Purchase of Donated Items Policy

1. Introduction
1.1 Inclusive Bytes CIC accepts donated equipment and devices as part of its Donate-IT programme and general operations. Income generated through the sale of donated items directly funds the programme, covering parts, refurbishment costs, and enabling more devices to be distributed to beneficiaries.

1.2 Volunteers may purchase donated items subject to the rules in this policy. Sales to volunteers are one way the organisation generates that income.

1.3 The purpose of this policy is to ensure that any sale of donated items is fair, transparent, properly recorded, and in the interests of the organisation.

1.4 Donated devices are held in trust for community benefit. They are not commercial stock. This policy governs the limited and controlled circumstances in which donated items may be sold, and defines the boundaries of that activity.

2. Eligibility
2.1 Any active volunteer at Inclusive Bytes may apply to purchase a donated item, provided they have been volunteering with the organisation for at least four weeks.

2.2 Staff and Directors may also purchase items under this policy, but must not participate in setting the price for any item they intend to purchase.

2.3 No volunteer, staff member, or Director may purchase an item that has been designated for a specific beneficiary or programme use.

2.4 A volunteer who was involved in receiving or assessing a donated item may not purchase that same item.

3. Pricing
3.1 Where an item is listed by CEX (cex.co.uk), the purchase price will be the higher of: 50% of the current CEX trade-in (buy) price, or 33% of the lowest completed sold listing on eBay in the last 30 days for the same or equivalent item in comparable condition.

3.2 Where an item is not listed by CEX and is considered low value (below £10), the item may be sold by donation — the buyer pays what they consider fair — at the discretion of the volunteer coordinator or a Director.

3.3 Where an item is not listed by CEX and is considered high value (£10 or above), the price will be set by the Directors before any sale takes place. The buyer will be informed of the price before agreeing to purchase.

3.4 Directors reserve the right to withdraw any item from volunteer purchase at any time, including where a higher-value external sale, grant requirement, or direct redistribution to a beneficiary better serves the organisation’s objectives.

3.5 For high-value items, Directors have 7 days from the point an item is logged to decide whether it should be made available for volunteer purchase. No offer may be made to a volunteer during this period.

3.6 Volunteer purchases are subject to an overall monthly stock allocation limit. Combined with devices fulfilled via the Donate-IT Referral Programme, internal sales and priority allocations may not exceed 33% of devices processed and available for distribution in any calendar month. Directors will monitor this limit and may suspend volunteer purchase availability in any month where referral or community demand requires it.

4. Process
4.1 Items must be fully received, assessed, and logged before they can be considered for volunteer purchase. Volunteers may not express interest in or reserve an item before this process is complete.

4.2 A volunteer wishing to purchase a donated item must make their interest known to a Director or designated coordinator.

4.3 The relevant pricing rule from Section 3 will then be applied, and the price communicated to the volunteer.

4.4 Payment must be made before the item is taken. Payment methods accepted are the same as those used for other Inclusive Bytes income (e.g. cash into the Honestly Box with a record, bank transfer, or other agreed method).

4.5 No item may leave the premises until payment is confirmed and recorded.

5. Recording and Documentation
5.1 Every volunteer purchase must be recorded in writing, including:

Item description
Date of sale
Price paid
Name of the volunteer purchaser
Pricing basis used (CEX trade-in, eBay sold listing, donation, or Director-set price)
Screenshot or note of the CEX or eBay price at time of sale, where applicable
5.2 Records will be held by the Designated Finance Person and kept for seven years in line with the Inclusive Bytes Financial Policy.

5.3 Income from volunteer purchases will be recorded as organisational income.

6. Restrictions
6.1 Items purchased under this policy must not be resold. They may be kept for personal use or given as a gift. The organisation does not restrict who the item is ultimately used by, provided it is not being purchased with the intent to resell.

6.2 No volunteer may purchase more than two items per calendar month without Director approval.

6.3 Volunteers may not purchase items on behalf of another person where that person intends to resell them.

6.4 Items donated with specific conditions attached (e.g. “for young people only”) are not eligible for volunteer purchase.

6.5 This policy does not apply to consumables, printed materials, or items with no resale value.

6.6 Devices sold under this policy are sold as seen. Inclusive Bytes does not provide a warranty on donated items. Where a significant fault was not disclosed at the time of sale, the purchaser may raise this with a Director within 14 days of purchase.

6.7 This policy covers individual, governed transactions only. Inclusive Bytes does not operate as a bulk reseller of donated equipment. Any arrangement requiring systematic pricing and sale of donated stock to a third party — including organisations, businesses, or public bodies — falls outside the scope of this policy entirely, regardless of the stated purpose of the purchase. Such arrangements would require a formal Directors’ decision and assessment of trading activity implications.

6.8 Donated devices may not be sold to organisations, businesses, or public bodies. Devices received as donations are held for direct community benefit and are not available as organisational or commercial stock. Organisations wishing to support residents in accessing devices should do so via the Donate-IT referral programme, which provides a prioritised, supported allocation service. The referral fee covers service delivery, not the device itself.

7. Contact Details
The Designated Finance Person for Inclusive Bytes is Gordon Pearce.

Gordon Pearce
07397 556875
[email protected]

In the absence of the Designated Finance Person, urgent matters should be brought to the attention of one of the other Directors:

Caroline Ward
07736 283639
[email protected]

Andy Powell
07904 765331
[email protected]