If your car is really old, severely damaged, or can no longer run, consider selling it to a junkyard. Although it sounds like a simple process, it’s not as easy as you might think.
Here some key things to consider while thinking about selling your car to a junkyard.
What is a Junk Car?
There are two kinds of junk cars: total loss and end-of-life vehicles. Understanding the difference between the two will help you know the approximate value that you can derive from your junk car.
If your car has been involved in any kind of accident and it is severely damaged, the insurance company may decide to declare it a total loss. This means that the cost of repairing the car is more than the value of the car, and that the car should be referred to as totaled or as a salvage vehicle.
On the other hand, an end-of-life vehicle is one that cannot be repaired or safely driven on the road, and is said to be inoperable. An ELV car has suffered large-scale damage, so it has no monetary value. This typically applies to abandoned cars that have been stationery for a long time and are missing necessary parts.
Steps to Take to Sell Your Car to a Junkyard
Whether your car is totaled or it is an ELV, you can sell it to a junkyard and get some money. Its value will be based on the value of the usable parts and the value of the salvageable scrap.
Find the Value of Your car
If your car has a salvage title, you may have some valuable parts that can be sold for good prices. If you cannot take the car apart on your own, consider consulting a professional for help. The professional will also give you information about the value of the parts so that you are prepared in advance.
If there are little to no parts that can be sold, the car can still be sold as scrap. Scrap metal is usually valued by the ton, so you can find an approximate value based on the amount of scrap that your car can produce.
Contact Local Junkyards
This is the step where you will start comparing quotes, which is important because you obviously want to know how much money you can expect to get for your car. Save some time by avoiding expecting a certain price only to be disappointed.
Ask for Licenses
Once you settle on a junkyard, ask to see their licenses to confirm that they are legitimate. Make sure that the junkyard is operating by the industry laws. as this includes how they value each part and how they weigh and price scrap metal.
Look at Reviews
Conduct a quick Google search to help you get more information about the junkyards. If most of the reviews re negative, spare yourself the headache and stay away. You can check professional review sites and social media pages to find a good pool of reviews that will give you a clear picture.
If the junkyard has been around for a long time, but does not have an online presence, it is best to keep away. It’s possible that they’ve become less present because of past negative reviews.
Prepare Your Car
Once you are okay with the price that you’re being offered, get your car and the parts in order. This means ensuring that all the parts are as clean and intact as you described to the junkyard.
Remove personal belongings from the car and leave the car in the best possible condition.
Sell the Car
The final step is to sell the car to the junkyard. Make sure that you have all your paperwork in place before the junkyard comes to collect the car.
If the car needs to be towed, discuss that with the junkyard in advance. Find out if they provide a complimentary towing service, or if that will cost you extra money.
