Geting on to Freecycle?

[kellys hero]

Hi

Probably a dumb question, in the wrong forum but here goes.

I have just signed up for Freecycle as I need to off load a garage of stuff, my password etc have all been excepted but I can't find a page in the website were you can look at other peoples stuff or advertise your own.

It has taken me to a Yahoo "groups" page that I need yet another pass word and login for, but surely this is not to use the local freecycle forum? Is it?

Am I completley daft or is the site a total pain in the behind?

Bearing in mind I use this site, Camaro Owners Club, e-bay and a whole host of other sites so I am relativley competent at this.

Having said that where has the spell check gone on here? Am I really loosing the plot??

[ShadownINja]

I think you are daft. It's piss easy to use. Just sign up to the Yahoo group for your local area and you can browse past emails/posts.

[kellys hero]

So I am daft I can live with that, so the Yahoo is in addition to the free cycle log in then. Crikey it's a lot of log ins to give away stuff you don't want.

I'll give it another go.

[ShadownINja]

TBH I don't know anything about this Freecyle log in to which you refer. That might just be for the forums rather than the local section with all the adverts.

All mine are in here: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycle-kingsto...

[ShadownINja]

Is this yours?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/westsomersetfreecycl...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthSomersetfreecyc...

You only need to sign up for that.

Dunno about East or South!

Edited by ShadownINja on Tuesday 8th September 17:21

[kellys hero]

I've logged onto Yahoo at which point it has told me I am 3 simple steps from joining the group. Lost the will to carry on when it asked me to write in no more than 200 characters why I wish to join the dam thing.

All I want to do is offer stuff for free yet it seems that I am joining up for a dating service or something, surely I am being led down the wrong log ins? I mean one password to log in for recycle itself, this then takes you to another log in, password, stupid "enter the code you see in the box" for yahoo, then write down why I want to join up for, pitys sake its like the chrystal sodding maze.

Thanks for the answers. I will start afresh in the morning.

[Mojooo]

in my local one it is all done through yahoogroups, so once you have that log in it is pretty simple

you will just email your items to one email address and everyone else will see the same message

its worth it.

[Puggit]

Agreed - it is a ridiculously complicated system for something that should be piss easy (and I'm an IT professional...)

[Simpo Two]

A card in your local supermarket headed 'Free to a good home' has a lot going for it I think. You don't even need to 'log in'.

[toxgobbler]

It is a convenient way to have a clear out though of stuff that's fine, but unwanted, I feel better than flinging it in a landfill and sometimes you're helping out people who really need it. Although down my way I swear there's a couple who reply for everything and eBay it.

[ShadownINja]

Weird. I don't remember filling out a personal statement!

[kellys hero]

Hi again

This is now the cold light of the morning and I have 2 emails inviting me to confirm my e mail. One asks me to confirm my email, the other to confirm that I am actually applying to be on free cycle. 2 more hoops to jump through but ok.

So...back onto Yahoo, log in again, add comments into "personal message to moderators and to explain why you wish to join this group" so I have kept it simple saying I wish to off load stuff in a nut shell. Excellent I should be in now....

Ah no but wait, the next messege is telling my my application has been submitted to join the group and I will be notified shortly after the moderators have assesed my worth (or words to that effect)

Damn I must have loged onto the freemasons/local dogging site by mistake FFS all I want to do is give away old tat.

Now I can understand all this for E Bay where cash is moved about, or personel dating sites were they wish to filter out odd people. But this is under the banner of recycling for crying out loud.

Quite frankly they can stick the stupid site, but we will see how the day unfolds.

[Vespula]

Give away your computer.....end of problem

[Engineer1]

Freecycle is run using Yahoo groups which means you get all the same stupid messages and hoops to jump through that you would if you where joining a more private group.

[becksW]

I think it was a lot easier to become a part of when it was new but it has become so popular that I guess they've had to regulate it (like everything there's always someone who will want to spoil a good thing by misuse)I don't remember my hubby having as much trouble when he signed up a few years ago.

[nogginthenog]

I got sick of all the Freecycle hassle, so used Gumtree instead :

http://www.gumtree.com/

so the 45 1/2-full tins of paint found a good home ans didn't go in the bin

[Kermit power]

The problem with Freecycle is that although they're all within Yahoo groups, each local group sets itself up and runs itself independently, so you get slightly (or greatly) different sign up processes for each one.

This is made even more annoying if, like me, you happen to live right in the spot where about 5 local groups all connect with each other.

Watch out for the greenies on there as well! I once put up an ask request for rear springs for my old Suzuki SJ I use for off-roading, and got rewarded with a big, long diatribe about why I was evil! To be fair to the guy, once I explained that the SJ has a tiny little 1.3 litre engine, and all the off-roading I do is at private pay & play sites, he did apologise for leaping to the wrong conclusion.

[kellys hero]

Kermit power said:

The problem with Freecycle is that although they're all within Yahoo groups, each local group sets itself up and runs itself independently, so you get slightly (or greatly) different sign up processes for each one.

This is made even more annoying if, like me, you happen to live right in the spot where about 5 local groups all connect with each other.

Watch out for the greenies on there as well! I once put up an ask request for rear springs for my old Suzuki SJ I use for off-roading, and got rewarded with a big, long diatribe about why I was evil! To be fair to the guy, once I explained that the SJ has a tiny little 1.3 litre engine, and all the off-roading I do is at private pay & play sites, he did apologise for leaping to the wrong conclusion.

That makes a lot of sense as to why I am experiencing problems that other posters have not experienced. Interesting comments about the greenies as a lot of the stuff I was looking to shift was from my (sadly gone) off roading days (primarily as the our local council banned all green laning over night) But thats a different topic...

When I have suitably calmed down (these things make blood boil) I will look to see if I have been "accepted" into the hallowed walls of the greeny universe.

So far thanks for all the feedback...

[bogwoppit]

The checks will be to try to filter out spammers and traders.

[Dr.Doofenshmirtz]

I use freecycle every so often, and touch wood - haven't had a problem.

Only reply to people who write in legible English, and give a reason for wanting it - this tends to filter out the eBayers and time wasters.
People who reply saying this sort of stuff just get ignored...
i'll av it m8 - Idiot chav
can I have it - No please or thank you?
can collect anytime mate - That's nice...?

Seriously - the majority of people reply with just three or four badly spelt words, and no capital letters as above - it's unbelievable. Luckily you usually get one who replies properly and it probably genuine.

Edited by Dr.Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 9th September 09:53