What weird/outrageous requests have you seen on Freecycle/Craigslist?

[Martienne]

To be fair, there are possible reasons to give away new items. I had several garage work benches I had bought at Big Lots a couple of years ago, but we had never had a chance to put them together. Last month we thought we were going to give our house up deed in lieu of foreclosure so that my husband could start a job out of state (ended up he has to go through a longer process to start). Since we thought we would be vacating the house within a couple of weeks, I gave these away along with a couple other items (large kids' toys) that were new in the box. But I doubt that if someone were posting a want for something new that I would happen to have that I would want to get rid of before moving.

[mikeylou]

Re: all the posts about wants for new items.

Do people not understand what freecycle is? A place to give away things that you would otherwise toss in the trash - not a charity group?

No - They look no further than the word "Free" and they go crazy.

Someone on my group actually submitted a request for a Louis Vutton (sp?) purse.  I don't know what happened to it, though - I got the pending msg notice but it wasn't in the queue; wasn't approved; and wasn't "Canceled".  I guess My Freecycle ate it.

We also have had a couple "new moms" asking for everything under the sun for their pending new addition.  ie: posts start in november for the "baby due in january and i need everything!"  It just made me raise and eyebrow and think...You've been pregnant for 7 months and just now realize that you're woefully unprepared?  Or did the baby shower not net you the gifts you wanted? 

The thing is, it's great if you post something that's brand new and never used.  Super!  Or offer a somewhat "high ticket item" because you no longer have a use for it.  The problem is the people who think they need to ask for it every week and beg.

[Sophia]

...  ie: posts start in november for the "baby due in january and i need everything!"  It just made me raise and eyebrow and think...You've been pregnant for 7 months and just now realize that you're woefully unprepared?  ...

I am pregnant and freecycling, and I don't get those either.  Sometimes I wonder if those people are the ones that turn around and garage sale the stuff, and baby stuff is more likely to be worth something.

I think the thing that annoys me about the "wanted: new item" is that while people sometimes give away new stuff (I have) they aren't to be willing to give it up because someone asked for it.  For example, I found some brand-new Miata accessories that my Ex, whom I call Mistake, stored in my closet. Miata is long gone, so I freecycled it.  But, I would have ignored a "wanted" the day before.  In fact, I would have ignored the "wanted" email even on the exact day.

[jaxsue]

In my former city I saw some strange Freecycle requests.

One was from a supposedly single mom who needed kitchen appliances. She wanted a range and a fridge.
She got a lot of responses but turned them all down. The reason: they weren't stainless steel! 

[wolfie]

To be fair, there are possible reasons to give away new items. I had several garage work benches I had bought at Big Lots a couple of years ago, but we had never had a chance to put them together. Last month we thought we were going to give our house up deed in lieu of foreclosure so that my husband could start a job out of state (ended up he has to go through a longer process to start). Since we thought we would be vacating the house within a couple of weeks, I gave these away along with a couple other items (large kids' toys) that were new in the box. But I doubt that if someone were posting a want for something new that I would happen to have that I would want to get rid of before moving.

I have given away new items too - I figured if I haven't opened it in 5 years why bother keeping? But to ask for a brand new computer? and $3.5 wedding dress? Even if I did have one I never used that is a "sell" item - not a toss it item!

[WHATSNEW]

Well this takes the cake......

Frozen Chicken Wings.... 8-9 Pounds (Arlington Court House)

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Date: 2010-03-16, 10:11PM EDT
Reply to: sale-vmaws-1647649448@craigslist.org

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We bought a frozen 10LB bag of chicken wings for the monthly meeting of Arlington Vegetarians at our house. Obviously, we grossly miscalculated our demand for these delicious poultry appendages of flight, and now you can benefit.

Only 1-2 pounds of the wings were served up, and we have already eaten chicken wings 3 nights in a row. No more!! Bring on the beef!

[Layla Miller]

We bought a frozen 10LB bag of chicken wings for the monthly meeting of Arlington Vegetarians at our house.

  I'm having trouble reading past this line.  I...really want to hear the full story on that one!

[LadyClaire]

We bought a frozen 10LB bag of chicken wings for the monthly meeting of Arlington Vegetarians at our house.

  I'm having trouble reading past this line.  I...really want to hear the full story on that one!

Me too. I had to re-read it a couple of times to make sure I'd gotten it right, because my brain said "wait...what? does..not..compute.."

[WHATSNEW]

Here's the link: 

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/zip/1647649448.html

[Slartibartfast]

Err, I read that as "veterans" and didn't catch what was so strange . . .

Yeah.  Like the time the local hospital served cookies and lemonade to the diabetics association meeting - that didn't go over well.  (How hard would it be to serve a snack that wasn't full of sugar?)

[Paper Roses]

I can't believe all the ones I've seen lately by people looking for rental homes or apartments.  They want to pay bargain basement prices but they want all the best stuff, and they're not shy about making demands.  Like, "Must have:  updated kitchen, 3BRs, minimum 1.5 baths, dishwasher, washer dryer, yard, plenty of closet space . . ." which is fine, but they want it for the price of an average studio.

What takes the cake, though, is the people who make no bones (ha ha, no pun intended) about the fact that they smoke - and not cigarettes.  Is that really something you want to blast over the internet in a way that can be traced back to you?  Might as well put an ad out saying "For sale:  Truckload of stolen merchandise."

[TotterGirl]

But the best one I've seen so far? An offer for Cured Manure.  I grew up on a dairy farm, and I know that people like to use manure for fertilizer. But for some reason, seeing poop offered on freecycle struck me as hilarious.

Oh, I'd be on that sooooo fast!    I have to buy manure for the garden every year and it is expensive!
Still funny though! 

[Giggity]

This morning, I saw a WANT for a washer, a dryer, and a fridge. All from the same person.

It's starting to make me wonder why some people think they're above the whole "if I want it, I gotta save up, and then I can go buy it" routine that the rest of us do.

[colleenbean]

On Freecycle a few days ago I saw a 'wanted' for an engagement ring, because this guy has been with his girl for 8 years and it's now time.

[LadyClaire]

This morning, I saw a WANT for a washer, a dryer, and a fridge. All from the same person.

It's starting to make me wonder why some people think they're above the whole "if I want it, I gotta save up, and then I can go buy it" routine that the rest of us do.

Probably they're hoping they won't have to do that. Or have had luck in the past with picking up things for free or really cheap. After all, a friend of mine on Facebook recently posted that they got a new washer, dryer, and couch, so if anyone wanted to take their old ones, they were more than welcome to.

Then there are entitled people who seem to think that they SHOULD get things for free or super cheap, and they want the top-of-the-line models. Those are the ones I don't understand.