A guide to scrapping your car If your car is no longer suitable or safe to drive then the simplest and easiest way to get rid of it is by scrapping it. Whether your car is written off or it’s costing you more money than it’s worth to keep repairing it, sites like Car.co.uk will give you an instant online quote and collect your vehicle hassle free.
Do I need to scrap my car?
The first thing to question when it comes to scrapping your car is whether it is really necessary or not. You should consider scrapping your car if: The car is not fit to be driven on the roads
- The car is not fit to be driven on the roads
- You cannot afford to run the car
- It has been damaged or written off in an accident
- The car is old and has no resale value
You cannot afford to run the car
It has been damaged or written off in an accident
The car is old and has no resale value
How do I scrap my car?
There are certain procedures you must take when it comes to scrapping your vehicle in order to follow the legal standards. Firstly, you must ensure than all of the fluids are drained from your car and the battery has been removed in order to comply with EU standards. This is to make sure that the process of scrapping the car is as environmentally friendly as possible.
When taking your car to be scrapped, be careful only to take it to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) which are the only companies legally approved by the DVLA to scrap vehicles. Another thing to be careful of is that you are not offered cash to scrap your vehicle. The government have made it illegal to give cash for a vehicle since the Scrap Metal Dealers Act and payment can only be made via cheque or bank transfer. This to ensure that there will always be a record of the sale and you are safe from any dodgy scrap dealers.
Contacting the DVLA
As with most transactions that involve a vehicle, the DVLA ned to be notified in order to comply with the rules. They need to be informed that you no longer own the vehicle so that you don’t have to pay road tax and are no longer held responsible for it. You will need to fill out the V5C document in your log book, or declare your car as SORN. If you fail to inform the DVLA of your vehicle being scrapped you could face an £80 fine and be prosecuted.
Once the car has been scrapped, you will receive a Certificate of Destruction by the scrappage company. This is usually given within seven days of handing the car over to be scrapped. Make sure you retain this document for the future in case your insurance company wish to use it as evidence that you no longer own the car.
Be wary when it comes to receiving your CoD from the scrap company. Some illegitimate companies will try and scam you by offering a ‘Destruction Certificate’ or ‘Certificate of Collection’. These are not legal documents issued by the DVLA and cannot be used as proof when it comes to evidence that you no longer need to pay car tax or insurance on the vehicle. It is essential that you visit an ATF in order to avoid scams such as these.
Now you’ve got all the information you need you can decide if it’s the right decision to scrap your car, or whether it’s got time left in it. Ensure that if you do scrap your car then you must comply have the right documents prepared for the DVLA and take your car to an
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