My local yard is REALLY pushing its luck!

Well my small local yards is a family run place. I have been taking things there for over a decade and have built a really good rapport with the family.
Lately their prices have started to slide when everyone else's prices have.. but they never recover and bring them back up when everyone else does.

Case in Point. Aluminum has taken a hit.. they have dropped their aluminum cans to .40/lb
Electric motors are at a dismal .10/lb
Aluminum Extrusions- CLEAN- .40/lb
#2 wire- CLEAN at .70/lb

So I've begun taking some items elsewhere. I'm loyal..but not stupid.

So today I brought in about 25 lbs of sheet aluminum
a Stainless steel sink
and my aluminum cans.

I store my aluminum cans in a Rubbermaid can- with a lid, outside. Sometimes I get some water in there, but always work to pour it out as best I can. Never had an issue. Today when I pulled out the bag, I noticed it was REALLY heavy with water.. So I plopped the bag on my trailer and shoved two finger holes in the bottom of the bag and stood there to let the water drain out. I got it down to a tiny trickle and heaved it over the side of the truck bed to head to the yard.

I bring in my stuff and weigh in. The owner grabs the bag of cans to toss them into his can hopper and says "JES.. seems like more water in there than cans!" I said "I poked two holes in the bottom of the bag" and showed him it in the hopper. He says "What do you think this is my first rodeo? Are you kidding me with this- Am I just Imagining it?"

This seriously PI$$ED me off. I make my money the HARD way, the HONEST way, In 10 years I've never stuffed my cans with sand, filled them with rocks or nails or anything else, I've never "conned them" out of anything, never tried to "pull a fast one" over on them. I was so ticked I didn't even take my Brass off my truck. I left it there and took it down to my core buyer and asked if THEY buy brass- and imagine that- they DO ANNNND Pay .30 cents more a lb for it.

Sadly, I don't do thousands of lbs a month- so to run my cans 30 miles for an extra $2 maybe.. isn't worth it.. but being treated like this sure isn't going to fly either!

End Rant!

Wow, that's exactly how to lose a good customer who's been loyal for over 10 years. If the proprietor is speaking to you this way, he's probably doing something similar with other customers -- and losing them too.

Maybe that's why he never brings his prices back up. He sounds like a man who might be having some financial problems.

Sorry that happened to you. Don't take it to heart. You can always vote with your feet, as they say.

I agree FLimits. Someone who has been going to them for that long with nary an issue and NOW they are suspicious and weird about it?

It was also a rude way to talk to a customer like that who is in good standing.

Should have told him "I'm not the rode clown either" or do you remember me?, Iv'e bee here a time or two, do you think I need to do tricks?

I was also gonna say, Sounds like they may be having money problems. I know when the shop slows down, bossman gets real syressed and agitated easily. Never towards customers though, thats what this guy has a problem with by the sounds of it. Let him know how you feel. If it was me id say something like "Pardon me? I dont know what you have going on but I dont appreciate being talked to like this. You've known me for years and iv never tried to pull a fast one on you. If you'd like me to return id like a little more respect." Or something like that.

Boy I hear ya. I've been going to the same two yards since they both opened. The one manager kinda pushed me to get my 608 so I can process their fridges, ACs, and the like. NO problems. Suddenly, they are RAILING on me about being there almost 2 or 3 times a week basically be a non-paid employee. I get it, they get busy and the fridges back up. I get busy too when I have several units to process and my truck is in the shop and I can't move them. About a month ago they gave me the, "If you don't show up more often, we'll find someone else." Ok, not a problem, as long as I can still help or at least drop off units on them. Today a new development occurred. I drop off two fridges and they give me the eye and scrutinize to see if I processed them correctly. Then when I go to collect me check, they pick up the radio and call the manager and say, "WE still buying his metal?" Whoa, hold on. I asked what they meant by that and they brushed me off saying it was nothing and they weren't talking to me. I go to look at the fridge bin and it is picked clean. I hadn't been there in about 4 days. It should've been full. They will let anyone drop a fridge sans a compressor and a bunch of dirty rads when they clearly don't have a 608 and they come at me? How about when they drop the bin on its side and they mangle the units inside that are actually intact, and the lines break? Or when they "accidentally" start throwing complete units into the shred pile? I get many fridges from them I can't evac because they lack a compressor or all the lines busted.

