Scrap car FAQs

Start with your registration and collection postcode in our scrap car quote form. Describe whether the car starts, rolls and steers, plus missing parts and access difficulties. Clear photographs help explain damage or an awkward parking position so we can understand the job before collection.

A ScrapTrak quote is free and you are not obliged to accept it. Compare your options before deciding what to do with the vehicle. Check the vehicle and collection details carefully; if anything is incorrect, tell us before accepting the offer or arranging a slot.

Vehicle type, weight, completeness, condition and collection arrangements matter. Repair or parts value may also affect an assessment, so include known mileage and service history. Our scrap car prices guide explains why another vehicle’s offer is not a reliable valuation for yours.

Compare the amount you would receive for the same vehicle condition and collection address. Check collection charges, payment method, paperwork and assumptions about parts, keys or working wheels. A higher headline figure is less useful if the vehicle details or collection requirements differ from your actual circumstances.

The offer uses the details supplied. A different model, undisclosed damage, removed components or unexpected access problems may require a review. Tell the office about changes before collection. If you return to an older quote, ask whether it remains current rather than assuming the original price is still available.

Possibly. An unwanted car, MOT failure or non-runner may have repair or salvage value. Describe faults, mileage and recent work accurately; not every collected vehicle will be destroyed. Compare the offer with the realistic cost and effort of repairing or selling it yourself, including storage or recovery.

Check similar letters and numbers, and whether a private registration has recently changed. If lookup still fails, contact ScrapTrak with the registration, postcode, make, model and error message. We can review the details; a failed lookup does not tell you whether the vehicle has value.

Check your spam folder and the contact details you supplied. An offer and a confirmed booking are different stages: requesting a quote does not itself arrange collection. Contact the office with your registration and any reference if a message is missing, rather than creating duplicate requests.

Free collection is included across the Hampshire and West Sussex areas we cover. Give the actual collection postcode, even if the car is away from home. Explain unusual access or loading problems before booking. Our collection process outlines the steps from quote to handover.

Availability depends on the postcode, route and loading requirements. Follow your confirmed booking details rather than assuming same-day or weekend availability. Explain garage opening hours or other restrictions before agreeing a slot, and keep your contact phone available so practical arrangements can be checked.

Contact the office promptly with your registration, reference and original collection date. Explain whether you need another slot, a different address or to cancel. Ask for confirmation of the change. Include any change to the vehicle’s condition or location so the revised arrangements can be checked.

Check the date, time window and contact details on your booking, then contact the office with the reference and registration. Mention missed calls or access changes. Keep the vehicle accessible, but do not leave keys or documents unattended. Ask what happens next rather than assuming the booking is cancelled.

Explain road width, gates, parked vehicles, slopes, soft ground and loading restrictions. Photographs of the route from the road to the car help us assess access. Keep it clear where safe. Roadside collection needs a safe loading location; a scrap collection booking does not replace emergency breakdown assistance.

Ask us to check access before booking. Provide the height limit, level, bay and ramp layout, plus whether the car starts, rolls and has keys. Check entry and loading permission with the operator. Our car park collection guide explains the details needed to assess recovery arrangements.

Yes, once access and release arrangements are agreed. Tell the site operator and check outstanding charges directly with them. Provide their contact details, opening hours and the vehicle’s location. Confirm who holds the keys and paperwork; our quote does not automatically authorise a garage to release the car.

Being present simplifies vehicle, identity, payment and paperwork checks. If you cannot attend, discuss a nominated adult with the office before booking. Authority and document checks need agreeing in advance. Do not assume that leaving keys with a neighbour is enough to complete the transaction.

Check the boot, glovebox, door pockets and under seats. Remove belongings, child seats, dashcams and toll tags you want to keep. Have agreed documents and keys ready, and clear access safely. Tell us about any new problem; avoid moving or dismantling an unsafe vehicle yourself.

Prepare identity and address evidence, your V5C if available, and payment details. Dealers must verify name and residential address. A valid GB or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence showing your current address is a usual route; a passport alone does not establish your address. See our documents guide and confirm alternatives before collection.

