When you scrap your car, you want to sell it to a buyer that you can trust. You want to know they’ll dispose of your car correctly. You want to ensure the proper documentation is being filled out. You want to get paid what you’re owed.
You want an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). But you also need to verify that the one you choose is legitimate. This is how.
Verifying An Authorised Treatment Facility
1. Check the government register
Enter your postcode online and see if the ATF you’re looking at appears on the list. Sites differ on location – England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
2. Ask to see their credentials
You are well within your rights to request to see their licence number or permit face-to-face. If they have nothing to hide, they should have no problem with presenting them to you.
3. Make sure they match
Once you’ve seen their credentials first-hand, you’ll know for sure that the ATF you’re talking to is legitimate if the company name & address details all match up.
TIP: Don’t forget to make sure their licence hasn’t expired!
What A Licenced ATF Really Is
An Authorised Treatment Facility is a the name given to a vehicle scrapping and salvaging facility that has been approved by the relevant authorities (usually councils). The ‘treatment’ refers to the disposal of the vehicle, which includes the depolluting, dismantling and recycling of it.
The licence given to an ATF means that they are legally allowed to operate within their industry, because they are capable of disposing of end-of-life vehicles in safe and environmentally-conscious ways.
ATFs must:
- Issue a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) to confirm the vehicle has been disposed of.
- Depollute the vehicle and store any hazardous materials properly.
- Store parts (including salvaged parts) safely.
- Meet recycling and recovery targets, which currently means 95% of the vehicle’s mass must be recycled.
- Complete any required paperwork, including that related to vehicle exports.
ATFs will be regularly inspected by the Environment Agency to ensure they are complying with these rules and can retain their licence.
What The Licence Means For ATFs
The licence means that an end-of-life vehicle disposal business can operate, and they can scrap your car. It is illegal to scrap your vehicle with any unlicenced facility.
Why It’s Important To Verify Your ATF’s Licence
A valid licence isn’t just a good thing for the business that’s scrapping your car – it’s also a good thing for you, their customer. It proves that you’re scrapping your vehicle with a company that’s going to do the job legally and safely. If you choose not to, what could go wrong?
Environmental issues
Your car might not be disposed of in a ‘green’ way, causing pollution and other damage to the environment.
Fly-tipping
Parts of your vehicle might be too difficult for an unlicenced scrapper to deal with – they might opt to dump your car instead!
Paperwork problems
Choose an ATF or you could be in trouble regarding paperwork if the DVLA want to get in touch with you.
For more information on the legalities of scrapping, or other rules you should be aware of, have a look at these.
For more information on the legalities of scrapping, or other rules you should be aware of, have a look at these.The Personal Punishments You Face If Something Goes Wrong
We’ve talked previously about how illegally scrapping your vehicle can impact YOU as well as the dodgy dealer disposing of it. Here’s what could happen to you if your vehicle disposal isn’t done properly.
| Offence | Maximum punishment |
|---|---|
| Failing to notify the DVLA | Fine up to £1,000 |
| Fly-tipped vehicle | Unlimited fine & 5-year prison sentence |
| Not changing ownership | Fine up to £1,000 & liable for any fines/penalties accrued by new owner. |
Common Scams In The Vehicle Scrapping Industry
Unfortunately, there are scammers in every industry. The problem is, when you’re dealing with cars, those scams can have bigger impacts on the victim’s lives – from financial penalties to legal issues, as mentioned above.
Wrong documentation
To ensure your vehicle changes hands as it should do, the proper paperwork needs to be filled in and submitted timely and correctly. Scammers can take advantage of their victims in this area by insisting that they will handle the required documents – what they might actually be doing is… nothing! You could sell your car to a scammer, only to find out that it’s still being driven around with your name on the registration paperwork! That means that any parking fines, Penalty Charge Notices, or even tax & insurance bills will still come to you!
Price changing
Always look for a guaranteed price when scrapping your car – like we offer here at Scrap Car Comparison – because if your price isn’t locked in, you mind end up only being paid a fraction of the fee you agreed on. And once they’ve got your car, the scammer is unlikely to play nice.
Salvaging your Cat A or B write off
This one is just plain dangerous! Some scammers will offer you scrap value for your old, written off motor that should never legally be allowed back on the road. The thing is, they will fix it up and sell it again, probably advertising it as a Cat S or N vehicle, and if there was anything untoward in the sale (like cash payment) then the authorities could end up tracing the car back to you.
Identifying Rogue Traders & What To Do Next
The easiest way to identify a cowboy operation is to ask for those credentials. If they’re not on the ATF register or can’t present a licence, they’re probably not legitimate.
Similarly, if they say they’ll pay you in cash, or that they can’t give you a CoD, or simply don’t seem to have a real, physical address then you should probably steer clear.
Reporting Scrap Buyers That Aren’t Licenced ATFs
If the business offering to buy your car doesn’t seem like the real deal, you can report them to the Environment Agency, your local council, or the DVSA. You can report them if they’re not licenced, or if you believe that their facility is not adhereing to the standards of their licence.
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