Junk Disposal Services

Has anyone used these type services, like 800-GOT-JUNK. I have some items that I can say goodbye to in my condo storage locker and I am wondering how is the pricing and what was the service like. I would normally give to Salvation Army or Goodwill, but both are closed due to the current pandemic situation.

Thanks!

 

I've used Bagster, which you buy at HD or Lowes, fill it, and have them pick it up. Usually under $200.00

 

I have not actually used one, but the pricing always looked very high. I found it more cost effective to rent a truck, hire a couple of guys off Craigslist, and have them load and unload the truck at the town dump.

 

one way these services make extra $ after the fact is weight overage charges. be cognizant of that, weight vs space.

 

I got a quote from got junk once. I think I’m still in shock years later. IIRC they wanted close to a grand. Rented a trailer for $50, 2-3 hours of my time and $50 in dump fees. I mean even at $100/hr (just a guess) that is a hell of a markup especially since they would possibly save an hour by just dumping their truck vs. me hand unloading the trailer and returning it.

 

I've used 1-800-GOT-JUNK & College Hunks Hauling Junk. Both times, I felt the expense outweighed the value. Anytime I need something hauled off, I just rent a flatbed from Home Depot and haul it to the landfill myself. I think this is the best bet unless you've got some astronomically huge pile of material to be hauled off that requires more than two people to load.

 

If the items aren't "junky junk" you might also get someone on Craigslist take it all for free. Though beware of fraudsters there. Not an option everywhere, but I've set things on the curb that usually disappear pretty quickly.

 

I found someone on Yelp and described the contents and took photos. He gave me a quote and I think it was around $375. The young guy showed up in a medium U-Haul truck on time with a bunch of helpers. I think he was able to resell some of the stuff like bed frames, some furniture, a ping pong table. But there were paint cans and a bunch of stuff in trash bags too. I would hate to have landfilled all of that stuff, call it Catholic guilt. I have put some stuff out on my front yard with a "free" sign and that has always worked.

One time we had an old Wurlitzer organ, straight out of Monte Hall's door #2 in 1973, I think I may have had a hernia bringing it up from the basement. Tried to sell it at a yard sale, no takers. Put a "free" sign on it and someone grabbed it in a couple hours.

 

I use a company called Junk King. They hauled away an old washer and dryer once and another
time a Love Seat both times along with some other items. Both times it cost around $250 I believe.
You call and they will ask you about the items over the phone and will give you a verbal cost.

 

We used the 1-800 guys and were quite pleased. Don't remember them being especially expensive, but we needed the stuff removed and they did so. And, they are legit, which figured into the equation as well.

 

I used 800 Got Junk at a property I supervised in Florida. They did a good job but they were very expensive.

 

I used the 800 junk guys a few years ago. I was happy with them.
I had sold a house in another state. However, it was mostly full of furniture I did not need because I bought new furniture in my new state. I had to get the house cleaned out quick, and there was no way I could have done it myself, living several states away.
They removed several rooms of old furniture, electronics, and mattresses, along with various garage junk in an afternoon. It took two trucks.
If I remember right, it cost about $800. I thought it was worth the money considering the circumstances.

 

Here in Houston Texas you put it on the curb and it will be gone. People drive around right before trash day and pickup pretty much everything. It’s free. Anything the pickers don’t get the trash man will.

I don’t know if that is an option in your area.

 

Have you checked with your garbage service? Ours now does free junk pick up 3x yr. You just call & schedule the pick up date.

 

used GOT-JUNK while under time constraints to clear some space in a house,
it most likely IS much more expensive than any semi-DIY options : like ordering a dumpster to the front of your house,
but the service was excellent, they gave a quote up front, and charged us under that (we were being nice w. water, & later tips for each worker)
IIRC it was by volume, not weight, and around $500 for half a truck they packed like a jenga stack.
In an out in about 2 hours, including a bunch of heavy old furniture and giant old projection TV that alone prob was worth half that.

Recommended in a pinch if you want it done fast without having to sweat.

Still have more to clean out in same house, my buddy with a truck is going to help us do it the other way.

 

I have used JUNKLUGGERS twice and I found it worth it. This was about 3 years ago. But, I live in Manhattan, in a 4th floor walk up apartment, don't own a car, etc. and they carted all of my items -- which was a LOT -- out down 3 flights of steps and another few steps to the sidewalk and were gone in a less than a half hour. I also got a donation receipt for wherever they sent the items and a lot of what I donated was in good condition but it was a lot. I think I was able to use the amount I paid for the service as a deduction on my taxes as well, so that helped.

I have many more things to donate now, but unfortunately (bad spending) and fortunately (for the ultimate recipient) a lot of things are BRAND NEW, literally with price tags still on them, so I'm just organizing, preparing donation sheets -- I may even consign some higher end items -- and will be ready for when certain charities reopen. As 90% of my items are women's clothing I'm focused on some smaller and locally-based charitable organizations that are focused on helping women get back on their feet and in the job market. There will be even more of a need for clothing items given the crisis we are in. There's even a place in NYC that will accept UNOPENED cosmetics so I'll be donating some cosmetics as well.

More recently I learned that a lot of what Americans give to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. ends up in dumpsters half way around the word or floods West African markets and is resold there, having a big negative impact on local textile markets there. This apparently has been going on for more than a decade. (Lot of PBS watching while WFH. ) So, at this point for me, the more local the better where I KNOW things are being used by people here who need it.

All that being said, if you truly have what you think is a lot of "junk", and I have had that so I hear you, I have had positive experiences with the service.

Edited: I had said I used 800-Junkluggers but I checked my email receipts and the company is called "Junk Luggers". Great customer service. 1-800-Lug-JUNK.

 

OP, I edited my post. I have used 1-800-LUG-JUNK aka "JunkLuggers", not the service you mentioned. I thought it was the same company but it is not though it's basically the same kind of service.

 

I have been following this thread hoping someone from NYC would chime in! I keep putting this off, but I need to get all my old furniture out of here. It is overwhelming because first I need it all gone, then I need to replace the carpeting and get new furniture.

 

I've used them a couple times in NYC. Once to get rid of the extra furniture in my apartment when I moved in with my ex, the other to clear out my storage unit once I moved. They're expensive (it came to about $600 each time), but not unreasonably so, and they're definitely efficient and friendly. They were also able to empty my storage unit without my being there; I had to have a friend let them in, but otherwise they were great. I'm not 100% sure whether or not they donate things or just trash them, but I think for furniture, at least, they do some level of recycling/donation.

As an aside, I donated stuff to HousingWorks whenever possible. I don't think they take furniture (I think the Met Opera used to, though I have no idea what the current situation is), but they're very much focused on NYC local issues.

EDIT: That $600 was first for a pretty significant quantity of furniture (desk, TV, stand, bedframe, and such), and the second $600 was for a nearly-full storage unit. There might be better deals out there, but I definitely found it worthwhile, especially because it meant I could just have someone take care of it without a hassle.

 

They took some old furniture for me as well, not super big pieces but they really do take EVERYTHING!