TikToker Justine Griswold (@jgrizzyyy) wants you to return your own car battery. That’s because, previously unbeknownst to her, doing so means that you’re going to get some cash back.
However, some folks don’t know this. This means that they may jump at the opportunity to allow someone posing as a good Samaritan to secure this cash. She shared this bit of advice in a PSA.
Do it yourself
Griswold adds in a caption for her post: “Things a girly like me wouldn’t know.” Furthermore, she wrote in the caption, “Ladies return your own car batteries! Get your money!”
“This is a PSA to all my ladies. If a man offers to return your car battery for you, return it yourself,” she advises. “Because I almost let a man return my old battery for me. Not knowing that I was gonna get $18 back.”
She continues, I’m glad that I returned it myself. Because, where’s that $18 gonna go? That was gonna be his tipp for returning it for me? No!”
Prices vary
It seems that depending on which store you bring your battery back to, the amount of cash back you receive is different. For instance, Battery Skills writes that AutoZone customers will get $10 back in store credit for these returns. This credit can be appended to the purchase of a new battery.
“All you need to do is bring your old battery to an AutoZone store near you. Once you drop off your old battery, you will receive a $10 gift card as part of AutoZone’s Pay to Recycle Program.”
Furthermore, the outlet writes that these battery recycling programs are helpful for the environment. That’s because they “contain lead and acid, which can be harmful” to mother nature. During the recycling process, this lead and acid is “removed, and the plastic and metal are turned into new products.”
So, you’re ultimately being reward for being eco-friendly when you turn your old car batteries in. The Battery Genie also listed several other benefits of recycling these products. Doing so “creates more jobs” and “contributes innovative solutions” in addition to mitigating pollution.
Moreover, the outlet states that old batteries can be fire hazards due to their components. If a battery does indeed catch fire, it can release harmful toxins into the air that can harm humans and wildlife. Additionally, if these batteries somehow end up in fresh or ocean water ecosystems, fish and other animals can be harmed as a result.
Also, if freshwater has batteries dumped in it, it can render that water to be undrinkable, posing a greater threat to living organisms.
Core+
However, when purchasing a car battery, some consumers may be hit with an additional charge. Aisle of Shame writes that Walmart is one such retailer that slaps a $10 “core” refund charge. This is considered a refundable deposit on car batteries that may prompt some buyers to return their car batteries.
So the “refund” that they’re getting is actually a $10 deposit the chain is charging buyers to promote battery recycling. However, the outlet writes that Walmart needs to engage in this practice for legal purposes.
“In reality, the core charge is a recycling fee legally required for the sale of car batteries. These recycling fees and deposit refund programs help encourage people to properly dispose of old car batteries by returning them to retailers or manufacturers who can dispose of them for you,” it writes.
RV and Playa also wrote about Walmart’s battery recycling program. However, the website says the fee patrons get from bringing batteries in is around $12, not $10. The outlet also referenced the store’s “core” charge, but states the retailer isn’t a good place to sell old car batteries. These recycling fees only really apply when you’re buying a new battery to replace an old one.
Where to sell
According to the site, folks can indeed sell old car batteries to different places to make some extra cash. If your battery is dead and doesn’t work, taking them to metal recycling centers is a good place to start. These locations will give you some cash for your batteries, as their components can be utilized for other products. Additionally, you can get a “scrap price” for them at a junkyard.
And if the battery does work, bringing them to auto mechanics and pawn shops could net you some money. Furthermore you could always go the online retail route, like Facebook Marketplace or eBay, RV and Playa recommends.
@jgrizzyyy Things a girly like me wouldn’t know
♬ original sound – Justine Griswold
Viewers aren’t too concerned
Some people expressed that they weren’t too upset about a man recycling their car battery for them.
“My dad returned my battery for me…but in his defense he bought it for me,” one wrote.
While another person said they were cool with their significant other returning their car battery. “I let my man return the battery (he paid for the new one lol),” they said.
Others penned sarcastic remarks, like this one user who said, “Well duh that’s the tip.”
Another echoed this, writing, “that’s your tax for wanting help carrying it.”
But there was another who wrote that they’ve “never gotten a dime from old batteries.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Griswold via Instagram direct message for further information.
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