CASH FOR JUNK CARS IN San Francisco California

Three Junk Car Scams to Avoid

If you’re looking to sell your junk car, you may be a little leery of working with a junk yard for just this very reason. They don’t exactly have a great reputation when it comes to being honest, open, and forthright with customers.

Thankfully, not all junkyards are sketchy or shady. Some of them are legitimate businesses, and working with them can be a pleasure. In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at 3 common junk yard scams that you should keep an eye out for when approaching a local salvage yard about selling your junk car.

1. Last Minute Price Change

When you first call up a junk yard that’s trying to run this scam on you, they’ll quote you a serious amount of cash for your car. You might even be surprised by just how generous the offer is, but you won’t be in any hurry to admit to yourself that it’s probably too good to be true. The junk yard will then proceed to set up a time to come and tow your vehicle away, have you sign over the title, and pay you your cash.

When the day comes for the junk yard to come tow your vehicle, they give you a long window of time where you’ll need to be home to meet the driver. You wait for hours, and the driver finally arrives. As they look at your car, you see their expression change, and next thing you know they’re shaking their head. Then, they inform you that your vehicle isn’t in the condition you’d described over the phone, and that they’ll need to pay you less for it. A lot less.

At this point, many sellers will simply take the lowball offer out of sheer frustration. After so many hours waiting around the house, they just want their junk car gone. If this happens to you, don’t let yourself be scammed. Walk away from the deal and get a fair price elsewhere.

2. Paying By Check…Later

If you’ve ever tried to cash or deposit a bad check, you know just how frustrating the experience can be. You think you’ve got money in your account — but when you go to check your balance, the deposit isn’t there. Plus, you’ve been charged a fee by the bank on top of that. What a nightmare!

If a junk yard tries to pay you for your junk car with a check, that’s already a bad sign. You should ask for cash, as plenty of junkyards are happy to pay cash for junk cars. That said, if anyone offers to pay you later — after you’ve signed over your title — you should absolutely end the deal right then and there. Never sign your title over before receiving payment.

3. Charging for Towing

This is a classic junkyard scam. Here’s the truth: every junk yard knows that towing is a necessary cost. It’s part of their business model. You can’t buy junk cars without offering towing services. So, when a junkyard tries to offer you next to nothing for your vehicle and then proceeds to charge you for towing on top of it, just tell them “thanks, but no thanks.” There are other junk yards that will happily tow your vehicle away free of charge.

Choose a Trusted National Junk Car Buyer

Don’t waste your time with local scammers: go with a national company that’s got a solid reputation. Junk A Car pays top dollar for junk cars, and we’ve got cash in hand. Call us at 855-928-2611 to find out how much your junk car is worth!

FIND YOUR CAR'S VALUE!

This following list is an average of the cars that we have purchased in your area. The actual value of your vehicle may be higher or lower than the average. Your car could be worth substantially more! Call now to get a quote.