BHM

Well over £100!! Shock! Horror!! You’d think a £100 is a lot of money nowadays - these cretins must be living in 1975.

A load of old boloney.

If only a slipping clutch was always found in first gear. Nowadays I’m getting more & more that feel fine at rest but the springs have gone weak and only start slipping after a few miles when warm & in higher gears. In the last couple of months I’ve had this courtesy of a Honda FRV, Galaxy TDCi & Saab Aero - in every one the clutch plate friction material was barely half worn.

+1

I’m 100% with Arfur on this although I dare say before the judge there’d be a different interpretation. At the end of the day selling secondhand cars you can’t cover every eventuality & anyone worrying about selling 11 year old cars with non functioning a/c to punters should get another job. Common sense has to come into this game at some point & an arsehole corresponding about an old banger he bought four months ago and stating something along the lines of ‘everything should work’ should be treated exactly as he is - an arsehole. He wouldn’t of even of got a response from me.

‘Pull out’ radio!!! When was this, circa 1988?

No f***ing chance - they’re on their own! If they want to buy elsewhere then they are welcome to do so but I won’t be using my time & professional experience to make a sale, or otherwise, for a complete stranger. Tbh I only offer advice on my own cars, anyone else’s I simply say “I can’t comment, how can I comment as I don’t know the car?” because any advice they don’t want to hear is usually ignored anyway so it’s best not to get involved.

I believe the scheme has nothing to do with vendors, it is simply an add-on by Manheim. Any ‘failure’ checks are simply thrown in the bin BUT what their definition of a failure is open to debate. A few weeks ago I saw a SilverAssured (not worth a toss) car with 32 out of 37 - a sad joke that some poor mug will of had no choice other than to pay for. Personally I think the ‘inspections’ are an insult to a proper trader’s intelligence, charging me for an unwanted substandard check performed by morons who often couldn’t assess a lump of coal. As for charging for checks with less than a 100% pass is verging on criminality in my opinion - not that most of the checks are any good. I mean, what’s this static test of 1st & reverse gear??? Barely worth a toss & a slipping clutch as you pull out onto the main road or missing gear won’t be covered.

I’m surprised they don’t want a refund as most would bite your hand off. As they don’t want a refund you aren’t in a position to breach the contract so you’ll have to repair & hope they don’t come back. Personally I wouldn’t give them a tank of diesel - this is simply because they’ve had the cheek to ask for it. If they think you’re a ‘soft touch’ now, they’re more likely to saddle you up & ride your arse in the future. The situation is shite for you & for them but you must keep control of your customer & their expectations - they’ve shaken the tree & if you give them something for nowt they’ll shake it again to see if any more fruit falls

+1. It’s a common bugbear so I don’t mention it in adverts for bangers. Tbh I don’t mention CDs or radios either for the same reason. I print off the advert & both the customer & I sign it, they get the original & I keep a copy.

I think Umesh’s idea is a very good one - the best thing I’ve heard the IMDA being actively engaged in - if it comes off. Yes, there is the one on here in the private section but it’s lost amongst everything else AND it’s rarely added to. As for the pitiful comments about defamation!?!! I cannot believe that is the main concern of any motor trader on here and let’s be honest, ANY written comment either on a message board or a review site could be argued as being defamatory. One thing is for sure, I’d certainly stand by any comments I make regarding a main dealer and their professionalism. Arfur’s correct and DA clearly do not give a toss. To my mind they’ve gone into ‘auction house mentality’ and currently have no intention of policing their site. Tbh if they did monitor & police effectively one or two dealers surely would be banned, or at least suspended. Yes but what bidders bid is up to them & lets be honest, the feedback comments clearly show there are also plenty of arseholes buying - some of these traders are up their own jacksies. Tbh I think the SYTNER feedback ‘model’ is ideal and it’s there for all to see. You’ve knocked the nail on the head and as buying is heading more & more online then the fact the IMDA may attempt to start a review system surely is a positive step.

I thought I was the only one on this forum working for peanuts most of the time!

....or the DVLA road tax database.

Hahaha, I do sell to punters from afar though!

Arfur, I thought your video appraisals were supposed to manage expectations - what’s gone wrong? Two lovely responses on this forum to chancers but how on earth are you so unlucky with punters? The last time I wrote to a punter was a few years ago - I shall try to find them on my computer for a laugh.

