Can You Really Stay Away From Vehicle Donation Scams?
Can You Really Stay Away From Vehicle Donation Scams?: Vehicle donation scams- are they for real? Unfortunately, my friend the answer is in positive! They do exist but the good news is that you might be able to stay away from them if you follow these 5 steps for avoiding car donation scams.
- Avoid Middlemen
Try to avoid intermediaries when donating used vehicles to charities as they reduce the final amount received by the charity considerably. Middlemen take your vehicle donations, sell them further, only donate a small proportion of the revenue to the charity, and keep the rest as ‘operating costs’.
- Charity Check-up
Make sure to read the reviews of the charity you are thinking of donating your vehicle to. You can easily find the works and recommendations by previous partners on the internet. Moreover, you can check in editorials in newspapers as well.
- More the Merrier
When you donate a car to a charity, you do it with the intention to help people as much as you can. However, your intentions do not always coincide with the charity you are donating to. The IRS does not have a fixed percentage of donated car sale price to be used by the charity; some charities only contribute the minimum amount in order to keep their status with the IRS. Hence, do a thorough investigation of how much of your donation will make it to programs that help people.
- Local Connection(s)
With the advent of online donation tools, making donations anywhere around the globe has become very convenient. However, sometimes it is just best to donate in your vicinity specially something as huge as a used car. Look for charities that do good and promising work in your area or state to donate wisely.
- Official Status
When you donate a used vehicle, you are eligible to tax deductions. To avail this option, make sure to double and triple check from different sources the official IRS designation of 501 ( c )(3) charity. Car donation charities registered otherwise can be a red flag.
Follow these 5 steps for avoiding car donation scams and make a worthy donation.