Freecycle Problem

[thesunflowergal]

I have been a member of my local groupfor about four and a half years now, but not very active for the last year.

Last weekend I offered a cabinet, lady said she would collect. Great!! I told the woman that I would be out as it was Teme's feed time, he is bf. I am sure that you see the reason why. So I would leave the cabinet out and she could help herself.

I hear the lady arrive, and she take the cabinet. Perfect!! Or so I thought. I had also left a large metal planter near to it, his was to be collect by someone else. So she takes both, and drives off.

I email to ask why she thought she could do this, with no responce. So I email the mod, he contacts her la la la. She admits that she took it. This is the email that she sent me:

Hi first of all have I got the correct person regarding this e-mail ?
Also I did not receive any e-mail from you previosly and I do wish you would have tryed again.I just
thought you had left this out ,my complete mis-take and I do apoligise I really did not mean to cause you
any embrassment and I do know how it feels i have been there.I am quite willing to write that person an e-mail on yr behalf if that would smooth things over,please let me know.
Yr's and very very sorry

I am pretty peed off, and I think that she had no right to take this item. Isn't that classed as stealing?? The mod has told her to return it, but note that no offer has been made to do so.

Please let me know what you think, before I email her and the mod back.

Thanks Nikki

[MKG]

No dilemma as far as I can see. She took something which she had not been invited to take. No excuses - no "I didn't get your email", no "my mistake". It wasn't a mistake - she couldn't possibly have taken it accidentally. And I'm afraid "I just thought you'd left this out" is pathetic. She must either return it or arrange to get it to the person for whom it was intended.

Mike

[StripyPixieSocks]

No, she shouldn't have taken it in the first place that's just downright rude imho. Having been a Freecycler for a few years I would never even dream of taking something else nearby the item I was collecting.

I'd want the items back also that is not a genuine mistake that's just rudeness.

[Green Aura]

Maybe whoever was supposed to collect it from you could get it from her instead - then she has to face the person who should have got it in the first place.

[JulieSherris]

What if you were about to do something with it yourself?
Yes, it IS stealing, she took something which she had no right to.
She should return it you or the person it should have gone to.

Oh, and Nikki.... x (Because I know you will have really taken this to heart)

[KathyLauren]

I agree with the other responses.

Don't let her write to the other person on your behalf. She'll probably tell that person that you changed your mind or something equally lame that makes you look bad. You should be the one to explain to the other person what happened so you know that they are getting the true story.

[JillStephens7]

How rude!
It's like the bin man coming to empty your bin and deciding to take your door mat with him cause it's next to it and he fanicies the look of it. Freecycle is run on trust and they shouldn't be allowed to be part of freecycle if they don't return it. x

[crowsashes]

how bloody rude! clearly she would have seen the posting for the item on freecycle and knew somebody would have been collecting it!

ive been having a nightmare myself with freecycle, people not showing up after requesting items, taking weeks to collect them. when i just want them gone. the rudeness of requests ! am i just a bit picky in asking people to start the email with a hi or hello and ending it with a thank you rather than ' can i haz dis item plz ' ?

[snapdragon]

Theft, pure and simple. Tell the mod and the thief and also explain to the intended recipient ( yourself, or the moderator to avoid giving the liar the opportunity to do it again.)
Your property on your property, so you could involve the police as you do know who the criminal is.
better luck next time SFG
My main prob with freecycle is no shows grrr

[bonniethomas06]

am i just a bit picky in asking people to start the email with a hi or hello and ending it with a thank you rather than ' can i haz dis item plz ' ?

Hehehe! I am exactly the same crowsashes, unfortunately people who are too lazy to bother with grammer go to the bottom of the list! As do the people who give an enormous sob story with their request for a 40 inch flatscreen TV.

I do think Freecycle brings out the worst in human nature! Although I love it, we had our sofas (which are really quite nice looking but I must admit, hell to sit on!), coal scuttle, demijohns, plate rack, and pestle/mortar from freecycle, and have given away so much stuff.

And recently we have a scarecrow competition in our village with the theme 'song titles' - we are doing YMCA, and so I have been posting requests for bondage gear, cowboy hats and red indian headdress. Not sure how much YMCA novelty stuff ends up in landfill, but I am sure it is loads! (not!)

[Annpan]

I'm a freecycle group owner and there although there is little we could do in the situation. We would be able to keep an eye on 'offers and wanteds' posted by the person. But in my group we would also email the person direct to ask that the item be returned forthwith.

Freecycle admin are volunteers and users of freecyle too. We would always rather freecycle members let us know if they have a problem with another member than keeping quiet about it, no matter what the problem is.

[crowsashes]

glad im not the only one LOL! just been getting rid of a load of baby stuff and so many people are so greedy!!! asking for the lot ( there was enough for 3 babies there btw) , someone even asked could they boot sale it all? if i wanted to sell it id do it myself!

at least the items i freecycled this week have gone to good homes ( i hope) had a lovely email this morning after a gent picked up some of my old ( but brand new shoes, feet grew from a 6 an 8 and i thought you stopped growing at 21 ?) his wife was probably a happy woman this morning!!

i hate the flatscreen tv ads, it drives me mad!! especially as they probs have an old tv that still works well

i was lucky enough to pick up 2 pretty good film slrs a few months ago, some text books just little bits and pieces most of the time. dont drive so im limited to what i can pick up.