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For most people most of the time, upgrading cars involves taking the current one to the dealership to trade in or finding a private buyer online somewhere. For junk cars, these options may technically still be available to you, but likely won’t net you very much money.
Options For Junking Your Car For Cash
When you trade a car into a dealership, the dealership can then do one of two things with it. If it’s newer and in good condition, they can sell their car on their own used model lot. The majority of trade-ins, however, are sold at auction.
Because dealerships don’t make very much selling your car this way, they also won’t offer very much for it upfront. Even in the best-case situation, the offer you receive from a dealership on a trade-in will always be below fair market value. Depending on your car’s condition, you may also be responsible for arranging and paying to tow your car to the dealership.
Selling your car privately presents similar issues — it can be very easy if your car is in good condition, but becomes more complicated for damaged cars. For starters, if your car is in really bad shape, you may need to find buyers that are authorized to buy salvage titles. That can really limit your potential pool.
Even if your car isn’t a salvage title, it may end up being necessary to finance minor repairs to get your car sold. The cost of towing and title transfer will also be left to you to negotiate.
The best option to sell a car in poor condition is to sell it to a junkyard. A common misconception is to think of junkyards like landfills when they’re really quite different. While landfills simply store garbage, junkyards break down and recycle cars to keep trash out of the landfills.
When your car goes to a salvage yard, it undergoes a major transformation. First, all of the parts that still work are removed. Anything from your side mirror to your steering column may still be usable and one day bought by another driver.
Next, anything that can be melted down and recycled is stripped away and separated.
More and more auto manufacturers are turning to the auto recycling industry for resources to build new cars. Some of the new models you see on the road today are built from recycled aluminum — and are driving on roads built with recycled tires. Any remaining elements that aren’t reusable, usually only about 20 percent of the car, are compressed down and disposed of.
Selling Your Junk Car Safely
Now that you know how your car is still worth money, you’re probably wondering just how much it’s worth. Though getting an accurate prediction of your car’s value is a bit tougher than it was new (Kelley Blue Book isn’t reliable for cars in bad condition!), you can still get an estimate.
Look around car auction websites for cars of your make and model with similar damage to see how much they’re selling for. Keep in mind local values for junk cars and the recyclable materials sourced from them may vary!
All that’s left to do now is find and accept a quote. Before you go looking, it’s important to know how to identify a reputable salvage buyer. There are junkyards just about everywhere, and there may be several local to you.
It’s important to note that while most scrap yards are perfectly safe, they don’t all practice business the same way.
Do’s Of Selling Your Car
- Always get your quote by phone, and get a guarantee if possible to prevent a “bait and switch” when you arrive with the car.
- Only sell with proper title transfer.
- Make sure towing is included in your quote.
- Get paid before your car is on the tow hitch.
Don’ts Of Selling Your Car
- Work with businesses that offer to take your car without a title.
- Pay for towing yourself, or pay the tow driver directly.
- Bring your car in for an inspection for a quote.
- Accept deferred or alternative forms of payment.
Why CarJunkYardsNearMe Is Better
If you want to guarantee you’re working with a safe buyer and save the trouble of making all those phone calls, you can sell your car online with CarJunkYardsNearMe.com! CarJunkYardsNearMe specializes in damaged cars like yours, so you never have to worry you’re being short-changed just because your car is less than perfect.
Selling your car with CarJunkYardsNearMe is easy because we do all the hard work for you. Simply upload pictures of your car and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and you’ll have a guaranteed quote in just 90 seconds.
Our quotes are always good for seven days, but you can get paid even sooner. Once you’ve accepted your quote, schedule your free pickup at a time and date most convenient for you. We know you’re ready to move forward, which is why one of our professional drivers can be to you within just 24-48 hours.
Once your pickup time arrives, you’ll hand over your keys, sign over your title, and get your cash. Congratulations! Selling your damaged car is easy with CarJunkYardsNearMe.com.
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