Will you haggle on collection?

Unlike some other scrap car buying services, the scrap yards you’re connected with through Car.co.uk will never haggle over the price of your car. A huge number of customers come to us because their friends and family have had a great experience using our service. We strive for outstanding customer care – and we’ll always make sure the price you’re offered is the price you receive.

Why do you inspect the car if you’re not going to haggle?

We ask our collection partners to inspect the car upon collection to make sure it was accurately described when we issued a price. Rather than produce an average quote, we’ll make sure you receive the highest possible price for the specific car you’re selling – and there are a number of things that can change that price slightly, including the engine size, trim level, fuel type, and any parts that may be missing. 

The inspection simply makes sure no errors have occurred relating to the make, model, or condition of the car.

What happens if the car isn’t as described?

We appreciate that not everyone’s a car fanatic – so we don’t expect you to be able to quote us the exact specification of your car! Our innovative way of working means we only require your car’s registration number to get the exact make, model, and year of manufacture.

Despite this, we do understand that mistakes sometimes occur – but don’t worry, if the car doesn’t match the description that our scrap partner based their quote on, they’ll simply provide another quote based on more accurate details. This way, you never have to worry about haggling – as you’ll always receive the best possible quote for your exact car.

Will I be offered a different ‘cash’ price?

Each of the scrap yards we work with meet strict government authorised treatment facility (ATF) standards – and a big part of this accreditation relies on them following the Scrap Metal Dealers Act (2013). This law dictates that payment for scrap (including scrap cars) can only be made by cheque or electronic transfer. As such, you’ll never be offered a different price based on a cash payment.

Some road-side traders and unauthorised scrap collectors will occasionally offer to buy your old or damaged car for cash – but, doing so is very risky and may be against the law. If you sell your scrap car for cash in this way, the trader you deal with won’t be able to provide the official paperwork you need – and this could result in you receiving fines or penalties for the car if the DVLA still consider you to be the legal owner; even for issues and offences that occur after the car is sold.

Other related FAQs

Looking for more related content to this? We’ve picked a selection of related topics that you may find helpful

Someone else can scrap your car for you but they must take it to an authorised treatment facility (ATF) and hand over all appropriate paperwork for it to be done legally.

When a car is no longer roadworthy, it still has some value. An Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) will pay you the scrap value of your car, which could be well over a hundred pounds, depending on the model.

End of Life Vehicle (ELV) is the term used to describe a car that is no longer suitable for use – either through wear and tear or damage. ELVs must be recycled at authorised treatment facilities.

Don’t worry – our scrap partners aren’t concerned about the condition of your car. Whether your vehicle is roadworthy – or badly damaged and in need of disposal; we’ll help you maximise the price you receive.

Yes, our network of dismantlers can scrap vehicles that are registered in other countries. You’ll need to inform the governing body in the country that the car is from; usually by sending them the completed registration document.

Yes, you can. Before your car is collected, you’ll need to ‘retain’ your registration with the DVLA; either online or through the post. Your registration will then be held on a retention certificate, ready to transfer to another car.

It’s illegal to sell a car with outstanding finance, so before you scrap a car you need to have paid off the outstanding finance amount. Technically, a car with outstanding finance is the lender’s property, not yours.

No problem. A Certificate of Destruction (COD) can be issued to you when your car is scrapped, but you need to make us aware of this prior to collection.

If you’re entitled to any unused road tax when you scrap your car, you should get in touch with the DVLA to reclaim it. Since tax discs were phased out, this can no longer be done at a post office – so you’ll need to contact the DVLA directly, either on the phone, by post, or using their website.

When a car is no longer roadworthy and needs to be scrapped, there’s probably a scrap dealer near you who will collect the car and pay you money for this. It’s easy to find a nearby scrapyard.