Freecycle Reviews 249

Site/APP is really slow at times. But overall it serves its purpose. Got some nice bits off here and met some really nice people on picking stuff up 😊

Its not just about people failing to turn up its about getting an item and the offeror passing it on to someone else on route

I post offers and I've had some good experiences..people respond and follow through with picking item up. Too many times, though, I get email responses..saying they are really interested, and leave me their cell/phone # for me to call. I call them, don't answer, so I leave a vms with my phone #. I also email them with the info. Then....I never hear from them!...or I go back and forth with communication with interested party...then they back out or don't respond. It's a total waste of time, and very rude. If people aren't that serious, please don't waste the time of the person offering the item. Don't respond. Thanks for the venting.

Disappointing experience but I fully appreciate that this is due to other site users as opposed to the site itself. Advertised a single bed. Virtually brand new. Offered for free as I like the concept of reducing land fill / passing things on to others who might be facing a hard time. 5 responses in first day all asking about availability and saying can pick it up immediately. I give out personal details. No response then. Time wasting and frustrating. Put on Gumtree. Gone first time. I like the concept. Just not the reality.

Absolutely perplexed by so many "timewasting" reviews on here. Only because I've tried several times to get Offers from freecyclers - I've sent messages online as well as email - but I never seem to be successful! Never seem to get any responses. Would love to know where I'm going wrong here. Can't help for want of trying to take people's stuff off their hands!

My listing keeps getting deleted for no apparent reason, and emailing the moderator (3 times) has met with no response. Something is not quite working over there!

I've used freecycle for years, getting items for myself and my daughter when she moved into her first home and needed everything.
I've also rehomed lots of unwanted items myself and normally the recipient is very grateful.
Fantastic idea!!
Unfortunately this last couple of weeks I have been unable to access the site, I just keep getting "Freecycle is not responding" message.
Is there something wrong with the site at the moment?
Thank you for the help I can now access the site.

As of April 6,2020 I told you to stop sending me e-mails, I am now going to the better business bureau because you refuse to stop. I never signed up for this and do not want it. You are using my e-mail without my consent for distribution of your products and I do not want them.
April 20th, 2020!!!
Your response is for me to send you my login to remove me, how can I send you a login I don't have because I never signed up for it. That is pretty pathetic. I am now reporting you to the BBB

Note: this is about the user experience not the organisation itself or the ethos. The idea is one which when it works well for others is a good and meaningful way to help with consumer waste.

I’ve only used Freecycle to offer one good condition, working item and unfortunately that experience was enough to put me off for good.

I had two enquiries: one who passed my address onto a ‘friend’ without asking if it was okay to do that. They only told me when I emailed saying as they hadn’t collected the item I would give it to someone else. This made me very uncomfortable and I informed the moderators but have not as yet had a response. The second person did exchange mobile numbers but still didn’t show up. When I did message they seemed to be wanting me to bring the item to them, rather than collect it. I politely declined.

I can’t leave stuff outside for collection, there’s no porch and it fronts onto a pavement, so it would be stolen or soaked in rain. I don’t have the money to constantly phone or text people chasing them up for something I’m trying to pass on rather than just chuck away! I’m going to look at local small charity groups in future who might actually feel pleased to have useful items they don’t have to pay for.

Surprised to see so many bad reviews. I have used free cycle in oxford to give away good appliances still working, curtains, items of furniture, Crockery/ kitchenware. Perhaps I’ve been lucky - I’m not giving away utter crap and I’m delighted it all goes to a good home. I’ve Even met some of the people I’ve freecycled too. I’ve had moments of realising that there are some on this site that I’d rather didn’t take advantage of this but by and large I’ve been thoroughly satisfied and promoted this site widely with many of my friends. It’s a great concept and I fully support it.

Time wasters paradise. No way of reporting them and excluding them. Having held items for someone who said they wanted them, they changed their minds, I’m out of time, items will be broken up and sent to landfill. Great idea but flawed by relying on people being genuine, which most are, but the few spoil it, and being an unregulated platform it attracts time wasters.

Why can't Freecylce have a email so we can contact them. I am having trouble getting into Freecyle and can't find any help

Josie

Why does Freecycle seem to attract these people who like to waste your time and say YEAH I want it and can I come round after 4:00o/c when they have no intention of doing it and wont give you a MOBILE PHONE NUMBER to see if they are real.. Seems they like to cause you inconvenience for the sake of having a small brain,,,,
Is it some type of new brain disease .?

If you use Freecycle... First this to do if you get a response is to say --Yes... sure... that fine,,,,What's your mobile number so I can text you the address, If you get no answer then they made up a number...SO ,,,No Mobile number then good bye...

The concept of Freecycle is to prevent unwanted things going in Landfill.

So instread of a trip to your recycling centre you put up a free ad and choose from a number of people that express an interest.

Each group has suggestions and warnings.

Now whilst there are people who put up stuff that is not possible to use (like a smelly mattress) and there may be the the odd person who does not turn up, overall FREECYCLE IS BRILLIANT.

