People who try to scam others are good at what they do; that is clear. After all, they wouldn’t be able to fool anyone if they weren’t good at what they did. But here are things you can do when selling your junk car to make sure you don’t become a victim!
Here are the most common tricks that junk car buyers use.
Trap Offers
When you call junkyard car buyers in Stockbridge to get an estimate, they’ll use the information you give them to trick you into paying more than you agreed to. But when the Junkyard comes to get your car, they give you a lot less money than they said they would. This scam works most of the time because people are just glad to get something for their old car, even if it’s not as much as they were hoping for. If a junkyard tries this, tell them “thanks, but no thanks” and look for another buyer.
Check as payment
Imagine that you get a check from a junkyard and go to your bank to cash it, only to find out that the check isn’t useful. You are stuck with a bad check and no car, and your bank will charge you a fee for trying to cash that bad check. Instead of dealing with all of that, you could take your car to a junkyard that will pay you cash for it. There’s nothing funny about it when you get a handful of $100 bills for your old car.
Scams involving the transfer of vehicle ownership
Don’t worry too much about how much money you’ll get for it when selling your car. First, you need to worry about the right way to change ownership. If the paperwork at the DMV isn’t done right, you could still be responsible for parking tickets or fines even though you don’t own the car anymore.
Look around to avoid scams.
One of the best ways to avoid scammers is to shop around junkyard car buyers in Stockbridge. This will make it much harder for someone to try to scam you. Scammers love it when people who want to get rid of their old cars contact them first and don’t look around for better deals.
Most scammers are not licensed.
If you’re thinking about selling your junk car to someone, make sure they’re a real company with the required permits to buy and dispose of your vehicle. People who aren’t licensed are much more likely to do other things that aren’t right.
Ask for details when talking to junk yards.
When you talk to people at junk yards, make sure they are clear about how your car will be picked up, etc. If they don’t make much sense, especially if they do so while talking quickly, they may be trying to confuse you so they can offer you less for your car than it’s worth.
Nothing for Your Junk Car Is A Warning Sign.
If, after you tell them exactly what’s wrong with your junk car, they don’t offer you anything but say they’ll take it off your hands as a favor, move on and call other junk yards. Even if you don’t think your car is worth anything, it is, at least as scrap metal.
Don’t use coupons; ask for a check instead.
Be careful, and almost always say no to people who offer you coupons instead of a bigger check. Most of these other benefits aren’t worth it because they have restrictions or other tiny print. There must be some value to the junkyard for them to give you coupons instead of money or a smaller amount of it.
Be ready for someone to try to “bait and switch” you.
Don’t settle down once you’ve done some shopping and found what sounds like a good deal and agreed to it. When the towing company picks up your junk car, or you’re ready to drop it off at the yard, junk yards sometimes pull a “bait-and-switch.” They tell you that your car isn’t worth as much as they said it was because of this or that, and they offer you a lower price. At that point, they are counting on you to just want to get rid of your junk car and be willing to take this lower offer. Don’t. Don’t agree to anything less than what you agreed to initially, and be ready to keep your car.
Not a good sign if there’s too much pressure
If a junkyard tries to force you to sell them your car, you might want to leave. A reputable junkyard buyer will give you time to think about their offer and will answer any questions you might have. If you are in hurry, you may make a bad decision or one that isn’t well thought out. This is a way for the Junkyard to get you to take less than your car is worth.
Find out how you will be paid
Cash in hand is better than any else method for many reasons. Even if a check is sent the same day it is written, it could still bounce, and other ways of paying that are promised in the mail might never come.
It’s best to find out right away how you’ll be paid. If you hand over your car and don’t see money, it’s safe to assume that you might never see the money again. Also, if you sign over the title before getting any money for it and then never do, you can’t do anything about it because you no longer own the car. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
Get your plates and cancel your registration.
Before selling your car, you should take off the license plates and cancel the registration. Don’t ask the Junkyard to do this for you, and don’t count on them to do it.
Be Smart, Trust Your Gut
It may seem like there are many ways to get scammed and that you can’t avoid them all. That’s wrong. Many junkyards are legal and trustworthy. Most people won’t try to trick you.
