Junkyards Archives • Cash Auto Salvage

Junking 101: “When Is It Time To Look For Junk Yards Near Me?”

March 5, 2018 by Cash Auto Salvage

When you live in a country where 88% of people own a car, you’re probably used to driving. Your car has given you a lot of good times, but now the bad outweighs the good.

Getting rid of a car doesn’t have to be difficult, and if you do it the right way you could earn money out of it.

If you’re putting the phrase junk yards near me into Google, you’re probably close to getting a new car. But how can you know for sure?

Junking a car can earn you money, but you need to make sure that you’re making the right choice first.

How can you know when your car is done? What will you do with your old car once you have a new one? Do you know all of your options?

We’re here to answer your most pressing car questions. After you read this post, you’ll know everything you need to know about getting rid of your car in a way that can benefit you.

Signs Your Car Needs To Be Replaced

Before you start looking for junk yards near me, let’s make sure your car is truly unable to be repaired.

You should also talk to a mechanic before you decide to junk your car. But if you notice any of these things, you should start Googling junk yards near me.

Repair Costs Exceed Car Value

This is the biggest and clearest sign that it’s time for you to junk your car.

We’ve all heard that cars lose their value as soon as they’re driven off of the lot. It’s normal for your car to lose a bit of value as the years go on, but sometimes it can go so low that it’s not worth keeping it.

Costly repairs aren’t worth it if they exceed the overall value of your car.

If you get a high estimate from your mechanic, take some time to research the value of your car. Ask their opinion on how much it’s worth, and also check out Kelley Blue Book to see the going rate for yourself.

Once you have an idea of what your car is worth in its current state, it can be easier to determine if going through repairs will be worth it.

You Have Safety Concerns

There’s nothing more stressful than having to drive a car that you don’t think is safe.

Safety has come a long way since cars were first invented. You may have seatbelts that work, but that doesn’t mean that your car is safe.

Do you know if your car is up to current factory standards? Have you done your best to stay up to date with recalls and repairs?

Can you say with certainty that all of your safety features are working? Are your driver and passenger side airbags work functioning?

If you have any kind of safety concerns, you should search for junk yards near me. A car that isn’t safe isn’t worth the money it could cost you.

Repair Needs Are Serious

A window that doesn’t roll down properly, a radio that no longer works, or an A/C that only blows out hot air can call for a trip to the mechanic. They’re annoying problems, but overall they’re small.

You can’t say the same for an engine that needs to be completely replaced or a transmission that needs to be overhauled.

This can play into cost issues as well. Big repairs are going to cost more, and at some point, it may not be worth the money.

Big repairs can be a big sign that there’s a more serious problem with your car. Going through with an extensive repair may not do more than delay the inevitable.

This month you’re paying for a new catalytic converter, then next month it’s the transmission. In three months you could have a car that can’t run that you’ve already sunk a lot of time and money into.

You Can’t Find a Buyer

You’ve posted the listening for your car nearly everywhere you can find. You’ve met with scores of “interested” buyers that end up walking away. The price has been lowered more times than you can count.

One of the surest signs that you should be searching for junk yards near me is the lack of a buyer.

If your car is in bad enough condition that you can’t find a single interested buyer, it’s time to give up on trying to sell it.

A car that can’t find a buyer is a car that belongs in a junk yard.

You Keep Repairing the Same Thing

It can be hard to keep track of every single auto repair you do, but when you take time to dive into your repair history you can learn a lot.

Think about how many repairs you’ve had to do on your current car. Then think about how many repairs seemed to be related to old problems.

Maybe you’ve found that your transmission seems to experience a major breakdown every 18 months. You could find that you’ve replaced nearly every moving part in your engine.

Repairs that keep occurring may not be a sign that you have a bad mechanic. Your car may simply be failing, and the multiple repairs to the same area are a big sign.

Picking the Right Junk Yards Near Me

Junking your car can solve the problem of getting rid of your old car, earn you money, and can even help the environment.

Searching for the phrase junk yards near me will pull up a lot of results, you need to make sure that you’re picking the right one.

