August 24, 2015
6 things to do if scrapping your car
So your old car is clapped out and you’ve already checked out a real newer-car option via MyWheels.
The only problem is your car is not going to be part of any deal.
It is effectively worthless. Using it as a trade-in is likely to cost you money because the buyer will have to factor in the price of trying to sell it on, repair or crush it. All that means less money for you.
You might be better scrapping it yourself.
If you do, here are five things you should know and do.
1.Check to see where you will get the most for your car. Just remember we are talking small money here (typically €70 – €140).
2.Make sure you deal with a reputable, well-established company that will dispose of the car in accordance with government regulations. In other words: only use a car recycling centre with an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) licence. Check it out. It’s a criminal offence to recycle a scrapped car without an environmental permit.
3.It is illegal to sell it to someone else for scrap. Beware of chancers. Watch for ‘companies’ that only give out mobile numbers, have poorly maintained websites etc. They could spell trouble.
4.Make sure you get a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) – not a potentially fraudulent Destruction Certificate, or Certificate of Disposal or some other combination of those words.
It’s vital you get a genuine CoD because that’s how you inform the Department of Transport (DoT) in Shannon that your car no longer exists and you are no longer legally responsible for it.
5.On the plus side, you could get a road-tax refund if there’s a minimum of three full months left on your car. You need to get Form RF120 signed/stamped at a Garda station, and present it, and the CoD at your local motor tax office.
6.Tell your insurers the car has been scrapped. Look for the option of transferring cover onto your new car or, possibly, seeking a refund for unused months.
