Manhattan

Welcome to the Manhattan Freecycle Town Group!

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,355 Town Groups with 11,319,860 members across the globe. It's a grassroots, entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns, and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills.

Membership is free, and everything posted must be FREE, legal, and appropriate for all ages. As long as you remain a member of this group, you will be able view and respond to the items here.

Please also abide by Freecycle Guidelines and Terms of Service. Links to both can be found at the bottom of any page.

Posting Do's:

- When you have an item to offer, please do include a photo and describe it well enough that potential recipients will know if it is right for them. Avoid links/urls where possible, especially avoid long urls. If the item is in need of repair or has blemishes, say so. Maybe your recipient likes fixing things up or could use it as a theatrical prop!

- Do assume that an item is available if it is still viewable, which means feel free to ignore replies that ask bothersome questions, like "Is this item still available?"

- Do maintain your post's current status: When your item has actually been taken (not just promised) or changes status, go to My Posts/Manage Post and update the Post Status, accordingly. Posts may be deleted for outdated status, so keep your post status accurate. It's worth repeating: Don't mark the item as Taken/Received until it has been picked up, otherwise you will lose messaging capabilities for that post. Consider item "pending pick up", until picked up.

- Do pick up your items as soon as possible or as indicated by the post, and give an accurate time of pick-up (not a range) out of courtesy and respect.

- Do set My Settings/General Location to your specific Manhattan neighborhood or nearest cross street, so that recipients will know if they can travel to you or not.

- Do reply (inhouse) to replies to your posts. Ghosting is unkind, unless a reply feels unsafe or is a sincerely bothersome/fishing one, like "Is this item still available?"

Posting Don'ts

- Don't put your contact info or exact location in your post. Wait until you've selected your recipient before exchanginig this information.

- Please don't post in multiple boroughs. If you want to post to all boroughs, join the Town, "New York City", and post there. It is rare, but if the person offering the item is planning to deliver it free of charge, then their post should say so, and then they will be allowed to place the ad in any Town Group they are offering delivery to.

- Don't take anything on Offer for the purpose of resale. Resale is not allowed. If you are seeking materials for the making of new products that you plan to sell, that is okay, but advertising or promoting yourself or the business is not okay.

- Don't misuse or overuse wanted posts. WANTED POSTS ARE TO BE USED SPARINGLY - one item per month at most. Wanted posts on behalf of others (including charities) are not allowed. Wanted posts requesting expensive, new, or brand-specific items are not allowed, unless a part is needed for a specific brand. Wanted posts for multiple items is not allowed. Always remember that Freecycle is about a unique way of keeping used items out of landfills. If you are in need: Search existing offers and set Town Email Preferences to receive an email for every new post. If you are still in need, seek out a charity organization.

- Don't dramatize posts or otherwise share your tragedies, traumas, or angst. Don't try to influence members with background information about your situation. Leave out the reason why you are posting, unless you can do it in a way that is clean, appropriate, true, and entertaining to a person of any age. In a hurry!? Skip the reason, but do state when you need something or when you need it picked up by. 

- Don't be bothersome in replies: Don't ask if an item is still available, don't be vague about pickup time, and don't ask for items you cannot pickup within a few days. If you are interested in an item, get to the point and say something like: I'm interested in x-item and can pick it up at y-time on z-date. If you need an item for something specific, say so.

- Don't break your pickup appointment unless you are unavoidably delayed, and if so, call or text to reschedule. But, don't be surprised if the item is then given to someone else who can pick it up sooner.

Thank you for being a courteous, responsible participant.

DISCLAIMER: FREECYCLE NETWORK MEMBERS USE THE LIST AT THEIR OWN RISK. Please take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when posting to the list or participating in an exchange. By joining the list, you agree to hold neither the list owners and moderators nor anyone affiliated with Freecycle.org responsible or liable for any circumstance resulting from a Freecycle-related exchange or communication.