Maybe you’ve done some major decluttering at home and you’ve just realized how long an old vehicle has been sitting in your driveway or garage. If you want to get rid of it immediately, you can consider selling it as a scrap car. Although you shouldn’t expect the price to be too high, there are still certain things you can do to negotiate the price offer depending on your haggling skills.
How To Negotiate Car Scrap Prices
Perhaps your best option in getting a good price for your scrap car is to find an auto wrecker or scrap yard that’s willing to negotiate prices with you. To make the most of your negotiation, here are some tips that you can follow:
1. Do Your Research
As with anything, it’s always recommended that you do your homework by conducting thorough research before taking your scrap car to the wrecker or yard. A good starting point is to find out what the current scrap car prices are. Take note that scrap prices are changing often, depending on several factors such as the changing prices of metal and steel.
As mentioned, scrap prices change all the time, usually weekly or monthly—or even multiple times a day. The reason for this is that scrap metal is still considered a commodity, which means that its price is expected to change every now and then. If you want to get the most out of your scrap car, monitor the prices closely as you negotiate with a reputable junkyard or buyer.
Now that you know of the tendency of scrap prices to fluctuate, it’s highly advisable to sell your car immediately once you’re able to negotiate the price that you want.
2. Get Multiple Quotes And Compare Scrap Prices
It’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes when you’re trying to sell anything. In this case, you can get the most out of your scrap car if you ask around and compare scrap prices from the different quotes you got. That way, you can easily weigh your options and go for the scrap yard that offers you the best price for your used vehicle.
The best way to do this is to ask multiple wreckers and scrap yards how much they’re willing to pay for your scrap car. If you can, you may opt to bring the car to some of the local wreckers in your area so they can take a better look at it. Doing this will also give you the chance to negotiate car scrap prices. To give you an idea, the best possible deal would be the highest offer after you’ve deducted the expenses of towing the car to the yard. However, on the off chance that a scrap yard offers to tow your vehicle for free, that would be the best possible deal, especially if you don’t have time to take care of towing services.
3. Sell The Car As Is
While some people prefer to sell their car for parts, it’s not always the best choice if you want to negotiate car scrap prices. Take note that the car parts are the most essential components of the vehicle and when it’s not missing any parts, the price could be significantly higher. There may also be instances where you’ll need to account for undamaged and recyclable parts of your vehicle such as air-conditioning compressors, batteries, alternators, tires, and engines.
You may also be able to negotiate for a higher price if the car has electronic components and high-tech devices like high-end sound systems and built-in GPS. The same goes for airbag components which are quite expensive and can possibly increase the scrap prices.
4. Prepare Your Used Car Prior To Inspection
You may think that since you’re only selling a scrap car, there’s no need to prepare it before the inspection. However, if you want to get the best deal for it, you should exert an effort to at least clean the car. Removing dirt and other unnecessary components can make the vehicle look more presentable and may help you negotiate a better price for it.
Also, cleaning your car may lead you to discover some valuable things that you didn’t know were stored there for a long time. Don’t be surprised if you find a few money bills stacked under the car seats or coins on the car floor.
Conclusion
Car scrap prices can still be reasonable enough if you know how to negotiate with potential buyers and auto wreckers. Check out the old car you’ve been storing for years now—it might be time to sell it before it’s too late.
Doing your research is imperative because it will give you an idea of the current scrap prices. Don’t stop at only one buyer or scrap yard. Instead, get multiple quotes so you’ll have several options to consider. Upon negotiation, don’t sign anything unless you already have the cash or check for the payment of your scrap car.