I’m not sure there’s one particular way of dealing with these as we’ve all done it to shift a ‘sticky’ car but that’s usually when you’re caught out but these timewasters. Punters can roll-up mob handed for all I care BUT as soon as I hear “my mechanic” then I know it’s going to go one of two ways; 1) A genuine mechanic will have a cursory look over the car & under the bonnet for a minute or two, while the punter looks at cosmetics, then want a test drive. These are a pleasure to deal with & will make your job easy - sit back & let them talk up the car. 2) The home mechanic (which often means some twat with access to the internet & plenty of spare time on his hands) should immediately be questioned on his area of expertise & where he works, back them into a corner. If they then start their usual shite they should be firmly told & if they continue then tell them the car’s not for them & to leave. In my experience there is absolutely no point in trying to deal with these cheeky twats who want to crab a car to death & think nothing of making allegations as to your professionalism (head gaskets, write offs, dodgy MOTs etc., the usual shit that spews from these crackpots). I have a low tolerance for imbeciles so they’re told straight & sent on their way. +1. Sunday is crackpot tyrekicker day in this game.

100% spot on. Apparently the AVERAGE car life is 13 years so a good number of of us here will be selling cars close to the knackers yard. Opinions vary and my father (a new car man) can drive what I consider to be, say, a nice old car but he thinks is almost scrap. The last that springs to mind is a Volvo XC70 with a few miles on its back. My opinion was it’s was a nice old car with FVSH, drove right, recent brakes etc. The buyer loved it, very happy, a bit of flash for not much cash & was a £40000 car at a tenth of the price. When my father drive it his opinion was that it’s just another flogged-out old heap of shit with ropey brakes! The last paragraph of tradex’s posting summaries this game - everything boils down to £, many punters can ONLY see the price and nothing else. If two 10 year old cars were the same except one had FSH, new cambelt & new clutch + DMF and the other didn’t BUT they were separated by £500 then I know which would sell first - depressingly I had this recently & all of my phone calls were about ‘the shitter’ ......and I still have the gem.

Had this with the local Ford Dealer a fortnight ago on a Galaxy. Once I’d emailed them my auction receipt & log book they confirmed by email the service history they had (NOT old invoices - just the details). Unfortunately I’d almost wasted my time - one service only with them

Haha, why is this a surprise to anyone? Reviews aren’t worth a wank & most of you lads will be submitting yourselves dodgy reviews. Almost 100% top rate reviews - don’t make me laugh! How on earth can any car dealer, selling secondhand vehicles, get perfect ratings from the greedy, unrealistic & ungrateful public is beyond me. £25 for 10 positive reviews? I wouldn’t give tuppence. I’ll let all you ‘review men’ get back to scouring the internet desperately searching for the modern version of a pat on the head and then sit there crying, like schoolgirls, if you see a negative comment. Did I ever say that reviews aren’t worth a toss?

Sometimes cars sit for ages without a bite - that seems to be the way nowadays.

Mark, your making much more of registrating the car than is the reality. Apply for the log book in whichever name you want, at your address. You obviously have the French log book (it doesn’t matter who’s name is on it) so you’ll get the new log book back within a fortnight. Tbh it’s quicker than applying for a ‘missing’ UK logbook on a car you’ve bought at the block.

Here! Here! Well done. It’s good to see someone standing by their deals & expecting the customer to do the same. F*** him, if the punter wanted more MPG for short runs he shouldn’t of bought a petrol auto estate. How refreshing after all of the ‘refunding’ nonsense many on this forum seem to think is the correct course of action - too many on here need a spine transplant for the rubber snake they obviously currently have.

Very few nowadays and even years ago I used to sell £5-7000 motors from a terraced house & rarely had a negative reaction. Tbh I think it depends on the type of vehicles although I will concede that in these hard times because punters are financially stretched they are becoming pickier. I guess it depends upon your definition of doorstepper. Is someone on a housing estate with space for 2 cars & the others scattered untaxed on the local roads the same as someone with a large property, all cars within a boundary & everything legal? Likewise is some backroad ‘trader’ operating out of a shithole yard scattered with half assembled cars the same as a prime main road pitch offering the full retail shiney shoes experience?

Too many overly cautious people giving advice here and many thinking everything has to be minted-up & top money chased (I like to see some of your stock & see if it lives up to the big talk). As for the car, I’ve not looked but from what I’ve read an hour with the MOP & the touch up stick would help. From what you say you’ve got low £2Ks in it? If so don’t bother bulling it up & tipping £500 of paint into it just to mark it up for another £600 and then it sitting there at similar money to the rest on the Internet. Get the f***ing MOP out, get it at £2999 & get it gone. All this talk of Peugeot buyers being fussy on paintwork!?!! My arse, fussy on money more like!

F*** me, if Stephen can’t tell the different between the front tensioner & a knackered DMF he might as well pack up now