Once again, there appears to have been a worrying spike in the number of rogue scrap metal dealers conning members of the public. According to reports from various local councils up and down the United Kingdom, the problem extends to a wide variety of scrap metal services – everything from the disposal of old appliances to end-of-life vehicle recycling. 
One recent example comes from Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, having reported an enormous increase in complaints from members of the public with regard to unlicensed tradesmen masquerading as registered scrap metal dealers. In the vast majority of instances, the rogue traders are offering customers ‘responsible’ vehicle and electrical appliance disposal services for comparatively low prices.
The only problem being that as soon as they have collected the appliances, they are fly-tipping them illegally and making off with the money.
Or in other instances, they are taking any spare parts of value out of the appliances or vehicles and dumping the rest, before selling them on to make as much money as possible. The problem being that if your own scrap products are found to have been illegally dumped due to you yourself having made a poor and uniformed decision in terms of service providers, it could be YOU that ends up facing a fine.
“It’s really important that everyone understands their responsibilities around disposing of unwanted goods to avoid fly-tipping penalties,” said Coun Barry Longden, cabinet member for health and environment at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.
“We want to remind local people that you need to make sure that if you pay someone to remove and dispose of any waste on your behalf that they are registered with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier,”
“Anyone collecting scrap metal must also be licensed by the council as a scrap metal dealer.”
Here at Take My Scrap Car, one of the most important points we are constantly emphasizing is that of ensuring you know exactly who you are working with, before even considering doing business with them. These days, it doesn’t take much to set up what at least looks like an extremely professional and well-meaning online business, which in reality may turn out to be quite to the contrary.
Rather than simply passing your scrap goods on to the first service provider that comes your way, it really is in your best interests to do a little homework.
From licensing to insurance to reputation and so on, just a few simple checks can help ensure you don’t fall foul of a scam. Paperwork must always be provided by those carrying out these kinds of services legally, so if you find yourself in a situation where it is all casual ‘cash in hand’ dealings, you’re dealing with a dodgy dealer for sure!
When it comes to disposing of and recycling scrap cars responsibly, Take My Scrap Car guarantees the total package of convenience and value for money. Everything we do is offered 100% free of charge and we promise to pay you the best possible price for your scrap vehicle, in accordance with market values at the time.
For more information or to arrange a collection, get in touch with the Take My Scrap Car team today.
