Discussion of Copper Wire- Auto Wiring Harness!

[sledge]

So this starts off with a bit of a Rant. I need some fellow scrappers to chime in.
Recently we had a topic about Cat5, Cat5e, Cat 6 and RG's which I think we covered and addressed.

Today I have a new one. I'm fumed.. but I'm always ready to be "schooled" So here it goes:

I pull my wiring harness out of any junk vehicle.
This is how I have always been paid:

A. Graded "Wiring Harness" (Includes all ends, bulbs, tape, and flex-loom) = .75/lb
B. If I cut all the ends off and leave none of what I said- Meaning you have red and blue and whatever other color insulated wire- I have been paid for #2 Clean Copper Wire = $1.00/lb

So my latest trip to the buyer- I did just that- I brought in a bucket of "Harness" and a Bucket of "Clean #2"



The guy says "This harness is junk- it has all the plastic and ends" I stated- "there is still a bunch of wire in it" I'm not just clipping ends and turning in the ends. He said "I know what you are doing- you are cutting off as much goodies as you can and some of the other is going in as harness" I said "Doesn't that fit the criteria of Harness?- Tape, Flex Loom, ends, all connected to wiring?"

He told me I was cutting it close? WTF? Some of these literally had 1" diameter slugs of bundled wires going to connectors. And YES I'd be an idiot to not cut off the low hanging fruit of clean wire to get $1/lb vs .75/lb

So I even talked to the owner and apparently their upstream buyer now says that even if it is what has ALWAYS been graded CLEAN #2- that they will only pay my core buyer at "Communication Wire Rate"

So in a nutshell- if I leave all of it as it is pulled- I get .75- no hassle, no questions, no problem
If I CLEAN the harness wire- it is not #2 anymore- it is now "Communication wire" at .40/lb

I need thoughts on this one. Sounds like the upstream buyer is literally STEALING from anyone who feeds them!