How To Scrap A Car For The Most Money?
Your beloved and the trusted car had its time in the sun, and you decided, or were forced, to think about scrapping it for cash. However, if you follow the correct steps to scrap your car for the most money, you will surely get more for the effort and never have to wonder if you would have gotten more.
If you do your homework and put in a little more effort, you can surely get the most money when scrapping your car, which in turn can be a great deposit on a new car or pay for a lovely vacation with the family.
Why Is It Important To Scrap A Car For The Most Money?
Scrapping a car can feel like a dreaded mission, and some wind up scrapping the car to the first interested party to get it over and done with.
It is vital to scrap your car for the most money possible to ensure you get the actual value of the parts to invest in a new vehicle. Unfortunately, some companies want to offer the least amount possible to make even more from the components, a scam you should look out for.
Read more: Best 30 Places On The Internet to buy a Used Car
Steps To Scrap Your Car For The Most Money
Everything is more accessible when you have steps to follow and know in what order to do it. Unfortunately, when it comes to scrapping a car, it can be confusing as to where to begin or what to do next. Here are a few steps you can implement to ensure you get the most money for scrapping your car.
Step #1: Prepare Your Car for Scrapping
You must prepare the car to ensure you get the most money for your vehicle. There is a process you need to follow before you scrap the car, and then there are steps to follow to get the car scrap ready.
Process Of Preparing Your Car For Scrapping
First, you must be sure you want to scrap your car. There is no downer like going through the motions and effort and not scrapping the car because you didn’t do thorough research.
Take the car for an inspection if you want expert advice on whether you should scrap it. Sometimes an old car only needs new registration forms and a few fixes to make it road worthy.
You must prove that the car is yours and not someone else’s. Some scrap yards would take cars without the papers, believe it or not. Still, if you use a reputable scrap yard that would pay you more, you have to show identification. So get the car’s title and registration papers ready for the scrap yard.
Ensure there are no outstanding amounts on the car, as this could be a severe eye-opener if you scrap the car and still owe money on it unless this is how you plan to settle the amount.
What To Do Before Scrapping A Car
After you have done the admin of scrapping a car and all the paperwork is in order, you have to do the following:
- Thoroughly go through your vehicle from front to back, inside out.
- Remove all rubbish and personal items like sunglasses and change.
- Decide whether you want to sell the car as is to the scrap yard or would you like to sell some of the gadgets additionally.
- Suppose you have car insurance; you need to find out if they have a cancellation period or penalty costs.
- Some would say it isn’t necessary to wash the car, but I would suggest to do it. A shiny car gives a better look and might persuade a scrap yard manager to offer more money.
Scrapping the car as it is will bump up the amount the scrap yard will give you. Still, some people have gotten more out of the deal by selling the audio system, tires, and rims separately. Bear in mind that if you do this, your scrap amount will be less, and the effort to sell the additional items will be more, with no guarantee that you will get more out of the entire scrap/sale of the car.
Step #2: Finding The Best Scrap Yard
Finding a decent, certified, reputable scrap yard is essential to get the most money for your vehicle. Unfortunately, many companies work under the radar, offer cash in abundance, and never deliver or don’t have the certification they require.
Steps to find the best scrap yard:
- Get a minimum of three quotes from reputable scrap companies to compare. Prices that seem too good to be accurate are usually a scam. Doing further investigation into the company will show you this.
- Ask for their CoD. This is the only way the certification is named. Should they call it any other way, like certification of collection, it is most likely not legit.
- Ask for reviews. Please read the reviews on different scrap yards to see the experience others had and what they have to say about each scrap yard.
- Inquire from car dealers. Car dealerships might know the best reliable scrap yard around town that gives you the most bang for your buck.
Once you have narrowed down your scrap yard list, you must consider different factors to make your final decision.
- Do they offer a pickup option, and what are the costs? – maybe you prefer them to pick up the vehicle from you. Which companies offer it, and what is the additional charge?
- How far is the scrap yard from you? – driving for two hours to get your car to a scrap yard doesn’t make sense unless you live in a small town and that is the closest scrap yard to you.
- What are they offering? – Sometimes, you might go for a lower offer, but the company’s proceedings fit you better, and the reviews are excellent.
Step #3: Negotiating For The Most Money
Accepting an offer without a little negotiating won’t get you the most money you can get for your car. Scrap yards sell off scrap metal and would like to get the most for their trade. Usually, they will offer low with room to increase it, should the owner be clued up enough to do so.
Suppose you develop compiled strategy steps to negotiate and sound confident in your gestures; you can win a scrap yard manager over. In that case, the scrap yard manager will recognize your knowledge and increase the offer to the maximum they can offer.
Step 1: Ensure you know the company’s background and something any other customer doesn’t know. Like how many years they are in the business and if they have won an award. It is something to let them know you have done your research and chose them for a reason.
Step 2: After praising the business, start to talk about your car, what a valuable asset it would be to them, and a better quote you got from another scrap yard.
Step 3: Ask if they will bump up the price if you add some of the additional assets you removed from the car, like the exhaust system or air-conditioner.
Step #4: Finalizing the Deal
The day has arrived when you bid your car goodbye. Finalizing the deal should be easy if you do your homework and have all the paperwork ready. To this point, all the work has been done, and you only need to submit the car to the yard.
- Double-check the car and ensure you took out everything.
- Be on time for the appointment to submit the car.
- Have copies of the documentation and the originals. This will be the title papers, the registration, the quote with the amount you agreed on, a deceased letter if you are scrapping someone else’s car you inherited, with the applicable documentation to state that.
- Remove your license plates – it can save money when registering them on another vehicle.
- If you will receive cash for your car, ensure you have a bag or secure wallet to receive the money.
You will receive a slip as proof that they received your car. Keep this slip as a reference if they pay your money into an account. This is the only proof you have that you delivered the car. The wire transfers are usually quick, and using a reputable company will take the stress out of the deal.
Read more: How to Negotiate a Salvage Car Price Like a Pro
Conclusion
Scrapping a car doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck. Ensure you get your vehicle ready and evaluated, find the best scrap yard with great reviews and legitimate certifications, and remember to negotiate for a better deal. Following the necessary steps will ensure you get the most money for your car.
