The Dangers of FreeCycling...

CURBSIDE AND FIRST-COME OFFERS

Hi everyone,

Thanks for participating in our Freecycle(TM) group.

This is just to let you know that we enforce the guideline that "spotted at the curb or in an alley", and "first-come first-served" (or similar posts) will be deleted.

If you're an unmoderated member, and you post these, you risk being put back on moderation. If you would like to offer an item you spotted to group members, then go and get the item off of the curb yourself and then repost it as an OFFER. We STRONGLY suggest speaking to the previous owner though, as there may be safety concerns that you may not know about (eg a child's car seat could have been in an accident, rendering it unsafe even if there is no visible damage, the item could be soiled by pets, etc.).

If it is your property, and it needs to go NOW, then haul it out to your curb, and put a sign on it that says TAKE ME, I'M FREE. It will be gone quickly, and if it's not worth picking up, the trash truck will haul it away for you.

"Spotteds" and "First-come" offers don't reflect the grassroots movement that The Freecycle Network stands for. By posting items in this manner, it is possible several people will try to claim the item(s), (often arriving when all the "stuff" is gone). Not only does this add harmful emissions into our air and contribute to traffic congestion, there have been reports of people fighting over items when they arrive at the same time.

In one town, the police were called when Freecycle members descended to pick up items on the sidewalk outside a warehouse. The site was being cleaned and the items were placed outside temporarily. Some well-meaning person spotted them and posted to the local Freecycle group. Items were taken before the police arrived. Additionally, sometimes people are evicted from their residence and everything they own is thrown out on the curb. Before they can come back with any sort of vehicle to collect their belongings, people have picked through their clothing, furniture, and keepsakes. Not a pretty scene! And definitely not in the spirit of Freecycle.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,

Your group moderators