Alter Metal Recycling - Bloomington at 501 E Stewart St, Bloomington, IL 61701

Quick and painless—got in, got out, no drama. The staff actually knew what they were doing and didn’t make me feel like I was wasting their time. No weird runaround, just straightforward help. Wouldn’t say it was the most exciting trip, but it worked. ---

The forklift driver here acted like I was in his way when I was clearly next in line. I pulled forward for two seconds to get out of his path, and he immediately started yelling at me like I’d committed a crime. When I called him out for being rude—since I’m a customer, not his employee—another guy who barely spoke English tried to back him up. Nobody bothered to just say, “Hey, wait your turn.” Instead, I got screamed at and treated like garbage. If I could leave half a star, I would. ---

I brought in 300 pounds of steel excavator teeth, and the woman in the office swore they were cast iron. I told her she was wrong—these things dig into rock and don’t crumble like cast iron would—but she wouldn’t listen. I’ve been coming here for years, and this is the first time I’ve had someone argue with me over something this basic. Do your research before you try to lowball customers. It’s frustrating when the person at the counter doesn’t even know what they’re talking about. ---

Honestly, I try to never step foot in this place if I can help it. This time, I had to wait while four different employees fumbled around for 20 minutes just to get the computer to spit out a payment ticket. Then, when I went to the ATM to get my money, it wouldn’t give me change—so they basically steal whatever’s less than 50 cents. And let’s not forget, they already pay the lowest rates in central Illinois. Every other scrap yard around here just hands you cash upfront, no hassle. But here? It’s like pulling teeth with extra steps. ---

I keep giving them a shot because they’re local, but I’m done. Their prices are always the cheapest, sure, but the only person who acts like a human is the woman inside. The rest? They’ll charge you whatever they feel like—like slapping a shredder-tin price on a perfectly good electric motor when they’ve got actual motor prices listed. I’ve tried to be loyal, but after this many times, I’m telling anyone who’ll listen: skip this place. Mullins in Kincaid or Big Daddy’s in Kankakee will actually pay you fairly for your time. Not worth the headache.

Every time I’ve come here, the staff has been friendly and actually helpful. No attitude, no hassle—just straightforward service. That’s all you can ask for in a place like this. ---

They changed their policy to pay nothing for appliances with refrigerant, even when it’s been recovered properly. But sure, they’ll happily take them as a “donation.” It’s a scam, plain and simple, and I’m done giving them my business. There are other places that won’t treat customers like this. ---

I showed up expecting 8–9 cents a pound for my metal, but they gave me 5.5 instead. On top of that, the woman at the desk acted annoyed because I came in right before closing. Not a great way to do business, and I won’t be back.