When you find yourself searching for junk yards near me online, make sure whichever yard you pick meets the following criteria.

Ask About Payment Policies

When you’re searching for the phrase junk yards near me, you may want to add payment policies to the end of the search phrase.

Every junk yard has their own policies when it comes to paying people for their cars. Some yards will pay people as soon as they have the car in their lots, others will want to wait until they have time to inspect the vehicle.

Regardless of what their policies are, make sure that you’re familiar with them before you agree to anything.

Too many people have made the mistake of expecting a quick payday, then they learn that it can take weeks or months to get their check.

Ask About Fees

When you’re asking about payment policies, there’s no harm in asking about what kind of fees you’ll have to pay for their services.

It would be nice if you can drop off your car then get a check as soon as you leave. Plenty of places will charge people extra fees for certain things, you just have to make sure that you’re okay with paying for what they ask for.

It isn’t unusual to request a fee for towing your car, but before you agree to it you should ask how they price tows. Some may charge per mile right off the bat, others may only start to charge if you’re a certain amount of miles away from the yard.

Ask About Legal Paperwork

When people are searching for the phrase junk yards near me, it may not occur to them that giving their car to a junk yard will require some paperwork.

Your car may be a junker, but you still have to transfer the title to the junk yard. You also have to handle the registration.

Transferring over the title and registration makes the car legally the property of the junk yard. This may seem like a small thing, but not doing it can have serious and big consequences.

If you don’t transfer everything over to the junk yard, they could technically charge you for “storing your vehicle”. Not having the title and registration transferred over also makes you liable for anything that happens to the vehicle.

The junk yard by me you decided to sell your car to may leave it somewhere unaccounted for and your car could rack up parking tickets and other fines.

If you don’t pick a reputable junk yard, they may decide to fix up your car and re-sell it to someone for cheap.

That may seem harmless on the surface, but let’s say that the new driver gets into a bad accident. If paperwork wasn’t properly handled, the police could be looking for you because in the eyes of the law the car involved in the accident is yours.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming the junk yard owners will handle everything. Be sure to be 100% clear on how you’ll handle legal paperwork.

Ask Multiple Yards

When you’re searching for junk yards near me, you shouldn’t go with the first one you find or even the closest ones.

Remember, you’re not just doing this to get rid of your old car. You also want to make money, and you want to be sure that you’re getting the best deal possible.

Talk to different junk yards and get estimates from them. Keep a long list so you can compare and contrast as needed.

Don’t just ask them about the overall price of the car, don’t neglect the costly parts inside of it. If they’re in good condition, some of the parts in your car can be worth several hundred dollars by themselves.

Some places may give you a good deal on the entire car, but you could find that you can get a better price selling the parts to one yard and the body to another.

What To Do Before the Junk Yard

After doing countless searches for junk yards near me, you’ve finally found one that you want to use.

You may feel ready to drop your vehicle off, but you shouldn’t rush into it. Before you part ways with your car at the junk yard, make sure you do these crucial things.

Collect Your Personal Belongings

This may seem like an obvious step after you’ve been searching for junk yards near me, but you’d be surprised at how many things are left in the average car.

Cars can double as second homes for people. The more time you spend in it, the more of yourself and your possessions you can find in it.

Be sure to check every nook and cranny in your car. Flip your floormats, look under sun visors, and dig in the seat cushions. You never know what important things can wedge themselves into small spaces.

Remove any paperwork in your car, this includes old insurance cards, vehicle registrations, and other sensitive information. You may want to shred any documents that have identifying information.

Overall, you shouldn’t leave anything in your car. Valuables are a given, but your car should be as clean as possible before you drop it off. Afterall, you wouldn’t want junk yard employees to spend time cleaning up after you!

You don’t need to spend time cleaning the interior, but removing your things can make things easier for you and the junk yard crew.

Don’t forget about your license plates when you get to the junk yard. You don’t want any of your old important identifying information to get into the wrong hands.

Double Check Paperwork

We previously mentioned the importance of discussing legal paperwork with the junk yard of your choice.

Before you officially give them your car, it’s always a good idea to check in with the yard again. Make sure that they have the title and whatever other paperwork they may need, and that you have de-registration handled.