Tell the office exactly what you have so identity, authority and paperwork can be checked before booking. The new-keeper slip is not the complete logbook. Without a V5C, DVLA’s online transfer service cannot be used; follow its written notification instructions. Our missing logbook guide explains how to prepare without assuming collection is automatically approved.

Make sure DVLA is notified using the route that matches the actual sale or disposal. For an ATF handover, GOV.UK says to give the facility the logbook but keep the yellow motor-trade transfer section. Follow the official scrapping instructions and retain confirmation. A booking confirmation alone does not show that the keeper record has been updated.

Complete DVLA’s registration retention process before selling or scrapping. GOV.UK says to have the retention document and replacement V5C before disposing of the car. Eligibility conditions apply, so check with DVLA if it no longer runs. Tell ScrapTrak when the registration changes so the quote, vehicle and collection paperwork can be matched correctly.

Discuss authority with the office before booking. Explain who owns the vehicle and who will attend. Holding the keys or being the registered keeper does not resolve every ownership question. For a company vehicle, involve someone authorised to approve disposal and provide the necessary business information.

The person handling the estate should contact us to discuss authority and documents before arranging collection. DVLA has a specific bereavement process for transferring the vehicle. Being a relative does not, by itself, establish authority in every estate. Keep the transaction records with the estate paperwork and avoid sending sensitive documents until the office confirms what is needed.

Speak to the finance provider or owner before agreeing disposal. Under hire purchase or PCP, making payments does not automatically make you the legal owner. Finance and authority must be resolved; a lease also needs the owner’s involvement. MoneyHelper explains the different finance arrangements. Tell the office the position before booking rather than assuming ScrapTrak can settle it.

For a car or light van completely scrapped by an authorised treatment facility, the ATF issues a Certificate of Destruction within seven days. A vehicle repaired and sold does not receive one. Ask which route applies to yours. See GOV.UK’s certificate guidance and our Certificate of Destruction guide; collection and complete destruction are different events.

ScrapTrak uses bank transfer following the collection checks. Confirm the agreed amount and payment details at handover. Cash payment for a vehicle being scrapped in England or Wales is illegal; GOV.UK explains the permitted payment methods. Check your own bank account for receipt rather than relying only on somebody else’s payment screenshot.

A transfer needs the receiving account name, sort code and account number. Check these through the agreed office contact route and discuss a different payee beforehand. Never share your banking password, PIN or security codes to receive payment, or publish banking details in comments or photographs.

Check the correct account in your own banking app or statement, then contact the office with your registration, collection reference and agreed amount. Ask them to check the payment status and receiving details. Bank processing can vary, so do not treat a promised transfer as cleared funds. Never send passwords or security codes to help someone investigate a payment.

Keep the agreed offer, collection date, buyer details, payment confirmation and any receipt together. Retain the DVLA notification confirmation and Certificate of Destruction when applicable. Check that the registration and amount are correct before filing them. These records help you explain the transaction if an insurance, vehicle-tax or penalty query arrives after the car has left.

Use the office details on your booking to check unexpected changes to the collector, payment or destination. Ask which business is buying and receiving the vehicle. The amount, identity checks and paperwork should be clear. Resolve any mismatch before handing over keys or documents.

Yes, we arrange non-runner collection. Explain whether it rolls, steers and brakes, whether it has battery power, and where it is parked. Different faults affect loading differently. Do not try to start or move a damaged car just to demonstrate its condition.

Tell us its status and arrange suitable collection. Do not assume that driving to a scrapyard is an exception to MOT, tax or insurance requirements. A current MOT also does not prove a damaged car is roadworthy. Check GOV.UK’s MOT guidance and keep the vehicle legally stored while the collection arrangements are confirmed.

Often, subject to checking the arrangements. Explain whether the steering is locked, the car is in park and the parking brake can be released. Send access photographs without forcing locks or moving it unsafely. Our no-keys collection information explains why the parking position matters.

Describe the problem before booking. A car that cannot roll, or has missing wheels, may need different equipment and more space. Send photographs of its position and the ground underneath. Do not use makeshift supports or assume it can be dragged out without damaging surrounding property.

