How to scrap your car the correct way

If your vehicle is old and the cost of fixing it up out weighs its worth, scrapping it maybe your only hope of getting rid of it as well as putting some cash in your pocket.

If you have a car that you feel maybe classic in years to come and essentially appreciating in value over the years, you would be a fool to scrap it. This however is very rare occasion and more often than not you will be saying goodbye to your old rusty friend.

Scrapyards also known as vehicle recycler are the solution to your problem. Most of the time the process of scrapping your car can be a painless one, with just a few steps to do to get the process moving.

It is however important to note that there are now laws in place to ensure vehicles are actually scrapped properly and recorded. Only Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) centres are legally allowed to dispose of scrapped cars. This is mainly because of the hazardous parts like batteries and oil. You should only take your car to a recycling centre with an ATF license. These centres are the only places that issue you a CoD also known as the Certificate of Destruction. If you scrap your car anywhere else it is a criminal offence.

Here are a few steps you can take to scrap your car:

1. Check online on how to scrap your car

You can find a whole bunch of information on how to scrap your car online, but which websites should you trust? There are websites like cartakeback.com and rewardingrecycling.co.uk which act is middle men similar to confused.com who can partnered with local recycling centres that will be in touch with you and can even do home collections. Your other option is to go directly to one of the partner companies such as wheretoscrapmycar.co.uk and make an enquiry for scrapping your vehicle.

2. Ensure you only scrap in the right place

Make sure you only use an authorised treatment facility so you are not breaking the law. They are the only facilities that can provide you with a CoD – Certificate of Destruction. This way you have an official record of your vehicle being scrapped. You don’t want to find out later that the vehicle has been used on the road and you are liable for any tickets and fines on the vehicles.

3. Notify the DVLA

You have to make sure you notify the DVLA of your vehicles scrappage, otherwise you will continue to receive road tax bills. You have to ensure you fill out the relevant paperwork to overcome this. Your V5C document will have a section that needs to be completed and then exchanged for the Certification of Destruction, which then needs to be sent to DVLA. You can then receive any tax refunds and insurer refunds left on the vehicle.

4. Do not accept cash for scrapping your car! It is Illegal

There is a law that came into existence on October 2013 called the Scrap Metal Dealers’ Act. This law states that it is against the law to accept cash for scrap cars in England and Wales. Therefore if you receive such offers, be sceptical and kindly decline. This law also states you need to show your ID and proof of address when visiting the scrap merchants. They will have to make a copy of it and keep a copy of it for 3 years.

5. How much you can expect to get

The price of scrap metal changes all the time therefore so do the prices the scrap yards are willing to offer for your car. If you want to get an idea of pricing you can get a quote using an online website such as cartakeback.com. Some will offer a slightly less price if you need the vehicle picked up.

Over all it is important to understand that you should be careful who you use for scrapping your car and if you are going to try sell some parts from the vehicle in order to try get the most cash out of the vehicle, you have to know that most scrap yards will not take half dismantled vehicles for scrapping