trade vet

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Posts posted by trade vet

  2. Posted

    18 hours ago, It's me said:

    most modern stuff doesn't have a spare wheel but a compressor and a tin of goo, 9/10 the goo is as much use as a haircut was on telly savalas, often the tyre is a mess before you realise its flat

    I reckon 80% are now too lazy and too busy busy to want to swap their own tyres out anyway

    ping pinga new massage has just arrived for them as they pose with flat tyre

    Kojak nice one,he would be ideal for the Met right now………Who loves ya baby. ( apologies to the millennials )

  3. Posted

    Sounds to me like Close are looking after you.Unless things have changed with the top tier finance companies,if it is any help ,in my experience in order to qualify for better rates and terms they factor in volume of business,average balances,proposals to acceptance ratios,No of rejects,no of default cases on your account etc and whether you are beating their targets. Also they consider whether your account is high maintenance or not.Interest rates are rising so your finance income should increase anyway.. I found Close to be nice people and a good steady finance company to deal with.

  4. Posted

    4 hours ago, Marc said:

    Anyone know an insurance company that will except a trade policy no claims bonus on to a private insurance? I've not insured a car privately for 5 years 

    My experience.Our company had an expensive trade policy with Aviva going back to the distant past when it had been called several other names.It always specifically stated my name and that I was covered for social and domestic and we never made a claim.When I retired they said I had to start again and donkey’s years no claims meant nothing. As we had paid out a fortune in premiums over the years plus we have several other policies with Aviva ,an argument ensued and I took it to the Ombudsman…..who agreed with Aviva.

     

    • Thanks 1

  5. Posted

    A lot of DVLA staff are still working from home.To try and get a reply from a human,I would be communicating with them by first class,signed for registered post.I still wedge plates on the inside but not now.How about paying 1 months Road tax by cheque  ‘ under protest ‘ and request that they provide a photo.You were not smoking it as I don’t think using Trade Plates for private journeys is allowed.

    Good luck with DVLA

     

  6. Posted

    Best trade bullshit I have heard in over 50 years.Cazoo top guy has stated he is very proud of their latest results,losing £240m in 6 months which I think equates to losing 5 grand per sale.Shares now 50 cents,down from 10 dollars.This guy might be better off going into hiding.You guys make sure to tell your punters to steer clear.

     

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    Hi guys,

    Interesting topic.I think this business model is a minefield.With varying rates of duty charged on both the purchase and freight invoice price and  with VAT charged on top,you must need huge mark ups to make it work.When you factor in waiting times for shipping, type approval and registration at DVLA .DVLA alone can take months and your import will probably get highly taxed as private light goods under the new regs which can confuse punters.

    Another consideration regarding VAT is that HMRC inspectors are allowed to interpret their own rules any way they want and challenging them is not easy.Those of us who traded in the 90’s will recall that many dealers did well with Jap imports while following what they thought were the correct import rules.Unfortunately many of them were subsequently destroyed by HMRC at a later date.

    You can make enquiries with HMRC but they are unlikely to help and they might refer you to your accountant or your agent as they call them.

    So not much help but best of luck,there must be easier ways to sell cars.

     

    • Like 1

  8. Posted

    9 hours ago, MrC said:

    I'm not on my own any more, there are 3 of us now, 2020 and 2021 have been crazy busy for obvious reasons. It's been very hard work, stress levels have been high. 

    Our biggest challenge has been the supply chain,  really hit and miss with getting the bits in to do the jobs. Beds are a 10 week lead time and furniture 14 weeks poptop canvases are 6 to 8 weeks at the moment. So it's been a lot of long term planning and holding more stock than usual. 

    Most of our customers have been fabulous and understanding with our challengers, but we have had one or two inpatient customers. 

    The rest of this year is booked up than includes the vans we have on order. 

    The idea of doing our own vans is to try to get back a decent work life balance and work just to our own dead lines. 

    Also we can preplan 12 months in advance what we will need, this should  simplify our ordering process. 

    Standardise all our colour schemes etc. 

    I started off 4 years ago buying, converting, advertising, selling then preselling vans before I even had them in. This turned in to converting customer owned vans, and that's the way its been for a while. Last year I bought a brand new van we threw the world at it and sold it within 10 days for £58k. Actually made twice as much as we would normally. 