List anything missing, including the engine, gearbox, catalytic converter, battery or wheels. Removing parts after quoting can change both value and recovery arrangements, so contact the office first. GOV.UK notes that an ATF may charge for vehicles missing essential parts. Do not assume a quote for a complete car also applies to its remaining shell.

Give us the known category and confirm ownership with the insurer if a claim is ongoing. Category A vehicles must be crushed completely; category B body shells must be crushed. Category S and N vehicles may be repaired if made roadworthy. Check the official write-off categories and arrange collection only once authority and the suitable disposal route are clear.

Yes. Provide registration, size, condition and postcode, mentioning body conversions, fitted equipment and company authorisation. Empty personal items and cargo unless discussed with the office. A quote for the vehicle does not automatically cover clearing its contents, so explain what remains inside before arranging collection.

Contact us before booking so suitable arrangements can be confirmed. Report the powertrain, damage, warning messages and any insurer or garage assessment. Electric and hybrid vehicles can present high-voltage risks, as explained by HSE. Do not disconnect a traction battery or attempt DIY recovery of a fire- or flood-damaged vehicle to prepare it for collection.

Only arrange disposal if you have authority. A car left outside your property does not automatically become yours. Report an apparently abandoned vehicle to the relevant council, explaining its location. For a vehicle on private land, establish the lawful removal route before instructing anyone to scrap it.

DVLA cancels vehicle tax when it receives the relevant notification and refunds remaining full months. It also cancels the vehicle-tax Direct Debit. The refund is separate from ScrapTrak’s payment for the car and depends on when DVLA receives the information. Follow the official vehicle-tax refund process rather than simply stopping payments through your bank.

Ask your insurer about cancellation or transfer and follow the insurance rules until handover. A booked collection does not allow an uninsured car to remain on a public road. A SORN vehicle must be kept off the public road; arrange collection rather than driving it to a scrapyard. Complete the appropriate DVLA notification when it is sold or scrapped.

Before handover, delete saved contacts, navigation destinations and paired phones using the vehicle’s instructions where accessible. Remove dashcam cards and disconnect vehicle apps or subscriptions you control. After disposal, update parking permits, toll accounts and automatic payment accounts linked to the registration. If the vehicle has no power, tell the office rather than dismantling electronics to reach the data.

Contact the office with the registration, collection date and reference. Ask whether the vehicle was bought for repair or complete scrapping, and which ATF handled destruction if applicable. If a certificate was expected, ask for its status and check the contact details held for you. Keep your receipt and DVLA confirmation while the missing document is investigated.

An authorised treatment facility, or ATF, is permitted to treat end-of-life vehicles. A car being scrapped must go through an ATF; a collector is not necessarily the receiving facility. You can find authorised facilities through GOV.UK. Ask who is receiving your vehicle and retain the transaction details, rather than assuming a recovery truck alone establishes the disposal arrangements.

The treatment process deals with fluids and hazardous components before suitable parts and materials are recovered for reuse or recycling. Other waste still needs appropriate handling; it is not accurate to assume every part becomes a new product. Environment Agency guidance explains the facility’s duties. A vehicle retained for repair follows a different route from complete scrapping.

Do not attempt DIY draining before collection. Report leaks, unusual contents or damage and leave depollution to the appropriate facility. Fuel, oils, coolant and batteries need controlled treatment. Remove belongings instead of mechanical components, and do not drive an unsafe car to use up remaining fuel.

We cover Hampshire and West Sussex, including Portsmouth, Southampton, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Waterlooville, Winchester, Chichester, Bognor Regis and Worthing. Check our collection locations and provide the full postcode for confirmation. Our Worthing collection page also explains local access considerations. Nearby villages and rural addresses still need their particular loading arrangements checked.

Send the actual postcode and vehicle details for an availability check. Do not use a nearby town’s postcode: the address affects collection arrangements. If the car moves after quoting, tell the office before booking so access, availability and any revised details can be confirmed.

Yes. Provide separate registration, condition and location details for each vehicle, with photographs where helpful. Include keys, missing parts and access restrictions. For trade or fleet clearances, explain who can authorise release and whether the vehicles share a site so the office can plan the work.