123JUNK Donation and Valuation Guide

123JUNK relies heavily on donation as a means of disposal.  Many clients choose to use our services based solely on our ability to donate.  Because of that, clients often have questions about our donation process and what they can expect to experience when we pick up their items.

When we pick up your items, any items that appear functional are dropped off at a temporary storage location.  From there, we schedule our partner charities for regular pickups.  When your item is picked up by one of our charity partners they authorize a receipt, which we then mail to you.

Reasons for Charity Refusal

There are a few instances when items cannot be donated, even if they are in excellent condition.  It is important to consider that, with few exceptions, our charity partners depend on the proceeds from the resale of items to fund their charitable missions.  This means that, even though some items are still in working order, charities may refuse them simply because they cannot be readily resold. The leading factors for charity refusal include:

 1 – Salability

This occurs most often with electronics, which quickly become outdated, but it is not uncommon for charities to turn away clothing, furniture, or any other item for the same reason.  For instance, charities abruptly stopped accepting CRT Televisions in 2012 because they found that they were receiving them en masse, yet they were not able to sell them due to dropping prices for flat screen TVs.  123JUNK takes great care to responsibly recycle items like these that are no longer fit for donation.

2 – Overstock

In some instances, our charity partners are already fully stocked with certain items, and may turn down items regardless of condition.  Organizations rarely “swap out” items.  Instead, they often attempt to sell what stock they have, and accept donations as they can accommodate them.

3- Inclement Weather

Rain may damage items like upholstered furniture, clothing (if not bagged), and electronics.  Because our trucks are open bed, we are not able to guarantee that items won’t be damaged by the elements in transit. 123JUNK does its best to protect your items in all instances.

A donation receipt serves simply as a record that you made a charitable contribution to a qualified charity.  Charities and intermediaries—like 123JUNK—do not actually take part in the valuation of donated items. 

Valuation Resources

Salvation Army and Goodwill provide helpful guides for estimating the value of your donated items:

Salvation Army

http:/satruck.org/donation-value-guide

Goodwill

http:/www.goodwill.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Donation_Valuation_Guide.pdf