I absolutely LOVE Freecycle I absolutely LOVE Freecycle - I have picked up loads of excellent quality items (wardrobes, glass coffee table, lampshade, desk, bed, mirror, drawers, bedside table to mention just a few). I have also passed on many unwanted items including a bike, old desk, coffee table, towel rail, bedding, clothes. I guess it depends where you live

Good until recently I have had good experiences in the past. But recently I was ignored when I tried several times to contact my local moderators after a scary experience. I was giving away some paving materials. Many people replied, but I offered it to the first person, as I felt I should. He texted and showed up promptly. But he also tried to completely control the pickup, and made me extremely uncomfortable. He was verbally abusive and very creepy. He told me that he was friends with the moderators, and basically knew more than I did. And I got no reply to any of my complaints to the moderators. No response at all. I am much more wary now, and hesitate to use freecycle. I recommend that you do not have someone pick up from your home if at all possible. Vet the person if you can, and have someone with you at any pickup. My experience was traumatic.

Good idea ruined by time wasters Good idea ruined by time wasters Posted all my white goods as moving to place with fitted goods received a message at 3am saying I'll have it if you deliver. Things went downhill from there people were seemingly enthusiastic but then didn't reply to messages. Asked for more details and more photos so provided by e mail then whole day wasted with messing on with people who are just mucking about. Too good for tip but that's where it's going closed account which is shame as worked in past

A great idea frustrated by its users Unlike others who’ve posted here, I haven’t had problems with the website functionality or with moderation. My disappointment has been with the users. I see people here referring to “time wasters” and I have to agree. I get the feeling there are people who just sit on the site and pounce when they see something they either might like for themselves or, think they can sell. They respond enthusiastically, promise they can come and get the item at any time and then at the last minute come up with excuses as to why they can’t after all do so or don’t, after all want what they’ve been adamant they must have. Of course not everyone’s like that but enough are for me to have wasted hours of my time and to have decided, reluctantly, to delete my account.

A suggestion..... I’ve used this site a lot and it’s been really helpful, BUT I think the process could be made a lot easier for both sides if people had to formally commit to collection. Sometimes people say they want an item then don’t turn up, and you might have stayed in or turned down someone who really wanted it/ would have collected it. Could an option be added to the website where an offer is made/ accepted with a specific time window (and maybe one chance to re-schedule) and if they were a no-show it would be recorded on their profile? It would be an incentive not to be flakey, and if you had 2 offers and could see that one person had collected 100% of their items and another 50%, you could make an informed choice about who to offer it to. Also it would help those collecting things because you could see it had already been promised to someone (you could offer people the option to go on a waiting list in case it became available again).