LISL

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Posts posted by LISL

  2. Posted

    What's happened?! Lol

    I'll start off; been a quiet start, hoping it takes off going into the second half; 8 on the board so far. What's welcome is we've been able to buy some decent stock at decent prices. Have also kicked off our workshop which is off site but a stones throw away, so will hopefully bring our prep costs down. 

    How's everyone else doing? 

  3. Posted

    No appointments here. At all. It's walk-in as there's always someone on site, if you call up and ask if it's in stock and it is, we'll say it is, but if you leave it a day or two to pop down and it's sold, it's sold. We've had some negative feedback on this over the years, but falls by the wayside. 

    When I started up however, it was me on my tod and I did it exactly like Mat. 

  5. Posted

    Is Mexico a haunt for dealers? I'm at the moon palace right now and have parked my backside on a sunlounger for the last 6 days, back Sunday. I'm not a one man band so can't help with that, but have also met an acquaintance I used to see down the block, and he's here with another 6 of his golf buddies who are also in the trade! 

  7. Posted

    29 minutes ago, Mat C said:

    He's a private billy, so no VAT, I reckon he'll deal at £16k but i'm not sure my balls are that big, and after ( 20 mins ) of research, it turns out the T26 is a little light for the conversion in terms of payload etc.....

    Not sure what it books at as I'm abroad atm (how sad am I) but £16k is very strong even for retail. I was thinking a lot less!

  10. Posted

    6 minutes ago, sparky said:

    Cocktail night last night and I've got the mother of all hangovers. Wasn't planning on coming in but someone rang up on a car and sounded keen as mustard, prepared to drive 80 miles to get here so I made the effort to come in. They arrive on time, but don't like the colour. I know, please don't say anything. Then the phone goes and it's 247 asking if a 7 seater is still for sale, happy days. Well it was until i found out he owes £3000 on his £700 swapper so that's that. My head is pounding, I've missed the start of the grand prix and I'm now waiting for my 2.15 to turn up on a van. The way today is going I'm expecting him to say he wasn't aware there was VAT on it, or it's the wrong shade of white etc etc. If it's a hat trick, then the cat better hide.

    Feel your pain, it was the enemy's friend's 30th yesterday so went out. Realised I'm not 21 anymore, wounded! :wacko:

  11. Posted

    Tbh MrC I completely get where you're coming from, some people are out there and if you give them an inch they'll try to take a mile. I used to get monumentally pissed when I had these but as times gone on I just boil it down to whether it's worth my time or not. 

    If the customer has already had it repaired I would personally offer to half the bill (provided it was a realistic price) just to get them off my back and keep some goodwill there. I had a customer a few months back that bought an M3 and a fortnight ago called me up that his battery went flat. He had it changed and "told" me it was only right I paid it. I spoke to him once and could see it becoming an issue so offered him £50 goodwill (battery was £165) and an Amazon voucher of £50 (buy them in bulk) and he was happy. His brother came in last week and bought a Q5. 

    I think, no matter what stock you have or trade you'll always have chancers, but I personally will go a little bit further than most for peace of mind and to keep my name positive. 

    The car looks good and is bloody low mileage for a vehicle that age so it seems like the customer could just be angling for something, try something unconventional and you could be pleasantly surprised. 

    Rish

  12. Posted

    Rory, one of the ones I had yesterday was an 2015 A5 but had a 13 plate Cooper to chop. Was a bit scruffy I won't lie, probably about £500 prep but ridiculously low mileage at 14k. White, all mod cons and auto. WBAC offered her 6k and Audi offered 6300! All it took was me top that by 250 and a smile and it was a done deal. 

    Used to hate taking in part exchanges before, but since we've opened our bodyshop and mechanic off site I've become a lot more confident. Have told the sales guys to still price the same way but not to let it be a deal killer. Improved our margin by a fair whack

  13. Posted

    Absolutely manic here, first week was ok, last week was pants and then Friday and yesterday we've done 9 units, all on finance, all came through as walk ins and actually seemed like decent people. Problem is now the pitch is looking very bare; had the boys ready to collect some private purchases tomorrow to which I've had to move to today. 

