Terms and conditions

About these terms

These terms apply when you sell a vehicle to Motor Salvage Group ("we", "us"). By accepting a quote you agree to them. They are written for private sellers; if you sell as a business, the same terms apply unless we agree otherwise in writing.

Quotes

A quote is free and places you under no obligation. It is based on the registration, postcode and description you give us, including any photos, and on the things explained on our how it works page. Scrap metal prices move, so when we send a price we tell you how long it stands. If that time has passed, ask us to refresh the price before booking a collection.

The price on the day

We pay the quoted price when the vehicle matches the description on which the quote was based. We may revise the price at collection only if something material is different, for example:

• the catalytic converter, engine, gearbox, battery or wheels are missing or have been swapped;
• the vehicle has damage or corrosion that was not disclosed, or is a non-runner when described as running;
• it is a different vehicle from the registration quoted;
• you cannot show the identification or proof of ownership described below.

If we revise the price, the driver will explain why before the vehicle is loaded. You may decline the revised price, in which case the vehicle stays with you and there is no charge for the visit.

Ownership and your right to sell

By accepting a quote you confirm that:

• you are the registered keeper of the vehicle, or you are legally entitled to sell it (for example as executor, attorney or an authorised representative of the company that owns it) and can show the document that proves it;
• the vehicle is not on lease or contract hire, and there is no outstanding finance or hire purchase on it, or any such agreement has been settled in full before collection;
• the vehicle is not stolen, not subject to a police or insurer interest, and not the subject of any dispute;
• you have told us about anything you know that affects the vehicle's value or safety;
• you are at least 18 years old.

We may refuse to buy a vehicle if we are not satisfied on any of these points, and we may report suspected theft or fraud to the police.

Identification and records

The law requires a buyer of scrap vehicles to verify and record the seller's name and address. At collection, you or the adult you nominate must show photo identification (a driving licence or passport) and, where the ID does not show the seller's current address, proof of address. We record these details and keep them for the period set out in our privacy policy. If you hold the V5C, note its 11-digit document reference, then hand the main document to the driver. Do not hand over the yellow V5C/3 section: you use it, or that reference, to tell the DVLA of the sale, as set out in After the sale below.

Collection

Collection is free: there is no collection charge. Distance is one of the things that sets the price, so the figure we quote already allows for the journey, and the figure we agree is the figure you are paid, provided the vehicle is as described. Send your postcode with the registration and we confirm on WhatsApp whether it is within the areas we cover.

Collections run on scheduled routes from Fort William. We agree a date with you when you accept the price, and it depends on how far the vehicle is from us. On the day, the arrival time can move because of traffic, weather or earlier collections, and we will keep you informed.

You or a nominated adult with identification and your written authority must be present to hand over the vehicle, its keys and documents. The vehicle must be accessible to a recovery vehicle; tell us in advance about locked gates, steep drives, soft ground or missing wheels. If a collection fails because the vehicle is not available, not accessible or not as described, we may decline to rebook it. Risk in the vehicle passes to us when it is loaded; ownership passes to us when payment is sent.

Payment

We pay by bank transfer to an account in the seller's name, or in the name of the business selling the vehicle. We do not pay cash. Paying cash for scrap vehicles is illegal in Great Britain: under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 in England and Wales, and in Scotland under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 as amended by the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015, in force since 2016. The law requires a traceable payment, such as a bank transfer or a non-transferable cheque; we use bank transfer.

Payment is made only after the driver has checked the vehicle against your description and seen your identification. You are responsible for giving us the correct account details; we are not liable for delays caused by incorrect details or by your bank. There are no admin fees.

After the sale

A vehicle that is to be scrapped goes to a licensed Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF), which issues the Certificate of Destruction when it is scrapped and notifies the DVLA. A Category A or B write-off can never return to the road, so it always goes to an ATF. A vehicle broken for parts at an ATF is still an end-of-life vehicle, so it still gets a Certificate of Destruction when it is scrapped. You must also tell the DVLA that you have sold the vehicle to the motor trade: either online with the 11-digit reference on your V5C, keeping the yellow V5C/3 section with your records, or by filling in that yellow section and posting it to the DVLA. If you have no V5C, write to the DVLA with your name and address, the registration, make and model, the exact date of sale and our name and address. Any refund of vehicle tax is made by the DVLA directly to you. You are responsible for cancelling your insurance once the vehicle has been collected.

If a vehicle is to be sold on whole instead of being scrapped, we will tell you at the quote stage. In that case the DVLA is told of the change of keeper, and no Certificate of Destruction is issued.

Cancellation

You may cancel at any time before the vehicle is collected, free of charge, by WhatsApp on 07946 135229, by phone on 07979 603739 or by email to info@motorsalvagegroup.co.uk. We may cancel if the vehicle or the seller does not meet these terms. Once the vehicle has been collected and payment sent, the sale is final and the vehicle cannot be returned.

Items left in the vehicle and private plates

Please remove all personal belongings before collection. We are not responsible for items left in a vehicle after it has been loaded, and they may be disposed of. If the vehicle carries a private registration you wish to keep, you must take it off the vehicle through the DVLA, and have the V778 retention document and the new V5C, before collection; a registration cannot be recovered once the vehicle has been scrapped.

Our liability

We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking these terms or failing to use reasonable care. We are not responsible for losses that are not foreseeable, for business losses where you sell as a consumer, or for delays caused by events outside our control. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit. Your statutory rights as a consumer are not affected.

Complaints

If something has gone wrong, contact us with the vehicle registration and what happened: by email to info@motorsalvagegroup.co.uk, on WhatsApp at 07946 135229 or by phone on 07979 603739. We will acknowledge your complaint and try to put things right. If we cannot agree, you may take the matter to the courts described below.

Law and disputes

These terms are governed by the law of Scotland, and the Scottish courts have jurisdiction. If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and sell as a consumer, you may also rely on the consumer protection law of the country where you live and bring a claim in its courts.

Contact

Motor Salvage Group, Unit 1a, Mt Alexander, Camaghael Road, Fort William PH33 7NF. Phone 07979 603739, WhatsApp 07946 135229, email info@motorsalvagegroup.co.uk. How we handle your data is set out in our privacy policy, and these terms were last updated on the date shown at the top of this page.