Things to Know When Selling Your Car for Salvage
There are a lot of benefits to selling your old car to a salvage yard. A car scrapped for cash in Florida is worth something, so you’ll walk away with cash immediately. You don’t have to worry about cleaning your old car up, and in in many cases, you’re recycling an old car with higher emissions and keeping it from returning to the road. It’s a double win for the environment! However, some junk yards have better reputations than others. Here are a few things to know so you sell your car to a reputable car salvage yard in Florida and avoid getting scammed.
Title Transfer
The title to your car and the registration aren’t the same thing. In order to make the sale of the vehicle legal, you will be asked to sign over your vehicle’s title. If a salvage yard agrees to buy your car without a title, this should set off warning bells. It’s not impossible to sell an automobile without a title, but it’s not advisable. You should also cancel your registration. Otherwise, you could be responsible for any damages to your car that occur during towing or when it arrives at the salvage yard. If you still hold the registration to the car, a less than reputable lot could send you a bill for storing your car—even though you’ve sold it to the lot owner. Save yourself the possible hassle and cancel your registration when you sell the vehicle.
Price Swap
Before your car is towed away, you and the salvage lot should reach an agreement on the price of the vehicle. Some junk yards will offer one price and then offer another when they show up to have the vehicle towed. If you were completely honest about the condition of your vehicle, the lower price may be a bait and switch tactic. It’s also important to note that the price of towing your vehicle should have been figured into the sales price of the car. If the tow truck arrives and suggests that a towing fee is required, you’re likely dealing with a less-than-reputable salvage yard.
Delayed Payment
Never sign over your car’s title or allow your car to be towed away without having cash in your hand. Once your car has been towed, if you don’t have anything guaranteeing the sales price, you could end up receiving less money than what you agreed to. And if you request that the car be returned to you, the lot owner could tack on towing and car storage fees.
Low Ball Offer
Your car is worth something. However, unscrupulous salvage yard staff may attempt to tell you it’s worth zero dollars. They’ll offer to tow it away at no cost to you as a favor, knowing full well that even cars that haven’t been driven or moved in years are worth something as scrap. Salvage yard auto parts in Florida offer value, so run, don’t walk, from any salvage yard that suggests your car isn’t worth anything at all.
Worthless Prizes
With so much competition, many salvage yards will attempt to win your business despite offering you a bargain basement price for your car, by offering worthless free prizes. Many shady salvage yard entice people to sell their cars for bottom dollar by giving away coupons for cruises or vacations. Unfortunately, once the car deal is closed, the car seller learns that it costs more than the vacation itself to use the coupons.
