Finding Product for eBay

Meari,

You're an idiot. By your own admission, you say that freecycle is keeping stuff out of landfills. I have given away tons of stuff on freecycle, and have resold some of it on ebay too. This way it gets to the person who truly needs it and I can FEED MY CHILDREN!

This post author is right on the money. And the tips are GOOD. Could you have offered any good tips? After all, the person FREELY gave you other ideas. Did you think to offer any of your own?? Aren't you selfishly taking?

I swear, people should stop being such snobs.

I am also a Freecycle moderator. I would like to tell everyone that moderators might SEE an item before it gets posted but CANNOT respond before the item is seen by all the members. We also encourage members to wait 24 hours before gifting an item so that they have several people to choose from. Moderators have no more chance than anyone else who wants an item. Many of our members will not gift to someone who wants to resell items. If they wanted it sold, they would do it themselves.

Ok,
First off, lets get one thing straight. The "treasures" that are given away on FreeCycle (TM) are not done so one can make money, in fact it is against the policy to take from a member and sell, FreeCycle is about the savings of usable materials from the landfills, there by helping to keep the planet from becoming inundated with landfills containing items that are still of use.
While articals like this are of some benefit, by inferring that we are a site for money makers, you are actually hurting our cause.

As a moderator of Freecycle, I can say that you\'re doing your readers a dis-service telling them that Freecycle is a place to get things free in order to re-sell.

Freecycle\'s mission is to keep items out of the landfills.... anything from glass jars to old appliances. Members of Freecycle do not like to give to people they know are going to turn around and SELL them.

I think before you write an article you should do more research. I, being a freecycle group owner, take offense at your statements. Freecycle is not intended to be a place for people to join solely with the intention of making money. But is a group dedicated to saving the planet by giving and receiving items and sparing the landfills.
Yes, we are well aware some members only join to get, and they are monitored mainly by other members, and eventually ignored by the membership at large because they obviously become noticed as not being a contributing member of the group.
I also take great offense to your comment that moderators get first \"crack\" at items listed. That is unethical and not practiced on my group or condoned by the majority of groups.
thank you, and I would appreciate that people like yourself check your facts before making such general statements and thereby causing group owners more headaches by sending greedy non contributing people to our groups.
e. m.

On my Freecycle group a moderator cannot be the first responder. If they are they get removed from their job. We must give our members first choice.

Also it is a requirement in my group and most throughout Freecycle that if you are going to resell an item you are asking for, you must disclose that in the first and all successive posts.

Many groups do not allow resellers at all and if you are caught you will be banned.

Whether or not reselling of items found on Freecycle is allowed is really up to each Freecycle group. And most have rules, either disclosure or outright not allowed.

It is true that reselling is not prohibited by TFN, the parent corporation. However disclosure is recommended.

Freecycle moderators do not have an "advantage" on Freecycle for getting items. In fact, "sniping" is completely against the Freecycle rules. (That's what it's called when a moderator tries to get first dibs on an item before sending it through to the group). Freecycle is an environmental group with a mission of keeping still usable items out of the landfill, not a playground for ebay sellers.

Ugh. All i can do is add to the dismay that others have expressed that you believe mods are in it to get first dibs on items offered. It's a labor of love for those of us who spend a great deal of time modding and don't expect tangible reqards.

Reselling is fine on our group ASSUMING people are up front about it. The gifter should have the option to direct their item locally if they wish, rather than providing income for a home-based business. Local rules vary on this point. I would be miffed beyond words if I thought a person was applying to co-mod as an opportunity to siphon off items or use their mod status to increase their chances of obtaining something.

The Freecycle Network has a mission of keeping items from the landfill. Giving away, as in free, is how this is done. Chronic responders and resellers abound, as on any list, however, the Freecycle members can make their own decision as to who is a better candidate-someone who wants the item, someone who needs the item or a proclaimed reseller. Keeping the items from the landfill is the idea.

I own a group in Cleveland and Freecycle stole my group illegally because I complained about other Mods and groups not following guidelines.
Right now there are currently three groups running without the Freecycle logo. I was in process of taking care of my group with TM, when they stole all my members, for 7 months I took the group from zero members to 2300 members, with my own advertising and out of pocket money news, media, etc...Never sold or bought anything, I was too busy working for Free to get my group up and running correctly with all guidelines and state laws followed.
. Dona from Ohiofreecycle said she had to take my group from me after stealing it, with the other Co-owner that was not even involved with the group from day 1 to several months later no transactions under her, just took it. Left the other groups with the problems as is and still illegal according to Freecycle guidelines. I ran my group by myself then they just stole all my members from me 2300 of them instead of starting another group.
They are still getting members in the group from all my advertising.
I was the Owner of the group NOT the Mod. the owner.
My Family being upset because I had been working 24/7 on the group and advertising with not too much time for Family, home, no money, just doing it for the cause. To keep items out of landfills and to help out the communities.
Freecycle is not a buy and sell network but they will tell you no strings attached meaning they can not control who gets what and does what with the items once they are in the next persons hands.
Freecycle TM. the network is great but the groups within the network (not all) mods need to go back to school and run the groups equally out of the manual without strings or being puppets. Why?, because they all differ from group to group there are freecycle cafe, chat groups that post or advertise for money.
Deron does need to control of all the groups so they can all be cleaned up, because honestly, freecycle has drifted away past what they believed in the beginnings. It is no longer about landfills with them but , well you get the picture - Pets, Cars, since when is a car appropriate for all ages with a age restriction to drive and when does it go to the landfill?. Pets never go to landfills, The problem is Moderators are suppose to stick together and for one another with Freecycle everyone gets offensive with their groups because they do pour their soul into it, I know, I did, I do and Had it ripped from me illegally with me as the owner of a Brand new group. I didn't do anything wrong but complain and all they did was rip me a new - crucify me. Ohio GOA needs to be replaced, someone has to be able to do a better job then Dona, I thought that GOA is suppose to be checking groups always, to make sure everything is proper. Thanks Freecycle for stealing my group from me illegally of which I owned and worked so hard for 24/7 along with many other mods I'm sure and thanks for leaving the non proper groups alone, Freecycle does not own Yahoo groups, but which has to follow Yahoo guidelines also along with State laws and Copy rights.
I owned my group and you (Freecycle ) TM. took it without ownership and without a Freecycle logo at the time because I was working with TM. and GOA was aware of it, along with TM. The group today 5 months later still has no logo along with a few more. I started a recycle network and I am offended at how things are stated, because it is not true for most freecycle groups / mods, though one will never know.
My network also helps save the landfills and helps the community at the same time.

