Just an update on Freecycle.
Whilst it is a good thing, well a very good thing and idea it is run by a bloke in the US, its is a not for profiut organisation, and is supposed to be run by local people for local groups, this does NOT happen all the time. The bloke that runs it using advertising on the freecycle site to pay himself a very large salary, it also pays other family members very good saleries.
In the UK they are restricted to US laws and regulations, if a local moderator suggests that a US law/rule is not appropriate in the UK, that group moderator is removed from the network with NO notice or explaination with the freecycle network IGNORING any questions about why they were removed. this has happened to a LARGE number moderator, many of whom started groups and built them from scratch, wehern they are removed the groups are then run by someone in the US, whom may be running many many groups so dont bother moderating or even managing the groups.
To test if your local group is UK based try an offered or wanted post for DRUGS located in Russia, it will be allowed because they dont bother running them, IF rejected there is a good chance it will be run by a local for the locals.
What happens when a group is run by the US and not moderated it becomes a begging board, with people giving you the most unbelivable sob stories begging for things.
Don't get me wrong I am a member of the local groups, even though they are run by a nobody in the US and have been for nearly 3 years now. I have given and received many items that would have ended up in a landfil otherwise.
There is another organisation that has been started up BY UK people running local groups in local areas, this is UK only does the same thing, although not as large and many members are members of both networks, it is a real grassroots organisation.
So check out them both
http://www.freecycle.org
and
http://www.ilovefreegle.org
Both will need registration, Freecycle on there own site, Freegle will give you a link to the local group with most being on Yahoo Groups
You mail box can end up getting filled with ALOTY of messages unless you go for the digest BUT this could mean you are too late to be accepted for an item, you need to be very fast some times. Also ALWAYS be polite when applying for items and don't give a sod story, it well pisses alot of members off.
I started a group, on Freecycle, got its membership upto over 3k members and was removed from it because I joined the local Freegle group, Freecycle didnt like me being a member of a different organisation, they also removed the 2 other mods from the group because they were linked to me. I now run the Freegle group BUT I do advertise BOTH organisations by giving out buisness cards with both addresses on them, I just point out the local freecycle group may not be run properly or by locals.
Anyway thats my 2 pence worth
Join both organisations, its a great idea and DOES save a hell of a lot from land fill
