Four Steps that You Should Follow Prior to Junking your Car
If you have never junked your car before, or have gone through the process and found it underwhelming at best, you may believe the process is time consuming, confusing and/or frustrating. If you follow a few simple procedures and do business with a reputable Long Island junk car buyer, the process will not be anything like the unenviable position that you imagine. When shopping around for a company on Long Island that will pay cash for your junk car, your obvious goal is to get the best scrap car price for your car. That will not be a tall task if you adequately prepare your car to be junked. There are four easy-to-complete steps that you can do to expedite the process and get the most possible money for your car.
- Remove Personal Belongings.
If you ever moved to a new home, you know the struggle of packing and finding items you forgot you ever even owned. Getting rid of a car is very similar as cars tend to accumulated personal belongings over time. The longer you have owned the car, the more items that you have probably discarded in the vehicle and perhaps forgot about. Be sure to due a thorough clean out of your vehicle to remove all of your personal items; it is your responsibility, not the responsibility of a Long Island junk yard, to remove all personal items from the vehicle.
If you decide that you no longer want an item, it is still important to remove the item from the vehicle; leaving personal belongings inside the vehicle may cause problems with the transaction. The salvage yard will not throw away all of the stuff you have left in your vehicle and will likely wait for you to do so to proceed with the transaction. It is equally as important to remove all items, even those you do not want, for your benefit. It is much more likely that you will overlook an important item if you leave belongings in the vehicle.
Make sure to check everywhere in the vehicle, including both the obvious places (the seats, trunk, glove box and center console) as well as lesser obvious spots (such as under the floor mats, in the sun visors and on the doors). Do not leave any document with personal information, such as an insurance card or registration, in the vehicle, as the vehicle may change hands several times before it is scrapped for good.
- Learn what is Included in the Price and Sell Valuable Components Not Contemplated by the Sale.
When you have agreed upon a price for your car with a Long Island junkyard, the negotiated price is based on the condition of the vehicle as you described or was assessed by the junkyard. As such, you should be sure to turn the vehicle over in the same condition. Many times, that price only reflects the scrap value and you may be able to remove components from the vehicle to make extra money. Examples of items that you may be able to sell are expensive tires, the battery, a GPS or stereo system.
- Remove and Return the License Plate and Cancel Insurance.
It is important that you do not forget to remove your license plate from the vehicle prior to having it picked up by a tow truck or taking it to a junkyard on Long Island. In New York State, you are required to return the license plate to the Department of Motor Vehicles, before you can cancel your registration and your motor vehicle insurance policy. In order to transfer ownership of the vehicle to the junkyard, there must be valid title to the car. Although some junkyards may not require valid title, you should be very wary of selling your vehicle to that junkyard. If you do not transfer title to the Long Island salvage yard, there is the potential that you incur liability as you still technically own the car.
- Use Up your Gasoline.
If your vehicle is still operational before selling the vehicle to a Long Island junkyard, use up the gasoline in the tank before it is transferred to the junkyard. Depending on the size of your vehicle and the amount remaining in the tank, the value of that gasoline may be a substantial portion of the money you are receiving for the vehicle. The scrap yard will be required to drain all of the fluids from your vehicle before recycling or scrapping the parts; therefore, the gas not only has no value to them, but also represents a nuisance.
If you find a top junkyard on Long Island and follow these steps, junking your car will be a much easier and more pleasant experience than you initially believed.