Leaderboard

Ha Ha ‘ So you are over 80,don’t worry it’s only a pandemic ‘

We have had more cancellations this week than the whole year to date. From the e-mails we get from dealers there seem to be a few more stock cars “appearing”. I was talking with someone high up in a rental company and they are getting rental cancellations across the board, corporate clients not traveling, tourists not coming etc to the point they think they will need to start selling off the excess vehicles.

£200 to prep a grade 5? Jeeze I'm doing something seriously wrong

Because the rogues/driveway/cash traders aren't paying a penny of tax on their margins like the rest of us do.

No but I’m starting to wonder if he’s still on here!

Every cloud has a silver lining - perhaps I might have a fortnight away this year instead of a week. Funnily enough on a similar vein have you ever tried explaining to a punter that when times are hard car prices rise? It sounds counter-intuitive because they think; lack of customers = buyers market. I then tried to educate this chap in the laws of supply & demand; lack of customers = lack of cars (poor supply). I wish I’d not wasted my breath because he then educated me in the fact the local travel agents are screaming for his business. I knew at this point I’d backed a loser & politely sent him on his way to book 10 days in Benidorm. Quite how a self catering holiday in that shithole gets you to work when your current car is fucked is beyond me but that’s his business.

Brexit hasn't really happened yet and this virus hasn't properly arrived in the UK yet. Its arrived in Italy though and already over 460 people have died in the last few days. Its NOT flu, its about ten times more deadly than flu. Hence the travel restrictions in Italy. Anyone who runs a real business (i.e. not a kerbside/backyard trader) should take the threat seriously and plan for a lean few months. Hopefully it won't hit as hard as some expect, but in business its best to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

I have been through secondary banking crisis ( causing minimum 40% deposits ) ,2 long miners strikes,( one causing an energy crisis and 3 day working week or be fined ),quadrupling of oil price crisis ( restricting finance up to 2 litres,petrol ration books issued ),the Falklands crisis and aftermath,Black Friday stock market crash,ERM crisis ( where basic variable rate mortgages went to 15%,yes 15%),Desert Storm,9/11,sub prime mortgage crisis ( when the banks went skint) and others I have forgotten about.All of these have effected our trade and caused many dealers to take financial hits to keep going.Indications by medical and finance experts speaking on CNBC today fear this crisis could be worse......I certainly hope not.....cash is king,used car dealers should not expect any financial assistance which may be offered to other businesses.

I think people brushing this off as 'no different than flu' are pretty damn ignorant - the only reason the current numbers in China are as they are is because their reaction has been so extreme - so far from the current government we've seen very little action; like allowing passengers on flights from the far-east, Italy and Iran etc through unchecked. We're about 10-14 days behind Italy. Dismissing this is probably as stupid as suggesting Brexit is going to be a bed of roses.

That will be 92 buyers who thought they could get a cheap bargain but then realised what 'sold as seen' really means? I'm happy for BCA/Manheim to get lots of negative reviews, it helps scare off the amateurs!