What does Free Geek accept? 

We take almost everything electronic with a very short list of items we cannot accept: major household appliances, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, vacuums, microwave ovens, smoke detectors, fluorescent light bulbs, alkaline batteries, copiers, and bottled liquids. We are also not able to recycle large amounts of plastic (like VCR tapes and floppy disks). Please see other recyclers that take items we do not. Oregon Metro’s website is a great resource for finding a recycler.

Can you back up the data from a computer I am donating? 

Free Geek Tech Support's data backup is temporarily suspended due to limited capacity during COVID-19. Please check back with us at a later date.

When are Free Geeks' tech drop off hours?

Public Drop offs are available during limited hours, in the parking lot on the northeast side of the building at 1731 SE 10th Ave. We have collection bins set outside the warehouse entrance when we are open. Please be prepared to unload your own vehicle and form a line if needed. For the safety of our community, we ask that you wear a face covering and maintain a 6-foot distance from staff and other donors at all times. Staff will be available just inside (or at the open warehouse door). Please bring your hardware donation during one of the following dates/times: Wednesday - Saturday only, 11:00-1:00 and 3:00-5:00

Can I get a receipt?

Receipts will be available by request in person, or online at receipt.freegeek.org. 

Is my data safe?

Data security is our top concern when receiving donations and we will thoroughly wipe or physically destroy any hard drives we receive.

I can't go to the Free Geek building, how else can I donate my tech?

- You can send your donation in the mail, to Free Geek Attn: Hardware Donation, 1731 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214.

- We can Pick up your equipment (limited availability, fees apply)

Currently this works best if you can arrange for your items to be brought outside and, for larger volumes, secured onto pallets. For more details, please see our pickups page.

Or, we can wait this out together, and be there for you in the future!

Is your business interested in donating your not-in-use technology to our nonprofit?

Please fill out the form at this page to find out more about how your business can help our mission!

How can I change my monthly donation?

If you've already set up a monthly donation to Free Geek and you want to change your email address, billing information, monthly donation amount, or anything else, use the link below to cancel your current monthly donation.

Once your current monthly donation is canceled, you can create a new one with your desired changes.

Click here to cancel your monthly donation.

Do you need tech support on a computer received through a Free Geek program?

Currently we're offering tech support via phone and email, and computers may be checked in for servicing by appointment only. To reach our Tech Support team, email support@freegeek.org or call 503-232-9350 (option 6) and leave a message.

Do you need tech support on an item or computer not from Free Geek?

Unfortunately, we are currently only offering support for computers received through our Free Geek programs.

Do you have a location in my city?

If you're not in Portland, Oregon, we recommend looking at the AFTRR Map Locator or using the E-Stewards Find a Recycler tool to find your local e-cycler.  

What can I buy in the store?

The Free Geek Store sells computers, monitors, printers, networking equipment, stereos, and other A/V equipment. We also stock a variety of computer parts!

How much are your laptops?

Laptop prices vary on their capabilities and features, including size, battery life, memory and speed. 

Do you have (insert product here) in stock?

The stock in the store varies on our donation stream, so we can’t guarantee that we have any certain item. All items being sold, however, are updated frequently on our shop page.

Do you take returns?

See our return policy on The Free Geek Store page.

Does the store do trades?

Sorry, we don’t perform any trades of equipment or hardware.

Do you need an individual free computer for a student?

Please check our Plug Into Portland page to see if your student qualifies for our free computer disbursement.

How soon will you hear back after you submit your application?

You can expect an eligibility decision from a staff member within one month.

Can you share information about this program with your school/class/group?

Of course! Email education@freegeek.org to get flyers in the languages you need. Thanks!

Can my organization have a computer?

Yes! Please read through our Hardware Grants (Organizational and Community) to determine if we can appropriately serve your organization's needs. You can see full details and the application here.

How soon will you hear about your application?

You can expect an eligibility decision from a staff member within one month.

Can I get a computer through Gift A Geekbox?

Unfortunately, The Gift a Geek Box Program is currently closed due to lack of capacity.

Is Free Geek currently accepting volunteers?

In order to keep our community safe during this Pandemic we have temporarily closed Free Geek to the public. This closure includes our volunteer program, one of the backbones of our organization. Volunteers are what help make Free Geek who we are and because of that we are creating new ways to continue to partner with those in our community! A new volunteer program is being created to be done digitally and while there isn’t a start date to share, filling out this form will help make sure you’re included when volunteering reopens. Thank you for understanding. We are committed to helping those in our community who need digital access, and we are working hard to help people get computers as the world overwhelmingly goes digital. Let us know if you have other questions or concerns!

Is the Free Geek building open?

In order to prevent and slow Coronavirus transmission - and in order to keep our community safe - Free Geek has temporarily closed the warehouse, the thrift store, and volunteering to the public until further notice. Tech support is operating via phone call and email only -- please email support@freegeek.org to get in touch with them or call 503-232-9350 (extension 6) to leave a message. Online Sales is open. If you would like to schedule a no-contact donation of technology, please email dropoffs@freegeek.org or call 503-232-9350 (extension 124). While we aren’t accepting volunteers in-person, we are in the process of reframing how we can continue to partner with volunteers digitally. Because this is being built from the ground up we don’t have an exact start date for when we will be bringing volunteers back into our work. If you are interested in future volunteer opportunities please fill out this form so we can contact you once our new program is in place. Thank you for understanding. We are committed to helping those in our community who need digital access, and we are working hard to help people get computers as the world overwhelmingly goes digital. Let us know if you have other questions or concerns!