How to Reply to Freecycle Messages

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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How much you get from Freecycle depends on a variety of factors: how open you are, how specific your needs are and how appropriate your replies to messages are. As with anything, the simpler you make things for posters, the more chances you will get the items that you are interested in.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Click the Reply button in your email if you are set up to receive individual emails. The "Send To" space should be a private email (the original poster). If you see a Yahoo group or a non-reply address there, look inside the body of the message for the exact address to reply.

Step2

Review your daily digest for specific messages you want to reply to if you are not set up to receive individual emails. You may need to copy and paste the address into the Send space in order to address the right person in your reply.

Step3

Keep you answer short and always include the name of the item you are interested in. This is especially important in large groups, as a poster may have more than one item up for grabs, and may not immediately understand what you are referring to.

Step4

Don't reply directly to the group. You should always contact the posters directly to let them know you are interested in the item they have to offer. The Freecycle website cannot handle private requests, and moderators will either delete your messages on this topic, or give you a warning for an inappropriate posting.

Step5

Confirm that you will take the item in your original reply to a Freecycle post. Rather than flooding the poster's inbox with questions and waiting for an answer, reply to a post only if you are already sure you want the item. If you don't do this, you risk losing the item to another person who immediately requests it, no questions asked.

Tips & Warnings

Review Freecycle posts and messages at least once daily. If you find something you like, answer quickly. Some items are very popular and many posters adhere to the "first come, first serve" rule, giving the item to the first person who responds.
Don't pass up the opportunity of replying to a post just because it's old. Some items may still be available long after the original post, so it never hurts to try.
Include a phone number in your email so the person can contact you directly. While most posters prefer that you call them, some may need to dispose of the item quickly and will appreciate the phone number.