How to Avoid a Junk Car Scam: 7 Things to Be Aware Of

Selling your junk car might seem intimidating in an industry rife with scam artists trying to make a buck. More than just searching “reviews for junk my car services,” this article will help you spot the scams and, more importantly, how to avoid car scams.

Sign #1: Putting on the Pressure

Salespeople can be pushy. If they aren’t, great—you’ve got a trustworthy sales assistant. But if they are, it’s a good sign you won’t be getting a fair deal. 

Below are some ways to tell if the person pressuring you is trying to scam you out of a fair deal and things to watch out for to avoid junk car scams.

• A time limit for their offer. It’s more difficult for humans to make rational decisions under pressure, so if the person gives you their proposal, “...but only if you take it in the next 5 minutes.” This is one of the most common vehicle sale scams, and if the junkyard buying your car is pulling this move, you’re likely getting an unfair deal. If they give you a time limit, tell them “no, thanks” and move on to a junkyard that doesn’t pressure you to sell. 
• They try to confuse you. An honest sales assistant will give you straightforward and clear answers to all of your questions. A salesperson trying to scam you will use vague language, sometimes not answering the question to make it seem like the junk car business is confusing. If you feel like you’re getting the runaround, you probably are. 

Sign #2: They Change Their Offer

Sometimes a junkyard will give you an offer over the phone, only to change it once they see the car. They’ll say things like “it’s in worse condition than you described” or “it’s not the luxury edition of that model” or any other excuse on why this car they’re looking at is somehow worth less than the one you described over the phone.

If ever a salvage yard gives you one quote, then their offer drops at any point—they’re likely trying to involve you in a car salvage scam. This bait-and-switch is quite common (and persuasive!) because they know you’ve already towed the car over to the junkyard and want just to get rid of it rather than pay for a tow back home. This brings us to our next red flag.

Sign #3: They Don’t Offer To Tow The Car For Free

Another red flag signaling you might be involved in a cash for cars scam is if towing isn’t included in their offer. They will often do this because they can tell you there’s a towing fee, which comes out of the offer. Any reputable junk car buyers will ALWAYS include free towing within their quote.

And if they make a recommendation for a towing company, run! It’s probably a friend of theirs, and they’re trying to sweeten the deal for everyone but you!

Sign #4: They Don’t Pay Cash

If a junk car buyer tried to pay you by check—or worse, mail you a check—you should definitely be suspicious. You don’t know that you’ll ever receive that check, and if you do, if it will even clear! In the car junking process, you’ll have to sign over the car with all the appropriate paperwork — so if that gets completed, but the check never passes, it’s their car and your payment problem (not to mention, you’ll have to foot the bill for your bank’s bounced check fee).

Don’t accept any payment for your junk car other than cold, hard cash—in your hand—in the exact amount promised. 

Sign #5: They Don’t Handle All the Paperwork

When you sell your junk car, you have to make sure all the paperwork is done in order to make a legal transfer of ownership. If you don’t ensure this paperwork is complete, the car will still be in your name — which means any ticket, violation, or fees (like “junkyard storage fees”) will be sent to you. This is how some cash for cars scams will cost you money long after your car has been towed away.

Sign #6 They Get Defensive if You Ask to See Their License

Want to know how to sell a car without getting scammed? One of the most straightforward ways to do so is by asking the junkyard to see their license. Dealing with a licensed junkyard is one of the best ways to make sure you’re selling to a reputable scrapyard.

Asking to see their license is one of the best ways to avoid car scams, so if you ask to see their license, and they get defensive or come up with any excuses on why they can’t show it to you, walk away. A reputable junkyard knows how to prevent car scams and understands that showing their license to the customer is one of the best ways for that, so they should be happy to show it to you. 

Sign #7 They Try to Tell You Your Car is Worthless

If you google “what are the signs of a scammer?” this red flag should be on the list. It’s a red flag because the junkyard knows better than you do how much money they’ll get for selling a car. They’ll use industry terminology and phrases to try to confuse you and believe that your car has no value to them. 

They might come up with a laundry list of reasons why they can’t resell your junk car for this amount of money and blah blah blah reason after reason. Don’t believe them. Even the oldest, cruddiest junk car has some value. JunkCarsUs has an online calculator where you can calculate your car value and get an online quote from us in under 90 seconds. 

JunkCarsUs is a Reputable Junk Car Buyer Working for 12 Years

So if you have to look out for junk vehicle buyers, how can you make sure you choose the right one? First, use the internet. Google “cash for cars review” or “we buy junk cars reviews,” and you’ll quickly see which ones have good and bad reviews. Only deal with companies with good junk car removal reviews.

At JunkCarsUs, we have over 12 years of experience and are the leading buyers of junk cars all across the USA. If you want help to sell your unwanted car, JunkCarsUs can provide that help and make the process of selling your junk car as painless and profitable as possible. 

So, are cash for cars companies scams? Some of them are, yes. At JunkCarsUs, on the other hand, we:

• Never pressure anyone into selling. Not only do YOU have to reach out to US to sell your car, but we also will never pressure you into getting rid of your car. We offer same-day service for your convenience, not to try to get you to sell your car quicker! 
• We NEVER change our offer. Once you have our top dollar instant offer, we will never try to renegotiate the price. The number we give you is the exact amount of cash you’ll have in your pocket at the end of the day.
• We offer FREE towing. That’s right. One of our trusted and safe tow truck drivers will come to your location at the time of your convenience and pick up your junk car at absolutely no cost to you. 
• We pay cash. Cold, hard cash. In your hand. No waiting for a check in the mail, no worrying about if that check will bounce. 
• We handle the paperwork. Our team of experts has done these thousands of times, so we know what information needs to be put on what paperwork. We are happy to show you ALL the completed paperwork necessary for a legal transfer of ownership and even show you where to sign on the dot. 

So, if you want to sell your used car and avoid one of those “we buy any car” scams, give JunkCarsUs a call at (855) 547-1550 or fill out an online application to get your top dollar instant offer! We take nearly any vehicle—no matter how broken, damaged, or even totaled it is—and make you a cash offer we know you’ll be happy with!

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