trade vet

Good news is that Alfa’s are good sellers,the bad news is they have great ‘bounceback’ ability probably because they are ‘shite’ and the type of punters they attract......Good Luck

Hi Marc Welcome,....However,to prevent another Benjithon could you provide the guys with some basic info to get the picture.Which area do you operate from,are you a home trader (doorstepper),how many have you sold this year,how much are you investing,what was your previous occupation,where do you intend to source your stock and what do you prefer to sell etc

I would be suspicious.1500 miles,3 months and talk of taxi’s etc,check the name and address on the doc is the same on your invoice.Check with the local authorities near where they live to see if it has been regd as a taxi.....keep us informed !

Consumer debt.....I have just had a deal explained to me where a punter was refinanced having had several thousand pounds negative equity on a small car which they had bought new.....My wife also tells me people may run their life through their mobile phones.Typically they may order a ‘must have’new frock for £30 ,seen on some celebrity on social media on their £40 per month smart phone to be delivered tomorrow.They go out with friends ,spend £100 and the next day they bin the frock because they cannot wear it again because of their selfie on Instagram or something...I am sure a lot of these people earn good money,no wonder they are insolvent.....Rant over !

I have just looked at a Sterling Cars if that is the business you are referring to and my first impression is they appear to be ‘shysters’.Why would anyone would want to replicate them,looking at their stock ,‘source of funds’ comes to mind and I am not referring to dealer stocking loans.

We have been throwing in our own warranties for 20 years.Not only does it save you money in the short term it has been an outstanding long term investment for us as it definateley generates repeat business.If you have your own workshop,we found it works even better with the increase in service work.The thought of shelling out to warranty companies gives me a headache,although I have to say, if I was a doorstepper doing 2 or 3 per week,I would probably be outsourcing warranties.

It is tough going and it’s not only our job,look at what’s happening in the high street.Consumer debt is through the roof,a lot of people are maxed out because they don’t understand debt......We have been here before,people always need cars.I always found when it got bad,no trade,cheques bouncing ( including your own) solicitors letters,engines blowing,etc and you think it could not get any worse and it often did.You just have to hang in and then you get a break and things pick up and it’s back to normal. Too many people on here let the punters get them down.

I think you could make claim against them based on the ‘excellent exterior’description.A judge may agree with the auction that it was previously well maintained but that the description does not imply that it is now in good mechanical order.If you can prove that the auction had said ‘ you should have been there etc’,that may help your case. I would just park it up and commence the ‘small claims’ process to the letter by email adding consequential costs to your claim.If they still fob you off after sending your final ‘before court proceedings’ letter,I would go ahead and pay the £70/£80 or whatever to the court and take them on...........However most people are not like me !

Stories,stories.....I liked Tewkesbury,the first time I went there I saw this big guy in the ring who I had seen somewhere.It was Bomber out of Auf Wiedersein Pet,remember him.Bridgewater was good also,got tipped off when it opened that Austin Maestros which were crap and cheap as chips did well into book down there provided they were proper cars.Anyway sent a few down from the north east to try and sure enough they did a fortune because retirees on the south coast loved them.It finished up,I had my own line of Maestros in the sale and the same dealers from Devon and Cornwall used to buy them.Unfortunateley,the word got out and other North East traders started sending down clocked,newly painted up Maestros and killed the job......

I used to love doing Sundays,there would be 2 of us watching the pitch.I always found the punters easier on a Sunday.The best we ever did on a Sunday was 9 ( out of 60),whichever sales guy I was on with did not mind either as they got full commission from my deals plus any chucky company incentives.You would also get Sunday punters returning and buying during the week.There has always been idiot punters,you just have to spot them early and walk away.....If you run a pitch you must open Sundays.

If your solicitor was awhere you run a business from home,it should have been pointed out to you prior to exchange of contracts.

My least favourite auction,you had to be a Yorkie to do well there.They had a good auctioneer,I think he was called Tony North,I was never comfortable bidding there,it was hard to get a knock down.They were usually provisional and you often had no chance........wonder why !

