ScrapTrak advice
Photos to Send for a Scrap or Salvage Car Quote
Useful photos show three things: which vehicle you are selling, what condition it is in, and how it can be collected. You do not need polished advertising pictures. Clear, current images help a buyer ask the right questions before confirming a scrap or salvage quote.
Photographs are especially helpful when the car has damage, parts are missing or its parking position is awkward. They support your description; they do not replace ownership checks, an inspection or the details agreed in your offer.
Start with a view of the whole car
Take a photograph from each corner where you can do so safely. Try to include the entire vehicle rather than cutting off a wheel or bumper. In ordinary daylight, these views can show both sides, the front, the rear and how the car currently sits.
Keep the registration readable in at least one image and check that it matches the quote request. If a personalised registration has recently changed, explain that in your message rather than leaving the buyer to guess.
Use current photographs. An image from when you bought the car will not show a recently damaged panel, a removed wheel or a change in where it is parked. Avoid filters or edits that hide damage.
Show damage twice: a wider view and a close-up
A close-up can show a crack but make it difficult to tell where it is. Start with a wider image of the affected area, then add a closer picture if it reveals something useful.
- Bodywork: show the damaged panel and the surrounding area.
- Glass: show which window is affected and whether it is missing or broken.
- Wheels and tyres: show any missing wheel, obvious flat tyre or unusual wheel position.
- Missing parts: show the visible gap and name the part if you know what it is.
Describe what you can see without diagnosing hidden damage. “The front bumper is damaged and the car has not been driven since” is clearer than guessing that a problem is only cosmetic.
Do not crawl underneath, jack the car up or handle sharp or damaged components just to get a better picture. If an area cannot be photographed safely, explain that.
Include the collection approach
A car can look easy to load in a close-up while being parked behind a height barrier or at the end of a narrow drive. One wider photograph showing its position and the approach is often the most useful addition.
Include gates, steps, slopes, nearby parked vehicles or low entrances where relevant. Add measurements only if you can obtain them safely and accurately. A photograph cannot reliably prove a gate’s width or a car park’s clearance.
Do not move the car into a road to improve the picture. Explain access as it currently stands. For cars inside a commercial garage, our garage handover checklist covers permissions and release arrangements.
Add a short condition note
Photos cannot establish whether an engine runs, an automatic gearbox selects neutral or brakes are seized. Send a few plain sentences alongside them:
- Does the car start now, and when was that last checked?
- Do you have keys, and can the doors be opened?
- Are any parts missing, including parts not visible in the photographs?
- Do you know whether it can roll and steer?
- What access restrictions or collection times need to be considered?
“Unknown” is a useful answer. Do not start a damaged vehicle or try to move it solely to complete this list. The non-runner collection guide explains which details help plan recovery.
Keep private information out of general photos
Check the seats, dashboard and open boot for personal letters, bank details and other documents before photographing them. Avoid including people unnecessarily. Do not send your V5C reference number, identity documents or banking details as part of a general photo bundle; provide any required verification through the agreed process when requested.
Keep your original images until the transaction is complete. When sending several photographs, put the vehicle registration and a short explanation in the accompanying message so the pictures can be matched to the right enquiry.
Use the photos to confirm a clear offer
Ask the buyer to confirm what the quote includes and which details still need checking. If a part is removed or the parking position changes after the quote, tell them before collection. Our quote comparison guide helps you compare the amount payable and collection terms.
To start with ScrapTrak, enter the registration and collection postcode, describe the car honestly and use any available photo option or the contact method agreed with the team.