Junk Car Removal: How it Works, Is Towing Free?

When you sell your car to a cash-for-car business, the company will often offer to pick up the vehicle for you and transport it to the junkyard or auction site. This process is

Junk car removal is a process offered by junk car buyers where they will buy your junk car and tow it to a junkyard.  Junk car removal consists of a junk car buyer coming to you. They will inspect the vehicle and pay you on the spot for it. The buyer will then remove your vehicle by using a tow truck or flat-bed.

Although many junk car buyers claim to offer a free junk car removal service, the truth is that the cost of transportation is deducted from the offer they present for your car.

Is Junk Car Removal a Free Service?

Almost all junk car buyers will claim to offer free junk car removal.  But not all of them really follow through with it or define it a different way.

When you receive an offer from a junk car buyer, the price for your vehicle is calculated by multiplying the weight of your car by the current price for scrap metal. However, the price may be slightly lower than you expect because the company has to take certain business expenses into account.

These expenses cover the fees for the driver – who is likely paid hourly wages – sent to remove your vehicle. Additionally, the company will have to cover the cost of gas for the tow truck or flatbed to travel to and from the removal site.

Although junk car removal is not actually free, cash-for-car businesses still prefer to offer you this service because it saves you the time and stress involved in transporting the car to the junkyard yourself.

Want to learn more to be properly educated?

Here are two things you can do to protect yourself and make sure you won't be charged extra for the removal of your junk car.

1. Ask if Junk Car Removal is Free

Your best bet to make sure you get free junk car removal is to get multiple offers and confirm that they include the removal as well.

Unless you ask, you won't really know.  And the last thing you want to happen is to have a tow truck driver or a service arrive to remove your junk car and then tell you it's going to cost you $40. Then that ~$200 offer is starting to look more like $160.  That's not cool.

2. Confirm The Offer Amount is What You Will Be Paid For Your Junk Car

Before you go through with everything and set up the removal of your car, make sure that whatever amount you agreed to is what you will walk away with.  If you agreed to sell your junk car for $500, ask if there are any fees (for towing or otherwise) that will be deducted from that amount. Like above, unless you ask, you can't be sure in this industry.

What to Do Before Hiring a Junk Car Removal Service

Before hiring a junk car removal service you want to learn about the process. You will also want to research junk car removal services and learn how to avoid common industry scams. Learn all about what to do before hiring a junk car removal service.

What to Do on the Day of Your Junk Car Removal

Before the driver arrives to retrieve your vehicle, make sure that you have everything ready to go. Save yourself time and make the pick-up process easier on the representative by completing the following steps prior to your scheduled removal.

1. Get the Keys

Make sure you have the keys handy so that the driver can get access to the car when they arrive.

Do you have a spare key? Make sure you grab that too. Once you sell the car, you should give both sets of keys to the new owner (in this case, the scrapyard).

2. Have the Title Ready

Find your proof of ownership. When the representative arrives to take your car, you will need to sign over the title. Check with your local DMV to see if there are any other requirements for selling the car (such as handing in your license plates after it’s sold).

In order to scrap the car, the junk car buyer must have ownership of the vehicle. Depending on the state, the buyer may need to surrender the title to the DMV before they can scrap the car.

3. Make Sure the Vehicle is Cleaned Out

Collect all of your possessions from the car before you hand it over. Look in all of the pockets and compartments. Check for phone accessories and items you may easily look past. And don’t forget to grab any loose change.

Out of courtesy, you should also empty any garbage in the car. It may not need a thorough vacuuming if it is going to be scrapped, but the buyer will appreciate a relatively clean car.

4. Ensure the Vehicle is Accessible

As you can see from junk car removal videos your car should be in a location that is easy for a tow truck to access. If this is not possible, at least make sure that the representative who comes to pick up your car can manually move your vehicle to a better location in order to put it on the truck.

Clear objects and other vehicles out of the way, and check that the truck has enough space to get in and out.

5. Be There (Or Be Prepared)

Be ready and waiting when the representative arrives. They will help you through the process of signing over the title, collect the keys from you, and give you your payment.

If you can’t be physically present, arrange to have the paperwork ready to go and make sure that both the keys and the car are accessible. Ask a trusted friend or family member to be there to oversee the process for you.

Get Rid of Your Vehicle with a Junk Car Removal Service

At Junk Car Medics, we are upfront about the costs involved in removing a junk car and ensure that this does not impact our offers. We also do our best to arrange a same-day pickup.

We eliminate your worry about whether or not your vehicle will run or how much you might have to pay to get it towed. That way you don’t have to do any of the work. All you need to do is prepare for when the driver arrives. Then you can finalize the deal, get rid of that old car, and get your money.

Junk Car Medics offers free junk car removal

Junk Car Medics Junk Car Removal Service

While others advertise FREE junk car removal, the truth is they do the same as we do.  They just try to be sneaky about it and grab the headlines, FREE!

At Junk Car Medics we're above that.

We'll discuss how our junk car removal service works.

  1. Upon accepting your offer you will be emailed information to setup the removal.  You can either call us when convenient or if we don't hear from you shortly after accepting your offer, we will call you.
  2. Schedule the removal of your junk car at a time that is convenient for you. Please note we do our best to stick to this. However, sometimes our carriers get tied up and behind or other factors come into play.  We try our best to avoid it but if it happens we're up front the whole time by phone or text.
  3. If you need to reschedule the removal of your junk car simply call or text us and we'll set it up.  We ask for courtesy that you do so at least 2 hours before the scheduled pickup time.
  4. Upon arrival, our carriers will look over your vehicle to make sure it matches up with the information you provided us.
  5. Once it matches up we grab the title from you and other necessary paperwork required in your area which you'll be alerted to.
  6. You get a check handed to you right there on the spot.
  7. We load up your vehicle and provide our junk car removal service and are on our way.

Use Junk Car Medics Cash for Junk Cars Program To Get Top Dollar

Junk Car Medics junk car removal and towing service provides free pickup of junk cars.

With Junk Car Medics, the offer amount given is the amount paid upon junking your car when we pick it up with a tow truck or a flatbed.  We do factor in the distance of travel and other factors into your over.

BUT Junk Car Medics will never charge you an additional fee for junk car removal.  You will be paid the offer amount as long as the car matches up with the information you submitted when getting your offer to sell your junk car.

How Our Free Towing, Pick Up, Removal and Haul Away Service Works

Here Are Some Common Questions Regarding The Junk Car Removal and Pick Up Process

Generally speaking, once you agree to sell us your old car we will remove it with a flat-bed or tow truck within 2-48 hours.

Some cases may take a bit longer, however we strive to keep it within this time frame.

Once we arrive the process should be pretty simple. As long as your vehicle is accessible the junk car removal process should only take 5 - 20 minutes and we will pay you then.

You do not need to be with your car at the time of pickup.

As long as the proper paperwork is there and the title is signed, we can pick up junk cars for removal from anywhere. The paperwork and title need to be with the vehicle though.

After accepting your offer you will be contacted by our team to schedule the removal of your vehicle.  You will be emailed all of the information you will need to contact them such as their phone and email address.  If you need to reschedule your removal simply give them a call.  We do ask that you do so at least an hour in advance if possible so that they aren’t already on their way to pick up your vehicle when you call.

About The Author

Scroll to Top