DoubleM

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Posts posted by DoubleM

  2. Posted

    1 hour ago, Screenman said:

    Clay cloth or bar, with lubricant.

    I second that. We detail all our vehicles and clay cloth or clay bar will be best method for plastic.

    You could also try a dry magic sponge if the plastic is not textured.

  3. Posted

    4 hours ago, Earunder said:

    Wasn't aimed as a dig, just from my experience on the 2 occasions they ballsed up with myself.  Apologies, usually a BCA firm stance is because of it selling under CAP therefore not worrying about taking it back.  It took them 3/4 months to sell the one I backed as I had too overpaid because of the vehicle over capping.  I didn't want the rigmarole of getting it repaired and / sprayed as I bought the vehicle without that on it so hence would want it like that.  That's why I backed mine.

    I can see why it can be frustrating, I just find their process a lot easier to deal with than Manheims and a few of the smaller houses who really don't give a toddle about anything.

    Sorry mate didn't mean that reply funny. I appreciate you wasn't having a dig

    1 hour ago, D&M said:

    We learned the hard way after buying online from BCA. We've had a few appraisals that were pretty bad.

    Bought an Vauxhall VXR online. Gearbox was whining really badly, but no mention of it. Parked it in the carpark and complained - got nowhere as it was 'sold as seen' and the vendor didn't mention any fault.

    Car came with no history/books/MOT, which was odd for a VXR with 1 owner for the last 10 years. After writing to the previous owner, found out the car was traded in with the owners booklet, MOT cert, Service Book full of main dealer history with an invoice detailing the gearbox failure - this paperwork was missing when we bought it. Called the dealer it was traded in at, must have got lucky and spoke to a newbie there who meant to put me on 'hold' but but me on 'mute' so I heard the whole conversation that he and the salesman who took the car in had. It wasn't pleasant. - I know it's the name of the game, but we've got to be honest with our customers, and the dealers still have to declare major faults with the cars, no just dispose of any paperwork that confirms any faults!

    Decided I wasn't going to allow the vendor to just plead ignorance to the fault, so wrote the the CEO. Got a response pretty quickly and the complaint resolved.

    When complaining, the branch manager told me that the mistake I made was driving it out of the compound and into the car park.

    Bought a Fiat 500, drove from Devon to Walsall to collect it - Appraisal, and Assured Report were naff. We took the advice from we got, and didn't take the car off the site and were offered £200 and take the car as is, or chip it back. £200 wouldn't touch the repairs, so we chipped it back. Done and dusted within 25 mins. Shame about the 4 hour wasted drive up there though. The manager there offered us a free delivery next time we buy online from that centre, which was very kind of him.

    We much prefer to go to auction to see the cars in person, but we are at a different end of the market to some dealers here.

    We can see it from their side though, the people doing the appraisals are only human and occasionally things can be missed - or are they on a set time per car and sometimes rushing?

    If we had customers who bought from us and arrived to find something not as described, they'd hit to roof. Why should dealers have to put up with cars not coming through auction being not as described. We pay enough in auction fees! Yes, we do have some comeback, but its a PITA to get listened to and the gestures offered to make the car 'as described' most often don't cover it.

    You live and learn, eh?

    That's a right moany old post :lol:

    We're happy car dealers really - the good buys more than make up for the bad eggs.

    Wouldn't change occupation, dealings in the blood!

    Always best to see in person and that's what I did for about 10 years but when you want certain makes / models / spec they aren't always on you're door step so have to bite the bullet and buy online.

    Just would be nice not to be misled....

    And yes the good ones always make you forget about the couple of bad ones after a week or so.

    4 hours ago, Stalker said:

    Hi Double M

    Its BCA standard procedure to "fob off"

    Could we please have the age and mileage of the car? The grading does take this into consideration.

    I know your pain, Ive just bought a Skoda with a previously damaged headlight not declared, its only a Xenon one for £360! (that's for a bare one without ballast and bulb)

     

    It was a 2010 330 M sport cab with 70k. Grade 2, that was changed when I sent pics, they didn't tell me grade but on the age / mileage of the car I would of said it was a 4 or maybe a very bad 3 at a push.

    I've had better grade 3 older cars with more miles.

    I've had no option but to accept the £350 and will have to swallow the extra repairs.

    Can't win them all but at least I'll have a nice car in stock at the end of it.

  4. Posted

    1 hour ago, Lakeside said:

    So have they always turned up on a transporter with you or driven?

    I always request transported. Sometimes there is no difference in price, other times it can be 10%-20% more but worth it for my piece of mind.

    I just don't like the idea of someone ragging about in a car I've just paid for.

    I've had a few vans delivered by road and to be fair 8/10 of the drivers have been good, I've had a few smoked in and a couple sat outside the drivers houses over the weekend which drives me nuts. 

