Nick M.K.

You stock profile sure beats mine for diversity :-)

Yes it is possible to tax twice (or multiple times) with the same V5C/2 reference number. It's best if you pay your tax by direct debit so you simply cancel the DD from your online banking when you sell the car. When you tax a car this way you can not drive it indefinitely. DVLA says that "within reasonable time" they need to be supplied with keeper details for taxed vehicles which are "in trade". Two three months should be OK.

You get small favours. Provisionals telling the vendor "this guy bid on 20 of your lots today, let him have it", The auctioneer knocking the hammer for you on Going Twice or completely ignoring the screen with a higher net bid or even starting the bidding at £7K when Cap Clean is £9800... They add up over time.

Our average customer travels around 40 miles to get to us. Some come from much further away. I chatted to a dealer recently and he said 90% of his business comes from within 5 miles from his pitch (Essex). How about your customers?

I think we might have another just before Xmas. With some decent brand scotch as a prize for the winner :-)

My bodyshop has told me to measure the thickness of the clearcoat by comparing the painted door shuts with the external panels. Door shuts have less clearcoat because they are not exposed to the elements. Can someone confirm this?

I asked this exact question last year on the AT forum. How to do you filter the time wasters from the genuine buyers. And we couldn't agree a solution. Simon's deposit system is really good but it will not work for everyone, you can literally interview people on the phone and they tell lies OR sometimes they come to you with no intent of buying and they buy! +1. Especially on a Saturday. Absolutely and also say "we have read your reviews, we are 80 miles away but can be with you in 2 hours, can you hold it for us"...

Thanks Simon, I've certainly got those as well. Let them sit a bit longer and I'll have a moan about them.

Tradevet, you are welcome to call me and we'll have a chat, my personal mobile number is 07736677089. BHM, I have attached a copy of the response from my advertising on Autotrader, my advert went live on 30 Apr, deposit taken 3 May, advert stopped on 6 May. It absolutely wasn't meant to be until this last post of mine, now that I've posted it (in response, mind) it DOES look like peacocking. My apologies to everyone for this but at least it pointed out a really hot model to stock to those interested. Thanks Rory, some of your higher value sales are even faster! My customer was a cash buyer unfortunately. Do you think it might be better to hold to hot stock a bit longer waiting for a finance buyer or at least one with decent p/x?

It's a 17 reg Passat GT TDI.

I posted a complete photo, did it not publish?

Ok. There you go. An everyday car that you see on every corner. If you are looking to increase the effect of your Facebook page something like this guessing game works a treat. People tend to share and tag quite a lot. Especially if there is also a giveaway involved.

Is everyone looking on our website where it says Most Popular Brands and assumes it's one one them :-) David, you are onto something here, kind of close but not quite.

I have a Karcher Puzzi wet vac. A couple of times the liquid in the waste bucket after I've done a deep valet on a seemingly clean car was exactly like engine oil from an old diesel. One of the reasons I prefer even a fake leather interior to a cloth one...

Text him and tell him NOT to travel to view it as you have another person on the way and very interested. Might make him more motivated. If he rings again later tell him the other person absolutely loved the car, it was the best of 5 others he'd already seen and he went away to "get his finances in order". Car still available for now but you have to be quick sir. I'd hate for you to miss out and have to go back to square one.

Do you mean what's in it for you :-) Satisfaction that you guessed it more than anything else but also if we ever do a pub meet, a round on me of course. I'll give one more hint. Should make it easier:

No Mark / Simon and I have attached a photo for tradegirl.

We have one of them in a similar colour but no, not an i3...

Another hint: It was actually Dark Grey metallic and sold for £19750 in 4 days. ABSOLUTELY not! After I sold my first (and last) Insignia in 2014 the customer wanted to take me to court over a failed DPF pressure sensor AFTER I paid for it to be replaced at his local Vauxhall dealer. I just struggle to raise my hand in an auction hall when one goes through.

Hi Adam, welcome to the forum, 3 weeks sounds good to me but I have no experience of vans at all. I've driven a Transit for a few days when we were moving house in 2013 and that's about it. If a customer asks me for a van I'll send them your way...

He had to make one single stop at the M6 toll services to recharge the battery (45 mins) and fill the small petrol range extender tank. If you depart with a full battery charge and full REX tank you have around 200 miles range so you can do the journey without stopping.

The French will be glad to read that Paddy... Interestingly this car came in p/x from the Wirral and I'll give you the most useless hint about it: the customer that chopped it in bought a BMW i3.

That's a valid strategy. Or: You can get the car up for sale immediately with images from the front, back and multiple interior and detail shots while you are waiting for the wheels to be refurbed. Write in the advert something like "19in Artura alloy wheels in gunmetal grey" and if a customer comes to view the car before it's done just show it as is. If they question the colour let them know that it's booked in and would they still prefer gunmetal or the original silver... https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201806067239104

When the before is like the silver and I want an after like the black I may have to keep paying for a while :-)

Ok ladies and gents, Have a go at guessing the car in the attached photo. And be specific... Don't just say "Alfa" or "Renault" :-)