trade vet

What about VW Financial Services,you can get some crap coming through there and get caught out buying on line.I think the last one our guys rejected ( with difficulty of course) was a late ish A3 with an engineers report,it apparently just did not look right as it came off the wagon.Then they found it pictured on line in its rally sport clothing !

Not necessarily Met,if you permit me to harp back to the past (again),Rover made the Princess or Wedge as it was known,it was slated in the tabloids and sales of new ones collapsed.They had fields full of them,so they were given to staff and probably hire companies who did a few thousand miles in them,then sold off in the block at 6 months old.The thing is,although they were shite to drive,the punters loved them because they could get a 6 month old one for 40% off the list price and they could impress the neighbours.

Heard this today...Our guys drop an Audi off at the dealer for a warranty claim early today.The reception desk only has glammed up girls looking like they were going ‘on the town’ and the workshop is cleaner than a Michelin Star kitchen,all very impressive.Later on in the morning emails are coming in wrongly advising extra work including timing belt at £650 ? ( £500 labour ) ,This is bordering on attempted theft,but main dealers appear to get away with it. Next.....Our guys wife takes the family jeep into Volvo for a recall/warranty job.Later on she gets an email saying it’s done.However,the email includes a cringingly bad walk around video provided by the fitter who is clearly ill at ease doing it.The guy is saying it may need a new DPF and a tyre when it doesn’t.He is also praising the car but not making sense,saying things like ‘the steering wheel is in good condition’ etc You could not make it up,Volvo must have employed some consultant to come up with that,unbelievable!

Just keep slagging off diesels all you South East Guys.It might help to bring prices down for the rest of us who operate where punters prefer diesels because the traffic flows and roads are not constantly gridlocked....

Going on past experience,it will change and the book will go up £500 and those who have paid mental money will get choked up and prices will stabilise.

It probably has S and B ,it is just that a battery @ £120 etc ,what is going on,it’s a Focus....As it happens they don’t need one.

The guys on the pitch this morning were considering getting a new battery for a late Focus,how much for this new type of battery.....£120,but a little cheaper from Euro Parts.

Hi Andy You retailed 230 last year and 34 in January from a pitch all on your own......That is incredible,well done.......All I would say is ,make sure they are all recorded ,you don’t know who is reading this forum...

Light blue jump suit ?

I agree also,I have an idea,maybe we could contact Channel 4 and pitch for a new motors show ‘Challenge Andy ‘based on the Challenge Anica concept........Only joking Andy,I know there is profit in risky stuff,providing of course you bin the bad ones early...which it appears you do.

Good painters who do trade work are hard to find.If you have one,look after them and pay them well and on time because often traders give them a hard time, so they pack in and do something else.Painting cars is an awful job,when you think about it,if you had a paint shop,you would not want to do trade work when you can easily undercut the big paint shop guys who charge £500 a panel .....So IMO if there is a bit of overspray just deal with it.

Hi BHM Take a look at the stock at this pitch in Dartford,it’s called AMC cars,it just proves my point,are these some of the most expensive cars in the U.K......They appear to do well,can you imagine the punters they will get....Good luck to them.

To most of us,it is maybe worth £700 on a very good day.However,I have had first hand experience selling stuff like that in South London.It was a while ago,but super low mileage old stuff with history under £3k would sell quickly,especially autos.However,it took us 2 years to find that out having previously tried everything else under £10k.I see this one is in Dartford which is not that far away from where we were in Dulwich,they will probably sell it !

I think he said it was a proper punter who bought it who saw it as a future classic.Beats me,it’s like my daughter who knows nowt is telling me 3dr Rav 4s,740 Volvo estates and Hyundai Coupes have a following.

Back in November I was at BCA and I watched a trader I know from Harrogate buy ( on a hunch )an 03 75 Ambassador diesel Auto estate with leather about 70k unwarranted,no reserve etc,but it looked fairly original.I think he paid £400 hammer down for it.I recall saying let me know how you get on with that......He did ,it was right mileage ,2 owners......and I think he got £2500 for it !

I think you have to take care how you now describe ex lease stuff. Our guys might now use the phrase ‘one former keeper’,Arval leasing company etc. rather than ‘one owner ex company car ‘which we have used for years which could now be construed as having one driver since new.

Yes ! , better still buy a few shares ,we could call ourselves BCA shareholders action group.We could charge traders a set fee per complaint,can you imagine ..........

Just picked up another 2000 at 187p.....May help in arguments with them about misdescriptions etc...We currently have two cases to talk to them about,left messages Friday but no response yet....as they do.Will keep you informed !

Hi Rich I would tread very carefully.The Dennis Buyacar ltd last set of accounts show a deficit of £1m on the previous year ! It appears to be run by accountants,that does not make sense. I hope you have not entered into some unfair contract written in legalese wherebye when you pull out,they will be able sue you.....sorry but being in this job all these years makes me think this way !

Thank you Umesh,that will be it............It will be interesting to see what happens in the long term,if this class action succeeds and the claim chasers get involved etc.....what a potential liability !

Does anyone know why Motorpoint share price is up 10% in the last week.It is interesting when you consider they sell ex daily rental cars and the recent court rulings and class action on behalf of punters who have bought ex hire cars,I would have thought they were a sell.

Good news for Kwik Fit fitters !

BCA are doing record business,so I have just picked up 3000 shares at 191.5p,if they drop to 187p,I will do the same again.

Jimbo You have to understand that it is difficult to sell cars privately.Sellers get fed up quite easily.I would just tell them who you are and compliment them on their car and explain you cannot pay them the asking price.Tell them to call you back if they don’t have any luck and if they agree to a price,you will pay them quickly and they will never see you again.....Don’t low ball them from the outset,that is a bad move....It worked for me,but I have to admit,it was some time ago.

Alfasud........now they were crap !