Mojo121

Suppose the old adage of it's at an auction for a reason applies here.

We have a roadside pitch. While walkins are no where near the majority of sales it does offer a nice pick me up from time to time. The sweetest sales are the unexpected ones and as people said you can get a little more. What’s best though is that we often sell the ‘undesirable’ cars we’ve had no interest online for to walk in customers. With a pitch the size you say it should generate a couple a month.

I have this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLARKE-HEAVY-DUTY-CAR-BATTERY-JUMP-START-4000/401427234222?epid=1205264608&hash=item5d76ed7dae:g:UCkAAOSwqYhZ3IvJ Will start a tank (p38 4.4 V8 RR). Charge lasts for ages. A bit heavy. Worth every penny.

Guy calls me this morning while at auction. Do I still have a silver Astra estate with a rubbish Fiat engine? (Yes, I bloody well do, had it a million years) I mean, absolutely sir! Can I come over this afternoon? (he's keen!) Yes. Great. 2pm? 2pm it is. Chap turns up just gone 2. Firm enough hand shake but has all the demeanour of someone terribly picked on at school. Alarm bells went when his wife remained in the car. Air raid sirens rang when I heard him start and stop the car 6 times. Nuclear holocaust when he held the revs at red line for at least 5 seconds. "Is everything okay?". "Very good, may I test drive?" .... oooo, Mojo, you're onto a winner here. Side note: first test driver ever to take his Sat Nav... "just incase" He comes back, talks with his wife who remains in the car annnnnddd "Hmm, well, it's got a few things wrong so I think I'll leave it" "Such as? I don't mean to doubt you but I drove the car before you arrived because you had quite a journey so I didn't want to waste your time and I didn't notice any issues aside the air con needing a regas" "That's one thing, the clutch seems high (it isn't) the 3rd gear synchro is noisey (utter bollocks) and there's some noise of the front suspension and (...)(that's a pause) well, the thing is I'm buying it for my daughter in law and I've been looking for several months, if it was for me I'd have bought it........ blah blah blah" DO ONE YOU TIME WASTING BOLLOCKLESS DIRECTIONLESS EXCUSE MAKING CAR REVVING STOP START PILLOCK!

I've been looking at this too. Out of 19 cars sold in Sep 4 were diesel. 15 in Aug, 4 were diesel. the story continues. I think it's affected different groups of buyers differently. Anyone from Eastern Europe doesn't give a monkeys and still continues to buy diesels but it's the natives it seems to have affected - those that read the papers and listen to the news and take it as gospel. We just have to wait until their common sense prevails or they forget...

Yup. Business plan: Call yourself Quality Motors... go to BCA/ Manheim... listen to people moan... moan a bit yourself... buy some cars... fix some cars... advertise some cars... moan some more... give 3 months outsourced warranty... every car checked thoroughly... satisfaction guaranteed... excellent reputation... many happy customers

Here's what I think about the car trade, at the lower end of things (small dealer 30 odd cars): You'll never become rich in a sense you won't have wealth that people envy and you won't make the big money. I live comfort and security, so I don't care for flash things. What you will have is nice food in the fridge, a nice car to drive around in, a holiday a year and a little cushion to fall back on if things go a bit slow. I certainly don't love it. It's fun at times but lacks real challenge, it's challenging in a sense of running around trying to buy things but that isn't massively mentally stimulating. The same with some customers- they're irritating, wrong kind of challenge. For me, this country is competitive in every market at the moment so until I see a decent opportunity elsewhere this will do... most importantly I'm still learning!

I thought the DPF check is a visual thing - many are just gutted. Providing the DPF looks like it's there and you slap a new MOT on it (passing emissions) surely it's not your problem?

Bought a Zafira yesterday with two cheapo tyres on it, both deformed. The mechanic was switched on enough to realise when I told him it "wasn't like a normal bearing noise" As for sales it's picked up a bit this end of the month but every deal seems hard fought.

Well done on setting it up! Get it advertised and get some traffic and you could monetise it in a massive way.