Saw their TV ad.,alarm bells started ringing.Anyone seen it.Apparently they want punters to invest a min.of £13500 to get 11% return and receive £250 per month from leasing out their cars.It turns out to be sub prime chucky operation and makes no sense to me.Some people might say it could be Bernie Madoff inspired !.......Anyone know anything ?

I can think of misunderstandings.A long time ago we used to get high spec ex Bass breweries Rover 600’s out of Mansfield.I think they were £46-£4700 and were good sellers.One Saturday morning we are busy and we get a transporter delivery.Our main salesman says to me ‘how much was that Rover that’s just getting dropped off’.I reply something like ‘it was cheap,just under 4 grand.Later on in the day I find out that when he had asked,he had a punter on it.The idiot sold it for £3950 instead of the usual price £5950.To say I blew a head gasket was an understatement because in those days we did not just press a button to buy stock,we were constantly up and down motorways early mornings or late at night trying to buy stock.....still rankles.

Chris from Flipping Cars.....’.known industry stalwart’...as they might say in the USA ...get out of here !

I think he should be on Springwatch to make it more interesting.The only thing is,if he saw a house sparrow,he might describe it as a Osprey........One thing we now know,he will never make a car dealer.

Hi EPV I think when you set up and describe your business with a grand name like Elite Preowned Vehicles,you might want to try and stick to them.You have got it wrong,it happens,that’s normal,no big deal so you have to take a hit.If you blow a couple of grand,you should make it up over your financial year.Alternatively,if you are having a hard time in general,change your trading name and sell something else.In your area,I would be doing small older low mileage autos and charge top money for them.Not very sexy but you might have a better chance to make money.

Old painter in prison.......we have all had them.

Shotts is bleak in August !

Five examples...OK ...I hope they count ! 1) We used to sell ex Police stuff in a big way.Heading down to Leeds and hit heavy fog.Ring them up and ask them to hold the sale for a hour until I get there or it will cost the taxpayer.They did,got a shed load of stuff. 2) A long time ago,I was at our local auction talking to a trader friend who had his 10 year old son with him who was interested in cars.He said he would like to bid for one.So I asked permission from the auctioneer and he allowed the boy to bid on this Capri.So he was waiving his hand in the air and the auctioneer was pointing out his bids confirming they were serious bids.The other bidders weren’t impressed resulting in them stopping bidding.The auctioneer then knocked it down cheap to the boy amid the confusion. 3) We used to go to Newmains Glasgow on a Tuesday and buy late Austin Rover stuff which was entered from their Bathgate factory.There would be a lot of stuff and sometimes you might miss the start.The sale had started this day when I got there and I get called to the rostrum.You have bought 2,they were expensive but don’t worry I am just getting the sale going.Stuff is making good money but now and then some cars are being knocked down very quickly and are for nowt.I think on this day I got 2 expensive and 4 for very,very cheap. 4) Used to buy stuff from Kinross night sale and I would leave bids with this lady.Next morning I would ring to see how we did,I remember the first time she said....you have bought them all,they were all below your bids....and they are already on there way. 5) Another Scottish story,I was going to BCA Ingleston on the train with another trader.Heavy snow storm and the train chucks it.We eventually get to the sale as it is just finishing.I think it was young Mr Beith as he was then,went out of his way to go through the unsold stuff and we both bought a few. How am I doing BHM,do these qualify or are they too historical,do I need to fast forward.

Never been offered free food at the block,only free tea at Scottish,rarely bought it as auction food was usually awfull and I went all over,I recall Mansfield being OK and maybe Newmains.Are there any good ones around these days.

Wonderfull.....you just wonder if there was an ulterior motive.We had this academic come down from the Isle of Skye to the North East to especially buy a bog standard ex utility company Astra Estate.I think he was super intelligent but appeared sub normal in his appearance.When he was leaving,I asked him why he bought ours as he must have passed a hundred similar ones on his way down....He had no idea what I was on about.

That sounds a bit like the CIA to me.Are you one of their assets ?

Hi Marc Good Luck,the guys on here will keep you right.You can ask anything as long as you are not like Benji 50 who has tired out most of us with his contradictions.

I disagree BHM,you must have had cheap provisionals where the auctioneer says ‘no chance’ or ‘ on a wing and a prayer’ etc and you then get them with a small improvement.I can think of lots of stuff.