I started the network after Freecycle stole my group illegally of which they never owned and I did own. If one would of looked at the track records they should of knew that it was all me that ran the group and not anyone else, or GOA to give a command to take the group from a owner?! then make me a member in my own group?! then take my posting away from me so that I could not warn anyone. the group is mine, The members in the group are from my advertising. Excuse me for letting out steam, It is all true, all mine still because I worked it and for it. I want my group back that still has no logo and only photo and I want Freecycle to start a new group (Fresh) give the members a option if they want to join the new group. I had tried to write and get a hold of many without answers back. every time you put a post in the Mod squad for your area, someone always has to jump on you or criticized because of doing something wrong or not having the experience as they do. Makes a mod not want to talk about anything and then just go solo. I used to love Freecycle but now I love my network even more.
The real deal behind it all is we are all saving the landfills and helping someone out.

When you need help or see a problem you are not allowed to ask or say anything because Freecycle will take your groups of which they do not own, if they have not already illegally.
Thanks Ohio GOA.
Question:
Who is going to reimburse me for my time, money, members, effort and How can I ever get my group members back. I want my old group back which was
ClevelandOhio_West_Freecycle which is running illegal currently with the East group and Olmsted without logos and maybe a few others, Ohio is not doing their job.
A reminder it was taken from me without a freecycle logo or copy right in place because the logo was changed to photo and I was getting it custom made through TM.
GOA should of not stole my group, what they should of done, if they wanted me out because of complaining, leave my members alone, my group, make me change the name to the group and create another group instead of stealing it from me My Group.. They replaced lake county they could of done the same in this case instead of being thieves.

I put this post in here because I know the ModSquad will probably be all over it, maybe, someone will help me also in getting my group back of which was stolen from me illegally, I will change the name of it. Freecycle has many of things that need fixing. I posted this here because it is the only way it would reach the proper people or the Mod squad without criticism because everyone tries to dodge your emails and ignore you till the appropriate people get the message or they just cut you down.

Mike

Wow, you other FCN people are a bit extreme aren't you?

There is nothing in the rules that state that a member cannot resell.

It amazes me how one or two moderators f individual, nearly autonomous groups can declare what hundreds or thousands of other moderators and hundreds OF THOUSANDS of FC members want, feel or think.

Relax people.

There is nothing in the FC mission or rules that say that FC is about charity or helping the needy first.

If someone gets items from FC and sells them then they are completely within their rights to do so.

If the items is rescued from the landfill then be happy about that.

While it is possible to resell the items, there are rules about it. For instance.. you are expected to be honest and notify the person that you intend to resell so that they can decide whether or not they WANT to gift to a reseller. Most do not.

Meari,

While I appreciate your desire to defend the Freecycle Network, your information likewise is giving a disservice to the readers.

There is nothing in the Freecycle Rules that states that a recipient cannot resell an item. To the contrary, the official rules state that all items must be given and received completely free of any strings attached--- this includes any prohibition to reselling.

Ultimately Meari, you do not have the right to speak for all "Freecycle Members" or to declare what they do, or do not, like.

I do take offense though at how the writer of the blog has said that moderators get an advantage over other members on items. This is unconscionable. Taking an unfair advantage like responding to submitted posts before the group-at-large has had a chance to see it is unethical in my opinion.

Dane
JacksonCountyMSFreecycle

It is people like you and articles like this that are misleading others who try to join Freecycle. Freecycle is about giving things away that you can no longer use or need and keeping them from filling the landfills. It is not a warehouse filled with goodies, or a place to do your own personal shopping - especially if you are to turn around and sell it for profit. If any moderator I know finds out a member of their group is taking things to re-sell, that member would be banned from the group immediately. Please find out what Freecycle is really about before you speak about our group in this way. I am a moderator. Have been one for a bit over 4 years and you can count in your right hand and have fingers left over the times I have asked for an item offered at the group site. Most moderators will fall over backwards trying to be fair and not jump at the chance to get items offered before other can see the post. Shame on You!