How to write a Freecycle Post on FreeMesa

When you want to freecycle something you've got lying around, don't worry, we have you covered! Putting an item up for freecycle is a snap. By following the steps below you can have your item listed in minutes!

Step 1: Getting to the right page

Log in to FreeMesa and from your main home page click "Post Offer/Request" on the left hand tool bar.

Figure 1 shows what your main screen should look like after you have logged in. You can see your profile picture, items in your local area, and on the tool bar on the left hand side, you should be able to see at the top of the list in bold "Post Offer/Request". Click this link

Figure 1: Your main page. Click "Post Offer/Request" in the left hand tool bar.

Step 2: Filling out basic information

When creating a freecycle post, it is important to be specific about what exactly you are giving away. You should describe the item in detail, and make sure that you select 'Offer' in the drop down if you are offering an item up to be freecycled, or 'Request' if you are requesting some free stuff.

The subject of the post should provide a good idea of what is in the body. This is what the other members will see *first* when they get the email about the items being freecycled. So it should be descriptive enough to spark interest and get them to click through.

Your body description should convey an idea of the actual condition of the item(s) you are freecycling, and if you have pictures, great! We'll show you how to post them in a second. It is important that the other members understand what they would be receiving from you. This prevents confusion when they come by to pick up the free stuff, possible rejection of the item, and a negative experience for all concerned. When you are done describing the post click 'Preview Post' at the bottom of the screen.

Figure 2: The form to create your freecycle post or request for free stuff.

Step 3: Preview the freecycle post

When you click 'Preview Post' this is your chance to see what the item will look like to other members that click to view it. It is also your chance to edit it or add photos if you have them. To Add photos, click the 'Add Photos' button.

Figure 3: The post as it will appear to other viewers.

Step 4: Adding photos to a freecycle post

You can add up to 3 photos to each freecycle post on FreeMesa. However, it is important to note that the images must be less than 1 MB in size to be hosted. If you have images that are too large, you can shrink or crop them in just about any photo editing program very easily. Microsoft Photo Editor does this very well. When you are done, click 'Upload Photos'

Figure 4: The upload photo screen.

Step 5: Finalize the freecycle post

After you have uploaded the photos, you should see the post as it appears below. The images will be added, and you can see it as it will appear to other members. If all is right in the world, you're finished. You should check the text over once more for typos and details and such.

It is a good idea to avoid putting email addresses, phone numbers, or actual street addresses in the post itself. This prevents your phone from ringing off the hook, hordes of people showing up at your house, and spammer bots crawling the web from finding your email (and spamming you without end).

Generally, its best to let the other members message you, and only arrange pickup directly with one of them. This way you know that Person A will becoming by at 3pm on a given day, and if they cancel or fall off the earth, you can arrange with person B so you are only dealing with one person on the phone at a time. This works better than posting an address and having Person A come and take the item, and Persons B-Z showing up, knocking on your door, and leaving very frustrated when they walk away with nothing.

Anyway, all that aside, if the post looks good, click Submit! And you are DONE! An email will go out to all the FreeMesa members in your area with a link to your post, and your item up for freecycle is well on its way to a new home! :)

Figure 5: The final post. When you are done, click "Submit"