    As it stands we do have a dealer willing to take vans straight off us, needless to say we'll take a hit on the profit.  But its good to know we could just punt them straight in to them if we need to turn the cash around quickly. 

    I know the transition will be rocky and scary at times, you can soon tie a whole lump of dough up in couple of vans. 

    We reallyy need to work smarter and these are the first steps.

     

    Wonderful.Thank you for your update Mr C.

    • Thanks 1

  10. Posted

    13 hours ago, TRADE SURVIVOR said:

    Agree David it will not end anytime soon for the reasons we all know, however, all good thing's come to an end and this will eventually. Good times right now though and well overdue! 

    On the 10 o’clock news last night they were discussing inflation and a guy with a vast pitch in Nuneaton was explaining about paying 4 grand more than last year for the same stock.It’s not just cars and vans,a house opposite us went on yesterday at about 20% more than we thought and today they are onto second viewings.I was in Wicks for a smallish tin of gloss which I thought would be £10 at most and it was £18.

  12. Posted

    Just watching the new GB News channel.There is such a shortage of fruit and veg pickers that the growers are now offering £20 an hour for 45 hour week. ( equates to about £1100 p/w  PAYE )I doubt the Cazam guys at Peterborough will be impressed with that.The old story with the job,you are going well then something comes out of the woodwork to bite you.

    .

  13. Posted

    54 minutes ago, MarkTVS said:

    Usually we’re quiet when everyone else is busy but we are powering through sales at the moment, can’t keep up with prep, think I’m down to 27 online when it should be closer to 40:mellow:

    Replacing stock must be a bit easier where you are.Heavier or different stuff was always cheaper in Scotland,you just had to be prepared to do a bit of paintwork.I don’t think Scots will like paying 2/3 grand into book !

  14. Posted

    We lived in aTyneside ‘back to back’ terrace and when we were 11 or 12  several of us would play football in the back lane which was quite normal.None of our parents had cars and then this ‘old bloke’ moved in up the lane.He would constantly warn us to keep away from his A40 which he was very proud of.We used to agitate him by saying things like  ‘ nice Volvo mister ‘.Years later the ‘old bloke’ still lived there and we then established that when he used to bother us he was 37.

     

    • Haha 1

  15. Posted

    1 hour ago, Rory RSC said:

    Do you know him?

     

    do you hold high regard for anyone successful in the car sales job ?

     

    What’s wrong with owning a Ferrari and being worth a few quid ?

     

    isnt the true story floating about here that some kids threw stuff at his Ferrari? 

    Watch the video Rory.Nice kids who live in the same area as the skater park.Think about it,to them it is some sad old bloke ( with a new Ferrari ) interrupting them and complaining about planning permission.He has made a big mistake,we all make them.No wonder they told him to F Off.This story is likely run and will not endear the guys punters.An elderly car dealer  having a new Ferrari is NAF,if it was a 30 year old one or similar that would have probably impressed the kids.Long ago I collected a new Ferrari Daytona and drove it 300 miles,being a car dealer I thought it was shite around town.Why do a lot of people think skateboarders are undesirables.However I have to declare I do quite like ‘ Socal ‘ skater music.

  16. Posted

    CD Mag News.Multi millionaire and fairly elderly Trade Centre boss with the new Ferrari ( how sad is that ) confronted juvenile skater boys while using their skate park which is on public land near his residence..He was complaining to them that the council should not be extending the skater park and he has offered to fund a new one somewhere else.It appears the Skater Boys told him and his Mrs to F Off and film of the episode has caused so much anger that people  are driving past his residence sounding horns at night and Trade Centre has been inundated with bad reviews.The Trade Centre guy is now heavily backtracking.Do you think he might be forced to donate a Skater Boy music system to encourage more use of the park.

  17. Posted

    A friendly MOT could have been done by a connected party working in the testing station.The owner of the testing station who has probably invested a lot of money may not be involved.How many miles has it done since January and the previous MOT.You could contact the testing station and draw their attention to it but I would not do any more in case of any reprisals.Be carefull you never know who you could be dealing with.May we enquire what this ‘jalopy’ is which you appear to want to retail.

