A common car scrap tactic that has been used by dodgy garages on innocent customers looking to have their vehicles repaired is where they have told their customer that their car would cost more to repair than the car is actually worth. The garage owners will then offer to scrap the car free of charge. The garage will then undertake the repairs themselves and sell the car for a profit to someone else.
This tactic is not actually illegal as the garage may have put in many hours to repair the vehicle. But it can certainly lead to disgruntled customers who see their cars for sale after assuming their vehicles were beyond repair. An honest garage would tell you that this was their intention when they offered to purchase the car from you (not to "scrap" it free of charge) - they would certainly offer to pay you more money than the actual scrap value of the car. As it could well cost you more money to repair the vehicle than it is actually worth if a mechanic at the garage was undertaking the repair work in his own time then they could see it as worth fixing and selling on for a small profit. If in any doubt as to what you are told by a garage seek a second opinion from your local independent garage such as ACC UK Ltd - Independent Volvo and Toyota Service, Repair & MOT Specialists of Farnborough, Hampshire.
Selling a Car for Scrap Metal
In the past, most owners would have trouble receiving any money if their vehicles were not repairable. But now it may be possible to receive around £50 scrap value, even for a car that is a complete wreck. There is always the option to store the car and sell off working parts in order to make some cash - but obviously weigh up the pro's and cons of this option with regards to storage costs and the time element of selling bits and pieces of the car. Buyers who are approached with too good to be true cash offers for their ‘beyond repair’ cars should be wary - the offer is too good to be true and there are usually bad intentions behind the offer. You do not want to find yourself liable if the car is then used illegally.
Use an Authorised Treatment Facility
Authorised treatment facilities are safe and legal facilities for the scrapping of vehicles. These facilities comply with the standards laid out in the End of Life Vehicle (ELV) regulations. Authorised treatment facilities will issue Certificates of Destruction, which means that the vehicle will then be de-registered through the DVLA. A full list of authorised treatment facilities can be found at the Environment Agency government website. You can ask your local independent garage who they use to take their scrap to. Illegal use of a vehicle that was intended for scrap is common in the UK. Many of these vehicles end up being driven on UK roads putting other drivers at harm because the driver is uninsured. Do your research and only use an authorised scap merchant and make sure you leave with the correct paperwork! Stay safe and happy motoring!
