How to scrap your car
Many cars on the road are destined for the scrapyard, whether that’s because they get too expensive to repair, or they’re too old to be worth re-selling.
If the time has come for you to think about getting rid of your old motor, Jamjar’s car scrapping guidance is here to help you get as much money as possible and to make sure you meet all the legal requirements.
More information
The law around scrapping
The UK government has introduced a few different laws over the years that have a direct bearing on how we scrap cars. The most important one is that, if you’re responsible for scrapping the car yourself (as opposed to your insurance company handling a write off), you have to make sure the car goes to an authorised treatment facility (ATF). This is because some of the substances released during the scrapping process, like battery acid and engine oil, are harmful to the environment and potentially hazardous.
Getting your car scrapped by a non-authorised company is a criminal offence. All of the buyers who will buy your car for scrap through Jamjar are fully authorised and will provide you with a Certificate of Destruction.
Another regulation you need to be aware of is that it’s illegal to accept cash in return for your vehicle. You can accept payment, but that payment must be carried out in another way. This law was introduced to ensure that transactions are traceable and above board.
Documents needed to scrap your car
The most important document to have in your possession if you’re thinking about scrapping your car is the V5C (also known as a logbook). The document will pass to the firm that’s scrapping your car, in exchange for your Certificate of Destruction.
Read more: What documents do I need to scrap my car?
Informing the DVLA
It’s essential that you inform the DVLA once you’ve scrapped your car. Failing to do so will result in you being required to continue paying road tax. Once you’ve informed them, you’ll also be refunded for any tax you’ve already paid for but no longer need.
Read more: Informing the DVLA when you’ve scrapped your car
Getting the best price for your scrap vehicle
Just because you won’t get as much money for scrapping a car as you would for selling it in better condition doesn’t mean you settle for the first price you see. The local scrapyard or the first place you land online won’t necessarily make you the best offer. Before making a decision, be sure to look at multiple different offers to work out what you can expect to receive for your car.
Jamjar makes this part of the job much easier than it could be. Enter your reg number into our scrap my car page and sit back as the quotes appear on your screen. We source the best offers we can find for your make and model from buyers around the country and present you with the full details of any quote so that you can decide which is best. Weigh up a number of factors, including the availability of collection and the location of the buyer, then simply click on the offer you’d like to take. It’s that easy.