Anyone used Freecycle to declutter? What kind of experiences have you had?

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I have given and received so many wonderful things on Freecycle!!! An excellent concept.

Can be frustrating when the person that makes a post doesn't communicate with you or when someone says they are going to come pick it up and don't show. Most of the times things are left on front porches with names on it, so I usually don't meet who I get and give to.

Overall I have had many positive experiences and would recommend.

Christine

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Christine
WAHM to James (10/00) & Caroline (4/03)
Surro Mommy to Jillian & Taylor (08/06)

I have gotten clothing, books, kitchen decor, vinyl rain gutters and even a built in wall oven unit to replace the 1950's style junker that came with the house, the free oven i got works great and fit perfectly into the exsisting space!
I've gotten rid of old furniture, kids clothing and junk that i wanted cleared out of my garage.
It is frustrating to have to wait on people sometimes, but a majority of the give aways i have done went smoothly. We have a new moderator on our free cycle board, but before that people were getting crazy with their "wants" and asking for things that were high priced items to begin with and wanted them for free. Like laptop computers, cars and someone even posted asking for money to fill her fuel oil tank for the winter heating months....it's alot better now, there is even a no-show list for those that say they want things and don't show up, if they do this too often, they are banned from the group.

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"Go on, get outside, get the stink blown off ya!!"

I love freecycling! There is nothing easier than listing the items you want to get rid of, setting them on your porch and having someone come and pick them up. It's as easy as that!

I also got our garage doors from freecycle (not that my dh has put them up yet...grrr)

It's a great concept, I'm just very leery of having strangers come by my house or going to a strangers house... so while I belong to a local group I've never participated. I'm a big chicken.

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:love:

LOVE LOVE LOVER freecycle. Excellent concept and most of the time people are very nice. In my area it is really hard to get rid of big unwanted items, so people give away EVERYTHING and I mean everything.
I've mentioned this before, I think, but you can furnish a house, get all your clothes, kitchen and bathroom items and sometimes even food on my freecycle. I let my DH do pick ups, though, I think it is safer that way.

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Lena

I've given, and had a bad experience with the person who picked up, long story, but I imagine most of the time it's a good thing. Since, I'll admit I've given to the Salvation Army. I've tried several times to get items of interest in our area, never had that luck though! I think I might feel a little odd though about picking up something, and I know my DH would, just... awkward I guess, that's why I don't email too often about items.

Summeranne, I was a little leery too when I first started freecycling but what I did was ask the person I was getting something from when the next time was that they were going out to grocery shop, run errands etc and ask if I could meet them somewhere in a public place. Just explain that you new to this and a little nervous. Do the same if you have something to give away. Most people didnt have a problem w/ this at all and if they do your not really out anything anyway.

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SAHM to Elias 3/00, Camdyn 7/03 and Teagan 5/08

I LOVE to freecycle. Ive been doing it for a couple of years now and I have gotten rid of sooo much stuff and recieved alot of needed items too.

My one complaint is that alot of time I will offer something and have several responses and people will got through the entire thing of getting directions and setting up a time and then never show and then they get upset b/c I gave it away to someone else (after sending them an email asking if they were still going to pick up the items).

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SAHM to Elias 3/00, Camdyn 7/03 and Teagan 5/08

Why do you ask?