Manhattan

Welcome to the Manhattan Freecycle Town Group!

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,353 Town Groups with 11,467,175 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.

Enjoy GIVING and RECEIVING!

Thank you for keeping Good Stuff out of the landfills, and giving new life to stuff!

And, please participate with integrity and respect, and you'll likely be in alignment with Manhattan Town Rules, Freecycle Guidelines, and Freecycle Terms of Service. If you would like specific posting guidance, following these Do's and Don'ts should help ...

Posting Do's:

- Do POST only FREE, legal, and appropriate-for-all-ages items. And, as all items must be unconditionally free, don't mention "free" in your ad.

- Do REPLY only to items you are SERIOUS about attaining and able to pick up without delay.

- Do LIMIT Wanted posts to a bare minimum; Freecycle is not a charity. (See Wanted Post Don'ts section, below.)

- Do include a PHOTO (if you can) and enough of a description (no links), so that potential recipients will know if an item is right for them. If the item needs repair or has blemishes, say so. Maybe your recipient likes fixing things up or could use it as a theatrical prop!

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

- Do maintain your post's current STATUS via My Posts/Manage Post AND wait until item has been picked up before marking as Taken! Your post disappears once marked as Taken, but you can go to My Messages/Replies to My Posts to continue communications if marked prematurely as Taken.

- Do reply and check replies on the Freecycle website. (Historically, emails from here are mysteriously unreliable. So, if you haven't heard back? Check the site for messages.)

- Do respond to replies, even if just to say, "There's a lot of interest. Will let you know when I know." or "Thank you for your interest, but this item has been Taken."

- Do expect all recipients to pick up their items. (No deliveries, please, unless you really want/need it and make a point of saying so in your ad, and do so absolutely free of charge or barter.)

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

Posting Don'ts

- 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 in any way is not okay.
 
- Don't include or ask for contact info or addresses in your post. Wait until you've selected your recipient before exchanging the minimally necessary contact and location information. This is about everyone's safety.

- Don't post the same items in multiple boroughs. If you want to post to all boroughs, join the Town, "New York City", and post there. 

- Don't submit your post with any dramatic or traumatic story. Leave out the reason why you are posting, unless you can do it in a way that is clean, true, usefully informative, non-manipulative, and appropriate to all ages. In a hurry to get things gone!? Understandable! So, DO state when you need it picked up by.

- Don't be vague or bothersome in replies. If you are interested in an item, get to the point. Eg: I'm interested in x-item and can pick it up at y-time on z-date. Replying in private to a post is the best place to let a person know why you need an item: keep it true and absent of drama.

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

- Don't enter anyone's building upon pickup, unless you were invited to or it is a doorman building.

Wanted Post Don'ts

- Don't submit a Wanted post until after you have searched for and replied to existing offers and spent time watching new offers as they come in. Get an email for every new post so that you don't miss out!
- Don't submit a Wanted post for more than one item.
- Don't submit a Wanted post more than once per month. If you are in need of more, seek out a charity organization.
- Don't submit a Wanted post on behalf of others, including charities.
- Don't submit a Wanted post for new, expensive, or brand items, unless a part is needed for a specific brand.
- Don't submit a Wanted post asking for services or food, for people or pets.

Thank you for being a courteous, responsible Freecycle participant!

Good Luck, Be Safe, and Have Fun!

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.