Best and safest site to advertise a thing I'm giving away

August 25, 2022 3:07 PM

I want to give away the cover to my 6-person inflatable Intex spa (hot tub),

because I never use it and it's really heavy and takes up loads of space. BUT I don't really want somebody to enter my apartment to look at it, case the joint, etc. yet it's too heavy to schlep outside for somebody to examine. (We used it once, so in perfect condition). Where should I list this? (I'm in New York City). I have a feeling nobody in NYC will want it, so I have to cast the net farther, like to Long Island I guess. Here it is (but I'm ONLY giving away the cover)(it's got those strap to attach it to the hot tub)

posted by DMelanogaster to Computers & Internet (14 answers total)

You're giving it away, like for free, right? It's a highly specialized item, the only people interested in it will already know exactly what it is. Take honest photos in good light.

Absolutely no one except the person who will be taking this thing needs to see it, and they only need to see it at the moment of handoff.

It's not a car. It's not a piece of furniture. It's not an article of clothing. No one needs to try on the size or make sure the color matches or the engine runs for this FREE ITEM. It is what it is. It's entirely unnecessary to do showings and anyone who asks for one is wasting your time.

(Also anyone who suspiciously doesn't ask to see it but offers you money for their "courier" to pick it up is scamming you.)
posted by phunniemee at 3:14 PM on August 25, 2022 [14 favorites]

Facebook is probably the best bet for this. Many locales will have closed "swap" groups for the town or neighborhood that you can ask to join, and you can crosspost to Facebook Marketplace if you want to reach a wider audience. I've had great luck with my local Buy Nothing group on FB too.
posted by hovey at 3:30 PM on August 25, 2022 [3 favorites]

I've given away lots of stuff on NextDoor. I arrange a pickup time and put the item outside - I never even see the person who picks it up. As phunniemee says, nobody needs to examine this item. If you're giving it away, there's no price negotiation. So nobody needs to come into your apartment.

There is some risk the person will be a no-show, but I find that's actually pretty rare.
posted by FencingGal at 4:52 PM on August 25, 2022

Response by poster: Wow, I listed it on Facebook Marketplace (not local groups, because who in Manhattan wants a hot tub cover??) and I very quickly got a response from somebody with a Russian name whose picture is of a pretty very young woman, and then it said she changed the group name from "Free Spa Cover" etc., to "Alina Free Spa Cover," and it all seemed VERY SHADY AND SCAMMY AND SCARY so I deleted the listing. And my Facebook account has my real name and I am easy to find with a simple google search.

Back to the drawing board!
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:03 PM on August 25, 2022

If a thrift store or Habitat for Humanity ReStore will take it, just drop it off. It's causing you too much anxiety.
posted by rawralphadawg at 6:22 PM on August 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

She might have been a spammer but just delete. The only scam is if you decide to send someone money, so just don’t do that! It’s honestly ok to just list good photos and measurements and the word FREE - HOT TUB COVER - 8 FOOT ROUND - BRAND NAME and someone will come take it. Maybe someone with a smaller hot tub whose cover got damaged. (Source: I have sold and given away literally 100s of items on Marketplace)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:35 PM on August 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: [raw', I said it's too heavy to deal with. I don't have a car. I live in NYC. If I could just "drop it off" at a thrift shop, of course I would do that and would have no need to ask this question. Thanks anyway.]

Thanks, nouvelle. I thought I deleted but she messaged me again that she wants to pick it up.
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:41 PM on August 25, 2022

Well, let her pick it up! The only scam is if you give her money or potentially if you let her into your home I guess but I have let dozens of strangers into my home to get stuff and it’s been fine. Have a confident or large friend over, if that makes you feel better. But the vast majority of people are not trying to scam or harm you.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:20 PM on August 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

Try the local NYC group, who knows? I never suspected there was *one* person with a hot tub in their NYC apartment, yet here you are! There must be more of you. Perhaps you will end up making friends and starting a Hot Tubs of NYC group.

Can you get a friend to help you drag it to the curb? If you don't want internet randos in your home, I think that's going to be the only way.

I continue to be amazed by the enormous crap the the NYC Department of Sanitation will just haul away. If you can get it out there, it might just disappear at your next trash pickup. Or before that, if you put "Free" sign on it and a "curb alert" on Craigslist and your local Buy Nothing group.
posted by hovey at 9:46 PM on August 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

It looks like the Habitat Restore in NYC does pick ups.
Pools and trampolines are not acceptable but maybe they’d take your cover?
posted by calgirl at 10:15 PM on August 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

This city is full of millions of people with weird circumstances and DIY projects/repairs/art made from re-purposed items, so I'd encourage you to test your assumption that nobody in New York wants a 6-person inflatable hot tub cover. On Facebook there are a bunch of "Buy Nothing" groups for neighborhoods in New York and I'm always amazed at how many people are interested in the random crap being given away in mine.
posted by Jon_Evil at 3:45 AM on August 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

Buy Nothing group on Facebook is probably a good option. I heard they may have been moving off of fb eventually but when we were leaving Brooklyn last year it was a very good way to dispose of things we didn’t want to trash but couldn’t be bothered to sell.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:57 AM on August 26, 2022

If someone is coming over, you could leave it in the hallway outside your apartment at the arranged time. Buzz them in, they can get it and walk away, no need to make any contact with you at all. (Your building may vary.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:14 AM on August 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

Regarding facebook marketplace, there's an option you can choose to only allow this to be viewed and picked up locally. If you don't select that, it will be opened to all of facebook. That should cut down on spammers.
posted by hydra77 at 1:16 PM on August 26, 2022 [1 favorite]