Scrapping car exhaust / catalytic converter illegal?

Phone-a-Friend

Earlier today, I had to get the exhaust system on my car replaced due to corroded exhaust pipes that had snapped. The old exhaust system included a catalytic convertor in working condition, as well as a decent amount of iron that I would have ideally wanted to sell for scrap. I have read that both the CAT as well as scrap metal can sell for quite a bit of money.

However, on completion of the job when I went to the garage to collect the car, they informed me that they have to send back the old catalytic converter / exhaust immediately on delivery of the new one due to recycling rules in London. Is this really true?

I fear that I might have been duped, and they might have sold the CAT and the scrap metal themselves and keeping the earning. Is there anything I can do now if this is indeed been the case?

DevCoder

I wouldn't bother with the iron but the cat convertor was probably worth some money.

Never heard of any recycling rules for London which prevents the owner of the vehicle keeping the cat...

You could always ask for it back and if they persist with the recycling rule then ask for proof, if it does indeed turn out to be rubbish then you can press further. Id personally do that in writing (letter before action) asking for the return of the cat.

vaio

I'd have thought that if you want to keep the scrap then you need to tell them when you ask for a price.

If you don't then they will assume they get to keep it and factor the scrap value into the price (either that or it's in the skip with lots of other and they CBA to dig it out for you)

halibut2209

I don't buy that at all. You are paying for a part to be replaced. That's it.

If I bought a new washing machine and paid for someone to come and install it, would they have the right to keep the old one?

Nilrem

It's quite possible that the replacement price for the cat was reliant on the return of the old one for refurbing/recovering the materials as IIRC that's fairly common especially if you're not buying a new one from the manufacturer/dealer.
From what I understand the materials in the cat can be worth several hundred pounds so a lot of the time the replacement cat is priced on the understanding that the old one goes back (IE if you buy it new without returning the old one you might pay £1000, if the old one is returned it's £600).

I think there have been a number of threads about it in the past in the motoring section (I know I've seen it before multiple times on forums).

vaio

halibut2209 wrote: »

I don't buy that at all. You are paying for a part to be replaced. That's it.

If I bought a new washing machine and paid for someone to come and install it, would they have the right to keep the old one?

Yep, but it needs to be clear at the beginning and the norm is garage gets rid of the rubbish otherwise we'd have lots of threads on here complaining that when they had their car serviced they ended up with a boot full of old brake pads/oil filters & exhaust pipe together with a container of used oil.

Either way is ok but if, against the norm, you want to keep the scrap you need to make it clear at the beginning.

As above some CATs are on exchange and if not they have a significant scrap value which the garage will have factored in to their price based on what normally happens

Country_Cousin

Nilrem wrote: »

It's quite possible that the replacement price for the cat was reliant on the return of the old one for refurbing/recovering the materials as IIRC that's fairly common especially if you're not buying a new one from the manufacturer/dealer.
From what I understand the materials in the cat can be worth several hundred pounds so a lot of the time the replacement cat is priced on the understanding that the old one goes back (IE if you buy it new without returning the old one you might pay £1000, if the old one is returned it's £600).

I think there have been a number of threads about it in the past in the motoring section (I know I've seen it before multiple times on forums).

I see your point here, but surely this should be made clear on the invoice and you should not be lied to about it when you ask. It should have been clearly stated that that is what had happened, not make up false laws.