I have managed to completely replace almost all my houshold possessions and given mine away.

I got an LCD TV and gave my neighbour mine.
I got a superb fridge freezer, a washer drier, full lenth curtains, £400 glass shower panel (unused), £2500 wardrobe, a second TV for the bedroom, 2x £3000 electric recline leather sofas (gave one to my neighbour), Juicer, Expresso Machine, Bread maker, Slow cooker, Microwave, Ikea Bookshelf, Ikea white Glass computer stand, selection of energy efficient light bulbs, and a plethora of other things.

It is not all about getting free stuff, I give stuff away too and even deliver it if local. I also get large items such as fridges and decent beds for my local church who give them to the recently housed homeless or those in need.

Freecycle has even got me into recycling I take apart Laptops and PC's recycling the parts and giving them away working. I also get vacuum cleaners which often just need a deep clean or refurb to get them working again so they can be given away free.

The most common thing advertised is moving boxes, people then put them back on freecycle when they have moved.

Baby clothes and pushchairs are also common.

Freecycle is run by volunteers mostly, you can donate to support it.

Personally I think it is brilliant, it is disappointing to see negative review by entitled people who think they deserve some high level service. Honestly it is a not for profit, you obviously take precautions, you can leave stuff on your door step at an agreed time so there is no invonvenience.

A friend of mine uses freecycle to deal with their shopping obession which turned into an ebay obsession, now they just get stuff for free and avoid the debt they got into.

I get the Freecycle daily updates, I do not need much now but I keep an eye out for friends and neighbours. People give away amazing things than have lots of life left in them

One company gives away a van load of pallets delivered free for projects or firewood even.

This review is also to say thank you to all the people that use freecycle, either giving ot receiving.

I've been a member since 2012, and I'm a member of 7 local groups: I travel around the county for work, so it makes sense to cover each city I travel to regularly. Most mods have imposed unnecessary and irritating rules, making them appear like dictators rather than mods. And one group has 7, that's SEVEN, administrative messages that they expect new users to read when the sign up. The basic Freecycle FAQ is sufficient, and the Mod Bible actually says that 'less moderation' is better, and to not be a dictator! But I guess a lot of mods don't care, and instead prefer to run the groups they moderate like their own personal Kingdoms. I think a basic 5 star Mod & Member rating system would be very handy, and it's been suggested for many years. Low rated Mods could be replaced, and people could determine who to interact with based on rating, in order to better avoid hostile or sketchy givers or takers.

Freecycle.org is an organization for people who want to get rid of their junk, but who do not want to do so the traditional way, such as simply just throwing them into the trash. Items that are old or not working or require parts are often advertised as giveaways. There are rare occasions where someone actually gives away something useful, but that is very rare, that is why I gave a 2 star as opposed to a 1 star. Additionally, there are people who respond to 'items wanted' and contact the individual or individuals in order to sell them the items. However, people using freecycle.org have to also be aware that there are people who access the site and advertise things to give away they do not have, in order to attract a date or sexual encounter. They sometimes answer ads for 'wanted items' as well. I complained about an individual who made inappropriate advances at me to one of the moderators, but she was very unhelpful and blame me instead; this was after I sent her all the email transactions between me and the perpetrator which clearly outlined his motives!

Sadly like many others, my experience is that numerous time wasters that ask for your contact details and address have no intention of collecting the items they have asked for. It's a great idea in practice but sadly is open to abuse and seems to attract a number of people with no intention of doing what they say. Unfortunately by the time you realise that they are not going to show, you have already given them your address and contact details, coincidentally, since putting ads on Freecycle I have been plagued with nuisance phone calls and junk emails. I'm now wondering if these people are 'plants' purely out to gain personal details and information which they then and sell on. I will now be passing my unwanted items to a local charity.
There's always the few which spoil for the many of good, decent and honest people in genuine need.

The redditch group is a disgrace use your email address to sign up for things so don't listen to what they say about family run group because not the admin are silly idoits if people are helping save unwanted items going to the tip why are so called admin sticking the nose in to a simple post the redditch 1 is terrible do not use give away free on facebook or another group but dont use freecycle redditch

Terrible dont bother to use the redditch one is run by terrible staff and when dont like answer back they use your email and sign you up to things if they had a brain cell might be dangerous call themselves admin when lazy fat idoits dont have a job and nothing better to do with there time dont trust them with your email address and don't trust redditch one full stop.
thanks for your reply but yes they did they used my email and signed me up for stuff via email so yes they did so dont lie your staff in redditch got my email and sent loads of spam and rubbish to my email address because didn't like the answer i gave them they shouldn't be working with the public at all

Good idea let down by bad moderators or the sites admin system, been waiting 4 days for things I've listed for offer to be approved and I've seen several things in my group getting added daily so either the system isn't showing the moderators my offers for approval or they for some reason are ignoring them... will wait a day or two more then its off to the landfill.