BHM

Yep, with that engine it’s not a high performance model and it’s not economical - VERY niche to me. But as I say not my cup of tea at all so I could be talking out of my arse.

Not my bag at all but a mate has had a nice SLK350, different colour but ok miles, for 18 months. If you aren’t selling it properly presented God help you. And as for the punters...........

I’ve got exactly the same issue, an HU-850 not playing any sound (apart from the occasional ‘pop’ or ‘crackle’ - I think they were made by Kellogg’s). Funnily enough mine’s also an 06 but it’s not age related, it’s a common HU-850 failing. My answer has been to do sweet f.a. & not refer to it on the adverts. I’ve got four figures wiped across the old knacker so if the punter wants a few quid off I’ll oblige. Tbh I find S60 punters ‘want a deal’ cos they’re nice but a little bit greedy - they’re usually only buying an S60 cos they won’t/can’t pay up for a V70. Basically stuff them greedy eBay chancers.

I’m glad most seem to agree. The bare minimum usually and, tbh, half of the time ‘new’ actually means ‘secondhand’.

I assume with your careful wording the replacement engine wasn’t a NEW replacement. Assuming this to be the case destroy every receipt & reference to it and just sell it as a ‘normal’ car. Forget all of the bullshit about ‘low mileage engine’ or, God forbid, a reconditioned engine (modern engines do NOT respond well to cheap recon’s in back street garages - they’re things of exceptionally fine tolerances).

Very true.

FFS!!!!!! LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!!! AARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Didn’t the days of handover gifts die 25 years ago? As for them being a benefit, possibly for a pitch but I doubt it. As for my cars I guarantee a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates wouldn’t be appreciated by the sort of penny pinching twat shopping via the internet nowadays. Cars ain’t special nowadays, they’re almost a disposable item and are looked upon as such by 95% of the population. I’ve had a few repeat customers but I don’t kid myself why, it’s nowt to do with my brand of charm, it’s only because my cars are competitively priced and I know the buyers looked elsewhere. Loyalty in retail is something for the history books.

Yes, 99% of us. I do my best to feel them out on the phone but I’m not perfect and understand some people do need to see a car & they may not like it. However if they turn-up and I smell eau de timewaster or hear first “we’ve others to see” I normally dig further but if I don’t hear the answers I’m looking for I refuse the test drive. It’s lead to a couple of stand-offs/unhappy punters but I advise them it’s my business, my property, my cars so I’m not going to spend time & money on for them to go & play me off against another seller.

The deal I’m looking to do is the advertised deal I’m with EPV on this. This week I don’t know how many emails I’ve had from the ‘last price’ brigade - you can’t work a deal with these people unless you want to slit your own throat. Half of them haven’t even got the money they’re talking about & the other half are fussy/cheeky bastards who’d come & take the piss anyway.

I see your point but I’m going to stick up for Nick. Stopping short of demanding to see hard cash or a bank account statement you can qualify them all you want but it’s not until you come to the part that sorts the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the walkers from the talkers, i.e. THE MONEY, that you get the truth, rather than the punters version of the truth. Anyone in this game who says they’ve never been lead up the garden path by a punter is a liar.

Christ, aren’t times hard enough without giving back money? Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m fairly sure the cashback wouldn’t be VAT deductable so it’s be a double whammy and imagine if a car came back wouldn’t you be liable to give them the full amount? Anyhow in the £500-4000 internet market there’s no chance of me starting with pisspoor offers like these. As for MOT vouchers if you think I want a conversation about a customer’s MOT failure list 50 weeks after I sold him a £1295 Focus you must be mad! I’ll concentrate on getting the cars safe, priced correctly, sold and (hopefully) never to be seen again.

Don’t worry about it, early Sunday morning & ive awoken to 5 emails all of the ‘last/best/lowest price?’ variety. The trouble with most small cars is exactly what EPV says in his last paragraph. I decided a long time ago that the average small car punter is either horrible greedy parasitical vermin OR unrealistic & penniless. Logic doesn’t enter their heads, they always think they can get better for cheaper. Unfortunately increasing prices does not work in this market because small car punters aren’t frightened off by a cheap price - they just think it’s an invite to get more off!

Never had noisy A/C though.

You’ve missed the point, these punters won’t of wanted an £8000 car - they want a more expensive car for £8000.

They’re deader than the dinosaurs. F*** me, months & months ago I took in a silver one with wheeltrims (but FSH, new tyres etc) and I’ve never opened the door - small car men are concerned with alloy wheels & colour. Eventually I obliterated the price but even that failed to elicit a single phone call! I swear I’ll go to my grave in it. All it’s good for is to remind me not to buy another. PS when the buyers’ come they’re usual scum anyway.

Good old VW. The old Estelle’s never made funny A/C noises.

What? Misdescribing trade-ins on Dealer Auction Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Andy, in technical terms it sounds very much like the suspension spheres are f***ed. However I dunno what Hydractive is, but if that involves electricity & sensors then that can’t be a good thing. Hopefully the price has come down & Nick is correct that it’s cheap - it used to be expensive I seem to recall.

It’s absolutely f***ing desperate at the moment - I’ve done a couple of long termers this week (yeah!) but I’ve also dealt with a couple of absolute time wasting tyrekickers this week, today I terminated a viewing and sent the family packing within 3 minutes of arrival! The email queries have been pitiful (best price mate) and phone offers derisory - I told one Nigerian gentleman “Don’t embarrass himself, you’ve got £2500 so you should look at £2500 cars. I don’t go to the supermarket, look at the prices on the shelves then try negotiating with the shop assistant, that’s a greedy man’s game”. He didn’t sound amused. Absolutely 100% correct. They either want something for nowt or are just tyrekicking.

Different end of the market but I’m reluctant to value cars unseen as they often differ to their owners description. Punters struggle to understand that a blind estimate is not a cast-in-stone offer. Also once they’re here if there keen they can usually be kicked over their p/x.

How times have changed. Scratching around for a £150 profit on a p/x p.o.s. Corsa (that I’ve had since time began & didn’t want in the first place) like an old hen scratching around looking for corn. Then the buyer will expect the earth, phone up 2 months later when a brake light bulb needs replacing and finally the VAT man will want a percentage of the few crumbs I’m making. Did I ever say I hate Corsas?

At the moment I’m getting so many messers, and start my holidays soon, I’m asking them upfront do they have others to see & are they ready to deal. Some object to the questions & don’t seem to like being asked straight - my guess is they’re tyrekickers. Plenty of talk, not much action.

+1. It’s not rocket science, is it? I’m in the dark ages but personally I’d say if you can’t see what you want in seconds on EBay (I prefer the phone app personally) then you’re dyslexic.

Sorry, don’t know what your talking about. If someone searches a car on EMP and then sorts by price or location etc. I don’t see there being anything to do with algorithms there - it’s nothing to do with sales as EMP are only classified adverts. I also don’t understand how on earth anyone can’t sell a car on EMP.