Nick M.K.

He looks very deflated in this confrontation, normally he is the one pushing but this time he couldn't quite believe the situation he found himself in. Good TV though, to them that's all that matters.

I remember one episode from years ago, I think it was car servicing but could've been construction... This elderly Essex wide boy with a voice and talk exactly like Ray Winstone very politely asked the "undercover" client lady to look out the window and tell him What colour is the grass? "It's Green." "It may be green but I'm not, love." and kicked her out of his office...

Luckily the BMW 1 series uses a bit more conventional ones (non-vacuum, non-electric). £50-£60 from ECP.

In the WBAC sections (UK Car Group) at BCA this would be "mileage warranted".

I'm thinking the same and I am also thinking along the lines of an engine mounting. They can go instantly causing said vibrations.

Only trust SOME Bulgarians. But this sentence goes with any nationality.

Servat is from Afghanistan.

Going away to Bulgaria on 17 Dec (hopefully will get lucky with good snow for some skiing before Xmas), then back here on 27 Dec and working in the week between Christmas and New Year. If I can sell a few cars while everyone else is closed would be a nice kick start to the new year. Last December I sold 3 cars on the 29th.

Because of the level of their buyer fees I would also say try some local buying from private ads or even supermarket notice boards for the sub £1000 purchases.

Of course you can. I new a moment would come in this forum when you will find something to correct me on. I just didn't expect it before 2020. I knew, rather than I new... bring me back the EDIT button.

Consider changing that range to £2-£5K.

+1.

This sounds so much better than "I nearly bought an Astra"...

I haven't. For years. I buy everything online these days. Excluding food. I always want to use a promo code, a deal code, a voucher code etc and sometimes will not buy if a code or a deal or a voucher is not available. I wanted a new bookcase for the office recently, it was £390 which I wouldn't mind paying. The store (including online) had a promotion "5% off everything" which specifically excluded that bookcase and a couple of other items so guess what: no new bookcase for me just yet. I know it's irrational but then so are most of our buyers :-)))

Absolutely but just you also said: Some buyers out there will not SEE or KNOW about the service or added value even if it hit them on the head. So, the question is, how do you "not sell" (yourself, your cars, your service etc) while making sure the customers will see all these benefits?

You don't have to. You are already winning in half the categories. If you were a film at the Oscars you would be the Schindler's List...

I had to read this out loud twice to get it but it's really funny. Especially in Essex where Danny was/is based and the G is normally silent after an N

You absolutely can but if you say it after 12 October (this was this year's cut off date) you get excluded from the double stock offer.

I have a Karcher Puzzi specifically for the wet valeting. Probably the best £290 I've spent on a tool. Another Karcher WD2200 bought for £30ish from Karcher Outlet does an amazing job as an everyday hoover. Similar to this: https://www.karcheroutlet.co.uk/products/product.asp?id=5189

How? Half his cars won't be displayed because if he adjusts the package after 12 October he will NOT get the double stock offer.

I know, I know... We don't like to haggle and we try not to. BUT Every now and then in this job the old haggling craft needs to be applied. When buying and when selling. What is your favourite approach, what do you "tell them"? 1) When buying I personally will praise a car rather than point every little mark. When the buyer eventually (I do take my time) warms to me I will tell them all these little minor things I would want to improve to "add" to the meticulous care the car has received by it's owner and will make an offer that will allow me to do all that and still earn from the deal. Cash deposit immediately followed by a transfer for the full balance. One of the reviews on my website actually says "When he buys, he pays" :-) 2) When selling... oh dear. I will not talk money over the phone or in an email. I avoid talking money during the test drive or when they stand by the car before or after that. I always like to sit the customer in my office and to slow the deal a bit. Coffees, Teas, service history files, spec checks, MY life story, THEIR life story, anything to keep my buyer in their chair for a bit longer and to make them forget the previous car they've looked at and especially the one they were planning to look at next. Lots of jokes and lots of humour only interrupted by an expressionless look if they say something like "come on, what's another £200 to you". When that question comes I have a big screen calculator and will multiply the £200 or £100 or whatever by 150 cars a year and show them the £30,000 on the screen explaining as politely as I have it in me that I simply can not take that £30K out of the business just like that and it usually does it.

Now, imagine this: In today's economy you advertise 20 cars on AT for £200 per month. How many sales do you think you'll get considering the number of advertised cars will be closer to two million nationwide rather than the current half a million? It's the same number of buyers... I've said it before on their own forum: If Autotrader was cheap it wouldn't work as good.

Doing what? He is merely road testing one of his cars on a long journey to ensure that a previous repair was successful over a high-speed, high-engine temperature, high-rev long drive. If this coincides with someone's airport run (even his own) so be it.

We answered at the same time but it definitely will not be business as usual for me.

YES. I have 13 adverts and around 15-16 stock. With 26 slots everything will be advertised, even the ones in prep, plus a few sold ones plus a few sold but not marked as sold. There is a huge advantage in advertising a specialist vehicle of which there are not that many in the country and alongside it to advertise a similar more expensive or slightly older example which clearly states DEPOSIT TAKEN or SOLD. A lot of dealers will not list double stock simply because they don't have it so if you list double you will get more views. During this offer I also take a few sale-or-return cars as advertising them is practically free and if a couple sell the commission from those will cover my Autotrader bill for a few months. On the flip side of the coin: If I was looking at a yard full of run of the mill bread and butter lowish value cars of which there are thousands for sale I'd be worried. With an offer like this there will be a HUGE number of new such stock simply because everyone that didn't bother paying to advertise them can do so free.