Charity Cars Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for your interest in Free Charity Cars. Here are the most common questions we have been asked in the past. If you did not find an answer and need more assistance, please go to our Contact page and let us know how we can help.

1

http://www.freecharitycars.org/contact-us

Who is Free Charity Cars?

Charity Cars, Inc. is a 501-C-3

non-profit charity. Federal EIN

59-3362703. Visit the “About

Us” page for more details. (DBA

1-800-Charity Cars, Free Charity

Cars)

2

“Reality,” observed comedian Robin Williams, “what a

concept!” Yes, FCC has been awarding free vehicles to

America’s struggling families since 1996 and has enjoyed

an avalanche of local and national publicity, including being

featured on Oprah, Montel Williams, Good Morning

America, CBS Morning News, and Two Guys Garage.

Articles about the program have appeared in a host of

publications including People Magazine, Women’s World

Magazine, Motor Trend, The Non-Profit Times, and The

Chronicle of Philanthropy. Among its many awards, our

organization is honored to be a past winner of the

prestigious Walt Disney World Outstanding Community

Service Award.

Is this website/program/opportunity for real?

3

o Unsure if our program is right for you?

Have questions about who is eligible or

what the requirements are? Want to

know exactly what is required of you to

qualify?

o Please read the following and familiarize

yourself with our program;

o 1-800-Charity Cars provides free vehicles

to a wide array of clients.

I'm not sure if this program is right for me, what are

the eligibility requirements?

4

Our clients include: Victims of domestic violence

The medically needy

Victims of natural disasters

Families transitioning from public assistance to

work

Families living in transitional living shelters

The working poor

Non-profit organizations

Military Families

I'm not sure if this program is right for me, what are

the eligibility requirements? (Continues)

5

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Be a resident of the United States Of America

Be 18 years of age or older

Have a Valid Driver’s License

Be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

Have a genuine need for a vehicle (meaning you lack any sustainable transportation)

Have access to a Computer and Internet Service

Sign up and create an account on our vehicle distribution site www.freecharitycars.org

Complete an online application for a vehicle found under the Apply For A Car tab within

your account.

Generate votes to move up the waiting list to increase your chances of having your

application reviewed when a donated vehicle becomes available in your area.

Remain active on the site

Spread the word about our charity to increase vehicle donations by promoting

I'm not sure if this program is right for me, what are the

eligibility requirements? (Continues)

6

Have the financial means to pay for the fees such as tag, title, emissions, insurance

etc. if you are selected to receive a vehicle?

Complete the paperwork process once awarded a vehicle.

Be able to get to and pick up the vehicle AS SOON AS the process is

complete and the vehicle is ready for pick up.

Take financial responsibility for maintaining insurance and upkeep on

the vehicle once awarded.

***PLEASE BE ADVISED OF THE FOLLOWING***

There is NO GUARANTEE of a vehicle as we are at the mercy of the donating

public.

There is NO SET TIME FRAME for if or when you will receive a vehicle as we

do not know if or when a viable program car will become available or in

what area.



7

• There is NO SET AMOUNT OF VOTES that it could take to receive a vehicle as

mentioned above we are at the mercy of the donating public.

• There is NO SET AMOUNT OF VOTES to be number one in any given area on the

waiting list as it varies from State to State how many votes have been

accumulated by other members.

• Our program IS NOT intended for people in need of IMMEDIATE transportation

due to employment, school, medical crisis etc. as we cannot provide vehicles on

demand.

• Any member who goes inactive on the site for 30 days or more may be skipped if

a vehicle becomes available in their area.

• We DO NOT deliver/tow vehicles to recipients. If you are selected to receive a

vehicle you will have to schedule the pickup time and arrange a means of

transportation to go secure the vehicle yourself.

• We DO NOT pay for or accept applications for people in need of repairs to

vehicles they currently own.



8

• All accounts are audited once a member is chosen to receive a vehicle. If

it is discovered that the member has “gamed” the site by having multiple

accounts and funneling votes that member WILL NOT receive the vehicle

and will be banned from the site.

• All information provided to us within your application for a vehicle WILL

BE VERIFIED and documentation WILL BE requested to prove your

circumstances prior to receiving a vehicle.

• Only one application PER HOUSEHOLD is permitted for a vehicle and only

one vehicle PER Members are allowed ONE additional account on the

site other than their own to assist them in their journey here. We refer

to this as a Spouse account, but it can be used by another relative,

friend, and roommate etc. to help you if no spouse is present.

• What number can I call to reach FCC or I need to talk with someone can

FCC call me?



9

• Unfortunately we have limited staff and cannot call members or receive

calls from members. Please read this FAQ page thoroughly. You may also

ask for assistance from the FCC Site Administrator (milodeke).

