Is your car broken down, badly damaged, or very old? If the resale of a second-hand vehicle is difficult due to its condition, there is still the possibility of scrapping it. What are the main advantages? How to sell a car for scrap metal or use a scrap car value calculator? What alternatives are available to you? We will tell you everything.
Why sell a car for scrap metal?
There are 2 main situations in which you may need to sell your car for scrap: if your car falls into the category of ‘non-rental’ vehicles or if you are looking for a profit in it.
In the first case, your car may no longer be able to drive for various reasons:
- The mechanical condition of the vehicle requires you to repair it too hard: the engine is broken, the head gasket of the cylinder block needs to be replaced, and the engine is generally damaged;
- Damage that cannot be eliminated;
- Depreciation of your car, which has become too old over the years, and a financial abyss;
- The vehicle is severely damaged due to an accident, fire, or natural disaster, making it unreliable;
- The car does not pass technical inspection.
Otherwise, you may have a chance at compensation. In some countries, it is possible to receive compensation for the purchase of a new or used car in exchange for scrapping your old vehicle. If you meet the criteria to get one, it might be interesting to part with your old car.
How to sell a car for scrap metal?
If you decide to scrap your vehicle, the procedure to follow is very clear. Here are the different steps:
- Contact a company like JunkCarsUS: Only approved companies are authorized to dispose of any used vehicle that is considered waste;
- You must have documents to provide: car registration document;
- Notify about the transfer of the vehicle to scrap metal: in most cases, the declaration can be registered directly by the company;
- Finally, don’t forget to tell your insurer about the condition of your vehicle to cancel your contract.
What are the advantages of this type of sale?
When your car is no longer roadworthy, there are only 2 reasons why you wouldn’t be better off getting rid of it. If you want to:
- Restore and use certain spare parts of the vehicle, for personal use only;
- Repair, transform, or rehabilitate your car, for purely personal use.
Besides these two situations, you have everyone interested in scrapping your car. On the one hand, because the process is fast and requires little administrative formalities.
What are the disadvantages of this type of sale?
The main disadvantage of selling your vehicle for scrap metal is financial. Indeed, if your car is still roadworthy, you may get a better deal if you sell it to another individual. And also an important point that has already been mentioned is the financial component. You will receive significantly less money for turning in a car for scrap metal than in any other case, since such a car is bought exactly as scrap metal for recycling. Also, you should ask yourself whether it is important for you to get more money or not.
What are the alternatives to scrap?
In the case of a vehicle in poor condition, there are unfortunately few alternatives to breakdown. If you are not keeping it for personal use, it is best to sell it to a specialist company.
Companies like JunkCarsUS buy back cars in almost any condition. The company can evaluate all types of vehicles itself. You will definitely stay within the legal framework and avoid the risk of legal proceedings related to selling to an individual.
Auto trade-in
Trading in a car over 10 years old is an effective way to remove the most polluting vehicles from US roads in favor of new cars, which is why auto manufacturers and local governments regularly encourage motorists to do so. Compensations and tax credits can be linked to this to encourage the disposal of old vehicles that are considered harmful to the environment.
You should also be aware that some dealers take back vehicles that are no longer in working order because they can use parts from these cheap cars. However, when the vehicle is too damaged, it should only be scrapped. Such disposal of vehicles that are no longer suitable for service is strictly controlled and carried out only by specialized companies.
Many car garages offer their customers a trade-in of their old vehicle. Dealers and garages offer an expert view of the automotive sector and can offer attractive prices to their customers by finding their account. They take care of repairing the old recovered vehicles (representing lower costs for them than for private individuals) before selling them second-hand and usually manage to make a profit.
Sale to a private person
It is not easy to sell an old car to an individual. Defects of the car due to its use (mileage), its maintenance, or general condition (pollution, parts up to standards or not…) can make it difficult to sell. After all, despite the delivery of technical control, performed maintenance, and invoices, you are not insured against a hidden defect.
The hardest thing to understand is that you take responsibility as a seller while being honest. Even if you carefully maintained your car and performed all actions according to the rules of art (technical control…), the risk exists. This phenomenon increases with the age of the vehicle. It is difficult to ensure that an old car is mechanically reliable.
In short, if you are the proud owner of a used vehicle in good or not-so-good condition, now is the right time to sell because car buyback companies will offer a very good price and good terms. If you are a buyer, you will have to be even more patient, there are good offers, but they are rarer, and it does not make a thin mouth on the color of the vehicle and interior decoration.