NOACROSS

People calling Audis 'Or-dees'. (White dog poop is in fact Fox-poop I think).

Character building. :0)

Agh yes. Sorry Tradex- you mentioned it. I see you can still buy them!

I'd forgotten about air fresheners. What were the 'three gems' ones? Bit like a traffic light. v posh. Anyone remember 'tax in post' in windscreens?

I miss... Scrounging last months (if I was lucky) dog-eared Glass’ guide off the local tame main dealer and putting it in its leather cover. Thumbing through it for insurance groups etc, reading the write up at the front each month. Thumbing through it and finding an actual name of an underwriter up-country that you could call up and get a bid on something. Getting up early to buy the local rag and AT magazine to scour for bargains. Going to the block and knowing I’d buy something but no idea what. Breaking down on the way back. Haircuts (and hair for that matter), service stamps etc Tyre paint. Pom and newspaper. Vinegar and newspaper to clean windows Calls on landlines only. Putting stripes on cars Tax discs and cashing them in. Removeable car stereos and fitting them yourselves. Speakers on parcel shelves. Autotrader woman that came out in her cavalier and took your ads and photo’d the cars. Going to scrap yards and actually going inside, climbing up, in and around cars to get the bits you needed. Delight if you found a body panel or door etc in the same colour. Cash.

First rule of Fight Club...

Are you all in the secret lounge?

Yes- nothing to write home about. Get a few sales every time I think to cancel. They are now owned by ebay, so ebay/gumtree/motors will be all under the same umbrella.

Oh good. Saves me asking the same question ;o)

Feel for you, but it is part of the job. Morons that is. And morons who buy cheap cars are more likely to be a headache, because it’s usually all their dough. You have to work harder with these cheap punters & if you know they are out of your area, then make sure they know before they buy the difficulty of any potential warranty issues...consider being the Sales Prevention Officer (SPO) For all sales: Your pre-and post sale checks and paperwork need to be really good. The punters need to be told and sign for the fact that they have tested the car, (keep test drive logs) and all is well. They agree there is no faults with it (unless declared). Tell them, and get them to sign to say, they understand the terms of your warranty and what’s covered (if you give one) and that in the unlikely event of there being any issues with the junk, that they understand it is their responsibility to get it back to you so you can exercise your right to inspect and repair under the CRA. Show them and get them to sign the Pdi etc at handover Best advice you have had is ‘if it feels wrong-don’t deal with them’. The Sales Prevention Officer is a very important role on the rare occasions he is needed If you don’t have all the above paperwork protecting you, then just refund the idiot, but make them bring it back to you (unless their garage are prepared to go on record saying it’s unsafe to do so.) if you can get them to see sense. Remember though that if you force them, the probably not broken car, may well get a hard time in their hands on the way back to you. Sometimes ‘retreat is the better part valour’ and ‘pick your battles’ is another cliche I like. Most people are normal, and you’ll soon forget about this loon -but treat them all as potential screamers until proven otherwise & get your ‘ducks in a row’ at point of sale and handover always.

I have a site - and I'm amazed when someone turns up unannounced nowadays. (I don't care and I'm glad they came of course but anyone with a brain rings or emails first. Just to check you've still got the junk at least). You can't fix stupid, and the morons will always be out there.

Good idea. Do let us know how you get on.

Yes and no. Not so much anymore, but I do see them drive past in the same car they bought off me three/four years ago. You always get the odd few who always buy off you -or at least ask you to look out for something you haven’t got. Do get quite a lot of the ‘my friend, dad, uncle, auntie bought off you’ which is always nice.

For me it was the cost of a no -sale. Extortionate. As well as the horrid, dreadfully cluttered website, banners, sponsored listings, price markers race to the bottom and price increases. Over four grand a month bill is not something I miss. Particularly in the quiet times. I should try it again one day in a limited capacity, but every time I think about the robbers, it makes me cross. Life goes on without them.

Ended with 20. Until one cancelled this morning from yesterday. Arse. He said ‘you can keep the deposit’ at least, so that’s something. (Can’t remember the last time someone cancelled.) V depressing start to the day. Then just sold a different car, so swings & roundabouts.

Lump it. Life goes on without the robbers. Or don’t. No point moaning about it. No one listens. Brum. Ha. Forgot already

:0(

Spoiler alert. V sad. So true. Us grown men are so soft. This occasion, we knew it was time (bleeding from both nostrils (12 and a half) Get there and they've laid out the chairs out around the Persian rug. Old girl sussed it right away I’m sure- ran behind my legs. What could you do. At least they can escape. . :0( Dreadful.

So sad. Dogs/cats - awesome. People-not so much. Really miss my recently departed (3rd) GSD. Trying not to like the new arrival Springer Spaniel her indoors insisted on too much! :0) Must be what- 15 degrees C there now! ;0)

Nothing worse. Gastly. Poor thing. Commiserations :o( I can’t read your hot tub stories without grinning/grimacing. :0)

Dave : you're a fountain of knowledge & I for one feel very appreciative that you you’re on here. Thank you. How’s Mel etc? We all enjoy your (somewhat sparse recently) posts

Ticking over here. 17 so far, but every deal has been like pulling teeth. Much better than June though. TV would be saying ‘even the liars are quiet’ There’s always a few bucking the trend, and good on them. I think exposure and location are very important. We used to sell lots of later and luxury stuff and couldn’t sell a small car for toffee unless auto and cheap. This year, selling anything heavy is nigh on impossible, especially locally (have sold a few out of the area) but small cars under four grand are selling. Small autos remain great news but finding them with a margin is tricky. As mentioned on another thread, it seems people are only buying out of necessity. Maybe that’ll change if the new government do have some balls and vision, or even some humility. I’m not holding my breath. It’s really tough business and it’s only sustainable if you have a load of dough you’ve squirrelled away in the good times. Whether or not it lasts you long enough to pay for the bad times is another question. That and having minimal overheads. I’d give up my site tomorrow if someone wanted to pay me to move out. Trouble is, ‘key money’ isn’t really a thing anymore - or at least, it’s hard to get. Same with selling the ‘goodwill’. Too many people in the game nowadays, and if you’re in the cheap, price-is-important world then it’s too cutthroat. Only hope is to sell things with an edge or that are unusual. The skill’s in the buying I’m afraid. It’s always good to have a plan B and be ‘antifragile’ but finding another string to your bow is tricky. If I was starting over again (I wouldn’t), it’d be just a part time thing on the side from home. Mate of mine is in the classic world and he’s saying it’s a waste of time now. I wonder if that’s true of the antiques business etc.

That's just what he'd say to trick us! Sorry Casper, couldn't resist, and seeing as Casper is a ghost- it made me think about EPV being on the missing list :0) Anyway, ignore me (most do) and welcome on board again from me.

Is Casper EPV in disguise with an elaborate ploy to trick us? ;0)

You lose the 'bid' button for any listing from that dealer.