If they haven’t done something on their end, don’t be afraid to hold off on dropping off your car until issues are resolved. It’s better to deal with minor issues now than to discover them weeks or months later.

Know Your Next Move

When people search for junk yards near me, they’re usually focused on the goal of getting rid of their car. They don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what they’ll do when it’s gone.

If the money you earn from junking your car is supposed to go towards your new car, start looking for vehicles in your budget.

Seek out different forms of transportation if you’ll have to wait a bit before you buy your next car.

Moving Forward

When you search for junk yards near me, you’ll be fully prepared to find one that will give you the best deal.

If you want to make sure that you get your money’s worth, check our blog post on how to get the most value out of your junk car. We’ll share our insider knowledge to help you get the best deal on your car possible!

When you’re ready to get rid of your junk car, be sure to contact us. We have locations around the country, so look up the one closest to you today.

Beware: Don’t Fall For These Auto Junk Yard Scams

July 21, 2018August 31, 2017 by Cash Auto Salvage

We all want a good deal.

But knowing what your car is worth can be difficult. And it’s made more difficult by unscrupulous dealers who might exploit your ignorance.

We’ve put together some of the top auto junk yard scams you need to avoid when selling your car. Read on to find out what they are.

How Widespread Are Scams?

Junk yards and used car dealers don’t always have the best reputation.

However, most auto junk yards are legitimate businesses who will give you honest information and a fair valuation. Sadly, there are a significant number of businesses who won’t.

We can’t know for sure how many junk yards use unscrupulous tactics. But reports suggest that there are over 1 million used cars that have been title washed. This means a vehicle designated for scrap was ‘washed’ of its scrap brand and resold.

So there are dealers out there who are getting rich by skipping morality and the law. Now let’s take a look at how they do it.

Vague Units

How many pounds in a ton?

If you answered 2000 pounds, then you’re ready to be swindled. When selling your car for scrap, it’ll often be valued on the tonnage. But there are two kinds of tons.

The net ton is equivalent to 2000 pounds. But the long or metric ton is equivalent to 2,240 pounds. Dishonest junk yards won’t go out of their way to tell you which units they’re using. Instead, they’ll pay out in long tons and you’ll miss out on cash.

Stay vigilant and check what units they’re quoting you. If it looks like they’ve been trying to scam you, it might be time to find a new auto junk yard.

Tow Troubles

Is the tow charge included in your cost?

Shady dealers won’t tell you, and if you don’t ask then you could be in for a surprise. A disreputable auto junk yard will add the tow cost on to the fee they’ve already quoted you.

You might only find this out when they come to take the vehicle away. This tactic is often paired with highballing their offer. This way, they come to collect and not only demand money for towing, but also a higher figure for the car as well.

In some cases, you can even be charged twice for the towing. One charge will be included in the car’s cost, and one at the point of towing the car away.

You need to ask questions about this in advance. Upfront junk yards will tell you, but if you don’t ask then you only have yourself to blame.

False Incentives

If your auto junk yard is trying to sweeten the pot with non-cash incentives, watch out.

These dealers will offer you below the going rate for your car. But they’ll try to offer incentives like coupons to make up the difference. This might look good at first glance, but these coupons aren’t equivalent in value.

Often the coupons they issue will be very restrictive. They might be holiday coupons for very limited times of the year. Or discount vouchers that can only be redeemed in very specific circumstances.

It’s rare that these incentives will ever equal the amount of cash you’re losing from them. Don’t trade your car in for anything less than the cash it’s worth.

Putting on the Pressure

If your auto junk yard is putting a lot of pressure on you to sell, it might be time to reconsider.

A good buyer will give you time to think about their offer and will answer any questions you have. If you’re being pressured into making a decision, it’s so you don’t have time to think over the details of the offer.

Not only is this poor customer service, but it’s a classic con man trick. People make poor decisions under pressure, so it’s the best way to get you to sell your car for less than its market value.

This is most likely to occur if you’re already at the auto junk yard. Perhaps you were given an offer over the phone. Now they’re trying to push you into handing over your car and accepting whatever figure they’ve offered.

