I’ve been using this for a few years bc I love the concept but refuse FB. However the app continues to have constant bugs, no matter how often they release updates. The UX leaves a lot to be desired. I would feel more confident donating money to it if it seemed like they actually fixed problems or designed it in a way that is sensible and shows they take user feedback, rather than adding more features that just require payment for.Some features I would find useful are the ability to delete old conversations and to be able to report users for “bad behavior” so that if they get enough dings, they lose the privilege of using the app. The amount of no-shows, ghosts, stupid negotiations, messaging from alt accounts when blocked, and other nonsense I deal with just to GIVE THINGS AWAY FOR FREE is ridiculous. I do block people when they play games but if you can’t function decently as a basic human then I don’t think you should be able to continue to using this resource and the generosity of others.

I started a Buy Nothing group back in January for my rural community on Facebook, spending my own money so it could be officially listed and part of the Buy Nothing community. I’ve poured a lot of time and care into building it up, getting to know people, and creating a space that truly reflected the spirit of community giving. Yesterday, without any notice or explanation, I was removed as admin, the page was suspended, and all members are now being pushed to move to the Buy Nothing app. The app isn’t wretched - it’s clunky, unreliable, and not community-minded in the way Facebook groups are. Besides, in my area not everyone has a smartphone that can run it, making not be inclusive. It’s incredibly discouraging to see all the work, money, and heart I’ve put into this local group completely disregarded. This feels like the opposite of what Buy Nothing is supposed to stand for—connection, generosity, and respect for everyone in the community. I wish they’d shown me the respect of notifying me of this move so I could officially remove the group as a Buy Nothing group and change its name, allowing the community I’ve worked so hard to build to remain intact while still complying with the direction Buy Nothing wishes to go in.

I never write reviews because most of the time an app doesn’t warrant me enough to do so; however, I really do love this app and the concept and I want to see the developers follow through on what it means to have community. I’ve gotten to meet some really wonderful people, but god the constant crashing, loading circle of doom, freezing, being forced to log in only to be logged out some time after, and so forth—complete bootycheeks. I’ve never wanted to bang my head against a wall so much until I came across this app. And I know I’m not the only one, so, whatever the developers are doing, please, I beg of you: fix this app. Don’t disappoint the good people that utilize this tool by skipping out on quality.Also, a “repost” function would be incredibly useful so people don’t have to copy and paste a whole new post. Especially for those who have multiple items, it’s time consuming and could be much quicker.I’d really love to change this rating, so I hope you’re reading this and taking it into consideration. It really is a great app, but my patience is wearing thin from how much it has persisted.

This is a wonderful idea, and I have successfully given away a couple things so far. But there are some problems I’m encountering. One person asking for books and toys for children who have nothing turned out to be a scam, and I was only able to avoid it at the last minute because a friend clued me in to what was happening. Now I don’t know which other things might be scams. Plus, when someone responds to something I am gifting, and then I respond back what daytime do they want to pick up? They never answer. And it is a drag to keep going in every day to check and this has happened with more people than have actually responded. Plus, the posts are entered one on top of the other, so that the newest one is always on top. the only way to browse through offers/asks is to just continue scrolling down down down. Of course, you can only bump your post up to the top if you are a paying member. Again, a grate philosophy, but not user-friendly.