How it works
Three steps from your first message to a finished sale.
- Any make, any condition
- Firm price in writing on WhatsApp
- No admin fees
Step 1: send your reg on WhatsApp
Open WhatsApp and send us your registration number and the postcode where the car is. Add a line on condition: does it start, does it drive, does it have an MOT, is anything missing or damaged? A couple of photos of the outside and the dashboard help.
If you would rather fill in a form, the quote form asks for the same details in two short steps, then opens WhatsApp with them written out for you to send. Not on WhatsApp? Call us instead.
Step 2: get a firm price
We look up the vehicle from the registration, then price it on its weight, make and model, the condition you described, demand for its parts, how far it is from our routes and that week's metal prices, and reply with one figure. It is a price, not a range. Metal prices move, so we tell you how long the price stands when we send it. There is no obligation and nothing to pay if you decide not to sell.
The figure is for the car as described. If the driver finds that something material is different, a missing catalytic converter for example, they explain before loading and you can decline without any charge.
Step 3: collected and paid
Accept the price and we agree a collection date, which depends on where the car is; the areas we cover lists the towns with their own pages. The driver arrives with a recovery vehicle, so the car does not need to start or move on its own. They check the vehicle against your description, record your ID as scrap metal law requires, and take the V5C if you have it.
Payment is by bank transfer to an account in your name. Cash is never offered, because paying cash for scrap vehicles is illegal across Great Britain.
What to have ready
Photo ID: a driving licence or passport. Proof of address if your ID does not show it. Your V5C logbook if you have it; if not, something that links you to the car, such as an insurance certificate, a purchase receipt or a service or repair invoice in your name. The keys, if you still have them.
If the car is registered to a company, to someone who has died, or to someone you hold power of attorney for, have the document that shows you are entitled to sell it (for example a grant of probate or confirmation, or the power of attorney). Any outstanding finance must be settled before we can buy the car.
Before the driver arrives
Clear the car of everything that is yours: glovebox, boot, door pockets, under the seats and the spare wheel well. If it is an electric car, leave the charging cables that came with it. Take off parking permits and toll tags. If the car has a private registration you want to keep, apply to the DVLA before collection; once the car is scrapped, the number goes with it.
If the car is parked on a public road, it must be taxed, insured and have a valid MOT until it is collected. If it is not, keep it off the road and declare it SORN. Our guide on what to do before you scrap a car has the full checklist.
What happens after collection
Most of the cars we buy go to a licensed Authorised Treatment Facility. The facility depollutes each car, removing fuel, oil, coolant, the battery, tyres and airbags, and sets aside parts that can be reused. The shell is shredded and the metals separated for recycling. Dismantling, step by step explains each stage.
The facility notifies the DVLA and issues the Certificate of Destruction when the car is scrapped, and you keep the yellow V5C/3 slip as your own record. You must also tell the DVLA yourself, online with the 11-digit reference on your V5C, that you have sold the car to the motor trade; GOV.UK says you can be fined if you do not. A car broken for parts at the facility is still an end-of-life vehicle and still gets a certificate. Once the DVLA has been told, it refunds any full months of vehicle tax.
Ready when you are
Send your registration on WhatsApp and you will have a price to think about. No pressure and no repeated calls. If something here is unclear, the questions page probably covers it.
What decides the price we pay
We do not publish a price list because every car is different. These are the five things that move the number, so you know exactly what you are being paid for.
- Weight
Scrap value starts with the metal. A heavy estate or 4x4 carries more steel and aluminium than a small hatchback, so it is worth more as scrap.
- Make and model
Cars with sought-after engines, gearboxes or panels can be worth more than their weight, because those parts are reused rather than shredded.
- Condition and completeness
A complete car with its catalytic converter, battery and wheels prices higher than one that has been stripped. Non-runners are fine; missing parts change the figure.
- Distance and access
There is no collection charge. How far the car is from our routes, and whether it needs a winch or a smaller truck, are built into the price we quote, so the figure we agree is the figure you are paid.
- Metal prices that week
Scrap steel and catalytic converter metals move in price from week to week. That is why we tell you how long a price stands when we send it, and why we do not promise a figure months ahead.
Any car, any condition.
Accident damaged
Crumpled wings, a bent chassis, airbags gone. If repairing it makes no sense, we buy it as it stands. Tell us what happened and send photos so the price is right first time.
Non-runners
Dead engine, seized gearbox, a battery that has been flat for months. The car is collected on a recovery vehicle, so it does not need to start or move under its own power.
MOT failures
When the repair bill is more than the car is worth, sell it instead. You do not need an MOT to sell or scrap a car, and it leaves on a recovery vehicle, so it never has to be driven. Until then, a car without an MOT should be kept off the public road and declared SORN.
Vans and small fleets
Panel vans, pickups and light commercials up to 3.5 tonnes, from one retired work van to several fleet vehicles. Send the regs together and we price each one, with payment by bank transfer.
Insurance write-offs
Cat B, S and N write-offs that you own (insurers usually let you keep only a Cat S or N car), plus damaged cars that were never claimed on and so have no category. Tell us the category when you ask for a price, because it affects what the car is worth.
Questions people ask us
Can the collection time change on the day?
It can. Collections run on scheduled routes, so on the day the time may move because of traffic, weather or earlier collections on the route. We keep you informed on WhatsApp. If a change means nobody can be at the car to hand it over, tell us as soon as you can and we will sort out what happens next with you.
Can someone else hand the car over for me?
Yes, as long as we know before the collection. The person at the car needs their own photo ID and your written authority to hand it over, plus the V5C if you have it. Payment still goes by bank transfer to an account in your name as the seller, not to the person who meets the driver.
How is the collection date decided?
Collections run on scheduled routes from our base in Fort William, so the date depends on how far the car is. Scotland's central belt and north east are closer to us; Walsall, Crewe, Atherton and Lowestoft are roughly 300 to over 500 miles away and are grouped into less frequent runs. We agree the date with you when you accept the price.
Can I change my mind after accepting the price?
Yes. You can cancel free of charge at any time before the car is collected, by WhatsApp, by phone or by email. Accepting a price books a collection; it does not commit you to the sale. Once the car has been collected and paid for, though, the sale is final and the car cannot be returned.
What if the car is hard to get to?
Tell us when you ask for a price. Locked gates, a steep drive, soft ground or missing wheels all affect which recovery vehicle we send and what equipment the driver needs. Access is part of the price we quote, so there is no separate charge for it, but we need to know in advance so the collection works first time.
What if I leave something in the car?
Take out everything you want to keep before the driver arrives. Once the car has been loaded we are not responsible for anything left inside, and items left behind may be disposed of. Dashcams, child seats, phone chargers, sunglasses and papers in the glovebox are easy to forget, so check the boot and under the seats as well.
Ready to get rid of that car?
Send your reg on WhatsApp for a firm price, or call us. Free collection, paid by bank transfer.