Scrap my car in Atherton

Atherton is a former mining and cotton town in the Wigan borough of Greater Manchester, between Leigh, Tyldesley and Westhoughton. The A577 and the A579 Atherleigh Way run through it, the A580 East Lancashire Road passes a couple of miles to the south and the M61 lies a few miles north, so a flatbed can get to Hindsford, Howe Bridge and Hag Fold without much trouble. Tell us whether the car is at the kerb on a terraced street, on a drive, or in a garage court or shared car park, so we send the right truck. Greater Manchester has no charging Clean Air Zone, so selling a car here usually comes down to an MOT failure, accident damage or a car that has simply sat outside for too long. If yours has been standing for months, say so: flat tyres and seized brakes do not stop it being loaded.

Motor Salvage Group buys end-of-life cars and vans in Atherton and the surrounding area. Tell us the registration, whether the car starts and whether you have the V5C, and we come back with a firm price. There is no collection charge and no admin fee: the figure we quote already allows for the journey, and the figure we agree is what you are paid.

Where in Atherton we collect

Our drivers cover Hindsford, Howe Bridge, Hag Fold, Tyldesley, Leigh, Westhoughton, Astley and Walkden, across the M46, M29, WN7, BL5 and M28 postcode areas. If your postcode is not listed, send it with the reg anyway and we will confirm on WhatsApp whether we can collect.

How collection works in Atherton

We are based in Fort William, about 300 miles north of Atherton, and have no depot in Greater Manchester. Atherton collections are grouped with other north-west and Cheshire collections, including Crewe, into scheduled runs, so we agree a realistic date when you accept the price. The driver checks the car against your description, sees your photo ID, takes the V5C if you have it and loads it. You are paid by bank transfer, and the licensed ATF issues the Certificate of Destruction and notifies the DVLA once the car is scrapped.

Before your scrap car is collected

Have three things to hand: photo ID, the V5C logbook if you have it, and any keys you have, spares included. The driver compares the car with the description you gave us and checks your ID before anything is loaded. Clear the car of personal items, remembering the glovebox, door pockets, boot and the well under the boot floor. If there is a private number plate you want to keep, apply to the DVLA to take it off before collection day, because the registration is lost once the car is scrapped; our guide to the days before scrapping walks through that step. Finally, tell us about anything that affects loading in Atherton, such as a flat tyre, a locked steering wheel or a car parked tight against a wall.

Why two scrap cars get different prices

When we price a scrap car we start with its kerb weight and that week's metal prices, which set the base rate. Then we check whether it is complete, since a missing catalytic converter or a set of wheels already sold takes value off, whether the engine or gearbox is still wanted as parts, and how far away the car is and how easily it can be loaded, which count in the figure rather than as a separate charge. Mileage rarely comes into it for a car priced as scrap. If yours has one fault and plenty of parts worth saving, ask about a broken car price instead. List anything already removed when you send the reg, and we turn all of that into one firm figure and say how long it stands.

After the car has gone: the DVLA and your certificate

The piece of paper that matters is the Certificate of Destruction. The licensed treatment facility issues it when your car is scrapped, not us, and it shows the vehicle was destroyed legally; the facility also informs the DVLA. Selling to us counts as a sale to the motor trade, so report the sale to the DVLA yourself as well. GOV.UK says you can be fined if you do not, and until the DVLA knows, you are still recorded as the keeper. You can cancel the insurance once the car has been collected, as there is no need to wait for the certificate. Keep the certificate with your records, alongside the date the car left Atherton, in case a letter about it ever arrives.

Read our full guide to scrapping a car, see what happens after you send the reg, or get your price now.