Leaderboard

A bit frivolous, but just to show I don't only rant for a living... I've signed up two deals this morning - first car to a Mr & Mrs Lacey. Then one to a Mr Cagney. OK, so it was the wrong way round, but you get the idea. It got me thinking...have you sold a vehicle to someone with an 'interesting' name? As it happens, I have, in the dim distant past, sold cars to two people with totally fabulous, unforgettable names, but I'm going to save them till I've seen what you guys and gals can come up with. Anybody?

Just read the interview, to be fair to him he comes across as honest....but also a touch arrogant. Improving customer service is one thing but it seems AT have decided on their route and aren't changing their view. That's all well and good but his response to GG's 1st question (pointy shoes etc) makes me feel they have become a little one dimensional and have a team which are only allowed to think one way. I hope he isn't surrounding himself with yes men. Saying 'We have more experts in the business then you'll ever find on a single forecourt in the UK' show a lot of disrespect to small UK motor dealers. If he likes I can send Mr Mather my BCA account number, my debit card and the catalogue for the next BMW Open auction I will attend. Will be interesting to see an real world increase in profit and stock turn when he follows the data he is trying to sell us.

I use Warrantywise for my vehicles with a 3 month warranty put on every car at the screen price and then the option to extend at their cost to 6/12 months etc. I can certainly see the reasoning behind self insuring but if the customer is not local then you're automatically into more costs to either get the vehicle transported back to you or pay a higher labour rate for their local garage. The extension is an upsell with margin too so if they can be persuaded into this then it cuts into how much you're paying out for the initial 3 months as well as keeping them from your door many months later when, really, it's not our obligation to fix. I have been fortunate to have very few claims since I've been using them and only 1 unhappy customer, this was due mainly to the fact he refused to have the vehicle off the road for ANY time at all to be fixed so can't really blame them! In time with an in-house workshop I will certainly self warrant as the costs then become minimal with the labour cost being absorbed internally, until then I think it just pays to prep the cars as well as is possible to save dramas.

I've never been asked to do that so the answer is no. Every car sold goes out with a full ticket, service (including cambelt if required) and PDI so they go out as right as I can get them. I've made about four claims, one of which was not paid out on or not covered (a faulty instrument gauge) whilst the others have been relatively straight forward, although I may have had to tell a small porkie pie when I was claiming for an EGR valve when I said the fault with it was electrical (covered) as opposed to mechanical (not covered due to wear and tear). I take the points on here made by Max and Umesh and in the majority of cases I do self warrant, but no doubt that offering these extended warranties is helping me shift cars, especially when the customer is not local which can be a can of worms if you are distance selling with in house warranties.

Sadly some good some not so good ! Previous experience with some them they try to get out of paying for anything - even when genuine claims for failure and NOT wear & tear. Had good experience with a couple of the companies but they wanted more volume - understandable but from the outset I told them the possible numbers of possible up sell etc , so decided probably about 10 years ago not to use anyone , I prep my cars to a very high standard anyway so never had any big claims anyway but tell customers its 3 months /3000 miles mechanical & electrical breakdown warranty [ Explain what's covered & not and why ] Never had issues with customers and some who wanted 12 months warranty - told them unable to sell extended to them but they could always buy it on line but I cannot recommend any companies simply they should do their homework. The very odd customer who's been very insisting wanting 12 months I've knocked couple of hundred quid off to close the deal and told them same - buy on line and dealt them Looking at the money I've paid out on claims in the last 10 years - and how much I've saved - I'll continue to stand by my cars myself.

sold a van to johnny depp via a film company to be converted for his personal DJ, didn't believe the man until the official order came through and had to deliver it to shepperton studios