Gardner Metal Recycling - Recycling Center in Austin, TX

REALLY inexperienced personnel and TERRIBLE customer service. I’ve come here many times and experienced small stupid issues or small stupid remarks and today was the last time. I come with a 5’x8’ trailer with aluminum/copper coils (I do HVAC full time and as you imagine living in Texas I have side jobs.) I come into way and it was like coming into a check point! Answering 1000 questions about where I got my coils after explaining in a foreman for a HVAC company and these are months of collecting and prepping to get the most I can. He then proceeds to tell me they don’t take washers because he believes to be something inside. I asked what and he told me “Freon”…. That’s right folks. Freon in a washer…… I said whatever to it and began unloading everything I then go to weigh out and a guy that was texting on his phone while operating machinery decided he needed to get off and go before me causing confusion at what is presumed to be mine even though I’m paying attention. I weigh out and turn around to take the coils that are in question. They unload them from my vehicle take them to the scale set it down and all the sudden I can’t take my coils here without a HVAC license. I told them load it all up and he asked me if I still wanted to take the money for the scrap. I told him I’m more interested in speaking to someone in charge. I explained everything to him and of course as you can guess he agreed that they do take washers and there’s no Freon in washers. Crazy right? Who knew? He also said if I had a HVAC license they would take it. I said I come here all the time. I bring buckets and trash cans of copper you guys say nothing. But his reply is this is too many. I told him so you’ll take 1 or 2 but not this? And he said yes and I replied to him with I’ve spent months prepping this stuff. It doesn’t make sense financially or timely to do that for $5. It makes sense to have a truck load. He agreed. I call 4 other scrap yards in the area and they have no problem. After wasting gas and valuable time that I won’t get back I think I’ll never go back there again. I suggest you do the same.

They rip you off in price they give you they tell you over the phone what they’re gonna give you and then they deny that they said that I would recommend these guys. It’s better to throw the crap away than be lied to.

Drive around to where the parking signs are in the back. Everyone here was pretty awesome and helpful. Glad I came here! Make sure you get there before 4:30 pm.