FreecycleReviews of freecycle.org

You think you are helping people out who are less fortunate but they repay you by messing you about. Never turning up when they say they are and you are waiting around for hours for someone who is clearly never coming. I will never post on Freecycle again, I will just take good stuff to the tip.

I love Freecycle! I have been a member for years and have received so many wonderful items: A fish tank with all the equipment, a wonderful print of the spot where I was married, an antique office chair to refurbish. I have also been able to gift others with a truck load of used things instead of having them send to the landfill, including some ripped jeans that someone took for patching pants and making a quilt.

I will never post again an announce on freecycle. People like to waste your time. And for what? Nothing, because you are giving away your items for free. And admin don't help you at all when you ask any information. Next time I'm gonna give my piece of furniture to a charity shop, that's for sure. At least I make a good action.

Like many others, my experience is with numerous wasters sadly because freecycle is a good idea in practice. It just seems to attract a number of people with no intention of doing what they say. Whether they're attention seeking, disorganised, want people's names, numbers or simply dishonest I'm not completely sure. Note that like ebay, when people want to hurry you or need you to phone them etc, you should be cautious. People don't return calls / emails / don't turn up / aren't who they claim to be etc. I would strongly advise doing anything else other than giving away things on Freecycle or similar. Phone genuine places like charity shops, refugee places, help centres, debt centres, YMCA, etc etc. Advertise in real groups with genuine potential or churches etc. As stated below by Freecycle themselves, don't give out mobile numbers or address unless necessary - ask why people want something. Even then, people have not responded or turned up. So I won't be using Freecycle any more and will delete my account.

Unfortunately, Freecycle is useless as a donor. More often than not, people who say they will get an item do not show up. They don't bother to call, text, or email. It is a waste of time. The moderators do not answer emails and don't seem to care rendering Freecycle ineffective and useless. This is New Mexico. Maybe somewhere else it works. I'm done with Freecycle.

I'd give them a zero star if I could. The San Jose, CA area freecycle sucks! I tried opening an account. A week later I get a reject telling me that I can't use the word "freecycle" in my email address. Hello, an alias of [email protected] is the best way to sort incoming email. Next it takes another week before they graciously approve my membership, but do they email me and tell me I'm approved? Hell NO. Now I've been trying to post things but everything is moderated. 3-5 days (or longer, still waiting) for a post to be moderated is NOT acceptable. THIS SUCKS!

I, like many users, believe in the ethos of Freecycle. I also, unlike many users, understand and value the moderators role. I do take issue with the abuse of Freecycle by resellers. But that said, I tell myself that this is still preventing stuff going into Landfills. However I was compelled to post this as a warning. Blatant resellers collected an item from me after SIGNIFICANT messing about and unreasonable questions (my item was advertised for a specific car, yet they asked whether it would work for X, y, z, etc). They then messed us around in collection times. I had to stay on the line whilst they tried to fing us. Then they couldn't fit the item in as they had been 'collecting' and proceeded to unload and reload their vehicle on my drive (I work from home). They they talked incessantly about what people throw away, despite my obvious hints about needing to get back to work. Then they asked about anything else I might have. Then the worst bit, I saw their car pull up again 30 mins later and then drive off. I wish my dog hadn't been sleeping when they came, freaked me out. I took a photo in case of any repercussions. I will never use Freecycle again, the recycle centre at the tip for me from now on every time. Such a shame, it is such a brilliant concept but attracts greedy resellers and i now question wider motives. Sorry Freecycle.

Freecycle is a wonderful idea and over the past few years have given away more than 20 very high quality items that we no longer needed. But EVERY time, and I mean every time, the people coming to collect items don't show up. Yesterday I had a woman email me and say that she could come any time this morning, whatever was convenient for me, so I said 11am. I told her where to come and waited at the gate for 45 minutes, but no sign of her. In the end I emailed her and she replied OMG, she had forgotten. Last time a man didn't come and no response from him, so I emailed and he replied that he'd had to work late (well, he might have let us know). He didn't come the next time we arranged, then said he'd had a bereavement.... and this is how it goes on. I tend to get responses from people within minutes of an item going on, saying they would like it and is it still available, but then I have to go through four or five other people before someone actually comes about a week later. Can't believe this happens every time, but it has so far. I think, because an item is free, they feel it really doesn't matter whether they come for it or not. Yet often we have rearranged our working times so that we're in; we've had dinner early and then sat waiting. Missed TV programmes because people were coming during the evening and then didn't show. So many frustrating hours wasted. Hence my feeling that Freecycle as an organisation is good, the users can be inconsiderate.