Curb Alerts, At Curb, First-Come First-Serve, or Similar Posts

Hello everyone,

Thank you for being a part of our Freecycle(TM) group.

This is just to let you know that any "curb alerts", "at curb", "first-come first-served" or similar posts will be subject to editing, deleting, or rejection at the discretion of the moderators.

If you're an unmoderated member, and you post these, you risk being put back on moderation. If you would like to offer an item you spotted at the curb to group members, then go and get the item off of the curb yourself and then post it as an OFFER. We STRONGLY suggest speaking to the previous owner though, as there may be safety concerns that you may not know about (i.e. a child's car seat could have been in an accident, rendering it unsafe even if there is no visible damage, the item could be soiled by pets, etc.).

If it is your property and you can hold onto it for a day or two, then post it to the group and pick a recipient. However; if it needs to go NOW, then haul it out to your curb, and put a sign on it that says, "TAKE ME, I'M FREE." It will be gone quickly. If it's not worth picking up, then the trash truck will haul it away for you and trash day.

"Curb Alerts", "At Curb", "Spotteds" and "First-come, first-served" offers don't reflect the grassroots movement that The Freecycle Network stands for. By posting items in this manner, it is possible several people will try to claim the item(s), often arriving when it's gone. Not only does this add harmful emissions into our air it also contributes to traffic congestion. Also, there have been reports of people fighting over items when they arrive at the same time.

In one town, the police were called when Freecycle members descended to pick up items on the sidewalk outside a warehouse. The site was being cleaned and the items were placed outside temporarily. Some well-meaning person spotted them and posted to the local Freecycle group. Items were taken before the police arrived.

Additionally, sometimes people are evicted from their residence and everything they own is thrown out on the curb. Before they can come back with any sort of vehicle to collect their belongings, people have picked through their clothing, furniture, and keepsakes. Not a pretty scene! And definitely not in the spirit of Freecycle.

So, please take into consideration the above before posting your items to the group.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,

Your group moderators