• High ranking members or members with car icons can also be a great

source for questions you may have. (Car icons indicate that the member

has already received a car from FCC.) HOUSEHOLD can be awarded.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should anyone call our offices regarding

problems with this website, to report a member, to inquire about

receiving a vehicle, or to apply for a position with FCC. Such calls to our

office will result in the deletion of the members account. Please use the

report bug link on the bottom of each page to report website problems

and use the contact us page for other appropriate inquiries. Thank you

for your cooperation.



10

I liked/followed Charity Cars on Facebook, Google+, Twitter,

and or Pinterest and did not get votes. What do I do to get

votes?

Votes for liking/following Charity Cars are ONLY available for the

following social networks, and they are NOT automatically awarded.

Facebook - http://facebook.com/FreeCharityCars

Facebook - http://facebook.com/theoriginal1800charitycars

Twitter - http://twitter.com/freecharitycars

Google+ - http://plus.google.com/+800charitycarsorg

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/1800charitycars

Votes are manually awarded by the Site Administrator (milodeke)

You must send milodeke a message here ON THE SITE, stating what social

network you have liked/followed us on and your username on each of the

Social Networks. If you message anywhere else (i.e. email outside of the

site, submit a contact form, Facebook etc. those will be ignored)

11

I liked/followed Charity Cars on Facebook, Google+, Twitter,

and or Pinterest and did not get votes. What do I do to get

votes? (Continues)

Upon verification you will receive;

100 votes for liking BOTH (not

each/100 for both) Facebook pages

50 votes for following us on Twitter

50 votes for following us on Google+

50 votes for following us on Pinterest

12

I’ve heard that I should contact auto dealers

in my area, why?

FCC does not receive cars from

dealers and never has. Our dealer

program had consisted of an

advertising partnership but it has

proven unsuccessful and we are no

longer pursuing this program.

13

Why do you leave inactive members on the site? Why

don't you remove them?

We realize that life happens and

people must deal with it. Often

time people must step away due

to illness, evictions, loss of

utilities, deaths of love ones.

14

I don’t live in the USA; does FCC provide this service

in any other countries?

We do not.

We are not an International Charity.

We only service the United States of

America.

In what states do you give away cars?

We award vehicles nationwide.

Throughout all of the United States Of

America, including Hawaii and Alaska.15

How can I win a car?

You cannot “win” a car as this is not a lottery

or game of chance.

I’ve heard that many times the cars are given

away at public events. Is this always the case?

No. Actually the majority of the over 5000 cars that

we have given away thus far, have not been awarded

at public events, but to individuals.

16

Can I choose what type of vehicle I get?

We never know what type of vehicle will be donated in your area. While

members cannot choose make, model, year, color etc. of a vehicle you can

specify in your application your specific needs such as; automatic or

manual, handicap accessible, and size of vehicle to compensate for your

family.

If FCC offers you a vehicle that will not work for your specific needs you may

decline the vehicle and wait for one that will.

Can I just buy one of your Charity Cars?

No one can purchase a charity car. We do not ever sell these “program”

vehicles.

I already have a car. Can FCC help pay to repair it?

Unfortunately with the downturn in the economy we cannot offer

monetary assistance for repairs to vehicles you already have.

17

I have a vehicle to donate, what should I do?

800 Charity Cars Car Donation Program Donate A Car - Full Fair

Market Tax Deduction Possible

Car Donation is fast, free, and easy. Donate your car, van, truck,

RV, or boat and even if your vehicle is not used in our free car

program it will be sold and 100% of the proceeds will go directly

to our charity. Simply call 1-800-CHARITY CARS (1-800-242-7489)

or fill out the online car donation form. Once we receive your

donation information our representatives will contact you to

schedule a convenient time to pick up your tax-deductible car

donation. Towing is free. Donate a vehicle in any condition,

running or not. Specify the username that you would like to

benefit from your donation and that user will receive a minimum

of 2000 votes. For every $10 generated from the sale of the

vehicle, the username specified will receive 200 votes.18

I have a vehicle to donate, what should I do?

o Make a Financial Donation

o Don’t have a car to donate? Any of the links below lead to one

of 1-800-Charity Cars approved online donation partners.

o If you would like to make a donation on behalf of a

FreeCharityCars.org user, please visit that user’s profile page

and click on one of the donation options in order for that user

to receive votes for your donation. Every $10 donation will

earn those user 200 votes. Please allow 72 hours for those

votes to be received by the user. Badges are awarded to the

person specified to receive the votes, not the donor.

