Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Such a shame

I am on decluttering at the moment.  Took this little lot to the charity store yesterday:

Now where the title of this post comes in, is that I have also been getting rid of stuff on our local free site.  So basically giving stuff away.  I don't have a problem doing that and was getting along with everything fine.  I then put up some handbags to give away for free.  Now granted they are not the best but they did have a lot of life still left in a couple of them.  One looked new and was this Matt and Natt bag, it looks perfect doesn't it?
Until you turn it around and there is a huge scratch on the back. 
I am fortunate enough that I have other handbags I use and love, so giving it away for free for someone else to restore is fine with me.

So a couple of women want this and another bag and to cut a long annoying story short they mucked me around so much, that in the end I said I was taking them to the charity shop and told them which one so if they wanted the bags they could go and get them from there.

One woman turned around and said, "I live right by that store I could meet you there?"

I ignored her message, which I would normally never do, but I was so fed up with the whole situation.  So from now on, unless it is a high value item, everything is going to the charity shop!  People are going to lose out of getting free things, but I am done with the whole situation.

Have you had this happen to you?


19 comments:

angela said...

People can be so rude. They mess you about like your time isn’t an issue to them at all
And your giving stuff away for free. Imagine if you were trying to sell it.
I’d do the exact same thing. Take it to a charity that way someone will be able to make a little money and help someone in need

Joy said...

How very rude of them - I'm not surprised you lost patience. Their loss . . . and charity's gain. xx

Practical Parsimony said...

So, how were they jerking you around? About the scratch on a free purse? Yes, I did have a problem with someone, so I just ignored her and gave it to someone who was not driving me crazy.

50 and counting said...

That is why I don't use FB marketplace. People want things delivered to them at their convenience.

I belong to the "meet in public spaces" school. No I don't want to come to your house. I don't know if you have dogs that are not controlled, are a person who will grab at me. No public meeting equals no transaction in my world.

Angela said...

I put some stuff on a FREE local website before we retired and got very strange responses. The most unpleasant was the gentleman who said he would come at a given time. I said if we were out I would leave them in our outer glass porch (unlocked) I put the stuff in a box labelled "for X, please collect". A few hours later he put up abusive messages saying he'd called and "he knew we were there but ignored him deliberately" and worse. The site organiser contacted me and said he'd complained to her, and posted horrid things on the site about us, and about the site organiser. I sent her a photo of the box showing I'd left it out for him.
For the sake of peace and harmony we ended up driving to his house to deliver them. He had two huge dogs. My OH put the box on the step, pressed the doorbell and ran back to the car. Never again! I'm just taking things to the CS now

jabblog said...

I think that's called 'looking a gift horse in the mouth'. Some people are incredible, aren't they?
I noticed in your earlier post that you had discovered Bothy Threads. It's a great company but some of their kits are available from authorised sellers at much reduced rates - always worth looking at! I've got enough to keep me going until the end of time!

Donna said...

I stopped ages ago offering things to people I know. They say how much they want it but are too lazy to come get it. Things like this are not available for free delivery, especially with gas prices as they are. You want it, come get it.
Now I don't ask...off it goes to the thrift store.
Less headaches...
hugs
Donna

Boud said...

I Freecycle quite a bit and don't put up with shenanigans. I have learned to spot people likely to want a pen pal correspondence and probably fail to show. I just don't answer their messages. I like the businesslike people who instantly give day and time they want to come and express some appreciation. There are enough of them to keep me going.

JiCaLu said...

The worst part about FB Marketplace are that people are so unreliable!!! UGH! I am glad the charity shop got your items.

Granny Sue said...

Yes indeed it has happened to me. So I no longer offer, just take to the thrift. Easier and they make a bit so it works both ways.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I read success stories about those free 'giveaway' sites but then I read a lot of horror stories. There were dire warnings here that you shouldn't ever allow anybody to know where you live and that you should meet them in a very public place. The local police station even has a couple of designated parking spots for people to do the exchanges. I've never used the site and generally everything I want rid of goes to the thrift store or down to our laundry room in the building where people share things they no longer need.

Jackie McGuinness said...

I agree, I can't be bothered haggling over free items. We just took a garbage bag of clothes and a box of kitchen stuff to the charity store. I think I have that same purse
although I have so many that I should clear them out. I'm good with decluttering everything except shoes and purses.

My Piece of Earth said...

I don't use FB Marketplace just for that reason, charity shop gets everything I am purging.

People are so rude and most times expect the item to be delivered to them.

Don't blame you for sending it to the CS.

maureenlthompson said...

I think you are taking the safer option by taking to the charity shops. Sometimes you can disguise a scratch in leather using a matching coloured felt tip pen. We really need to declutter here too but sometimes it is hard to part with items of sentimental value or possible use at some point. We are hopeless cases, we know when we are gone the family will just auction it all off but until that time we will hang on to it lol!

Maggie said...

I listed an Ikea chair and footstool on FB just before Christmas, not for free but only asked £15 because I wanted rid, they were both in very good condition, a guy messaged me and said I'll give you £5. I replied with some laughing emojis. People will quibble over everything, even if it's free. I think you did the right thing taking them to the charity shop and ignoring her message

William Kendall said...

I can see that being a problem.

Jackie said...

I no longer list things on our "Free" site either. People would say they were coming and not show up or make weird comments. Like you if our sons can't use what I am decluttering, it gets taken to the second hand store.

God bless.

Jeanie said...

Good grief. You're right -- hardly worth it. I try to rehome things with people I know, though now pretty much everyone I know is trying to do the same and don't want more. So off it goes to charity because I just don't have the energy for a yard sale!

Rose said...

I just had to read all the comments here. Simply because I keep thinking I should have had a sale with all I have gotten rid of, but once it is ready to go, I want it gone. You would not believe how much stuff I have gotten rid of. My niece uses FB marketplace and has such good luck with it.

And a sister used to sell on Ebay...but the way things are with Roger, I just don't know if I would be able to keep commitments, so to the thrift shop everything goes.

We have a charity shop here close, but they want to pick and choose, and I do sort of understand that, but I just don't feel like having to stand and let them go through things and then still have to take stuff to Terre Haute.

{{{SIGH}}}

Tuesday was a mixed bag type of day. Had the appliance repair guy come again to install another circuit board in the fridge.  When hubby got...