A Short Guide to Selling Your Car for Scrap in Northern Ireland
1. How to Get The Best Price When Scrapping Your Car in NI?
Getting the best price is the foremost concern for most vehicle owners when it comes to scrapping, and rightly so. In order to make sure you are getting the best price, it is firstly important to know how much your car is actually worth in its current condition.
The price of its parts will likely be more influential than the overall value of the car, with copper, aluminium and steel prices affecting how much your car’s parts may be worth at the current time. Some car scrapping dealers will have an online calculational tool, so be sure to check this out before choosing where to scrap your car.
It is also important to remember that if you are based in England or Wales, it is illegal to scrap your car for cash, as per the terms of the Scrap Metal Dealers’ Act October 2013. So if any dealer offers cash for scrapping your car, steer well clear.
Also be sure to look out for dealers with an ATF licence, as these are the only scrap dealers able to legally deal with the potentially dangerous process of dismantling and physically scrapping a car. If a dealer does not have an ATF licence, they will also be unable to provide you with the paperwork legally necessary to scrap your car either, so this is essential to look out for when choosing a car scraping service.
2. What Paperwork do You Need to Take Care of Before You Sell Your Car in Northern Ireland?
Paperwork is important when scrapping your car.
You must never scrap a car that has any outstanding finance agreement – speak to your provider first if this is the case.
Next, you must inform the DVLA if you plan to scrap your car, otherwise you could remain liable for any road tax associated with the vehicle.
It may also be worth including a copy of your V5C document as well if you still have this, otherwise you will also need to let the DVLA know there is a planned sale of the car. The DVLA will want you to include the following information –
- Make and Model
- Sale Date
- Registration
- Name and Address of the Scrap Company and / or Insurance Company
The DVLA will be able to refund any road tax that hasn’t been used and your insurer may also be able to give you a rebate too, so always be sure to contact them as well.
At the point of sale with your scrap dealer, you will also need to provide your address and proof of personal identification. These will then be kept on file by the dealer for three years, inline with the current UK laws applicable to scrapping cars.
How to Save Some Extra Money When Scrapping Your Car
- Use All Your Fuel – with fuel prices at an all-time high, you don’t want to be scrapping a car with a tank full of petrol or diesel. Us that up if you can.
- Cancel the insurance – again once you have agreed to sell your car for scrap its important to cancel the insurance asap. If you have paid for the year in advance, you may even get some of the insurance premium back.
- Cancel your road tax – again if you have paid your road tax upfront at the beginning of the year, you may be due a refund.
- Check for valuables – maybe a necklace or a ring has slipped between or underneath the seats. Its important to check your car carefully to make sure that you have removed anything that has value for you or your family.
For the best prices on car salvage in Northern Ireland and the border counties, phone Fast Car Salvage today on 02837240312.
3. What Are The Main Benefits of Selling Your Car for Scrap?
Selling your car for scrap is a great way to offload a vehicle that is no longer roadworthy or one that is simply too expensive to fix.
Although there is some paperwork involved, once you have found the right dealer and agreed a price you are happy with, the remainder of the process is relatively simple. It is also a great way to recycle and reuse parts of a car that would otherwise have remained off the road.
4. What Are The Disadvantages of Scrapping Your Car?
When it comes to selling your car for scrap, there are not many disadvantages. However, it is essential to make sure you are following all legal guidelines and submitting all proper paperwork in order to avoid falling foul of any unscrupulous scrap dealers.
As mentioned above, only ever use car scrap dealers with an ATF licence, as these dealers will be the only ones able to provide the correct paperwork the DVLA requires, also known as the Certificate of Destruction, or CoD form.
5. Is it Better to Sell Parts From Your Car or To Sell The Whole Car?
This can be a tricky question, as sometimes car parts can be individually worth more than the car as a whole. However, dismantling your car yourself is not for those who lack auto expertise. It is also worth remembering that many reputable scrap dealers won’t actually accept car parts, preferring to complete the scrapping process from start to finish themselves.
With this in mind, you may end up embarking on a lengthy dismantling process, only to discover that actually you now can’t sell the parts at all. Unless you are a professional mechanic or are fully confident in the dismantling and reselling parts for the scrap process, it is best to scrap your car as a whole rather than start tinkering with taking it apart yourself.
6. What Are the Risks of Selling Your Car for Scrap?
When it comes to selling your car for scrap, the biggest risk is getting involved with a scrap dealer who is not fully licensed and who will not be able to provide you with the correct and necessary paperwork.
Unscrupulous scrap dealers know what they are doing when it comes to fooling potential customers, so you really need to do your homework first before settling on which scrap dealer you want to choose. For example, some scrap dealers may claim to provide a CoD form.
However, unless the form is specifically called a Certificate of Destruction,, it will not be valid. Any other form, such as a Certificate of Collection or a Destructive Certificate will not be valid or legal.
There is always a risk as well that you may not get the price you want when selling your car for scrap. The prices of commodities fluctuate beyond our control, so it may not always be possible to make the sort of profit you are really after.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that scrapping your car is still the best value option if it is no longer roadworthy or parts are not worth the expense to fix it. Don’t forget, you may also still be entitled to the refunding of unused road tax and insurance too, which may help to bridge the pricing gap.
7. Top 5 Helpful Tips Before You Sell Your Car to a Car Salvage Service?
Hopefully the above has given you a good indication as to what to expect when scrapping your car. As a summary, here are the top 5 helpful tips to keep in mind before you sell your car to a car salvage service:
1. Paperwork
Making sure you know the paperwork required will give you a big advantage when it comes to selecting your car scrap dealer or car salvage service. Once you know what forms you will be expected to submit and which bodies you will need to inform about the scrapping of a vehicle, it will become much easier to spot any dealer that is unable to provide the necessary forms required.
2. Research
As with any sale, doing your research is essential when it comes to choosing a reputable car scrapping dealer. Don’t be afraid to call a few different companies before selecting where you wish to scrap your car. Be prepared to take along a form of ID and confirmation of your address when it comes time to scrap your car too.
3. Price
Knowing how much money you can get for your scrapped car before you decide on your dealer is also key. Try using the online tools available on the dealer’s website, as well as keeping an eye on commodity prices to gain greater insight as to how much your scrapped car may or may not be worth. Remember that however tempting, you must never scrap your car for cash if you live in England or in Wales, as this is illegal.
4. Informing
Informing the DVLA is a must when it is time to scrap your car, so make sure you are aware of the information the DVLA will require in order to ensure that there are no problems once your car has been scrapped. Don’t forget to also let your vehicle insurer know too and keep an eye out for any rebates that may be owed to you as a result of scrapping your car.
5. Dismantling
Although it may seem more logical to break your car into as many saleable parts as possible, keep in mind that many car salvage services will not accept cars that have been dismantled independently. Unless you are an auto professional and really know what you are doing, as well as where you will be able to sell your car’s parts, leave dismantling your vehicle to the car scrapping dealer you have chosen instead.
Scrapping and recycling your car has plenty of benefits, so as long as you have done your homework, you should be able to offload your unwanted vehicle simply and safely, whilst still walking away with some extra cash in your pocket too.
Helpful Local Links
1. Ni Direct – end of life disposal
2. Gov.uk – insurance write offs,
For the best prices on car salvage in Northern Ireland and the border counties, phone Fast Car Salvage today on 02837240312.