No matter what condition your car is in, you’ll usually be able to get money for scrapping it. We’ve been in the scrap car recycling industry since 2005 and know everything there is to know about selling a scrap car.
In this guide, we share our expertise to help you get the best price, and service, when you scrap your car.
Scrap car buyers all have different reasons for purchasing your car, so offer different prices. No doubt you’re familiar with using a comparison site to ensure you’re getting the best deal for something like insurance and you can do the same when scrapping a car.
Contacting local scrap car dealers to compare prices can be frustrating and time-consuming. At CarTakeBack, we ensure the comparison process is as quick and easy as possible. We have over 300 branches, including national and local scrap car buyers, which compete to offer you the best price for your car. You can get an instant quote with us and relax knowing you’ve received the top price available, without the hassle, or wasting any of your valuable time.
The scrap value of cars varies depending on the age, condition, mileage and many other factors, so there’s no ‘one price fits all’. Scrap metals are bought and sold across the world and the value of these metals fluctuates depending on supply and demand. As your car is around 75 percent scrap metal, this obviously has a huge influence on the value of your car that is ready to scrap.
There are some things you can do to make sure you get the maximum value. Having any available documentation for the car can increase the price. One key document is the registration document (V5C) and having this can make things easier. If you don’t have a V5C there’s a cost to get a new one and that cost may be taken off the value of your car. Some buyers won’t even accept a car without one.
Don’t leave it too long to scrap your car. Some owners are reluctant to sell their scrap car right away for various reasons. They might have plans to restore the car one day when they have more time and money. Perhaps the car’s got a few miles left in it despite its unreliability, so it’s stored as a backup car.
Whatever the reason for holding onto your unused car, waiting too long to scrap it will only devalue your old car. One of the main reasons for this is that the most valuable parts of a car are the components that depreciate the fastest. Over time, these parts can rust or break, which means they’re no longer reusable and the whole car is worth far less to the scrap buyer. We would always advise to sell your car as soon as you decide it’s ready to recycle.
A bonus of using our service is that CarTakeBack quotes are valid for seven days, so your price won’t drop during this time, even if scrap metal prices do.
To get the maximum value for your scrap car, the key piece of advice we can give is don’t remove any parts. Car parts can be valuable, and you’ll get the best price for your scrap vehicle when it’s not missing any key components. If you’re looking to sell your car for parts, prices can be impacted hugely if the engine missing, or the catalytic converter is an after-market one.
When your car contains reusable parts such as tyres, engines, water pumps, alternators etc. these items can be removed, repaired if necessary and re-sold, increasing the price a buyer is willing to pay. Some car buyers won’t even collect cars with missing parts.
To prepare your car for scrap, make sure you clear out any personal belongings – these are hard to get back once your car is at the scrap yard, and impossible if it’s already been crushed at the point you realise something is missing!
Use an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) to scrap your car. This means the company is licensed to recycle scrap cars by the Environment Agencies. If your car is beyond repair and scrapped, only an ATF can issue you with a Certificate of Destruction, which is a document that proves your car is no longer your responsibility and has been recycled. All CarTakeBack branches throughout the UK are ATFs.
Make sure you get your tax refund. If you have any complete months of road tax left on the car you want to scrap, you can get a refund for those months. So don’t miss out on getting a refund for your road tax. Your refund will be automatically triggered when you are issued with a Certificate of Destruction, or you notify the DVLA using the V5C registration certificate. If you don’t receive a refund within 6 weeks, contact the DVLA.
Don’t get caught out with hidden fees, or choose a company that isn’t offering you a convenient service. Getting your car to a scrap car recycling centre can be a hassle, costing you time and money. Plus, it’s not legal to drive your car if it doesn’t have a valid MOT, is SORN, or has no insurance. If you choose CarTakeBack you can arrange a collection time that suits you, and there’s no charge for it.
When you sell your car as scrap in England, Wales or Scotland you’ll be paid by electronic transfer or cheque and you’ll need to show ID. The restrictions on paying cash for scrap cars was brought in to reduce metal theft. (You may still be paid using cash in Northern Ireland and this is legal.)
In all areas of the country you can still be paid in cash for used cars – the restriction is only applicable to cars that will be scrapped.
Most CarTakeBack branches prefer the speed and security of paying by electronic transfer, so you’ll have cash in the bank for your scrap car promptly.
Choose a reputable company that offers all of the above to make scrapping your car easy. Beware of less reputable companies that may appear to offer a great price but could have hidden fees and not provide a legal service.
For a free, no-obligation quote to scrap your car, simply enter your reg and postcode and the best price will show instantly
