trade vet

I am embarrassed to say I have discovered that our guys do not subscribe to this mag,they get sent the other one which maybe should be rebranded Franchised Dealer Bollicks.I do think £49 for the info we get from this forum alone is worth it,so I have now subscribed.

I like that,punter friendly language,it must help the job

Kia’s and Skodas ........There are those that know and those that don’t know.....!

Hi DCS What I am trying to understand is that you have been working as an employee at various franchise dealers,doing blazer and crimplene trouser clad jobs selling cars for 20 years.In the meantime,your family own a long established and probably well known small community petrol station and workshop business with additional space for 10 cars.Why have you been wasting your time working elsewhere,you should have been operating on your own 10 years ago.What an opportunity,established business,probably little or no rent or business rates to pay,you must be thousands out of pocket.There is plenty of work to do looking after and prepping 10 cars for sale.I would say get on with it and if you are any good,you will do at least 2 per week.....if not,you may have ‘main dealeritus’ which could prevent you from doing things like buying,valuing swappers and doing your own valeting. So Good Luck and don’t be afraid to ask us guys when problems arise.

We had this Trading Standards guy who used to come in on spec and was very polite but he was always looking to ‘do you’ on some minor issue.This went on for many years,the last time I recall he arrived at midday on Christmas Eve and made a big thing about the size of our typical APR example on our advertising,I think it was 2cms too small.I think he must have retired now.

Nice one AD......Send Trading Standards a polite email and invite them,you could suggest meeting them on any Friday at 4pm.They would have to reply.If they turn up in the meantime just refer them to your email and say nothing.....You can imagine I have always got on well with these guys !

This Dealer Auction merger stuff could just be a smokescreen. Cox/Manheim own Autotrader in the US.Autotrader UK are hugely profitable and a household name.Autotrader shares have been rising steadily since May.This could be the forunner to a takeover bid if this merger is allowed.Manheim have been outplayed by BCA and could be rebranded i.e.Auto Trader Auction Group and do extra sales for private punters.They could also do stuff like Auto Trader Buy Your Car etc .BCA bought nearly 300,000 cars through WBAC in the last year making big profits.BCA will be following this with interest,they could also bid for Auto Trader.........Course I might be talking crap,maybe the Cox Head of External Relations can advise us of the ‘ synergies’ in this merger.

£60k Crap income etc down your way ! Who would want to live down there.I can honestly say I have never needed our company to pay me anywhere near that to get a descent standard of living.We must be very lucky living up north.We did have a mansion block flat down there and I recall the committee were getting quotes for painting the window frames on 90 flats.They were seriously considering quotes of £400 to £600 grand.So when I said,just get a Geordie painting firm to come down and put them in a B&B and they will do the job for 50 grand,they thought I was taking the piss.

Modern classics,niche market,good margins.If you can find the right stock you sound like you know what you are doing,worth a go.

Hi JGW Forget retailing,you can’t start up in this job with little experience and a shortage of funds. However,from what you say,it appears you can buy.I know an ex BCA guy who set up as an auction buyer for account holders on a commission basis.He thought it would be part time,but he has been inundated because he charges less than the BCA online buyers fee !

I often hear of traders being insured by Tradewise and I have often wondered who Tradwise are or who owns them.From what I can see they are mainly Road Risk Only insurers.You would expect insurance companies to be large asset backed corporations,however unless I am mistaken this does not appear to apply to Tradewise,it must be very basic cover.......I will stick with Aviva or Norwich Union as it was previously called and pay the extra premium.

Taking action.....sometimes you do and the punter thinks you are a hero,when in fact you may be ripping them off. Another long winded story from long ago.I had sold something called a Austin 1800 to an elderly couple.A few days later they ring and describe their terrible mistake and don’t know what to do.They had parked it somehow in their garage but were unable to get it out as their rear lane was too narrow......So I tell them,don’t worry forget that car and come over,I would do them a smaller car at no extra cost and we will be able to manoeuvre theirs out of the garage using trolley jacks.They arrive and it’s a big pitch and I am walking up and down with them looking at the stock.They spot a Austin 1300 they liked but I had to bullshit them off it because that would mean money back for them.I then passed a message to tell someone to go to the opposite end of the pitch where there was another older Austin 1300 and to change the price stickers and increase it by a third.So I then tell them of a far better Austin 1300 which I had forgotten about and that they could have it now for no extra cost.That is what happened except when we went over for their Austin 1800,we quite easily got it out of their garage.....The punters were so gratefull for helping them out !

Go ahead....first topic.......bungs.

Nice C5,I don’t think I have heard that expression before......When we had to value them as swappers,we always apologised in advance of giving a price......Andy,you cannot be wanting to retail it,it must stand you nowt.

These are the type of punters who on there way home and driving past some main dealer,call in and very quickly buy something completely different and give their swapper away.......Your TT may be very nice,but with that type of stock I always found that they rarely attract ‘quick surrender’ punters whatever the price.

64 Convertible,I was 14 then,you had to pay over book for them ( Glass’s ),very trendy,good sellers.What is it now,£10k

Some people might say just stick to what you are doing.I would say firstly try and share some car sales pitch where vans and minibuses don’t conflict.You could add 7 seater Estates aswell.Go on Companies House website and see the financials of pitches operating in your area and you may change your mind.If you can’t do that,just post a few on here and I will have a look.

Herald,could it be Powder Blue or a sort of mid green ? used to sell them when I was 16,they never came back which was the norm with most stuff,60% profit margins,no vat......2 grand readies always in your back pocket,just in case you were offered some cheap cars.....I am not kidding......sorry guys !

I forgot about them,they were crap sellers,probably worth a fortune now.

http://www.heritageclassics.com/ my favourite pitch,course if I had it,I would probably be doing old Astra and Escort Estates ! You might get $50k for them in Tinseltown.The last time I was there they had a Morris Traveller (wood batons) Crap paint job and it was over $50k

Old Cavalier,makes no sense to me,but what do I know about future classics.Then look at their pitch,very impressive and then their stock,very expensive.Then check them out on companies house.....what a cracking business.These guys no what they are doing ...wonderfull !

I would say just leave it,why take a risk buying online,it is not as if you have to buy 25 cars every week.Where you operate EPV there is any amount of nice ex fleet stuff to buy within a 40 mile radius.....

You must be in line for an export award or to be featured on one of those biased BBC news items on the negative effects of Brexit etc....

If you were standing in the ring at the block and it was put on sale at £8500 would you put your hand up for it.I don’t think I would and I am an impulsive bidder.

I recall selling one or two banger 200k plus miles Passat diesels to Poland or somewhere.They knew what they were doing.We are near the airport and there was a time when Irish punters often without notice would be waiting for you to open up having flown in early from Dublin or Belfast for £10.They used to cough up with all sorts of Irish and Jock cash and you were unsure it was real.I think there was some scam to beat import duty.They would sometimes get pulled at the airport for carrying a lot of cash so we would get a call for verification.We would say,sorry we have no idea who they are....they are Irish,they come on spec...da da da.