MattR

My understanding of the VAT rules may be wrong, but I wasnt under the impression that you got a threshold before you started paying VAT? I Think its based on a rolling 12 months trading? I stand ready to be corrected

I'd Say its quiet. For the first time since December, My pitch is full as I've not been selling as many as I've been buying for the first time this year. So plenty of options now for the tyre kickers! And no locals asking if I'm closing down either

Ace Motors Nottingham got brought up on another thread here a couple of weeks ago. He's been trolled on google and some of the reviews were thoroughly entertaining. Not at all good for anyone who just looks at his score though. Think he managed to get google to remove some of them but bet thats a ballache and a half

I would recommend WMS. I've had the same rep for 6 years, always helpful on those grey areas which most companies try to wriggle out of. costs me £55 per car for 3 months warranty, £95 for 12. Mark is right about things like cambelt (unless a change has been done at manufacturers times, they wont pay out on one snapping) but they have always covered my cars for the other bits no matter the service history on it.

Does it mean f*** all profit?

Reassuring that everyone else is quiet. Seems a good week to crack on with the VAT Return. There wasnt even a queue at the jacket potato stand at lunch!

Dont worry about a review. Its a chance to show what you do well when you respond. Include information such as your minimum tyre depths you work to, your comprehensive workshop checks etc. as long a syour reply is calm and professional, it is more likely to win you business than cost you business.

Yes, he could. Hopefully the PDI lists that its got michelins or whatever on it. You saying that reminds me of a Gypsy family that did that to me at a main dealer on their part ex. Didnt argue, there were a lot of them and the showroom windows were expensive to replace!

He doesnt have a leg to stand on. Tyres which he has stated are legal (and very much so if they have 2mm above the wear bar) are fine. In my main dealer days we worked off 3mm so nothing to worry about there. Be firm. Very firm. Inform him as stated above about what the 14 days on the finance means. He will go away unless you are a soft touch, in which case he will be a constant irritation. Offer him the opportunity to have the tyres inspected by your workshop but inform him before he sets off that nothing will be entertained if the tyres are above 3mm. He will work out the trip is pointless and move on.

Dont start that again!!!! (but I was thinking the same thing.)

I felt a lot like this when I first started but I have come to realise that its not worth chasing your price down to match the plastic traders. Proper punters pay proper money. So ask proper money for your proper cars, and accept you may not be busy seeing customers, but you wont be a busy fool either. I was more profitable selling 160 cars last year than I was 3 years ago when I sold 255. Thats the bit you really learn as time goes by.

Welcome! Good luck in your new venture

When I get the parent driving the aygo, fiesta etc, I always disarm them by saying halfway through ' I wont ask you if its nice to drive because I'm sure your car is nicer than this'. They know it wont be as good as their car, but a reminder does no harm

over 3 hours so far. I anticipate a part exchange being unloaded from the aa transporter about half a mile away and driving the last bit Arrived at 505, so 4 hrs and 20 minutes. Which didnt surprise me when I saw the space saver spare wheel on it and she told me she had driven all the way here on it.... But at least she didnt have to drive back in it! I'm looking forward to him checking my prescription is OK!

over 3 hours so far. I anticipate a part exchange being unloaded from the aa transporter about half a mile away and driving the last bit

very. how long can it take someone to drive from marlborough to nottingham??

Not as much as lawyers. Ive watched a couple of dramas on telly and got a wig, already got an office for the pitch, going to put an ad on facebook offering my legal services now

Like advertising for free on gumtree as a private seller or facebook, no trade plates, cheapest 'drive only' trade insurance (if any), parking in pub car parks or mates drives, and selling with the MOT its got instead of checking its safe for the next owner, and naturally, no hpi checks!

Do your own check to make sure. A potential customer may have told you its got outstanding finance when it may have an expired agreement on it. That will tell you who the finance house is and when the agreement expired. If it does have any money outstanding, then you have a problem. Because part time trader or not, recovering the balance from the previous owner will be tough.

A good independent bodyshop where you go relatively regularly will charge you around £100 per panel, a little less if its mutiple panels on the same car. I dont bother with smart repairs (I deal in up to £5k) so its either a touch in stick or paint work - most smart repairers struggle to get a good finish and I've had them end up looking worse than if I hadnt bothered. Build a good relationship with your bodyshop and you may get the odd polish job thrown in from time to time. And the one I use lets me borrow the tins of paint to do a touch in if I havent got the right colour in my box of touch in sticks. Customer expectations- Always high but most will accept a few little dents or chips/scratches. If they dont get its a used car at the time they are looking at it with you, then you dont need to be a genius to work out what may happen next. Simon does an excellent video for any prospective customers where he shows any marks on the car. It doesnt stop him selling, so dont worry too much about honest dents and scuffs.

I bought one a few weeks back with no history - I dont normally but it looked like it had been looked after so I took the punt. Got it back and found the book in with the spare wheel with a full history, which was nice! However, its seems as difficult to sell a FSH Chevy Spark as one with none.....

bargain!

I dont like more any more than 5 owner cars, which on my stock is an average of 2 years per owner. Always love a low mileage 1 Owner car, most punters will pay the premium for one of them, but I guess on some cars multiple owners isnt an issue. I'm never surprised to see lots of keeper changes on a 'look at me ' car - the owner has their fussy out of it and sells it to the next show off

I think it started (but that was a long time ago) with Arthurs challenge. I'm looking out for some of his results to give us an idea of how much of a difference its made for him.

Hi Mark I think we all waste money on something in the beginning be it advertising or spending too much on recon or valeting, so I guess you just have to be prepared for that look a tyourself in 3 years when you go 'I cant believe I spent £x on Y'. But thats the learning process I and I would think everyone else on here has done (and probably still does). Have a go with AT. and then if you dont think its working, drop it for a bit. But if I was going to recommend a way of getting a good start, I would use AT. More people looking, better chance of a sale. just my opinion!