For Just Give and PayPal donations, you must specify the

username of the person to receive the votes in the designated

area listed below for that person to receive the votes.19

I have an old car that is inoperable or close to it, can I still apply for a car? Am I

eligible to get a car?

o Having a car does not necessarily make you ineligible to apply for or get a

car through our program in certain situations.

o We provide vehicles to struggling families and individuals who do not have

sustainable transportation. This means you cannot possess a vehicle that

you drive daily that is in good working condition and still get a vehicle from

us.

o There are many people who have cars that are inoperable, or close to it

and they can still get a car from us.

Can our organization create a profile to apply for a vehicle? Can we apply on

behalf of our clients?

Yes. FCC does award vehicles to other 501-C-3 non-profit charities. Your

organization may create a profile for your organization and if you are

selected you may elect to receive a vehicle for your organization or refer a

client to FCC to receive the vehicle.

20

I am a victim of domestic violence and / or I am a private person. What is

available for public viewing? Is my FCC application or my name made

public?

The FCC private application found under the Apply for a car

tab, is not made public, and is only viewable to Staff. We have

worked with many Domestic Violence survivors in the past,

and understand the need for privacy. It’s up to you what

information you want to make public on your public

profile/story/status/photos/videos or blog posts.

If you do not want your name searchable within the FCC

website, there is a checkbox on signup that will keep your

name from displaying in search results. If you have already

signed up, you can still make your name unsearchable by

placing your mouse over the My Profile Tab and clicking on

edit profile and story from the drop down menu.21

I don’t have access to a computer/internet. Can I still

apply for a car some other way?

Unfortunately, you cannot. You will have to have a

computer/internet access to sign up and apply for a

car. There are no other ways to apply for a vehicle.

FCC is under enormous pressure from our repair

shops to get the cars removed ASAP as they have

limited storage space available. The FCC website gives

us the ability to quickly identify qualified recipients

and complete the transfer of title so the vehicles can

be picked up promptly.

22

How many votes do I need and how long does it take to get a

car?

It’s impossible to say for sure because it depends on so many variables. We

rely on quality vehicle donations, and we are at the mercy of the donating

public.

Once the FCC profile and application are completed, the member qualifies

to have their application reviewed. Once a vehicle becomes available in a

particular geographic location, our team usually begins reviewing the

applications of our members with the most votes/highest page rank that

live in that general vicinity. Even if your page rank is lower than someone

else’s, you may receive a vehicle if your story is truly inspirational and

compelling, but we must strongly emphasize that your application is more

likely to be reviewed if you have a high page rank. (Note: The applicant

with the highest number of votes, page rank, or more poignant story, may

not be selected to receive the vehicle and the recipient may be selected

from any geographic location.)

23

Why do I get automatically logged out of the site sometimes?

We have an automated log out or as most people know it a

session timeout which is seen on many websites across the

internet.

The site is intended for members to be active not sit idle. (i.e.

members should sign in, vote, blog, message, and complete

other various activities not sit idle without activity) If there is

no activity being performed members should not be signed in

to the site.

So once you sign in to the site be active or your session will

timeout and you will have to log back in after 30 minutes of

inactivity.

24

Is it true that if I don’t log in every day, I may not be selected to

receive a car?

o Not true-but members who have not logged into their profile

for 30 days or more may indeed be passed over.

I did not receive votes/badge for Facebook Fan Of The Week,

Contest, Post etc... I participated in/won? What do I do to get

them?

o Please be advised that all badges/votes/prizes etc… awarded

from participation, contests, fan of the week etc... Are NOT

automatically awarded. They are manually awarded by

milodeke the Site Admin. If you did not receive something is

sure to contact her here on the site, and let her know.

25

I don’t have access to a computer/internet. Can I still apply for a

car some other way?

Unfortunately, you cannot. You will have to have a

computer/internet access to sign up and apply for a car. There

are no other ways to apply for a vehicle.

FCC is under enormous pressure from our repair shops to get

the cars removed As Soon As Possible as they have limited

storage space available. The FCC website gives us the ability to

quickly identify qualified recipients and complete the transfer

of title so the vehicles can be picked up promptly.

How many votes do I need and how long does it take to get a car?

It’s impossible to say for sure because it depends on so many

variables. We rely on quality vehicle donations, and we are at

the mercy of the donating public.26

Once the FCC profile and application are completed, the

member qualifies to have their application reviewed. Once a

vehicle becomes available in a particular geographic location,

our team usually begins reviewing the applications of our

members with the most votes/highest page rank that live in that

general vicinity. Even if your page rank is lower than someone

else’s, you may receive a vehicle if your story is truly

inspirational and compelling, but we must strongly emphasize

that your application is more likely to be reviewed if you have a

high page rank. (Note: The applicant with the highest number of

votes, page rank, or more poignant story, may not be selected to

receive the vehicle and the recipient may be selected from any

geographic location.)

27

Why do I get automatically logged out of the site sometimes?