This is why my business endeavors have exploded. My competition if you could call them that consists of fly by night scrappers and companies who's policy is to charge a monthly bill, show up every other month and cherry pick the things they take and leave the rest in the customer dumpster. Then there's the computer "recyclers" with drop off bins and sites all over the state who think it's ok to resell a computer that's ten years old to unsuspecting folk for a 150 bucks. But like anything, bad businesses tend to take fast dives to the wonderful place called bankruptcy. Best thing you can do is confront the owner or simply not give them your business. Also, let fellow scrappers know whats going on, there's a level of ignorance that develops when you frequent the same yard for years and years. Most scrappers have no idea in cases like these that the prices are 30% less than the next town over, creatures of habit we are.

That's one thing I like about this forum, there's enough scrappers in my area that if I get wind of a honey pot scrap yard I can give the place a shout out and it will make a difference.

I'd tell the guy to go do something to himself and then take my business else where, I'm not one to get pi$$ed off and be in an angry rage, I'm more silent then anything, I'd rather drive the extra mileage then deal with that dirt bag again.

If more people would talk with their wallets, yards that do this, an other businesses with ****ty customer service, would learn their lesson an you'd see it stop. It won't happen though.

Me? Treat me wrong, an I won't shop there again, nor will I recommend it. Goodwill by me has found this out. I send everyone an their brother to any other thrift store.

I've said it before...please a customer, an chances are they won't say a thing. Piss one off an you can take it to the bank, everyone they know will hear about it.

Sirscrapalot - Providing customer service is an art that is hardly mastered by companies.

I had a run in about a month ago at my local yard.

They don't pay for big stuff-my shred,ect. goes 40 miles away.

I have been selling copper, brass, aluminum,ect to these guys for a couple of years.

They only have 1 guy working the yard because it's a small place-not in a town just out in the county-they have an auto salvage yard at the same place.

Regular scrap yard guy got sick so they got one of the salvage guys to run the yard.

Now I dealt with this guy before and he's crabby at the best of times.

This time it's 30 mins before closing and I actually hauled a box for a truck to the auto salvage yard for free.

I go to the scrap side to get rid of my small stuff (all sorted and in buckets)

I back in the spot in front of the scale (where he always tells me to park)-he comes around the corner on the forklift and screams "GET THE F*** OUTTA MY WAY"!

So I keep my cool and drive away to cool off.

I came back 10 minutes later and pulled into a spot far from the scale and he drives up to me on the forklift and says "do you mind leaving we close in 20 minutes".

I told him he was pushing his luck but again I drive off (my temper got me in trouble when I was younger).

I went to the salvage yard and complained.

He got banned from working in the scrap yard again.

He also got suspended a few weeks later for getting into a problem with someone else.

Biggest thing is don't lose your cool-always another yard to sell stuff to.

Plus I discovered a new scrap yard right in town that pays 30-60 percent more for everything.

I am starting to hunt. I live in a small town and feel lucky there is a small yard there we have no other people who buy within about 15 miles from this yard. But since my core buyer seems to started buying things like my wire, electric motors, brass, and my copper/alum rads. I think it is only a matter of time that I'll convince them to buy everything else I scrap and then I can get a one stop shop- core parts and misc scrap items!

I just broke down a geothermal furnace and as I'm putting stuff in buckets I thought.. I'm not taking this to "XYZ" they don't deserve to make the profit on it! Yep I'm still that pi$$ed about it!

Ya know Sledge..if you wanted to be cruel, you could load up all those goodies in the other thread, visit this yard...then pull a..

"Oh yea, that's right..you all were a bunch of ___ ___ ___ last time I was here!" an turn around an walk away with all those goodies.

Ef'm if they can't take a joke. ;)

Sirscrapalot - Cruel..no, unusual yes.