    I will never understand this game 

  14. Posted

    Great post OP, and all the best in your endeavours. We're here to help, and it seems like you're going the right way about it. You'll come out the other side, and yes you will have some battle scars but that'll be the best dealer school you'll ever go to. 

    If possible, try and keep this thread alive or start up a blog. I wish I'd have done that as a sort of diary when I was starting up, i reckon it would make fascinating reading. 

    All the best. Rish

  16. Posted

    4 hours ago, MrC said:

    It is a really straight clean thing, 1.4 Sporting with lots of toys. I actually sold it the other week for £1500 but when the guy came back to collect he changed his mind and took a 207cc I had just taken it. 

     

    Was going go say, it seems very cheap. But chalk it down to the weather, makes them all go crazy. 

  17. Posted

    3 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

    Seems to be quite a bit of arguing type posts on here of late with some really childish stuff going on.

    I like this board, I have learned loads, contributed and helped lots of others wanting nothing in return and actually made some good contacts who I have met off the board , or speak to regularly who I would class as friends. 

    Some people :blink: consider the motor trade stressful and its really nice to be able to chat and keep it light hearted with other dealers and share the highs and lows or ask for advice. Lets keep it friendly.

     

     

    Hear hear! 

  18. Posted

    7 hours ago, andymc1973 said:

    yup most of them seem to be on "can't pay we'll take it away", the kudos is the limited company aspect and popping said ltd company as soon as it goes tits up

    Funny you mentioned that as I saw an episode recently of a firm in Birmingham that looked to be selling premium kit, nothing less than about £25k and had a writ of £6k being enforced on them. Instead of acting like businessmen, they called their girlfriends like a bunch of petulant kids until the police were called and, after the threat of arrest, paid. Really grinds my teeth as they honestly don't give a monkeys

  19. Posted

    I think it'll be along the lines of the carwow concept. Amazon is an online seller yes and even though they have some of the deepest pockets known to man, they'd rather use their digital prowess and let the manufacturers and dealers sell, and just make a little drink off the top.

    Was speaking to a Ford main dealer who buy stuff off, he told me they sell 50 cars a month through carwow and pay them roughly £400 commission, for just getting the lead. Amazon will probably do something of the like and clean up

    But then again I could be wrong, it's been known (just ask the wife)

  20. Posted

    2 hours ago, SAPFO said:

    Brum. There is s stretch of the A38 in North Brum that is full of main dealers, along with sub maybe 5 3/4k plots. I noticed most of them closed at the same time a few years back, which at the time was weird, but now I believe that must have been the effect of the CRA2015 right? Some of these plots are now filling up again, but most being Asian now. One I saw and thought I'd love that plot has now been taken over by a Romanian carwash.

     

    Lot of Asian boys up in Birmingham that are involved with the industry in some shape. Don't really sit well with me as they pop up every few years under a different Ltd company name. 

    As someone of Indian origin I really don't see the kudos about this industry, what turned me was the sheepskin coats and the fat white marker pens.... 

  21. Posted

    22 minutes ago, SAPFO said:

    I know it ain't all rosy. And I wouldn't be in it to make a fortune. Just a steady living being my own boss, or to top up the pension pot moving a couple per month, maybe higher vaue. 

     

    Where would you say the cut off in price is for a home trader?

    Out of curiousity, where are you based? 

  25. Posted

    35 minutes ago, Phil H said:

    all used to be leased from Lex, but now bca own the remarketing side of Lex it wouldn't surprise me if they re register them and put them through as Lex vehicles so they make better money as a lot of buyers were put off buying them due to the hassle.

    I remember there's that form you had to fill in, a right PITA in my opinion. I didn't know BCA bought Lex remarketing but you learn something new. 

    A friend of the enemy's was telling me how she got her car which was on a BMW lease collected the other day (end of life). Had a quick butchers at the paperwork and it was all on BCA letterheads. They picked up the car and shipped it to Belle Vue, so will go straight through to auction. Saves a lot of time when you think about it, but also makes you realise that BCA is becoming the AT of the remarketing World....