load pages, and a handful of adverts takes up far too much space on a mobile phone screen. I don't have the latest smart tech or a fast broadband connection and I sure many other users don't either.
The old site allowed you to quickly scan a list of ads for items of interest, without the need for an image front and centre. You got the image AFTER clicking on the description or by asking the advertiser to email one.
Searching for items that were advertised more than a couple of days previously is a complete waste of time. They've long gone, otherwise they'd have been re-advertised, and why say there are scores of matches to a particular search term but then only allow you to view a fraction of them. Frustrating!

As many others have pointed out, the new website is a definite step backwards, the most important thing should be ease of use and clear layout, no 'new features' are needed, the old site worked perfectly well and was easier and quicker to navigate.

Why change the site its awful now. Difficult to use and dreadful. Can I access it the previous way which was so much easier?

Terrible new layout old way so much better

Receiving digests from freecycle,try to open,with new site they won't open,so bloody annoying in this day and age should be so simple.

The new design is a problem.

Firstly the low contrast mid green text is a disaster for people with sight problems. Did anyone take any advice on accessibility issues of was it just "Oooh, nice pretty colours"?

Secondly, I receive daily or more emails, some of which are new design and I can't turn off. The old better design showed all 25 listings on the email preview screen and I could quickly scan the lot. Now I have to scroll down through lines of space and low contrast text.

TL;DR

Sorry, you lost a regular user. Maybe I'll check in once a week or so or when I put something up for donation.

Meh.

I used to be a regular on freecycle, not only getting useful items but passing on many things that I no longer use for others to enjoy.

Like so many others on here I hate the new website! It's almost impossible to describe how much without swearing!

I have given it time but the old version that offered a simple list that you could click on to see the picture of anything interesing, easy interface and user friendly way of looking at, and offering unwanted possessions or getting things.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY STUFF THAT HAS ALREADY GONE!!!! Why would anyone think that was a good idea?

Please turn the old site back on so we can use it again, in it's current state it's a horrible experience and is so user hostile that I have regretfully resorted to dumping stuff into landfill! A lot of things!

The beta website was useless and I managed to use the original for a short time but now forced down the new one I hardly visit the site. Had a look today to see if they have taken onboard what the users are saying but no, it's still the cr*p version!

Very sad as this was a great and helpful website, ruined for no good reason!

Freecycle, if you read this review PLEASE put the old website back up and admit the new idea has not worked and was a MASSIVE mistake!

Absolutely agree with the person last to review. If it works don't fix it.
Can't stand the new site.

If it works don't fix it, because now freecycle just doesn't work!!!
Freecycle is a Brilliant concept, was so easy to use and worked a treat. They have now updated it and it kicks you out back onto the old site, which then kicks you out to the new site. So annoying and was clearly never tested before implementing

I've lived in the UK for ever, use Vodafone in the UK as my service provider and never had a problem with the site until recently, the old and the new. Tried it on 2 separate phones and a laptop!
Switched to another site now that works and won't be coming back to Freecycle!

As I said, if it works, don't fix it!!!!