freecycle/craigslist response times

[SkiChick]

I've been doing a lot of freecycling/craigslisting recently and I wanted some opinions about a couple of etiquette issues that are not covered in the welcome messages/guidelines for those services. (And I'm in the Boston area, if that matters.)

If someone asks for an item and then doesn't get back to you, how long do you give them before you go on to the next person? Does it make a difference if lots of other people have asked for it too? I tend to email them and say "If you don't pick it up/get back to me by tomorrow morning, I'll assume you're not interested." On the one hand, not everyone is on the computer as often as I am, but on the other, if you really want an item, wouldn't you check your email more than once a day? (Barring emergencies, of course.)  I don't want to rush people, but if I have eight people on my list and half of them are unresponsive, it could take me a week to get rid of the item.

When I give someone my address so they can pick up a freecycle item, I ask them to pick it up by the end of the week. If they don't do that, would you email a reminder, or just go on to the next person?

[Shoo]

I have done quite a bit of Freecyling and Craigslisting (ooooh, I verbed them - sorry!!), and I have run into the same problem.

If it's something I'm selling on Craigslist, I will give the person who expressed interest in the item a full day to get back to me.  I want his/her money, after all.  If more than one person has emailed me, I will let the person to whom I've agreed to sell the item know that I've got other offers, and I give them a deadline to get back to me.  If they don't meet that deadline, I move on.

Regarding Freecycle, if the person to whom I've agreed to give the item doesn't email back within 2 hours stating the day and time they will be at my house to pick up the item, I move on to the next person and let the prior person know that I had a waiting list and they didn't respond quickly enough.  On Freecycle, things move very quickly, and if you snooze, you lose.  Plain and simple.  Anyone who has been using Freecycle for any length of time should know this. 

So that's how I do it.  If I'm selling it, I give them more time.  If I'm giving it away, they'd better be ready to jump.

[ZipTheWonder]

I get rid of a lot of stuff on Freecycle, and I do a lot of this legwork in the intital ad.  I try to get everything out of the way in advance.  Something like this:

"I often get asked how I'll decide who will get the item I'm freecycling.  The answer is that the first person to respond will have the opportunity to pick it up.  If that person doesn't pick it up within 24 hours, I'll offer it to the next person.  My goal in freecycling this is to get rid of it, not to store it, so please be willing and able to pick it up by Tueday, June 27th if you request it."

For Craigslist (which I only use for selling DVD's), I always add:
"I'll only be accepting cash as payment.  Be prepared to pay you when you pick up.  I've listed these as a lot because I don't want to have a lot of pick-up and payment issues.  So, offers must be for the entire lot, I won't be breaking up the lot.  Thaks!"

I have cut-n-paste replies for various scenarios and I respond to everyone.  ("Thanks for checking, but I've already sold/given it away.  I'm sorry and good luck finding what you need!")  The only exception is for people who don't follow my instructions.  I don't respond to those at all, because I don't want to deal with them.    ("How much do you want for CSI Miami Season2?" = Delete.)

These are just some templates I have, and I adjust language according to the item, my needs at the time, etc.

[jibby]

I don't use Craigslist, but I do Freecycle (verb-sorry!).  In my listing, I always include the deadline, i.e., "Item goes to Goodwill after noon on 1/21/07", or "item sitting next to mailbox at <address> until picked up or Thursday's trash".  I like Zip's verbage, too. 

When I'm flinging something, I can't stand to have it in the house very long.  I might change my mind, lol.