How To Avoid Junkyard Scams

There are many ways to sell your car once it’s hit the end-of-the-road. Junkyards provide an easy and fast way to do that.

When you visit a yard, all you have to do is weigh your car then get paid. Then, you’ve got your junk automobile off your hands and you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

However, junkyards don’t have a great reputation. Many drivers would rather avoid these places because they are worried about being scammed.

Continue reading below to learn more about these junkyard scams and find out about an alternative to selling to a scrap yard.

Junkyards or scrap yards are businesses that sort and recycle objects that people no longer find useful. Some of these objects are so old and worn out that they are unrecognizable. Other items simply get tossed even if they are still in decent condition.

Certain junkyards accept all types of objects like appliances, furniture, pieces of demolished homes, and vehicles. Many junkyards specialize in certain items. This makes it easier to sort and recycle metals and other reusable components.

While scrap yards do recycle, they also resell parts that have been sold to them. For instance, you can find many usable car parts at junk yards that can be used in repairs for your vehicle. This way, you don’t have to pay for brand-new manufacturer pieces.

It’s also important to know that junkyards are legitimate businesses. This means that they have to follow laws and acquire permits and licenses. Otherwise, they will be subject to fines and fees and risk legal action or shut down.

Although junkyards are legal entities, sometimes they employ tactics that make them seem untrustworthy. These are some of the most common ways that unscrupulous junkyards scam innocent drivers.

1. Using Vague Units to Weigh Your Car

Most junkyards weigh vehicles using metric tons. This measurement differs from a net ton, which many drivers aren’t aware of. A net ton is equal to 2000 pounds while a metric ton is 2,240 pounds.
Yards that are trying to scam you won’t tell you what units they are using and you will wind up missing out on cash.

2. They Don’t Tell You Upfront if You Have to Pay for Towing

Some junkyards own tow trucks while others pay a towing company to pick up vehicles for them. In either case, they should be upfront about whether it is your financial responsibility to use this service or if it is complementary.
Dishonest scrap yards will tell you that they will pick up your car but will not inform you about the cost. Then, once you have sold your vehicle to them, they will hand you the bill. Towing can cost around $100 and if you sold your car for very little, you might barely break even if this happens to you.

3. Offering Non-Cash Incentives

You are selling your car to a junkyard in order to make some cash and these businesses know that. However, some will try to keep as much money in their hands as possible by offering you non-cash incentives.
These offers are usually in the form of coupons. While this might sound nice, these coupons are often not worth much or come with conditions that you can’t meet. So, if a junkyard tries to offer you something in place of cash for your vehicle, you are likely being scammed.

4. Changing Their Offer Dramatically

You can call many scrap yards to get an estimate for your car over the phone. If you hear a great offer, you are much more likely to take your car to that yard. However, some yards will slash their offer once they have your car there.
Some drivers simply accept this because of the effort it took to get the car to the yard. But if this happens to you, do not accept the offer. Junkyards are knowledgeable about different cars, weights, and prices so there is no genuine reason for them to bait and switch you unless they have shady intentions.

5. Delaying Payment

If a junkyard is not willing to pay you upfront and instead says that you will receive a check in the mail, you should not go through with the deal. An honest business will hold up their end of the bargain and pay you promptly for the vehicle you just sold them.
While these scams are not illegal, they make your experience unpleasant and you averse to visiting a junkyard again. But, remember that there are many honest junkyard operators who want to provide a good experience for their customers.

Now that you’re aware of some of the scams that certain junkyards employ, you might be second-guessing selling your car to one.

While your fears are valid, you must know that not all junkyards operate unprofessionally. Many will pay you promptly, answer all your questions, and won’t charge you for towing. However, you will need to stay alert and visit several yards to make sure that they own an honest business.

Selling to a reputable junkyard can make getting rid of your old car quick and easy: you can be done in one day and be on to getting a new car.

Finding a reputable junkyard that will pay you fairly for your vehicle might be tricky. You might even need to travel to a different city to find a business that will scrap your car. Fortunately, with CarJunkYardsNearMe, there’s no guesswork.

We purchase cars whether they are dilapidated, totaled, or just have a few dents. Also, we make it easy to get rid of your vehicle. Our entire process is online and we even take care of towing.

To begin, all we ask is that you fill out our online form with information about your car. Details that you can include are:

• The make, year, and model of your car.
• Mileage.
• Sustained damages.
• VIN.

Including pictures will be helpful as well. Using this information, our pricing calculator will analyze dozens of data points to give you a fair offer for your automobile. The best part is that it will take less than two minutes and you won’t have to leave your house!

What Are Common Junkyard Scams To Avoid?

Some untrustworthy junkyard operators use dishonest tactics to scam you. One common scam is the bait-and-switch. In this tactic, the junkyard gives you a good offer for your car initially but then slashes it picking up your car.

Another common scam is to offer you coupons or other options besides cash payment. By doing this, the junkyard tries to give you much less than your car is worth and you should not buy into it.

There are dozens of other scams that junkyards employ to fool you out of getting what you deserve for your car.

When Is A Junkyard Scamming You?

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if you are being scammed by a junkyard, especially if you have never been to one before. But there are some telltale signs that something isn’t quite right. For instance, if a junkyard doesn’t ask for your car’s title, you should not sell to them. Anytime you transfer car ownership, you must transfer the title.

Also, if the yard changed their estimate for your car drastically, you should be wary. Additionally, professional and honest junkyards must have licenses. If you ask to see their license and they refuse, there is likely something fishy going on. As a result, you might be at risk of getting scammed.

How Can You Avoid Scams When Selling Your Car?

When conducting a transaction, we hope that the other party is honest. Unfortunately, some buyers employ scams and tricks to avoid paying you fairly. Sometimes, it is impossible to tell if we are getting scammed, especially if things seem fine on the surface.
However, there are some general guidelines that you should follow to avoid scams when selling your car:

• Don’t accept checks or money orders.
• Don’t accept more money than was agreed on.
• Do not accept payment plans.
• Do not give out personal information such as a credit card number or your address.
• Document the whole process.
• Meet the buyer in public.