Freecycle - Scammers & Greedy People?

Question

While Freecycle can be a great place to recycle items like popsicle sticks, shoe boxes, toilet paper rolls that can be used by parents w/ school aged children in their projects.

It can also be a place where greedy people can gain free items to resell on ebay, craigslist, swap meets & garage sales.

I'm surprised at the audacity for people to ask for specific expensive brand new items.

Actually, it isn't uncommon to see the same screenname continually posting Wanted Ads over & over daily.

There is one lady on my freecycle group that has a wanted ad for a new car, new x-box (to give her son for x-mas), and multiple other Santa type requests.

People like that ruin the true reason behind freecycle. It's a place to recycle not a Christmas Wishlist Granter.

What is your take on it?

Answer 1

It is audacious, isn't it?

but it doesn't really surprise me.  The entire internet is a place where people take advantage of their freedom to be jerks.

Untill some cure is found, we just have to take the bad with the good.

Obviously, you must ignore her.

Answer 2

Yeah, there are some Greedy Guses/Gertas. But people usually figure that out, and they get what they deserve (nothing). I exercise the delete key when these go by.

Send a polite note to your moderators, There are notices that they can send out to remind their members what Freecycle is *not*. But they won't know if it bugs anyone unless you tell them.

Some groups limit "repeat" wanteds to one post a week, or even once repeat a month. But each group has its own personality, and moderator style.