The price per kilo you’re offered only tells half the story — the weight your material is actually recorded at matters just as much, and it’s an area where sellers can lose out without realising it.
Why weight disputes happen
Unless you have your own accurate scale, you’re relying entirely on the buyer’s weighbridge or scale reading at the point of sale. Without any independent record, there’s no way to check whether that figure is accurate — you simply have to trust it.
Getting a rough estimate yourself
For smaller loads, a standard set of bathroom or luggage scales gives you a reasonable ballpark — not commercial-grade accuracy, but enough to sense-check a buyer’s figure and flag anything that seems significantly off.
For larger or regular volumes
If you’re generating scrap regularly, it may be worth the buyer or yourself using a proper platform scale for bigger loads — the accuracy difference matters more as the value of the load increases.
What to ask for at the point of sale
- See the weight reading yourself, rather than being told a number after the fact
- Ask for a photo or printed ticket showing the weight, if one is available
- Query anything that seems inconsistent with your own rough estimate before agreeing to the final price
Why a digital record matters
A weight that’s confirmed and recorded — ideally with a photo, timestamp, or digital log — gives both sides something to refer back to if a question comes up later. A verbal figure, given with no supporting record, leaves you with nothing to check it against.
How this works on ScrapBays
Weight confirmation happens as part of completing a transaction on the platform, with a photo requirement at the point of collection — creating exactly the kind of record that protects both buyer and seller if a question ever comes up.
Are you a merchant selling serious tonnage a month? Sell with a transparent, recorded weight every time. See how it works on ScrapBays →