This is a real bug bear of mine. A bloody key. On it's own. Without a fob. Is not a main key. How dare it masquerade as one? It pisses me off because being the tight arsed scared buyer that I am it means on top of looking under the bonnet, shaking the steering, making sure the electric windows work, checking the bodywork for knocks, asking the driver to rev it, seeing how the clutch is and making sure the underneath isn't pissing out black stuff I have to make sure I haven't got the one key left after the cocker spaniel has had the others and most of the remaining for breakfast... and they call US crooks. In my case: You vent and breath.

Hmm. I got some sick advice fam. Every whip needs one of these. +80hp: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dude-I-Almost-Had-You-Paul-Walker-The-Fast-and-Furious-Car-Decal-Vinyl-Sticker-/141969734502?epid=1689187708&hash=item210e0e3b66:g:tvoAAOSw3mpXHE7V Man needs to know when u'v arrived. Try dis: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RED-CHERRY-BOMB-UNIVERSAL-TAIL-BOMB-TAILPIPE-ROUND-REAR-EXHAUST-PIPE-BACK-BOX-/310394700216?hash=item4844f741b8:m:mC3lcahI6e_3yj8McP5f_DQ Basic rims are for batty boys. Your boy can hook you up:

74 million to 60 million is about 18% of a drop. You're right it'll recover for the last year it's traded mostly above 30. Buy low, sell high!

Good luck to you! Your stock should be fun to hoon around in on weekends... what would you retail the 530 for?

My bad, 2014. That's what I said to him, but he searched high and low for it. I think it cost him £22k private. Pricing is right. It's much more difficult than even a year ago. I don't think there's a solution to be found from anything dealers can do. Probably it's just a wider issue of people's education around money and poor incomes.

I mean, it’s in nice order, but HOW MUCH? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F272886425459

That’s terrible! How long were you quiet for before you had to give it up? How much is the Meriva it’s the only one I’d know where to price? A friend of mine bought one of these recently - 2011, pan roof, all the goodies on it - mint example. Took it to VW because he needed the Nav updating or something and they offered him £23,500. I think demand is quite high for them. It’s not my market so I don’t really know what they’re worth

There are few serious characters out there, it's much about pulling the wheat from the chaff. Van buyer this morning, messaged me last night through Facebook, turned up, looked around, asked to drive it, asked me if I had any interest in his px (215k Transit, no MOT), I offered him £100, he said no and then paid the full balance of my van and he's taking it away today. A breath of fresh air to be honest and from Facebook of ALL places! A trader I spoke to last night thinks it'll be slow like this through to late Jan.

Wow. Absolute steal! Damn... three hours away

Maybe. If they are sure and you're happy to cough up what they're asking money wise do a 'full and final settlement' email. You can't be responsible for more cost in the event of poor diagnosis!

Maybe... saying that we had that one in nearly 2 months. Another dealer told me they were a bit of a kiss of death, but he says that about everything!

JUST SOLD A MEGANE CONVERTIBLE! IN THE RAIN!

Very helpful post, Tradex. Cheers. I think I've fallen into the camp of boiling over my brain. You're very right. I feel like more and more we're living in a world of ego and of too much concern about how others perceive us. Gone are the days of a bargain but proven older machine. People would rather incur the monthly tax and supposed security of a new car. I had a friend say to me the other day that "they brought in PCP to help people have a way to buy a new car". I said, apart from him sounding like a marketing person that like every new way of buying something it wasn't introduced to 'help' anyone (in the charitable kind sense); it's there to make more money!

Used to be a nice garage that. I think the original owners went belly up and last time I passed it saw the new owners parked outside in a white RR Sport... I guess car sales isn't their primary source of income. Btw. I'm still dead. 1 phone call off eBay all month. Page views down. What a load of shite. 3 sales all month. We'd normally be at 8-10 by now. Has the Christmas ad come on telly or something? AND NOTHING BUT BLOODY NO SHOW-ERS!

The XF's will be next on Jag's list of rot boxes, some are looking very suspect already...