Always keep in mind that you’re absolutely entitled to walk away at any point. The more pressure involved, the less likely you are to be getting a good deal.

Payment Method

Make sure you know how you’re getting paid.

Generally, cash is the safest way to get the worth of your car. Checks could bounce, and other forms of payment might never appear in the first place. Don’t expect to see the money if you’re not being paid at the point of handing your car over.

Signing over the title of your car means you no longer own it. If you don’t receive the money by this point, you won’t be able to do much about it.

If you are accepting payment by some other method, be sure you’re with a reputable dealer. Dealers with a strong reputation are rarely going to try anything so obvious.

Never accept any kind of installment plan for your payment! Your car should be sold for a single lump sum. You have no way to police installments yourself, so you can’t take action if the buyer refuses to pay up.

Be wary if you’re told your money will be held in escrow. Escrow services should be third-parties that exist to protect a transaction. But there are fake escrows that only exist to cheat people. You’ll discover the money has vanished when you come to claim it.

Operating Without a Licence

If an auto junk yard is operating without a license, walk away.

A license isn’t always a guarantee that you’re dealing with a trustworthy business. But the lack of a license is a definite red flag. If the business is legitimate, then why wouldn’t it have a license?

Don’t be afraid to ask for your auto junk yard’s license. This should be perfectly normal for them. A genuine merchant will be happy to provide the information to put your mind at ease.

Moving the Goalposts

Bad dealers know how to think on the fly.

One of their sneakiest tricks is to play ‘shell games’. This involves deliberately confusing you as a way to get around the decisions you’ve made.

For example, let’s say you’re selling your car as a trade-in. They’ll make sure to offer you the price you want. But at the same time, they’ll also increase the cost of the car you’re purchasing.

Or this trick might get flipped. The dealer will lower the price on the car you want. As soon as you’re interested in the savings, he’ll lowball the trade-in cost of your car. Suddenly, the generosity has disappeared.

You’re still getting what you want in theory, but in practice, you’re being swindled. Again, take the time to understand the math of what you’re being told. You’ll often be pressured into making a poor decision if you let the trader blind you with numbers.

Revising the Offer

Used car dealers are very good at getting people to the yard.

Just like when it comes to selling cars, they’ll say anything to get you to turn up. Often this means quoting a high figure for the car you’re selling or trading in.

When you arrive, that figure will mysteriously change. They’ll say the car is in poor condition, or is a less popular variation on the model.

This is especially useful to out of the way auto junk yards. They know the more effort you’ve taken to get there, the less you’ll want to walk away empty-handed. They also rely on your desperation to get rid of a car you no longer want.

Try to keep your patience. Don’t sell just because you’re already there. Take your car to a more reputable auto junk yard and leave the dishonest dealer out of a profit.

Doing You a Favor

Have you been told your car isn’t worth anything, but they’ll take it anyway?

If so, you’ve been conned. The vast majority of cars will have value as scrap metal, if nothing else. But most will have more value than that.

After all, the dealer wouldn’t touch it if it wasn’t worth anything to them. If your chosen auto junk yard tries to feed you this line, find another one. It’s a sure sign of a dishonest buyer.

Buyers will often try to undervalue your car. This tactic has two purposes. First, it makes you feel like you’ve got a good deal when you negotiate your way up. But really you’re only getting what the car’s worth – if you’re lucky.

Secondly, the dealer can use this to work out how much of a sucker you are! If you accept their valuation without question, they know they can exploit you.

No Demand

It’s in the interest of the buyer to convince you that your car isn’t worth anything.

Many buyers will say they just don’t have a demand for the model you’re selling. Then they can get away with quoting you under the going rate for your vehicle.

The best way to combat this approach is by doing your research in advance. Is your car popular in your area? Does it often get used for spares? Many shady dealers rely on their victim’s lack of knowledge, so they’ll quickly back down when you tell them the facts.

But even if you get them to budge, you should shop elsewhere. If they’re prepared to try this trick, then they’ll probably try many others.

Too Expensive to Repair

Related to the above, auto shops will sometimes convince you that your car is too expensive to repair.