An Update for all of you. I'm still FURIOUS about the way I was treated at my 10+ year yard.. Today I had my first significant run in of material-To the Core Buyer.. and I brought it all! Apparently the only thing my core buyer is NOT interested in.. is Aluminum cans. Other than that.. as they say "It's On Like Donkey Kong" And because of this situation I'm actually being paid BETTER.. and with much more hospitality!
Core Buyer Vs Old Yard Pricing:

Aluminum Cans: Core Buyer N/A Old Yard $0.40
Brass: Core Buyer $1.50 Old Yard $1.20
Clean #2 Wire: Core Buyer $1.00 Old Yard $0.70
Wiring Harness: Core Buyer $0.75 Old Yard $0.70
Clean #1 Copper: Core Buyer $2.50 Old Yard $2.10
Dirty #1 Copper: Core Buyer $2.25 Old Yard $1.90
Copper/Alum Rads: Core Buyer $1.00 Old Yard $1.10
Copper/Brass Rads: Core Buyer $1.75 Old Yard $1.20
Alum Rads: Core Buyer $0.35 Old Yard $0.25
Radiator Ends Copper: Core Buyer $0.50 Old Yard $0.20
Electric Motors: Core Buyer $0.20 Old Yard $0.10
Sheet Alum: Core Buyer $0.45 Old Yard $0.30

So basically, now the ONLY reason to ever go back to the old yard.. is to drop Aluminum Cans.. which is Ironic.. as that is where the hornet's nest got SMACKED in the first place!

Sledge, fill a trailer full of alum. cans and take them to Hoosier Metals in Ft.Wayne, they were .70 last week.
yellow brass - 1.60 lb
#2 clean copper - 2.35 lb

Warsaw yard ,,,Lewis Salvage
electric motors - .22 lb
alum. old sheet - .57 lb

Road Trip

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Sledge, fill a trailer full of alum. cans and take them to Hoosier Metals in Ft.Wayne, they were .72 last week.

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.72!?!?!
:-o
Haven't seen prices like that in so long I couldn't tell you when!
WOW!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sledge42

.72!?!?!
:-o
Haven't seen prices like that in so long I couldn't tell you when!
WOW!

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I stand corrected, they were .70 in Ft Wayne and .63 here in Warsaw. Sorry,,,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

I stand corrected, they were .70 in Ft Wayne and .63 here in Warsaw. Sorry,,,

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Uhh Still WAY better than .40!!!!
I have visions of Seinfeld when they were calculating the gas to drive a mailtruck of cans from NY to Michigan to get .10 a can on deposit! HA!

That's why I posted a few other prices to maybe make a better load than just cans. Let me know before your next load and I'll get you some up-to-date prices.


Cause that's just the kind of guy I am,,,

Go back to your old yard nd show them the difference

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hobo finds

Go back to your old yard nd show them the difference

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I know that they KNOW the difference. Like most places where we would take our scrap.. they have a buyer up the channel. Not too many of us can haul in a "Truckload" rate of anything.. so we bring our goodies to them, they buy and sell upstream.. I know their buyer.. in fact it is one of THE biggest yards around. Both the mom and pop and the upstream buyer have gotten a bit too big for their britches. I think they are making good bedfellows. Luckily, others have stepped in. One yard I favor has only popped up in the last 18 months or so and by word of mouth.. they are steamrolling.. so much so that when they went to buy property to gain land space.. Said Large buyer stepped in and used its clout in the city to put a stop to it. Afraid of the competition.

It comes down to GREED. If people bring him cans at .40, he loads a semi-truck and gets .80 from his upstream buyer. Then all of us that take our scrap there are the dummies. It has only gotten this way in about the past 6 months. I was thinking "Ahh he will have to bring prices up to stay competitive" But with being the only buyer of non-ferrous in a 30 mile radius.. the townies are bringing it too him out of convenience.. and in is creeping the greed. Why pay someone .20 cents a lb for an electric motor if we are all dumb enough to expect .10?

I see it from both sides. On my end I want to maximize my profit on everything I turn in.. the yard would like to pay as little as possible.. but in order to survive.. you have to have a delicate balance.. and as of right now. This yard owner is only cutting his own throat once more people figure out that making a 10 mile trip.. can net them in some cases, twice as much.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

That's why I posted a few other prices to maybe make a better load than just cans. Let me know before your next load and I'll get you some up-to-date prices.


Cause that's just the kind of guy I am,,,

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Awesome.. I'll work the math and see! Thanks man!

You can open your own yard and be the local competition. The business plan is start. Make it rich. Be a owner. Yes you can : )