  18. Posted

    48 minutes ago, have a word with the wife said:

    i Just made £143, is that ok ? joke

    Yes they are claiming £143 Gross Profit per Unit as being a success.Classic financial market bullshit.All very Alan Partridge.At some stage someone might point out their actual Cost of Sales per Unit could be £3,000 or whatever.I suppose they can’t claim a success by admitting a loss of £2850 on each sale.

    • Thanks 1

  19. Posted

    11 hours ago, DCS01 said:

    I have tried to find the article but can’t locate it.  Pizza Express is a prime example, in essence not a failing business but been brought time and time again by investment companies using borrowed money to buy it and then offloading the problem.

    What about Pendragon.They bought Buist Bramall which was a successful long established business then leveraged the freeholds by either selling them or selling them and leasing them back which created a profit.They sacked all the best people and replaced them with cheaper ones and then repeated the process by buying Vardy’s.Now they appear to have a lot of leased empty pitches which they are trying to dispose of which must be costing them a fortune.Do you remember when Phillip Green came close to buying M&S.

  20. Posted

    1 hour ago, Frank Cannon said:

    :DI made a killing on diesel Montego Clubman estates, bought for pennies at auction, easy buyers, decent profit (remember them?), no boomerangs. 

    I do remember them well although we did not specialise with them.I remember buying late petrol Montegos with British Aerospace on the doc which was a big help when infact they were ex hire cars.Good margins,few comebacks.I used to ship Maestros ( which were for nothing )from Newcastle down to Bridgewater when it opened and they did well into book.I used to have my own line.Unbelievable when you think about it.

  21. Posted

    2 hours ago, Frank Cannon said:

    Well, funny you should mention this. 

    I've been realised this last week, just how many larger companies have been kicking the arse out of this, I think unless I don't understand how it works?

    ......I know, or have met more than a few staff whereby staff are on furlough but, working full time, with company making up the shortfall....or have I missed something, which is entirely possible?

    Also for the smaller business guys,I was reading something recently wherebye Bounce Back Loans were refered to as Bouncing Bombs.Not certain but something about BBL’s restricting businesses from taking out further funding during the duration of the loan unless you settle or face a penalty.Alternatively Tottenham Hotspur got an £175m emergency loan,maybe that’s why they might have to sell Harry Kane.

  22. Posted

    1 hour ago, Frank Cannon said:

    Last runaway I witnessed was a V40 just as it was lighting off, spectacular stuff, great entertainment, not good for the environment . 

    Came past us on the A14 trailing puffs of smoke between gear changes, I said to my wife that will need a turbo soon....at our age that's as romatic as it gets. :D

    Soon turned out to be but 2 minutes later from Toys R Us roundabout.

    I'm guessing the guy thought something was wrong and pulled over on a layby but, it was sitting there billowing out like a Pacific locomotive whilst, the guy and his passenger looked on with horror. 

    I diid some development work on the Perkins Prima fitted to the Maestro back in the 80's. I had one semi runaway coming off the M2, Chatham junction motorway at a rapid pace with the off slip coming up a steep hill.

    I went back on the motorway, went back up to come down again to see if I could repeat it....yes same thing. 

    The solution was to baffle the sump but I'm not sure they ever did, I went onto another project....memories. 

    Happy Days 

  23. Posted

    Last time I mentioned the potential 100% penalties for those who have profited during the pandemic having received government help and are not intending to repay it,it did not go down well.I am not sure Vertu can afford to repay it,they have massive liabilities.

  24. Posted

    We had this proper young guy in wanting to buy and he had a good deposit but we told him he needed a parental guarantor in employment.He said his mother would be OK.So his mother comes in wearing LOGO’D overalls.So I am filling in the docs,name ,address, employment and she says engineer domestic stuff.Who for ,self ,so enter self employed engineer.Anyway we prop it and Black Horse reject it as the mother does not have a job.So I give them a call and the mother goes ballistic and insists she is a hard working domestic engineer.So do the usual ‘sorry it’s out of my hands ‘ routine and refer her to Black Horse not thinking she would contact them.Within a couple of hours BH Cardiff HQ are on the phone because the mother had phoned and spoke to several of them raising the roof about being rejected.I had forgot about the telly game shows where housewives were described as domestic engineers.

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