IT'S the promise of freedom from ties to the past and the hope of brighter things for the future that tempts them to join. Once converted, they find themselves addicted - checking in every day to keep in touch with other members.
Yet it's not a new cult that has them staring square-eyed at their computer screen but the latest website craze.
You've heard of Ebay, where you can hunt for bargains and sell on items you no longer want. Now it's time to discover Freecycle.
It has taken just three years since the Freecycle Network's launch for it to develop into a major trend.
It now has more than 2m members across the world, split into groups based on geographical area. In Merseyside, there are 724 members in the Liverpool group, 206 in the Southport one and 689 in Wirral.
It works just like Ebay except for one crucial difference - you don't pay for anything. Instead, members post a description of the item they want to get rid of on the site and you email them to arrange collection.
In the past few weeks, there have been all kinds of weird and wonderful items added to the Liverpool group - everything from a double divan bed to pay-as-you-go mobile phone sim cards.
One woman posted: "Offered: Kinder Egg empty toy holders... It's a shame to throw them away." By the end of the day, they had been snapped up.
Another wrote: "I have two pig pictures up for grabs. One is small and the other is large."
Some members add requests, such as: "Wanted - free weights,, nothing over 7lb" and "Hi, does anyone have a treadmill or/and an airwalker/glider they don't need?"
