trade vet

Hi Dean I know ‘home traders ‘who only sell Volvo Estates and they have been doing it for years.

In the past I have often created a market in stuff that the trade would not touch,be it Lotus Europas,Ladas,Princesses,Maestro ,90 day blue Sierras and Mondeos and ex Police patrol cars plus a few more I have forgotten.I would say that these 1ltre Focus’s will be a good pensioner buy for those who do 2-3k miles per year because they will be cheap to buy and run and have a newer plate.They won’t all be bad news,you just have to be carefull.

Hi PSJ Just looked on your website.You appear to have a nice operation with nice stock.Try and steer clear of sub prime lenders,it just attracts grief.Looking at your stock,I would say in the first year you would do £250-£300k prime finance.(1 or 2 per week )Then when you establish which is the best stock for finance,you will do more.....Good Luck.

It’s a Focus in silver.....what silver ! nobody wants them !....If it is a proper car and it all stacks up,what’s the problem......I am sorry but if you cannot value a Focus ,some people might say ‘time to shut the doors’.

Yeah Paul Schofield I confused the celebrated Oscar Winning Shakespearing actor who was also Darth Vaders mate in the first Star Wars movie with Philip whose mate was Gordon the Gopher.....Sorry about that.

Net profit up 34%,WEBAC 219,000 cars sold up 15%,However WEBAC profit per car up 30% ( must be Paul Schofield)....................On a nice note on page 17 of the financial statements it reads.....The company would like to thank all their loyal customers who have continued to stick with them over the years despite the ever increasing buyers fees and ongoing issues with BCA Assured complaints...............Sorry guys,that’s a load of bollicks,I just made it up !

Try ‘reserved ‘ tickets instead,it does not generate the same reaction from nosey punters or time wasters.

When it was reported as having brake and over heating problems I would say you had ‘a duty of care’ to advise your customer that it should be transported back to you.If his swapper is a good one,I would not give that back,just give him a refund.

Andy,I think you need to employ a new buyer.

Seaham Motor Company in ‘Get Carter ‘country,they used to sell shed loads of stuff....did they not go ‘tits up’.

I don’t disagree,but if you go to great effort to advertise on line and your punter turns up and finds scuffed alloys and stonechips on the bonnet it makes the job harder.AD from what I can see goes to the extreme and points out various blemishes online so the punter knows what they are getting before they turn up.There are not many traders doing that.However,I doubt this includes scuffed alloys and stonechips on bonnets.I think any trader claiming they are successfull by not presenting descent stock to a high standard are telling porkies.

It’s always been about prep and presentation.The guys who do it best always do business.You can have a super website,nice photos,videos and you could be a good salesman, but if you are leaving stonechips on bonnets and chipped alloys it makes the job a lot harder.When we had an open pitch competing with many others on the same street,the prep and presentation was amazing because you only got one chance with the punters....If you had to get the jumper leads out or put fuel in,there was hell to pay.

1300 in B/bushe tomorrow They are,that is why we are keeping my wife’s old one.

Unless things have changed,I can think of a lot better sales than Enfield on a Tuesday

It’s always been ‘horses for courses’find your niche and run with it.Going back,I have sold stuff that most of the trade would steer clear from like Ladas and Rover 800s and currently late big diesels are great value and the punters know that.However I am sure it is different elsewhere.

I must be in the minority,I think since last Autumn stock has been both as cheap and plenty full as I can remember.I think too many rely on these valuation guides which most of the time are way out.If you cannot get the right stock in your locality,you have to ‘get on your bike’.Although we now favour on line buying,our guy was on the motorway at 4am last Tues.and back to the pitch for 6pm having bought a load of stock.....I remember when it was normal for traders to do that 2 or 3 times a week.

I think you have done the right thing or you might just get a load of agrovation.It appears he has not got a tame wife ( I am in that category)The number of times we have had to unwind deals because the punter has bought the wrong car,although they never admit to that.

We will let you off......A few weeks ago a friend of mine recently retired had wanted to show off his new car.As none of us was interested,he was then having to apologise for buying ( not renting ) this new Porsche.His mitigating circumstances were that having mainly used public transport and worked in the same office for 40 years doing boring litigation stuff he had built up a good pension so with his tax free lump sum and he had bought his dream car....His explanation fell on stony ground.

Hi Andy....So CarDealer mag CEO has a Porsche ( I hope you don’t watch Top Gear aswell )......very sad.

Congratulations,if you are knocking them out.I have to tell you,it will not last and there will be disasters waiting to happen and not far away.You will probably be back on here shortly with a different story........I am sorry to say,it is the nature of the trade.

Brilliant !

I have just read this press release....Cox Automotive analisys ( no doubt detailed and extensive) by their head of external relations ( as in Manheim and IMDA) has uncovered important information that we need to know.Dealer diesel stock is down 7% on the corresponding period last year.They are taking 2 more days to sell and petrol cars are taking 4 more days to sell....Also.alternatively fuelled vehicles ( I think that means Hybrid or electric) are also struggling.....Why not just say it has been quiet because of distractions like bank holidays,school half term holidays,a royal wedding,hot weather and the World Cup.....I think most of us could have come up with that for free !

I agree with that.......Last week I park up at the golf club and this guy parks next to me in a Dog/C red old 98 Merc SL with the top down.I just say ‘nice one’ and I then get the full lowdown,basically expensive full shoot,new hood specially made in Krautland,wheels and leather refurbed,100k ish etc etc...He must have thought I was an enthusiast.He then says to me.....what about yours.I explain it is a ‘hand me down’,my wife’s old car silver 98 SL,we bought it 20 years ago,the roof has never been down,46k,virtually original,cracklemobile radio,heavy on fuel,not much use really......not what he wanted to hear !

I wish Fulham would hurry up and buy him ....( I am from Newcastle )

I remember when all these flash dealers were worried,the trade would never be the same again,what with clocking being outlawed and now VAT.....it was early 1973 !