For those who do freecycle
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For those of you who use Freecycle, how do you read the messages?
Do you read on site?
Do you get the individual emails?
Do you get a daily digest?
I have always read on site. I never wanted all that Freecycle stuff to clutter my email.
For me, I have found it more efficient to read on site., that way I could see the "takens" right away and not bother responding.
It always seems like I post something, and get responses, decided who will get it and then when I get the time all set up, I then post "taken" on the site.I do it that way, so people know right away not to bother.
It never fails for hours later, I still get emails wanting my items, even though it clearly states on site "taken". It took me awhile to realize those people were getting through the email, so they see a post for an offer and email right away. Although, sometimes it is several hours after I first posted.
It is funny how everybody thinks their way is the best. I just find reading on the site is quicker, as I can see the takens right away instead of going through tons of emails.
How do you all do it?
I get individual e-mails, mainly because the size of the freecylce area here is not huge. I think on a good day there might be 10 posts.
I tried getting the daily digest, but by then everything has been taken. I don't think I would remember to go to the actual site to read what was available if I didn't get the e-mails.
I do individual posts also, we don't have a large group here either, plus I have a yahoo account just for freecycle.
Wow, 10 posts is nothing for this area LOL
Here there can be at least 10 an hour.
I created a separate folder in Outlook so all of my freecycle stuff goes there automatically and I look at it when I feel like it. I guess I haven't looked at it lately because there is currently 975 unread messages in it (I subscribe to several near by towns since my area doesn't have it's own).
I am the moderator of our town's freecycle. I get individual emails, and I have them go into their own folder. I check as often as I'm on the computer, but scroll through all messages before ever asking for anything.
I rarely do ask for anything, but do post offers. Like you, I get many people asking for items after they have been posted as being taken. If people get digest, they might only get one digest a day, and your taken might not show up until the end of the night.
My biggest issue is the no shows. It seems to be happening quite often in my town, so I've had to threaten to boot people off who had 2 no shows reported. I hate to do that, but so many people are complaining lately.
Ugh Marcia, I don't do Freecycle any longer for the no show reason. It's so much work to get the stuff together, (I always take pictures and post them) and then to have people not show up. I just do curb alerts now for the larger items and they are always picked up within hours of posting.
When I did Freecycle regularly I always just posted, I never did emails our site is way too busy.
With our frecycle, we are not allowed to do curb alerts, or post your address in your offer post.
No shows are a pain. I have learned things over the years. First, after I email somebody saying they can have the item/items, I wait of a return email. I NEVER send my address in the first email. I have found countless times, I tell somebody they can have what I have offered, then NEVER hear from them again. I honestly don't get this.
I also put a time limit as well. When I post something, I am always on the computer right after I post, that way I can fliter through and set up times to pick up.
Sometimes somebody will email and I will say ok you can have this item, and for them to email me back for address. If I dont hear back from them within 30 minutes, then I email that if I dont hear from them in one hour I will offer to next in line. Otherwise I have waited all day for a response never to get one.This seems to work for me, and I try to explain to people why I do it, and not that I am being rude.
Our freecycle has a new "Fair offer policy". Basically, if they post that then they are willing to wait a period of time, like all day, or 24 hrs so people on digest or daily emails can have a chance.
I dont do this, if I have stuff to get rid off, I want it gone NOW LOL
I prefer to get the individual emails as I do for all of my yahoogroups.
I just don't have time to check my emails and then go to each group and read. It would drive me crazy (and I'm on dial up) to go to each group just to see what's posted.
By having individually emails, I can mass delete a lot quicker than reading on each group.
I do freecycle as well. I haven't had a problem with no shows (knock on wood) though I find it annoying when people don't post when something is taken. I do both email and I check the site. I try to make sure something is still available so as to not send an unnecessary email. It's hard to do if they never post something as taken.
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