Car scrappers in Aberdeen

If you are weighing up several car scrappers at once, put the same checks to each and compare the answers side by side, not just the headline figures. A legitimate buyer answers without hesitating and will put the answers in writing if you ask. The checklist below covers what to ask and which answers should make you walk away.

The price comes to you in writing on WhatsApp, together with how long it stands, because metal prices move. Keep that message. Accept the price while it stands and it becomes the agreed figure, the one you are paid. Once agreed, the only thing that can change it is the car turning out different from the description you gave us.

Aberdeen is the furthest Scottish city we cover, about 160 miles from our Fort William base. Jobs in the city and nearby Aberdeenshire are grouped into scheduled runs, so the wait is longer than in the central belt. We agree the collection date when you accept the price, and the car can stay where it is until then. Postcodes, districts and how collection runs in Aberdeen are on our local collection notes.

Checks to make before you choose a scrapper in Aberdeen

A scrapper worth using will put its answers in a message before collection. Payment should be traceable, because notes for a scrap car break the law everywhere in Great Britain and leave no trail. The car should go to an Authorised Treatment Facility permitted by SEPA or the Environment Agency, which issues the Certificate of Destruction when it scraps the car. The buyer should hold a council metal dealer's licence and will ask for photo ID, since dealers must record who they buy from. The price should change only if the car differs from your description. The red flags are the reverse: pressure to decide on the doorstep, paperwork waved away as unimportant, and a claim of DVLA approval, which no scrap buyer has.

Why quotes from car scrappers differ

A fair scrap price is built from a handful of things, and a buyer should be able to name them. The car's weight and the current metal prices set the base. Anything missing lowers it, especially the catalytic converter, which contains precious metals. Parts still in demand, such as a sound gearbox on a common model, can raise it. The journey to Aberdeen and the access at your address are part of the figure too, so a quote with no collection charge has already allowed for them. If a scrapper cannot explain their number in those terms, it is hard to know whether it will survive the visit. If an accident rather than age ended the car's life, a salvage price may count the surviving parts.

Handover day: paperwork, ID and payment

Have three things to hand: photo ID, the V5C logbook if you still have it, and details of a bank account in your name. Clear the car of belongings, including the boot, door pockets and any parking permit. If the car has a private plate you want to keep, apply to the DVLA to retain it before collection, because a number cannot be taken off a car once it has been scrapped. Tell us about missing keys, flat tyres or a tight parking spot so the right recovery vehicle is sent. The driver checks the car against what you told us and records your details. If it matches, the agreed price stands and is paid by bank transfer. The Certificate of Destruction follows from the treatment facility when the car is scrapped.

Read our full guide to choosing a car scrapper, see the three steps from reg to payment, or send us the reg.