Frequently asked questions

1. Why is everything free? What's the catch?

There is no catch. Gaeci is for people who would rather give a thing they no longer need to someone who can use it than carry it to the bin. We take no commission, because there is nothing to take a commission from: no money moves between users at all.

Most of us have something at home that feels wrong to throw out and too much bother to sell. Gaeci is for exactly that.

2. How do I get started?

Enter your phone number, get a code by SMS, add your name and city. That's it. No email, no password, no documents.

3. Why sign in by phone number rather than email and password?

Three reasons:

• passwords get lost, and your phone is with you;
• a phone number keeps out bots and throwaway accounts — a hundred numbers is much harder to get than a hundred mailboxes;
• you need a phone anyway to arrange a handover. So there is no reason to ask for more.

We store the minimum: phone, name, city, and chosen messengers. Nothing else.

4. How does a claim work?

1. You press "Claim" and tell the giver when you can collect.
2. The giver confirms the claim for one person.
3. Once confirmed, the two of you see each other's contact details.
4. You agree a time and meet.
5. The giver marks it "Given".

Until a claim is confirmed, the listing stays visible to everyone else.

5. Why can't I see the giver's phone number?

Contact details open up only after a claim is confirmed — and only to the two people in that claim.

That way a number never sits in the open, never gets harvested by spam bots, and never ends up in someone else's mailing list. It protects the giver and it protects you.

6. How long does a claim last?

48 hours from confirmation.

If the item has not changed hands by then and you have not agreed otherwise, the claim is released automatically, the listing returns to search, and the next person in the queue gets a chance.

If you need longer, just message the giver. An arrangement can be extended.

7. What happens if someone doesn't turn up?

Report the no-show from the claim screen. We check it, and if it is confirmed, the offender's karma goes down.

A no-show means someone confirmed a meeting and did not come without warning you. If they messaged in advance — even half an hour before — that is not a no-show, that is life.

False no-show reports lower the karma of whoever filed them.

8. What is karma?

A reliability counter on your profile. It rises with completed handovers and falls with confirmed no-shows.

Other users can see it. It affects whether people confirm your claims: all else being equal, a giver picks the person who shows up.

Persistent no-shows lead to claim restrictions, and then to the account being blocked.

9. Why isn't my listing published straight away?

Every listing goes through pre-moderation — a person looks at it before it appears in search.

That is slower, but it is exactly why Gaeci has no selling disguised as giving, no spam, and no prohibited items. Review is usually quick.

10. My listing was rejected. Why?

We always give the reason in the notification. The most common ones:

• a price, a "token amount", or a swap was offered;
• the photos are not yours — taken from the internet or a catalogue;
• the item is on the prohibited list;
• the condition is not described, or defects are hidden;
• the text contains an exact address or extra contact details;
• one item was posted as several listings.

Fix it and submit again. If you think the rejection was wrong, reply to the notification and a person will review it.

11. Can I ask for just a little money? For petrol, for packaging?

No. Not for petrol, not for packaging, not "whatever you think it's worth". Any price and any "token amount" is a violation and the listing will be taken down.

Swaps, and swaps with a top-up payment, are also prohibited.

What you can do: ask the receiver to order and pay a courier themselves, directly to the delivery service, where there is no other way to get the item to them. No money reaches the giver, and it must be stated honestly in the listing. You can also ask them to bring a box, a bag, or someone to help carry.

12. How do I find out when something I need appears?

Set up a subscription: choose a category and a city, and we will notify you when a matching listing is published.

You can have several, and you can switch them off in your profile at any time. We do not subscribe you to anything you did not ask for.

13. Can I rehome animals?

Yes — rehoming free of charge is allowed. Selling animals is prohibited, including "token amounts", "deposits", and "cost reimbursement".

Your listing should state the species, approximate age, sex, vaccination and neutering status, and traits of temperament and health — honestly, problems included.

You may not rehome wild animals, very young animals, or sick animals without stating the diagnosis. See section 7 of the Terms for detail.

14. What can't I post?

In short: weapons, medicines and dietary supplements, alcohol, tobacco and vapes, money, documents, SIM cards and accounts, counterfeits, perishable food, drugs, dangerous chemicals, and used intimate items and underwear.

The full list is section 4 of the Terms. If you are unsure, submit it for moderation and you will get an answer.

15. How do I report something?

There is a "Report" button on every listing, in messages, and on user profiles. Describe it briefly and factually.

We review reports within a reasonable time and do not disclose who filed them.

If it involves threats or your safety, contact the police. Emergency number in Georgia: 112.

16. I changed my mind about giving something away. Is that OK?

Yes — it is your item and yours to decide about. A claim creates no legal obligation to hand it over.

But please say so, and release the claim and the listing. The other person may have taken time off work and travelled across the city. Silence is worse than a refusal.

17. The item is worse than it looked in the photos. What now?

Items are handed over "as is", and a free item cannot be returned. That is why you should inspect it on the spot: plug it in, check what is included, look for mould and insects. Declining on the spot is completely fine.

If the giver deliberately hid a serious defect or used someone else's photos, report it. That breaches the rules and we will act on it.

18. Who can see my phone number?

Nobody, except the other party to a confirmed claim.

Your number does not appear in listings, is not visible in search, is not indexed by search engines, and is not passed to advertisers — we simply do not have any. See the Privacy Policy for detail.

19. How do I delete my account and my data?

Profile → Settings → Delete account. No need to write to us.

The account closes immediately, listings come down, claims are cancelled. Data is erased within 30 days — that window exists in case you change your mind.

What remains after deletion, and why, is set out in section 6 of the Privacy Policy.

Didn't find your question? Write to us through the contact form — we reply in Georgian, Russian, and English.