Scrappage Scheme; Heartache.

[audinary]

My fears about this stupid government incentive have already been borne out.

Customer comes in, owned his car from new. Elderly chap, buys his cars and "runs them into the ground". He's got a few quid in the bank, and reckons now is a good time to look into getting something a bit smaller, so he has put an order on a brand new A-Class for factory collection.

Naturally, he is taking advantage of the Gov't scheme. His car is mint. A 1993k Saab 9000 CSE Turbo, 120k on the clock, everything on it. Very similar to the one I had before my Audi.

And of course as soon as he left the guys from the workshop, keen on a performance bargain, asked "how much is that coming in for?" To which my response was...

"Yeah, immaculate isn't it. You can't have it, though, it's being scrapped and we're giving him two grand".

This is insane. Nice old couples with savings in the bank are going to be paid to scrap their perfectly maintained low-mile 10+ year old cars, while those owned by people without two brass farthings to rub together on maintenance or replacement, are going to soldier on, kicking out uncatalysed crud as they go.

I fully expect piles of A4s to turn up here soon, all in immaculate condition and all bound for the scrapyard.

I know this subject has been done to death. But I find it more than a little troubling.

 

[jonnya]

Agreed, the whole thing is a joke. To say that it's the help the environment is a complete
joke. The only purpose of this scheme is to help prop up ailing car manufacturers who
have ignored the warnings over the last 5 years and carried on overproducing cars at
the rate of more than 20% a year. Sorry, times are tough for everyone.
The scheme should only be available if the car fails an MOT on emissions or a fault which
is uneconomical to repair.

 

[aragorn]

yer, not to mention the fact that the economics of buying a new car mean its completely pointless to take that 2k "discount" instead of just selling/trading in the old car against a car thats 6 months or a year old...

 

[audinary]

That's right. The retired couple concerned here were originally going to buy an ex-demo, but when suddenly their £250 Saab was worth two grand, they thought "why not push the boat out and buy a brand new car for the last time".

People in their position are going to end up buying new just for the sake of it.

Thanks, Gordon, for throwing away my tax money so that wealthy pensioners can have a new car!

 

[dieselfitter251]

Er, not meaning to sound a capitalist... but if you find out what yards they (those A4's, if they ever turn up!)go, we could be on to a mint! Unless they're getting totaly crushed. That'd be sad .

 

[rasA4]

cant you take any parts off it? suppose not

 

[mal79]

It is insane indeed. From what I recall, the UK scheme is going to be just like the German scheme ie, total scrappage/crushed. All we need to ensure is our useless leaders are locked in the boot when that moment comes...

 

[sam4191]

All we need to ensure is our useless leaders are locked in the boot when that moment comes...

haha! Too true!

I am sick to death of all this 'saving the environment/planet' buls**t. It's only any good to them and their wallets. grrr This government winds me up!

Bring Jeremy Clarkson in as PM! lol!

 

[audinary]

Er, not meaning to sound a capitalist... but if you find out what yards they (those A4's, if they ever turn up!)go, we could be on to a mint!.

Yes... I had considered this..... hmmm

I mean, when a car is part-exchanged you don't necessarily hand in the first-aid kit or fire extinguisher, or the floor mats, do you? You keep them.

Just like anyone who part-exchanges an A4 won't hand it in with the a/c compressor, facelift headlamps and taillights, 18" RS4 reps, six-speed box or 6-pot brembo brake setup.

The cars will "mysteriously" turn up without them. And I might mysteriously find a pile of parts in my garage

 

[dieselfitter251]

You need my address? Partner?

 

[dsmclark40v]

The main thing that gets me about this scheme is yes you get £2k for your old car, but then you have to buy a new car which then depreciates like a stone as soon as you drive it off the forecourt. So in hind sight wouldn't you be better off buying a car second hand but still newish maybe an ex-demo and then donate your old car to someone who really needs it or even sell it on for what its worth?!

its criminal what they are scrapping these days. at the weekend I was at a 4x4 pay and play site and there was some people down there with a R reg jeep cherokee that they were absolutly trashing it. It was imaculate when it went in but apparently the owner hadn't paid their road tax so it had to be crushed monday. it ended up drowned in a pond.

 

[audinary]

Exactly. Not so very long ago I was in the market for a good, reliable sub £2K car, which is how I got my A4, I bought it when it came in as part ex. If the owner had p/exed it now she would have doubled her money, and her 52k 1.8t (now mine) would have been scrapped.

Is my A4 a scrap car? Don't think so.

 

[Dan Gliballs]

Definitely sounds like a dumb *** scheme.

They just crush them without stripping the vital spare parts to keep many other cars on the road?