Buying useful metal bits from scrap yards

[AlexBrown_1]

When I was a wee lad, my dad used to take me to scrap yards where I used to wander around the yard looking for bits that caught my interest.

I understand now health and safety might not allow one to go climbing up the stacks of cars like I used to - but are you still allowed to buy scrap from scrap yards? They seem to get plenty of interesting stuff in and I've emailed a couple local but I don't want to go bothering the if I've missed a law where its no longer legal.

All I can see online is various laws against buying with cash?

Cheers,

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Can only speak for the two I use.
One will only take stuff from you, they sort it and keep the nice stuff for them self's.
#
The other one will display the nice stuff and if they know and like you they will let you buy it.
I am registered with them, that helps.

 

[arther dailey]

Can only speak for the two I use.
One will only take stuff from you, they sort it and keep the nice stuff for them self's.
#
The other one will display the nice stuff and if they know and like you they will let you buy it.
I am registered with them, that helps.

what does registering involve ? name/address/bank details ?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

what does registering involve ? name/address/bank details ?

Passport and 2 forms of prove off address.
When you go in they will take your number plate, weigh your metal and print out a check in your reregistered name.

 

[arther dailey]

cheers,any other options rather than passport ,like photo id?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

cheers,any other options rather than passport ,like photo id?

I don't know, I used my passport many years ago.

 

[Hopefuldave]

Passport and 2 forms of prove off address.
When you go in they will take your number plate, weigh your metal and print out a check in your reregistered name.

Is that for buying too, I thought it was only for selling to them?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Is that for buying too, I thought it was only for selling to them?

It was to sell, but it allows me to buy.

 

[Nomad]

what does registering involve ? name/address/bank details ?

I moved house earlier this year and as part of clearing the garage had a bag of scrap plumbing copper. The scrapyard weighed it in and added it to their pile of scrap and gave me a ticket for £90 "Take it to the office and they'll pay you".
After lots of problems, they reloaded my car with my scrap, I took it home and left it with a mate for him to weigh it in as I couldn't provide all the ID they needed
It's easy if you have a photo ID & utility bills etc, difficult if you don't have photo ID.
They won't pay cash, it has to go into your bank account, and they'll want you car reg (but they wouldn't accept the V5 logbook for my car as ID "in case it wasn't mine" )
More info here in the ID section https://www.recyclemetals.org/rules-regulations/scrap-metal-dealer-s-act.html

A couple of weeks ago I went around all the local scrapyards as I needed an exhaust backbox for my Marina (nothing unusual, just something for an emergency fix when mine got ripped off on a high speedbump).
Local scrapyards were a waste of time, a lot now won't let public in, one needed my reg number and weren't interested in finding me a backbox I could bodge to fit.
Some smaller car workshops had the same attitude (one even told me I couldn't look in their pile of scrap exhausts they'd removed as "they all need to be sent back to the manufacturers to be refurbished")
A couple were happy for me raid their piles of scrap but I'd timed it wrong so their scrap bins had all been emptied a week earlier

ps. not urgent now as the car is parked up but I'm still looking for a backbox or full exhaust system that can be made to fit a Marina Estate in SE Wales if anyone has a spare one taking up space in their mancave. Happy to pay scrapyard beertoken prices, not happy to pay for a new custom system to be made.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

It's easy if you have a photo ID & utility bills etc, difficult if you don't have photo ID.

I thought photo driving licenses were compulsory these days...can't you just use your driving license?

....google says it isn't compulsory...I never knew that.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I thought photo driving licenses were compulsory these days...can't you just use your driving license?

....google says it isn't compulsory...I never knew that.

No, as long as no changes need to be made, a real driving licence is valid until age 70.

 

[Nomad]

I thought photo driving licenses were compulsory these days...can't you just use your driving license?

Not compulsory - paper licences are still legal until you turn 70 if the details are correct.

Are old-style paper driving licences still valid?

Old-style licences were replaced by photocards 24 years ago, but some people are still unsure whether or not their paper versions are legal.

www.driving.co.uk

Attach files

Edit: faster fingers above type quicker than me

 

[AlexBrown_1]

Does anyone still get the odd bits from a scrap yard?

I emailed two recently, got emails back from the MD of both saying pop by and have a look, called one asking when was a good time, and whoever answered the phone was almost hostile - told me they had no idea who I was and I should email the director again.
The other one I went down to on Saturday - busy yard and the guy at reception said flat out they didn't keep anything because they don't have the space?

I don't like feeling like a nuisance but I used to go to a place near Loughborough that were always more than happy to chat and welcomed me having a rummage through the scrap bins and paying well over scrap price for any bits I wanted.

 

[angellonewolf]

most of them its who you know if you take scrap to them and weigh it in and while your there waiting you do an owl look around (twist your head around and peer around) and see something and ask how much ive come home with welders, mini motos, bikes

it helps if you not got enough to weight stuff in you just drive up and throw them a fews bits then they will rember you that way when your in next you get a repor with them

a phonecall and saying can i buy stuff they prob think some wise guy looking for a swintons vice or a anvile for scrap money etc

if you do go there have somthing in mind your going for eg you need some metal plate for a project say that what you need buy it and that gives you the chance to look round not that i know the rules and regs on scrap places but im sure there would be rules for no public access where theres mechines fork lifts lorrys for most of them its not worth the hassle

 

[Wedg1e]

Oh yeah... climbing ricketty piles of old wrecks... cutting your hand on broken windows... oil dripping on your head... filling your socks with fuses and relays... happy days

 

[Beeezer]

Is that for buying too, I thought it was only for selling to them?

Oh yeah... climbing ricketty piles of old wrecks... cutting your hand on broken windows... oil dripping on your head... filling your socks with fuses and relays... happy days

Still one of them up the road from me.
Gave them a bell other day for van bits… got a few in come have a look about….

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I don't have a valid passport nor photo driving licence so have had to get a Voter Authority Certificate, which has my photo, from local council. No idea if that is going to be acceptable id by scrap yard.

Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’)

Apply for photo ID to vote (Voter Authority Certificate) in some elections and referendums in Great Britain if you do not have an accepted form of ID.

www.gov.uk

 

[Bsmith]

Can only speak for the two I use.
One will only take stuff from you, they sort it and keep the nice stuff for them self's.
#
The other one will display the nice stuff and if they know and like you they will let you buy it.
I am registered with them, that helps.

Just that here too.

 

[T689]

They pay you going scrap price for whatever is going in & sometimes x3 times the going scrap price for whatever you want to buy/take out, which normally makes it not worth doing!

 

[Bsmith]

The one I go most to are quite happy for me to look around and buy any bits I find, even got some plywood there one day.
But there is one young P****k driving a grab, I saw something with a lot of v pulleys on it think maybe a wood lathe and I thought the pulleys would come in handy, went to manually pull it out from the scrap pile, he hooted the horn on the machine, waved me to go away then smashed up what I was after with the grab deliberately while I watched.