  5. Posted

    1 hour ago, Earunder said:

    Can't see anything wrong with that if I'm honest.  They've offered you either compensation or a refund.  If the shoe was on the other foot what would you do?

    I have a feeling you got it a substantial amount under book and they feel it's quite realistic they'll sell it for more anyway, hence the low ball and assertive stance.

    Only had it happen twice, once @ Measham and once with Bedford.

    Backed them both with no problems and money in account within 72 hours, so moved on without any problems.

    =============

    Manheim - I think their company moto is deny everything.  They actually come close to deny even selling the car with the excuses they come out with.  Not bought from there for, actually can't remember!  To think I was going to try them again next week!

    I paid over cap clean actually, as I normally do for the right vehicle if it's got the right spec etc.

    What would I do?.

    If I had wrongly described a vehicle to a customer buying blind I would either pay for the exact cost to rectify the repairs (they offered less than 50%) or I would offer a refund (which they did). I wouldn't tell my customer to get a quote and then offer them less than half.

    My issue is that they are hard faced enough to say take it or leave it when kicking you in the balls with the repair costs but as you said they probably know some other mug like me will sit on the laptop and buy it again.

    As for Manheim - NOPE, I think I would rather get shafted with BCA than buy online with Manheim, in person with a mechanical report then yes I probably would use Manheim.

  6. Posted

    .....at £50 I would maybe think about Gumtree in addition to eBay.

    Tried it years ago on a special rate when first partnered with eBay and was okay for swappers but I think only 10% of the customer base are actually in the real world.

    Full of idiots who want 5 grand knocking off a 4 grand car plus free delivery to the other end of the country

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    I tend to use BCA and have them transported, even if a little more expensive.

    Reason being, if the car comes not as described you are more likely to have BCA listen to you than if I 3rd party has collected and had it in their possession 24-48 hours.

    At least with BCA, they have sent it so the mileage is the same and it has been in their possession or agents possession so the condition upon delivery can be argued much more.

    We've rang up and complained a few times over the years and had a few returned to the branch then us refunded.

    Just make sure you sign for them as dirty, wet, dark outside etc. Then at least you have chance to check them once on site.

    They aren't very good at compensating and usually pay peanuts towards repairs so always but them thinking the worse.

  8. Posted

    VERY frustrated with the Customer Claims at BCA and their attitude towards buyers.

    Had a Grade 2 BMW delivered last week, described online as 1 to 5 stone chips on the bumper, 1 to 5 chips osf wing, two wheel refurbs and door edge chip.

    It arrived with.....

    Front bumper bladdered in chips with damage to splitter and two very bad touch ups about 5cm each, wing scratched through paint about 20cm & sill scratched about 50cm - both old scratches and thru paint, tailgate poor paint and a very obvious dent man dent, rear lamp cracked, three wheel scuffs and a bald tyre.

    They accepted the grade change and the condition of the car and told me they could either collect it or get a quote which I felt was fair.... but.....

    I sent them a very reasonable trade / cost price quote to do the repairs & replacement lamp and they'll offer me a max of £350 inc VAT which I think is taking the P**S.  I told them to phone their own BCA bodyshop for a quote and then come back to me with something more realistic.

    They simply said take the £350 or we will collect.

    Yes that is £291 +vat to repair/paint a bumper, a wing, a sill, a tailgate, refurb an extra wheel, change a run flat tyre and purchase a replacement LED rear lamp.

    If it was easy enough to replace stock at the right money I would of sent it back, but I would be silly to do so as there's still decent profit left even after contributing towards the repairs.

    Just really gets on my nerves how they just DO NOT care about their dealers and just have a take it or leave it attitude.

    Never the auction or vender that's out of pocket but the people who are already being shafted daily when buying from BCA.

  10. Posted

    I had a guy travel 3 hours on the train a few weeks back for quite a BMW I was selling, said he couldn't buy it as it was "too clean", I said believe it or not mate it costs EXACTLY the same price to paint a panel that gets scratched on an average condition car a it does a nice car... Still went home on the train, left me baffled for days haha.

    Also bugs me when they tell you "we've been looking for ages, it's the nicest we've seen so far, but will go look at a few others and give you a call back"  - NOTHING is more satisfying than telling them it's been sold when they call back the day after.!!

    Latest one I think was just a crackpot who came at the weekend - came to view a 5 Series, in the identical car but his was 1 year older, very tired and had 150k more miles than mine. Apart from that, mine had leather, his had cloth.  Said he couldn't buy cos the insurance was going to be too expensive haha WTF?

     

  11. Posted

    Hi all, what invoicing software are you currently using?

    I am only a small setup with around 20 cars for sale and about 10 in prep, just getting sick of typing out all my invoices manually using a template.

    Wanting something with VRM & Postcode lookup but not really too fussed about all the SAGE & VAT stuff as of yet.

    Any recommendations would be appreciated.

    Thanks.