BHM

Exhausts? Body off?? FFS!! Someone at the block told me the other week that the turbo actuator had siezed on one in their showroom but thankfully they got it freed off with the help of WD40 cos the body has to come off to access the turbo. Dunno if this is true but I’ll stick with CRVs - EVERY job on a RRS seems to involve BIG money.

AD/Nick, there’s no right or wrong way. It’s whatever suits you & your business. As the old saying goes, One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

After milking you guys for free advice. Sounds like a trader of the plastic variety.

It makes me cross, never mind the old boy. Messing seems to be a national pastime amongst middle aged men nowadays - I even had to chase one away from the door yesterday. I run by appointments but I gave this local cretin his chance 3 months ago when he rolled-up unannounced. He left getting back to me the next day(!!). He called around a fortnight ago but the Mrs told him I was out & to make an appointment but here he is a fortnight later, yet again “just dropping by to have a run out in a couple of your cars”. He honestly looked surprised & offended when I chased him away telling him not to bother calling again. These fuckers think we’ve nowt else better to do than lay on free entertainment when they’ve got a spare half hour.

Common sense is old fashioned, just the same as ‘manners’, ‘taking responsibility’ and ‘having the balls to say it’s not for me’ straight to a man’s face.

No such thing as a free lunch - I struggle to believe they're doling out 3 mth warranties f.o.c.

Yaris 3 door @ 6 months+ Not worth a toss, never had the door open although had a couple of phone calls from “last price” immigrants.

I wonder with some punters how anyone ever manages to sell them anything.

+ another 1. This has all the hallmarks of a job where one thing leads to another to another & to another.

More sage words from the Yoda of used retailing Tbh you are absolutely correct. I got a right kick up the arse after grafting for 12 months & realising I’d made sweet f.a. - this game can be very hard to master (not that I’ve mastered it) & it’s no wonder many wrap in within their first year. Ahhhh...you’ve brought back happy memories of my first difficult customer (a pair of right c**ts), my first shitter of a car, my first absolute shitter of a car that I resubmitted at the block (only for Manheim to insist on lotting it up as a non-runner), mistakenly getting involved in repairing a knackered autobox rather than taking a hit upfront, my realisation that other traders helping me with p/xs weren’t being entirely honest.......I’ll stop now before I jam up Car Dealer Magazine’s computer server with a virtually endless list.

I had one years ago - the complete & utter tools that made contact was unbelievable. The same when I had a Vectra VXR advertised @ £5K - people who’s financial status clearly was more in keeping with running a £395 scrap Corsa. I actually had people enquiring about road tax & insurance groups on Vauxhall’s near-170mph V6 turbo petrol. Unbelievable. Tbh 99% of punters are only kidding themselves.

A lovely old deep chested engine - not very tuneful to the ear though. I’ve owned two of the 2.3 16 valves in the past, one was modified and ran 8000rpm & 210bhp - wheelspin in 3rd gear in a Chevette . As a young man it was thrashed regularly & it never gave me any trouble whatsoever. In fact, as I pointed out to a Vx Dealer 20yr ago, I used it when my (then new) Vx company car was in for yet another warranty job.

I’d tried doing one online.

Usually to the date it was put ‘in trade’. You’ve knocked the nail on the head. Also I know Arnold Clark wouldn’t take a p/x if it’s not in a customer’s name. That’s good enough for me - the sort of punter who phones you as a private punter with a spurious name on the log book is normally some sort of plastic trader trying to offload their shite & can’t string together a coherent story.

Thanks, but it’s quiet from cold for a couple of minutes. I’m going to run it by a gearbox specialist but as soon as I mentioned C-Crosser/Outlander he went into raptures telling me these Aisin Warner gearboxes are pisspoor and the gears work loose (or something similar). Same in Toyotas too apparently. The different car manufacturers specify slight variations & as is usually the case with parts for these Japanese parts it’s ‘dealer only’ with unspecified waiting times. I’ll find out more tomorrow but my crystal ball is telling me this is destined for the retail market ‘as is’. In all my years of trading I’ve only ever had five Mitsubishi-related products and four have been MAJOR grief.

MrV, many punters maintain their cars but aren’t so good with the paperwork. Tbh if the car ‘looks’ well looked-after it’s worth taking just a couple of minutes to pull back the belt cover. 75% of the time you’ll see a fresh, or recent belt. Photo it (with the white writing visible) and advertise it as such. PS this usually isn’t the case with Golfs & Passats due to their big-talking owners’ double standards.

On £200 p.a. he should be grateful he can afford to run a car

Or the old “selling due to family bereavement”.

+1

Tbh half of the XC70s I’ve retailed were 2wd. Hardly the most reliable 4x4 system out there.

That possibly explains your positive attitude to your customers. 50% or so of my contact with the general public is from what I would describe as shitheads.

He beat me to it!!

I hear a similar tale every week from someone in the trade doing a ‘love job’ & every time I end up asking “Why?” It’s all very well helping out someone struggling with finances BUT the problem is always they’ve no money for parts & then they usually want to take the car & pay on the drip. This is assuming there’s nowt else knackered, which due to minimal maintenance, is normally the case as Dave witnessed with these clearly faulty brakes. This particular van is a death trap but all his punter is interested in is being mobile.

PAYE men, the self employed understand.