BHM

I can believe it. When punters visit I can often tell if a tyrekicker has slipped through the net just from the 30mtr walk from the car park to my viewing area. BUYERS are itching to get to see the ‘new’ car, they leap out of their car full of vim & vigour, and they lead the charge to the viewing area. If I’ve greeted them at their car they continue walking towards the new car - their attention is fully focused on the prospective new car. If my phone screening has let me down and a tyrekicker arrives, they sit in their car for 30-60 seconds arranging their gamplan or fucking about on a mobile phone, eventually they get out, shuffle towards the new car then often circle it like a vulture over the carcass of a dead wildebeest. Often the actions & body language of a tyrekicker are very different to that of a buyer.

It’s funny how some punters (especially Vaggots) think they can be fussy over a main dealer history yet you know for a fact the greedy fuckers won’t go anywhere near a franchise when it’s coming out of their wallet.

Often these are the worst cars. I’ve got an Isuzu that I could of planted spuds in the pollen filter & an X3 that was serviced by BMW less than 2500 miles ago & the brakes are on the metal. However, who’s to say what the owners directed the dealerships to do, and what not to do?

I’ve had this discussion twice this week & tbh a look at the service schedule on cars refers to “inspection of xxxx”, i.e. a look at xxxx. These cars being discussed here have also been MOTed which should more than account for the inspection of the safety items.....in theory! About 25 years ago I complained to both a VW & a Vx dealerships about their services on company cars not including stripping & cleaning brakes and on both occasions was referred to the service schedule & told if I wanted a brake service I needed to ask for one. I’m with you 100% on this but in answer to your original question I’d say Yes, usually it is. It certainly is with 90% of the public & it’s the reason so many cars miss the aux belt, timing belt, autobox oil change, plug changes etc. etc. - the additional service items.

It seems that everyone fully services every single car sold. Absolutely staggering! I’m now looking out of my window for flying pigs.

Very true. However, in reality what are the chances of a buyer of an 11yr old Ibiza taking it for a service? I’ve more chance of Lord Lucan riding up to my front door on Shergar! Knowing the typical horrid greedy buyer profile of that sort of car I’d seriously imagine it’s already had its last ever service. £30 quid’s worth of oil, filter & labour would be money well spent for the seller, although it won’t be appreciated.

I hope it’s a faulty sensor but the fact the light goes out when the revs are lifted....

Schoolboy error. ALWAYS check all of the keys & if you can’t get one working it’s better to throw it in the bin than hand over a non-functioning key. As for Mini keys I wouldn’t know for definite but it sounds about right. I believe in the case of expensive keys on older cars, my key man installs a separate remote lock system so the punter ends up with a separate fob & a plain key. Admittedly too late for that now.

Won’t anyone be shedding any tears for AT?

If the man at the DVLA said that then it’ll be right. However I’d take a V62 with you just in case the PO bod behind the counter say they want it.

I’ve been following this for years in Private Eye. Even when this final caseload started last year, the Post Office were still dragging their heals, making ridiculous claims & trying to get it chucked out of court. That obnoxious Paula Vennells, who headed the PO & knowingly covered up the Horizon system faults, should do serious time. It’s destroyed family businesses, and in some cases lives, and is an absolute disgrace to this country.

Correct. If it’s not in trade it cannot be taxed immediately.

Phone the DVLA on Monday to check that it’s ‘in trade’ & confirm that it can be taxed with a V62 at a post office. You'll still have to stump up £25 but you can get it on sale immediately.

Wow indeed! Mr. Horgan deserves a medal for getting all of that PLUS £750! Manheim’s Surecheck have got me jumping through hoops for a £300 claim (it has reminded me why I buy little from them) & I’ve just had a £2500 lump of scrap delivered that’s been fully Surechecked so I’m bouncing it back under misrepresentation. Manheim management think the Surecheck system is there simply to sack off buyers to cover for their own incompetence. Been there, seen it, done it, got the T-shirt of Surecheck wriggling out of jobs & expecting me to work for f.a. on the other work. As far as I’m concerned it’s now either a full refund or money back at my quotation.

I agree the smaller auction houses are more flexible & easier to deal with and as such deserve to take trade away from the inflexible big names. I’ve never shopped at BCA but how do you get them to cover main dealer costs? I’m currently dealing with Manheim’s Surecheck scheme & the greedy bastards want videos of everything “Starting with the registration plate blah blah blah” and have financial caps on everything and are prepared to argue over the price of misappraised unroadworthy tyres. One thing’s for sure, Surecheck’s £50 +VAT diagnostics fee limit wouldn’t get much graft done at a main dealer.

Online only still. I wish I bought from BCA! Online has been a Godsend as far as I’m concerned. Shit cars with obvious faults bounced back at the auction houses for misrepresentation OR good money credited back. I’ve never had it so good. I think it’s a shame auction houses all seem to be reopening. An opportunity missed to revolutionise the trade into an efficient Japanese-style auction system with cast-iron (supposedly) appraisals . The majority of auctions can’t wait to let us back in through the doors to put the onus back onto us buyers. Believe me, the likes of Manheim want to take their £3-500 a bonnet with absolutely f.a. responsibilities.

What has 800 legs, 3 teeth & stinks of piss? The queue outside Primark on sale day.

Today I suspect the punters were more interested in doing selfies in beer gardens or queueing up outside Primark. What on Earth is that all about? How fucking sad do you have to be to queue up for a £3 T-shirt?

I did have a visit from the police as a car had been in my name. As soon as I said the purchaser declared themselves as trade they were satisfied with that. I don’t know if you’re aware but when the vehicle is in trade the police can’t see who the trade keeper is! Believe it or not, the DVLA records that are accessible by the police only show that the vehicle is ‘in trade’ but NOT who with. Hence in the event of an incident the police always go to the latest keeper on the log book & go from there.

The same now, there’s no way of recording trade movements with the DVLA after initially being put into trade. Record keeping is key here. If it’s a trader unknown to you I strongly suggest you also get a copy of photographic ID or photo their truck/trade plates etc. Over the years I’ve only had a few of these trade deals that turned slightly sour when 6 months later the police drop-in unannounced or a speeding fine dropped through the letterbox. However police investigations etc. are NOT my concern, making money on cars is so as long as I’ve got some basic form of I.D. that’s good enough for me and, more importantly, good enough for the authorities. There’s too much worrying here about who you sell too. If someone says they’re trade then they’re trade, however flimsy (or non existent!) their proof.

I’ve sold to plenty of taxi drivers over the years & never had any comeback. Not a single phone call. My guess is rather like van buyers, they just want a decent motor but understand once they’ve bought it they own it. I’d be surprised a taxi buyer expected comeback unless times have changed.

At a guess I’d thought so, taxiing is for hire & reward so I struggle to see how it cannot be. Hidden in the small print; If this vehicle is sold to, or used in the course of a business, then the Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not apply and as such are excluded from this purchase contract.

I heard a tale last week when enquiring about a staff member at an auction house. A couple of months ago a manager bought a couple of items on eBay & thought the seller’s name rang a bell. It turns out it was one of the yard lads who’d made a second career, for years, flogging off stolen items. Funnily enough this particular staff member was one of the first casualties of the Coronavirus cutbacks. Note to auction staff; when selling stolen goods use a false name