NOACROSS

Oh good- I miss the AT threads. ;0) As much as I hate Autoraper -and I do- I agree: Motors is pretty much a damp squib. It sort of pays for itself. Life goes on just fine without AT though.

Zuto do give commissions? 24/7 don’t. I don’t mind the odd. 24/7 deal. Quick payout and have always been grateful. Just gotta have a decent margin.

Lots of bored motor traders out there, giving ‘just that bit more’ than the next guy. Pretty normal/average month here, but everything is a work up. Lucky not short of stock as buying sensible seems impossible.

Nobody is that bored or stupid. I for one couldn't make up such drivel if I tried. (Organising Car Dealers is like herding cats- as I've said on many occasions.) These stupid (OP) posts have been an intermittent feature for years. Like an EML on a german car. One will always appear.

50% you’re doing very well! I wanted to hate Bookface, and resisted it for a long time. It does produce sales, but it’s a slow burner & takes a while to build it. I don’t think the quality of punters/questions is any worse than from elsewhere. In fact, I think they trust you more. (Rory has 12 thousand followers or something heroic, so I guess that takes a long time? We have a 1500 ish, so a way to go yet.) The difficultly for me being SO anti-social in general, is bringing myself to come up with content to keep the interest. And finding interesting content to post is a challenge.

Absolutely agree (as usual)

All German (especially VW Audi), Vauxhall, Ford autos and Ecoboost as above, Minis (particulary 1.4 or Cooper S). Automatic newer Nissans (Juke etc). Diesels. Small manual cars. Surprised I buy anything to be fair.

https://news.motors.co.uk/news/diesels-set-for-comeback-as-euro-6-models-begin-to-arrive-on-the-used-market/?fbclid=IwAR1SzkIc5pRWAbTuYCHQLXNQaKWD8h-mA7UA7mczhZ2GrWmaiN-WrjQwLeM According to Motors

Diesels have been v hard work here- South Coast (with a few exceptions) for a couple of years now. You can see the punters face change -as if they've just chewed wasp-once they hear the D word. Especially true with the over 60's who make up a large proportion of our local conurbation.

You'll know when you know. However- resist the temptation I would say. Stay part time (paying your taxes of course) and enjoy it as a hobby. Life in this game is MUCH more complicated and difficult than you can possibly imagine. Be very sure before you take the leap.

Yup- for sure they don’t like sitting. The junk has already had a new battery a few weeks ago. I was watching the customers. All they did was open it, open the drivers door and the tailgate. Ha. oh well..next time. Funny addendum: could I find the keys yesterday? No. Searched everywhere & gave up (after grabbing the tree branch again in my mind). I eventually find them in the service history to another car and that car’s key in the Mercedes box. Idiot day. Note to self:wake up.

And yet a Kia is still covered (like your balls I hope) ;o)

Ha. Brill.

Comedians In Cars, Getting Coffee is my favourite show on Netflix.

The proof is in the pudding. Said Merc has done 40k. It’s quite a nice lump to be fair. My CRV started this morning. Just saying. Indeed. V true.

I’m too long in the tooth to let it bother me. Was perversely quite funny. Just got back and I’m even less worried now. I thought about smoking the junk for a while, but it’s too new for me (13 plate) and it’s not as reliable as my ‘95 Crv daily. . :o)

So true. Always a bloody german car too I find. So annoyed with it, that I've not even marked it back up or put the charger on it. If there was a tree nearby I'd go grab a branch and 'give it a damn good thrashing... you sit there for months doing nothing, and when you actually need it'. :0) Pub time for you too Mark. Not been too bad a month here (crap last month) but everything's so difficult. Finance declines, prep, customers. Oh well...This time next year!

:o)

Had a hot lead on an Eclass I hate that we've have had for ages. Nice car, priced OK, should have sold. Appointment arranged yesterday for today at 12:30. Customer sounds like the one for it. Local too. Nice and clean already, but treated to a quick going over yesterday. Started, left running a while, moved, turned off, tried again late afternoon- all OK. This morning I start it up, leave it running whilst I get it out from its spot, take it on a three mile round trip and get some fuel at the same time. Starts fine at the petrol station, drives lovely on the way back. Reversed back on the site. Shammy'd off, done the tyres- lovely jubbly. Turn it off, get on with the next job. Punter and his wife turn up just about on time- brill. Look round it, in and out a bit for five minutes max. Can we go for a drive? Of course you can..... fill out test drive log.... Put trade plates on, take stickers out.... Who knows where this is going?! Yup...'click'. 'Click'.... aghhh! Sorry Mister Customer, let me get the booster box on it. Walk to office to get booster. Alarm goes off.....(really loud) and car is near the office. Put the booster on, notice it's flat too... Customer's wife says(shouting) 'Oh that's not very good. Must have a problem' Won't let me grab the other booster- fair enough, it is pissing down, it doesn't start and the alarm is going off! Off they go. Is it pub time yet?

I can only comment on the paid package, as it was probably late 2016 since I was on the free one. It does for sure still come in 'waves' though- you are right. I think this is how they/their algorithm works, in that you've probably noticed CG banners and individual pics of cars on your browser here and there. I think everybody 'gets their turn' on the carousel of pushed advertising. BTW- I mention this every so often on here, so forgive me- but I STILL get people telling me they saw me on AT. I've not advertised with the robbers for coming up three years. Also, remember, that just because someone ends up on your website, or contacts you finally via AT, ebay, CG or whatever- it doesn't mean that that's where they started off with the search or that that platform was the first place they saw your car ad, website link etc. For example, a google search will bring up you/your business & or the car on a list of clickable links such as AT, ebay, Motors etc. I think it was the founder of Tesco's that said 'Half your advertising budget is wasted. Trouble is, you don't know which half'.

We've had this subject a few times on here. They're not fake leads, but more akin (as I think EPV said) to a Facebook 'like'. Also, I find that our email replies will fairly often fall in to the 'interested' party's spam folder. Have a look at how the platform works from the customer's end and you'll see the pre-prepared questions they can click on. These then come through to you as a 'lead' Whilst I'm not saying CG is awesome, we most certainly do get sales from it (paid package) as do others on here.

'I'm Nacman' (in a Batman voice)

Call them what? I can think of something. Answers on a postcard ..... :0)

I wanted to say similar...but I didn't... :0)

Bit too new maybe and colour will only appeal to a limited number. We struggle with them unless they're speccy, auto and pref convertible. Having said that, yours should stand out in a sea of the things in that colour.