Fleets urged to seek value from total loss vehicles

Written-off vehicles could be more valuable than previously realised, said Elite Incident Management.

It said its online auction site, E-Salvage, had seen written-off vehicles fetch substantially higher prices than they would have if sold at a traditional auction.

The service, which was previously only available to the company's insurance company customers, has now been extended to include salvage companies.

Damaged fleet vehicles that are declared too costly to repair by inspecting engineers are categorised for the benefit of bidders, who may strip the vehicle for spare parts, dispose of the metal or repair the vehicle at lower cost depending on the extent of damage.

Elite Incident Management head of network operations Clive Rolfe, said: “Fleets will see significant revenue benefits as a result of disposing of written-off vehicles through E-Salvage.

“Fleet decision makers may think that a severely damaged vehicle is almost worthless, but the values achieved through E-Salvage prove otherwise.

“Not only is there a financial benefit for fleets, but they are also ensuring that vehicles are sold to bona-fide salvage companies which are regulated to ensure vehicles and vehicle parts are recycled and disposed off correctly and efficiently in accordance with protocols and not dumped on the roadside.

“Modern vehicles are green products in every sense and it is essential that drivers behave responsibly when disposing of them,” said Rolfe.

“Manufacturers design and build vehicles to be recycled in a straightforward manner and there is no excuse for owners who choose to dump their vehicles by the roadside.”