In this case, auto shops will offer to take your car off you for scrap, once again. But this time, they’ll just fix it up and sell it on for a profit. Not only are you down a car, but you might have the displeasure of seeing your car for sale at a later date.

This may also be a sign that the yard is in the business of washing titles. They want the car to be sold as scrap so they can sell on a serviceable vehicle elsewhere.

The Paperwork

If you’re selling your car, be sure to cancel your registration and remove the plates.

Don’t ask the auto junk yard to do this for you. Some dealers will fail to cancel the registration. That means anything that happens with the car will still be traced back to you.

Some dealers even have the nerve to charge previous owners for storing the car on their lot.

So What Can I Do?

You might be asking this after reading a list of ways you can be scammed!

Thankfully, the majority of junk yards are honest businesses. They’ll be upfront with you and treat you as a customer. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to find junk yards with good reputations. They should also have few complaints lodged with the Better Business Bureau.

But you should also stay informed. Even with an honest business, you could get unlucky and deal with an unscrupulous member of staff.

The best way to avoid scams is to research. Know what your car is worth and stick to that figure. If you’ve been told your car is repairable, don’t accept an offer to scrap it.

You should always be as honest as you can with a dealer to avoid surprises. Even an honest yard may have to revise the price if you haven’t told them everything.

Finally, make sure to cancel your registration and remove your plates before selling your car on. You don’t want to be liable for anything that happens after you’ve sold it.

Be Smart at The Auto Junk Yard

There are more cons than those listed here. But if you keep the above in mind and stay informed, you should be able to avoid the worst the industry can offer. Seek out a reputable dealer and get the full value on your car.

Be sure to follow our blog for more tips on selling your car to an auto junk yard, or contact us for a free quote.

Are Junkyards Open on Sundays? Find Out Now

November 20, 2017March 23, 2014 by Marc Skirvin

If you need the services of a junkyard, the first thing you should consider is whether or not they’re open. Many junkyards aren’t open on Sunday, meaning you’ll have to wait. But at Cash Auto Salvage, this isn’t always the case. Read on to learn more about Sundays at Cash Auto Salvage and how we go the extra mile to keep you happy.

Sunday Junkyard Operations

Because Cash Auto Salvage oversees junkyards in hundreds of cities all across the US, each junkyard has different demands to meet. That means some of them are open on Sunday and others aren’t.

However, we appreciate how important your reasons may be for visiting a salvage lot. As such, we’ll always do our best to help you scrap your car on a Sunday.

If the junkyard near you can’t pick up your vehicle on a Sunday, we will make a special effort to be there for you on Monday. But please give us a call and we’ll see what we can do.

Prior to Visiting

Fortunately, we can often handle a lot of your needs without having a nearby lot open. If you can give us a general description of your vehicle, we can provide you with a quote over the phone. Call 855-540-4649 for a free cash offer!

Picking Up Your Vehicle

If our quote is to your satisfaction, a representative from Cash Auto Salvage Lot will come pick up your vehicle at a time that is convenient for you and wherever you like. Our tow truck can haul away, cars, trucks, SUVs and vans, so whatever type of vehicle you have will not be an issue.

Pay

Then all we need from you is your keys if you still have them. Of course, we’ll provide you cash on the spot. Of course, we can provide you with a money order or check too. Whatever you prefer! That’s really all it takes to get paid for that vehicle you no longer need.

Makes and Models

As we mentioned, we’ll buy any type of vehicle out there. We’ll buy it in any condition too. This is why so many people prefer selling to us instead of selling to a dealer or someone else. We’re not picky! Plus, we pride ourselves on paying the most cash for junk cars.

No Keys? No Problem!

We understand that if it’s an especially old car or been no use to you for a while, you may not have the keys anymore. This isn’t a problem. All we need from you is a copy of your license or some other valid form of ID and a copy of the vehicle’s registration (whether current or expired). We don’t even need you to have the title.

So while we can’t always promise we’ll be open on Sunday, we’ll do everything we can to accommodate your needs. Call us to confirm and we’ll find a way to work something out.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]