Charitable Giving Fraud Alert

Good Intentioned Donors Duped by Bad Car Donation Programs

DID YOU KNOW? About 35% of Charity Car Donations typically happen between October 15 and December 31 to take advantage of the end of year tax deductions.

FACT: Some of the most brazen charity donation schemes and frauds are perpetrated on Car Donors and Charities.  

FACT: MOST Charitable Car donation programs have an astonishing lack of transparency.  

  • Car Donors are often unclear about who they are donating to, how the cars are handled and where the money goes.
  • Charities see only a small fraction of the money raised.

At Car Donation Wizard, we want to set the record straight. We work with respected charities, and we give the highest returns of ANY car donation program out there. You’re too smart to donate your car to just anyone, and we want to help you make an informed decision.

car donation wizard

We believe in transparency, just like we believe in the charities we work with. We’ve got the numbers to prove it, too. Through car donations, we’ve helped raise over $150,000,000 for your favorite charities!

More Facts and Examples of Car Donation Schemes and Failures

  1. Illegitimate charities abandon donor vehicles on US roadways and donors are liable even after the donation appears to be complete
  2. Many programs offer ‘net returns to charity,’ only pennies of the gross dollar raised. Car Donation Wizard is different, and we work hard to keep costs low so your donation stays high.
  3. The internet search term ‘Car Donation’ is one of the most expensive search terms throughout the internet. Illegitimate programs drive the clicks up to terrific heights this time of year. Some programs spend more money on advertising than on doing good.
  4. Some of the largest car donation programs in the Country are actually religious charities but don’t announce that clearly on their site or literature.  Their status as religious charities reduces oversight.
  5. In the last 5 years, several of these car donation programs have been investigated by state attorney generals for but continue their dubious operations today.
  6. Many well-known car donation services have serious issues of private benefit or private inurement but there is little enforcement to address these illegal activities.
  7. Car Donation is a great source of long-term revenue for charity but the entire industry is racked by the worst versions of deceit for personal gain.

TIPS BEFORE YOU DONATE A CAR TO CHARITY:

  • Make sure the charity is an organization that you know and trust. We only work with registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, which means no matter which respectable organization you choose, you will get a tax receipt. If you aren’t sure, check out Charity Navigator, a great source for 
  • Ask how much the charity will receive. The charity has a responsibility to best manage your vehicle donation. Ask how much of the GROSS proceeds will go back to the charity after you donate a car to them. If the program won’t promise over 70% of the Gross, look elsewhere.
  • Once you’ve decided to donate a car to charity, sign the title directly over to the charity or their agent. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, LEAVE THE ‘BUYER’ SECTION OF THE TITLE BLANK. Or you could end up in a situation like this SCAM.
  • Ask how and where the money will be spent. We at Car Donation Wizard can easily answer this. BEWARE of charity car donation programs that promise to send proceeds to another organization

We want to prevent further donation dollar defrauding. It’s always a great time to inform potential donors about the best and most responsible programs.  Advanced Remarketing Services is an expert in Car Donation.

For more information on how a charity car donation program should be run or background on any of this information from our President Joseph Hearn, reach out via Linkedin; or email jhearn@arscars.com