Scrap my car in Livingston

Livingston is a new town in West Lothian, designated in 1962, sitting between junctions 3 and 3A of the M8 and the A71, between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Wherever the car is in the town, tell us whether it sits on a driveway, in a garage court, in a shared car park or on a narrow street, so we send the right truck. If the car or van is parked at work rather than at home, on the Deer Park, Kirkton, Houstoun or Brucefield estates, that is fine as long as someone on site, with their own photo ID and your written authority, can hand over any keys and the paperwork. Livingston has no Low Emission Zone of its own. Edinburgh's is about 15 miles east, so an older diesel below Euro 6 or a petrol car below Euro 4 can still be driven locally, but not into the capital's city centre without a penalty.

If your car has reached the point where repairs no longer make sense, we will buy it for scrap. A failed MOT, a seized engine, rust through the sills or years sitting on SORN are all fine. You give us the reg and a short description, we give you a firm price, and a recovery vehicle collects it free of charge.

Where in Livingston we collect

Our drivers cover Craigshill, Howden, Dedridge, Deans, Knightsridge, Murieston, Eliburn, Ladywell, Carmondean, Bellsquarry and Kirkton, across the EH54, EH53, EH52, EH47, EH48, EH49 and EH55 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 Livingston

Our base is in Fort William, roughly 130 miles away, and we have no site in West Lothian. Livingston is on the same scheduled runs as Edinburgh, Bathgate and Broxburn, and the date and time window are agreed 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, and you are paid by bank transfer to an account in your name.

Getting the car ready for collection

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 Livingston, 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.

How you know the car has been scrapped legally

Once the car leaves Livingston it goes to a licensed Authorised Treatment Facility. The facility removes fuel, oil, coolant, the battery and other hazardous parts, recovers anything reusable and sends the shell for recycling, and when the car is scrapped it issues the Certificate of Destruction and notifies the DVLA. Your own step is to tell the DVLA that you have sold the car to the motor trade; GOV.UK says you can be fined if you do not. Once the DVLA knows, the tax stops and any full months left are refunded automatically. Cancel your insurance after collection, and file the certificate somewhere safe.

Read our full guide to scrapping a car, see how the WhatsApp quote works, or get your price now.