When you sell junk cars to a junkyard, you want to get as much money from your vehicle as you can. You may be selling your vehicle because it was damaged in an auto accident or because it has reached the end of its life. There are a few steps you can follow to maximize the return that you get on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is popular and has before market or aftermarket parts, you might be able to sell these parts individually to a private entity to make more money. Or it may be better for you to sell your entire vehicle for scrap metal and parts.
The IRS may be your friend because some junked vehicles are eligible for a junkyard tax deduction. To get this tax deduction, you must prove that you sold your vehicle at a considerable loss. In this guide, we will show you how to sell a car to a junkyard.
Before we get started explaining how to sell junk cars for cash, you should make sure that you have the following:
- The original title for the automobile
- Phone numbers of local junkyards
- Your personal information, including your driver’s license
- The time to do research
- Willingness to negotiate
1. Find the Best Junkyard for Your Vehicle
The Internet is a great tool for finding junkyards. Simply searching the term “cash for junk cars near me” and you will see a number of salvage lots in the area as USJunkCars. Finding the right junkyard for you means considering a number of factors, including:
- Price
- Location
- Customer relations
- Business hours
- Special offers
Your most important consideration is how much money you can get in exchange for your junk vehicle. Scrap metal is sold based on price per ton. You can call the junkyards in your area and find the one that’s going to give you the highest rates. If you don’t have time to call them all, there are online tools that are designed to show a person how to sell a car to the junkyard. These can help you see what the national average for scrap metal is.
You want a junkyard that’s close to you. A junkyard that is miles away may offer you a better price, but you have the cost of driving down there or getting your vehicle towed to the junkyard. When you factor these costs in, you have to determine if an offer is still financially sound.
You do not want to get involved with a junkyard that treats you poorly over the phone. This is the most basic concept when learning how to sell a car to the junkyard. Once you take your vehicle to the junkyard, they will likely try to take advantage of you or low ball you. Once you have your vehicle at the junkyard, they know that they have you at their mercy. Trust your instincts and remember that first impressions, when considering how to sell a car to junkyard, say a lot.
Business hours are another factor you should consider. If the junkyard in your area is not open on weekends, but weekends are the only free time you have, you will need to work with another dealer.
From time to time, junkyards have special offers. They may have a percentage increase on their rate per ton of scrap metal, they may offer giveaways, or they may offer swag. If the special deals are good enough to sway you, go with your gut and get the most out of your used vehicle as you can.
2. Receive Offers Over the Phone
If a junkyard is sincerely interested in your vehicle, they will make an offer over the phone. An important factor in learning how to sell the car to the junkyard is avoiding business with junkyards that demand you bring your vehicle in for an estimate. These junkyards often charge for an estimate. This will add to your expense in selling your vehicle.
3. Prepare Your Vehicle for the Sale
Your vehicle is full of personal items. Go through your vehicle and remove all the things that you want to keep. Do not forget to check in the glove box, in the trunk, under the seats, and in any other storage area in your vehicle. Remember, once you figure out how to sell car to junkyard, everything that is inside of your vehicle belongs to the junkyard.
This includes removing any extras that you have added to your vehicle. Some people spend money on expensive floor mats, seat covers, or steering wheel protectors. These items can be reused in a new vehicle or sold separately.
If your vehicle runs, drive it until it is almost out of gas. If your vehicle does not run and the gas in your vehicle is relatively new, you can drain it using a siphon. Use this gasoline in a future vehicle.
Any guidelines on how to sell the car to junkyard will encourage you to drain gas from your automobile. Leaving gasoline in a vehicle you are going to junk is dangerous. Most junkyards will drain the gasoline and other fluids out of a vehicle before they sell them.
4. Work Out a Delivery System
If your vehicle drives, getting it to the junkyard is relatively simple. However, if your vehicle does not drive, you will need to arrange transportation with a towing company or some other means of transporting vehicles that is legal in your area. A number of reputable junkyards offer a free towing service.
5. Sell Your Vehicle
When you bring your vehicle to the junkyard, they will inspect the vehicle. If the vehicle is as you described, they should give you the price they quoted over the phone. If on inspection it becomes clear that there are issues with your vehicle that you either did not know about or forgot to disclose, you may need to renegotiate a different price with the junkyard.
Once the price has been agreed upon, you will sign over the title and receive payment by business check or cash. Once this part of the transaction is complete, you no longer own the vehicle. One week after the sale it is recommended that you contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to make sure that the title has been transferred.
After learning the process of how to sell a car to junkyard, the junkyard should not delay in transferring the title. As long as the vehicle is in your name, you could be responsible for any mishap associated with the vehicle. As soon as you know that the title has been transferred, cancel all insurance policies connected to the vehicle. There’s no reason for you to keep paying an insurance company for a vehicle that you no longer own.
Selling a junk vehicle to a junkyard is a great way to make extra cash. You can use this cash to purchase a new vehicle or use it toward another expense you have. Following these steps on how to sell a car to a junkyard should help improve the experience you have when selling your junk cars for cash.
