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From a punter's point of view- there are good and bad garages too remember. I think that often, this nit-picking is their way of sounding you out, and also, some really haven't got a clue what to say or are nervous etc. so come out with random nonsense. Today's messer can be tomorrow's buyer (or next year's buyer). Just smile politely and move on is best I find if they're clearly not managing their expectations. As has been said: you do't 'have' to sell them the car as much as they don't 'have' to buy & it's always worth qualifying them to see if it's worth your while. I've found that if they're a pain before buying, then that's nothing to what they'll be like once they're in it! Most reading this will know that you'll work much harder to satisfy a buyer at the lower end of the price spectrum than at the mid-range (as it's likely to be all their money). We find that the Audi and VW buyers as well as small car buyers are often v. hard work too; so I adjust our stock profile accordingly where possible. P.S. We've tried a few WAV cars and yes, nice profit but have always taken eons to sell.

Surely it’s all about what you are good at and makes money.I know people who only do small hatchbacks for full money.Likewise there is a local guy and most of his stock are small convertibles under £8k.Someone else who only does A4/A6 Avants.The best one I know only sells ex Police dog vans,he has a big warehouse full of them.If you take a look at those who do wheelchair accessible stuff,you are talking serious profit margins.

Wow! and I thought I was a product knowledge geek in my VW days!

Hiya, Sorry for late reply, been sooooo busy this week. Yes N18 is a more reliable engine, however we will happily sell N14 car, but we check them meticulously beforehand. Its like anything, read the moaners forums and you'd never buy anything. We explain to each customer that the engines are common for oil consumption, keep an eye on it, keep it checked and serviced and you should be OK. Its when people hear a rattle and keep driving the thing for 2 months and then wonder why the chain snapped?? We got lucky this week with 2 2010 purchases from Scotland that we thought were N14's that turned out to be early N18's We walk away from more cars than we buy, because we are selective about what we sell, but we don't always get it right. I'm much more comfortable buying N14 now I have my own technician. I'm just doing a HPFP in an N14 JCW that would have cost me £1200 a year ago. Same job now, done in minutes for less than £400.

60/40 pre sale and 85/15 post sale. ...it's a numbers game! We try and wheedle out the iffy ones early on (I think MD world calls that 'qualifying'). Had one on a part ex banger today. £695 auto...genuinely a PROPER one owner car because otherwise it would be going to the scrap man. Wanted to conduct a £200 RAC inspection and get a further mechanic to inspect it after....clearly that's someone you move on. Oddly enough we find the bad credit customers to be no worse than any others proportionally. I think most of the public are a bit like me. If I buy something I want it to work and not be grief, which is fair enough. Sometimes the product goes wrong...it happens. Occasionally they're unreasonable despite seeming like a saint on handover. Nothing much you can do but most people are pretty OK overall.