We have an automated log out or as most people know it a

session timeout which is seen on many websites across the

internet.

The site is intended for members to be active not sit idle. (i.e.

members should sign in, vote, blog, message, and complete

other various activities not sit idle without activity) If there is

no activity being performed members should not be signed in

to the site.

So once you sign in to the site be active or your session will

timeout and you will have to log back in after 30 minutes of

inactivity.

28

How can I report a member whose story is not truthful?

o No report is needed. Just like Facebook or any other social

networking website, we have many members and we cannot

possibly verify the public stories they present. We do however

have a process to authenticate and verify all information

contained in the FCC application if the member is selected for

review to receive a vehicle.

Why do you leave inactive members on the site? Why don't you

remove them?

o We realize that life happens and people must deal with it.

Often times people must step away due to illness, evictions,

loss of utilities, deaths of loved ones etc... And we like to leave

the door open for them to return when life permits.29

How do I report an abusive member or inappropriate content?

o Use the “report user” feature found on every members profile

page.

I’ve heard that I should contact auto dealers in my area, why?

o FCC does not receive cars from dealers and never has. Our

dealer program had consisted of an advertising partnership

but it has proven unsuccessful and we are no longer pursuing

this program.

Does FCC verify members to ensure that they are truly in need

and qualify?

o Whenever we select a member for review to receive a vehicle

we authenticate and verify their story and the information

contained in the FCC application to ensure that they qualify.30

I have issues with the FCC Terms & Conditions / the FCC website

concept / the way FCC chooses recipients / the application

process / the color of the sky, etc…

o We wish we could make everyone happy but alas, we are

mere mortals and do the best we can. We are America’s

leading car donation / distribution charity and have been

awarding free vehicles since 1996. Every aspect of our

program has been born from invaluable experience. We

believe that members who are willing to invest sweat equity

by working to vote & promote should be the members chosen

to receive the gift of a vehicle. We love all our fellow mortals

and hate disappointing anyone, but if our program does not

resonate with you, please forgive us. We wish you much peace

and joy.

31

Why doesn’t FCC cooperate with the BBB or Charity Navigator?

o These are self-appointed charity watchdogs organizations - not

government agencies and FCC has chosen to ignore them. To understand

why we have made this decision please visit

http://www.bbbroundup.com/LeadStory.html and

www.CharityEvaluator.com.

For additional questions, visit our contact page

I don’t have access to a computer/internet. Can I still apply for a car some

other way?

o Unfortunately, you cannot. You will have to have a computer/internet

access to sign up and apply for a car. There are no other ways to apply

for a vehicle.

o FCC is under enormous pressure from our repair shops to get the cars

removed ASAP as they have limited storage space available. The FCC

website gives us the ability to quickly identify qualified recipients and

complete the transfer of title so the vehicles can be picked up

promptly. 32

I already have a car. Can FCC help pay to repair

it?

o Unfortunately with the downturn in the economy

we cannot offer monetary assistance for repairs to

vehicles you already have.

Can I just buy one of your Charity Cars?

o No one can purchase a charity car. We do not ever

sell these “program” vehicles.

How can I win a car?

o You cannot “win” a car as this is not a lottery or

game of chance.33

How many accounts/applications can I have?

You may only have ONE account per member and you should

never give your log in information to anyone else.

o Members are allowed ONE additional account other than

their own, on the site to assist them in their journey here.

We refer to this as a Spouse account, but it can be used by

another relative, friend, and roommate etc. to help you if

no spouse is present. This has to be an actual person living

in your home over the age of 18 and who will be controlling

their own account.

o You may have as many friends, relatives, etc. as you can get

to join the site to help you BUT they can NOT live in your

household, or share your computer, and they must create

the accounts and control the accounts themselves, NOT

YOU! 34

How many accounts/applications can I have? (Continues)

Only ONE application PER HOUSEHOLD is permitted for a vehicle and only

ONE vehicle PER HOUSEHOLD can be awarded.

PLEASE DO NOT CHEAT OR GAME THE SITE!!! If you are cheating you are

only hurting yourself and you will be caught and lose the opportunity to

get a vehicle.

All accounts are tracked and suspicious activity is red flagged in our system.

If you are found to be gaming the site in any way you are subject to vote

revocation, account termination, lifetime banning, and/or being black

listed. This means you will never receive a car, or ever be eligible for a car.

If you think you can beat the system or discovered a clever way to cheat,

please note that all accounts are audited once a member is chosen to

receive a vehicle. If it is discovered at that time the member has “gamed”

the site by creating fake accounts, having control of multiple accounts

and/or funneling votes in any manner, that member WILL NOT receive the

vehicle and will be subject to the previously detailed repercussions.

35

Education

Charity Cars Frequently Asked Questions