About 15 million vehicles reach the end of their utility in the United States every year. Auto-wrecking companies are the easiest way to quickly sell your old or damaged car. Getting rid of a car you have had for a long time is not always easy. However, selling to wreckers is a great option when you want to cash in fast.
As the seller, you want the sale to go smoothly. Before you junk your car for cash, you need to do a few things to avoid inconveniences. The following tips will help streamline the selling process of your car while ensuring you comply with applicable federal laws.
1. Take Out All Your Personal Belongings
Leaving your personal belongings in the car — such as jewelry, credit cards, tools, money, or important documents — is not unusual. Before transferring the car to the new owner, you should carefully check for personal or valuables items and take them out.
Removing your belongings will require a full exploration of your car, during which you should look into every corner of your car’s interior in order to clear the car of all your items. Once you sell the car, what is inside legally belongs to the new owner.
Some areas that you should check include the glove box, trunk, center console, pockets in your doors, and the areas beneath your seats. These are places where you can easily stash something and forgot about it. As these areas might contain valuable documents, they are essential to search so that you do not have a potential issue on your hands after you sell the car.
2. Know the Paperwork You Need to Gather
When selling your car for scrap, ensure you have all the right documentation in place to guarantee a binding sale. While the paperwork that a scrap car dealer requires may vary, they often require the title and bill of sale. Other documents that might be necessary include maintenance records or warranty information. Besides the documents you supply to the junk car dealer, you usually submit a release of liability to your DMV.
3. Cancel Your Insurance Policy
In Chicago, if your car was recently driven and still has insurance, you need to make sure that you cancel your coverage before selling the vehicle. Canceling coverage ensures you will not have to make payments before your policy expires.
While some insurance companies can be very lenient and refund you if you forget to cancel your insurance, you should cancel your coverage immediately. You could receive a refund if you paid for full coverage in advance.
4. Take Off the Plates and Cancel the Registration
To ensure you no longer own the car, ensure you deregister your vehicle before handing it over to the new owner. When you apply to cancel the registration, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will require you to provide the license plates.
Therefore, before you surrender your car to the wreckers, do not forget to remove the license plate from your vehicle. Before selling your automobile, you should remove your vehicle’s license plate as a legal requirement in Illinois. You can remove the plates yourself or ask the wreckers for help before they take possession.
Before junking your car for cash, research reputable wreckers to ensure legal compliance. Keep your eyes open and know what to expect to avoid swindlers. Get offers from a range of wreckers for a price that best suits you. Selling your car to wreckers is not difficult, and the process is even faster with proper preparation.
Feel free to contact us when you have a junk car to sell.