When you’re putting your car onto the market in the hopes of a sale, it’s often important to get the motor freshened up, looking good and in full working order for anyone who might want to take it for a test drive. But, what happens if your car is broken down and can’t be driven at all? You might still want to try your luck to find a buyer, but can you sell a broken car?
How To Go About Selling A Broken Car
Selling your car can be difficult when it’s not in tip-top condition, but the good news is that you can indeed sell it even if it’s broken and doesn’t run at all. Selling the motor privately might seem like an impossible task, so the next best option will instead be to sell it as scrap or salvage with National Scrap Car. Here’s how to sell a broken car…
We’ve streamlined the process down to its simplest form, able to find you a price in a matter of seconds! All you need to do is give us a call on 0800 86 20 958 or enter your vehicle registration and postcode into the quote generator on our website, then you’ll be presented with a selection of offers for your motor from licensed, professional scrap and salvage buyers in your local area.
Once you’ve accepted an offer, the price is locked in and, as long as the damaged car that you’re selling has been accurately described, can not be lowered. National Scrap Car even offers free collection, meaning you can complete this whole process without leaving your home! Arrange a date and time for the motor to be picked up and a collection agent will remove it once you’ve presented a form of photo ID and any other required paperwork.
With the car or van out of your hair, you’re free to relax and await your payment which will land in your bank account the very same day. As for your motor – it will either be broken down and stripped of salvageable parts, or it will be crushed whole. Either way, it will always be at least 95% recycled in line with legal regulations.
How Do You Get Paid When Selling A Damaged Vehicle
When you sell your car, the most important thing on your mind is how and when you’ll get paid. National Scrap Car pays the money you’re owed directly into your bank account and the transaction will be processed as soon as your car has been collected. This means that you should receive the cash that very same day.
Selling A Damaged Car For Cash
Unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to sell a broken car for cash. Since 2013, it has been illegal for scrap or salvage buyers to purchase cars using physical cash. The Scrap Metal Dealers Act was introduced to combat the quick, undocumented selling of stolen goods.
Previously, thieves could occupy your car or van, drive it to the nearest scrap yard and sell it with few (or no) questions asked and get paid immediately in cash which is, of course, completely untraceable. This law change not only cracked down on car thieves, but also forced many of the less reputable scrap yard owners who did who-knows-what with the vehicles they’ve purchased out of the industry.
Vehicle Damage Category Levels
If your car has been damaged and assessed by your insurance company, it’s possible that they’ll brandish it with a category marker. In years gone by, these would simply range from ‘Category A’ to ‘Category D’ and would determine the extent of the damage. However, an update to the system changed categories C & D to S & N, which we’ll explain a little bit further down this page.
We will take any car that’s been allocated any category – even the absolute worst! If you’d rather sell your categorised car as scrap or salvage with National Scrap Car, knowing which grouping it now belongs to will help us to price up your motor even faster.
Category A – Scrap
Cars that are unfortunate enough to be given a ‘Cat A’ branding are the worst of the worst, when it comes to damage. No amount of repair work can get these motors fit for use ever again, leaving no option other than to scrap the car or van in its entirety. It’ll be heading straight for the crusher, but the raw materials will still be recycled.
Category B – Break
‘Cat B’ cars have fared slightly better than their category A counterparts, although they are also never able to return to the road. The difference here is that while category A cars are crushed whole, category B motors are still able to be broken down and have some of their surviving components salvaged for use in other damaged vehicles that can be repaired.
Category S – Structural
Now we’re onto cars that, while still considered “economical write offs” by insurance companies, can in fact be repaired and legally released back onto the road. The ‘S’ in ‘Category S’ stands for structural, meaning that while the broken vehicle can still be fixed, it has suffered damage that’s impacted the structural integrity of the car or van, whether that’s in the chassis or other important areas, like the pillars. This could put many other buyers off, but National Scrap Car will still take it.
Category N – Non-structural
The best case scenario if your car has been written off by your insurance company. Motors that are branded category N have been deemed a total loss purely for financial reasons. The car itself may not have suffered significant structural damage that could permanently affect it – in fact, it could be entirely cosmetic – but economically, the repair work would cost more than the value of the vehicle itself. These cars will hold the highest value of any from the four categories, but will still be an expensive undertaking if you wanted to repair it yourself. Selling the motor to National Scrap Car could turn those expenses into profit for you.
Sell Your Damaged Car Today!
If your car is damaged or broken, sell it today with National Scrap Car and you’ll receive top class customer service that’s matched by the excellent prices that we’re able to source thanks to our UK-wide network of scrap dealers and salvage buyers. We operate nationally, with free collection included as standard no matter where you are, so sell your car today and turn your broken motor into money in the bank! Call us on 0800 86 20 958 or enter your vehicle registration and postcode into our quote generator and get a price for your car or van now!