Old vans aren't a problem. They're our specialty.
Twelve, fifteen, twenty years on the clock. Sat on the drive since the head gasket went. Enter your reg, we'll price it where the cash-buyers won't.
UK's Most Trusted Online Car Buyer
Part of the Car.co.uk group
Car.co.uk reviews. #1 on Trustpilot by TrustScore among major national UK online car-buying services. As of 13th March 2026.
Quote to cash in 24 hours.
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01Instant price
Enter your reg and postcode. We'll have an offer back to you in seconds, no back-and-forth.
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02Choose your slot
Pick a collection date and time that suits you. We work around your schedule, not ours.
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03We collect free
Our driver comes to you. Free collection across the UK, no hidden charges.
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04Paid on the day
Cash lands in your account before the truck leaves. Same-day bank transfer, guaranteed.
What our customers say
“Great quote, over £100 more than other competitors. Simple online process, van collected soon after, money straight in the bank. Recovery driver very helpful with my non runner van that wasn't in the easiest position to take away. Highly recommend.”
Matthew Rollins
“From start to finish the transaction was impeccable. The best price I could find for my vehicle and money in my bank before it left my street.”
Dave
“Hassle free, book a day, show them your ID on collection, money in the bank straight away. Don't have to drop your van off and walk home, these guys collect from where you want. Simple.”
Bryan Wilkes
“Does exactly what it says on the tin. No haggling over price, no stress, just a straightforward hassle free process. All done in 10 mins. Excellent service.”
Robert Marshall
“Instant quote, higher than competitors and collected the van next day with payment received even before the van drove off. After being robbed off by competitors I was very impressed.”
Richard Parry
“Came back immediately with a very good offer. Van was collected and money was in my bank account within 2 hours. Amazing. Brilliant. Excellent service.”
Loretta
All reviews from Car.co.uk on Trustpilot — the same service that powers Vansold.
Why old vans get a bad valuation everywhere else
The instant-cash sites use a model trained on auction data, vans that retail. Once a van is past retail age, that model breaks and you get a £50 quote, or no quote at all. Forecourts won't even take them in part-exchange. Result: people give up and the van rots on the drive.
Vansold prices on a different basis. The salvage and scrap network behind us doesn't care about retail, it cares about parts and metal. Working engine, sound gearbox, intact body panels, decent EGR valve, usable wheels. All of that has a buyer. So old vans usually get a sensible number out of us.
What to expect by age bracket
8–12 years old
Usually still in the used/salvage borderline. If it's running and has a reasonable MOT, trade buyers may still be in the mix. Salvage values are strong, parts demand for this generation is at peak.
12–15 years old
Firmly in salvage territory for most makes. Components from this era are in high demand because they're still in use by independent garages and fleet operators. Our offer reflects that active market.
15+ years old
We price on a combination of parts value and scrap metal weight. The catalytic converter alone can be worth £100–£300 depending on the engine. Older vans with working engines get an above-scrap offer almost every time.
ULEZ, age, and what it actually means for your price
A pre-2016 diesel van that can't enter a Clean Air Zone without a daily charge is a harder sell in the used market, but that's a used-market problem. The salvage network doesn't operate those vans; it breaks them. So the ULEZ discount that a dealer would apply doesn't apply at our end. If you're in London or Birmingham and assuming your old van is worth nothing because of the emissions rules, enter the reg anyway, the number might surprise you.
For more on how ULEZ affects van values, see our ULEZ guide for van sellers.
If it hasn't moved in a while
Vans that have been stood, flat tyres, flat battery, seized brakes, are a routine collection for us. Our recovery partners load non-runners as standard; you don't need to get it to the road. Corrosion from standing is the thing that reduces offers, not the fact that it doesn't start. If the body and frame are solid, the mechanical issues are secondary.
Old vans, common questions
Will you buy a van that's 15 years old?
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Yes. Older vans are exactly our zone. The instant-cash sites either won't quote you or quote scrap, we run both calculations and quote the higher one.
What about ULEZ-non-compliant vans?
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Older diesels that can't enter London ULEZ are surprisingly easy for us to price, there's strong demand outside the major cities and from the salvage parts trade. Enter your reg for the number.
My van's been on the drive for two years, does that matter?
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Sat-still vans are a Vansold speciality. We don't need it driven anywhere, collection is from the address you enter, even if it won't start.
Will a missing service history hurt my offer on an old van?
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Less than you'd think. On a van over 10 years old, salvage buyers are pricing components, not history. A clean engine and intact body panels matter more than a full stamp book.
Is there a minimum year you'll buy?
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No hard cutoff. We've priced 2003 Transits and 2001 Sprinters this year. Below a certain age it's effectively scrap weight plus catalyst value, but that's still a real number, often better than you'd expect.
What if the van is in a different name?
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We need to deal with the registered keeper or someone with their authority. If the van is in a deceased relative's name, call us before starting the form, there's a process for that.