EPV

Perfect, thanks S. along with the cam belt app you’ve been really helpful today mate.

Thanks Nick, it wasn’t so much as to what was more desirable it was more a case of how the manufacturer rank their trim levels.

I think the point was that you don’t show that sort of thing. No close ups of wheels and paintwork blemishes edited out if needs be.

What resources do you lot use (apart from your experience which is of great use to you but not to me!) to determine ranking of specification models by manufacturer? Put a simpler way, S-Line would be the top line for Audi, followed by SE? BMW would be M-Sport followed by Sport? or SE? Parkers have a simple enough guide but do they rank them on their site? Here's an example; https://www.parkers.co.uk/mercedes-benz/e-class/estate-2010/specs/ So Standard trim would be the entry level, then SE edition 125, then avantgarde edition and so on, all the way up to AMG night edition. Is that ranked low to high in your eyes or have they just put them in any old how? Any other resources that I can use to help me determine which are the more desirable (in theory) derivatives? I'll await the old school mob on here telling me it's all "upstairs" and only thousands of years worth of service in the salt mines will allow me such information but hopefully the new school mob will recognise t'internet is a marvellous creation and be using a decent source of information? Ta muchly

I usually give the main dealer a bell mate, get it from the horses mouth

I used to be in the “get it spot on, photo and video it” as I do a detailed set of photos and videos but having taken advice from others I am waiting too long. So I need to find a way of getting the car photographed and up for sale prior to prep. I think if the car is cosmetically sound then mechanical or electrical work can take place after it’s up for sale. If it needs paint it’s discouraging for people to see it like that imo.

I use click dealer who have a dms linked to my site. I wouldn’t need anything else.

It’s possible and the reason being I think is that a significant amount of leads come from their price markers, which can be wildly different from AT’s. If you have 10 cars and only 2 of them are considered “great deal” or “good deal” then you won’t sell many through them. However with a 40 Car stock level and 20 of them with a favourable price marker you’ll do well from them. Thats what I have gathered so far.

It was standard and unsurprising my rep suggested I try premium. 2 days in and my ad views have double and i’ve all but sold two cars. No idea if they would have sold without being premium but the logic of being seen by as many as possible is a sound one.

It’s really interesting isn’t it, how things differ so much for people. I think the only real way of knowing is trying, measuring and making your own mind up. Ebay is a ghost town for me, motors was no better and i’m giving Car Gurus a 6 month try on the advice of arguably the most successful dealer on here so we’ll see what happens but what I do know is that AT is where I sell everything. Others have managed to ditch AT and not suffered. Like many things in this trade it seems the only way to find out is for yourself.

Similar experience for me. Almost as much of a waste of time as eBay for me. 3 months, 2 enquires, no sales.

The DVLA can track you down fairly easily in the sense that when you take a vehicle into the trade you put all your details on the yellow slip/online?

Always check WBAC prices when pricing up a swapper, I'd say 90% of people who want to chop something in know the value (despite lying and saying they don't know what it's worth) as they all check WBAC.

Yeah you won’t get a v5, the car is in the trade and you can use the doc ref nr to transfer ownership to the new keeper online.

Obviously all Focus and Fiestas are very popular cars but my experience is a Zetec is a hard sell as people want Titanium. I’d also say they are “pitch” cars or supermarket cars as they are plentiful and people have lots to choose from. I’d say you’ll sell it easier if you can price it up dirt cheap and as long as it’s not silver. When there’s plenty of choice the one thing that will set you apart is choice. As for the number of searches I wouldn’t worry about it. It could be a multitude of reasons, he could be the type to want to chop his cars in but changes his mind or he may be the type that wants retail money for his car so he keeps asking various dealers for prices? If you’re a home trader like me i’d be bidding him in the nuts as frankly I wouldn’t really want it. It took me 75 days to get shot of a 2012 1.6 Zetec Focus which was silver. The silver 2013 1.6 Titanium Focus I had sold in half that time. I wouldn’t stock them again unless silly money. *price not choice*

This bloke is the bollocks, knows loads about head units. http://www.headunit-repair.co.uk/

As I say mate you just can’t tell in a photo. Don’t get me wrong I make sure the car is looking it’s best but you can’t see oxidised paint on a photo. Well, joe public can’t. That’s definitely a benefit of waxing!

On a pitch I can see the benefit of that but I have tried both (machine polish and Sergei the Albanian polish) and on photos you can't tell the difference. I do wet sand and machine polish bad scratches to reduce their appearance but as for two stage correcting the whole car, no chance!

Thanks Mark, appreciate the positive comments greatly. I'll get the door sorted, I became exasperated at the fact it took me forever to find a nearside lock and then it was the wrong number of pins so I kind of said "fuck it" in my head but I will get it sorted. I agree about the turnaround time, I tend to want everything spot on for the videos I make so that's why I can sometimes take forever to get advertised. I should learn that some things can always be highlighted as issues that are going to be fixed. Simon, when you say you have never paid out for a belt n pump do you mean as in fault rectification or you do them yourself? I agree about not compromising on safety, I was thinking the door opening was more convenience, it should have occurred to me there was a safety issue too. There's two ways of looking at highlighting flaws. The type of punter that will be put off by stone chips and pin prick dents are those that will turn up and look for them. Those that accept there are likely to be cosmetic imperfections are (in my tiny experience) the type to appreciate my openness and honesty and have said on numerous times "we thought if you can be honest enough to show a stone chip you'd be honest enough to show a bigger issue" or words to that effect. I certainly have started to show less in my videos of late my thinking is if I show one or two cosmetic flaws that should a cribber turn up and try and chip based on errr, chips, I can resolutely say "well, yes but it's all shown in the video which you viewed before coming" Maybe the videos are not for you but in my eyes it disarms the "I never pay full price for anything" mob. I also love the sound of my own voice.

Someone posted up a thought provoking phrase for me the other day and it's "over preparation" which it seems newbies are most guilty of and it's made me think. I realise this will be subjective as some traders literally throw a bucket of dirty water over their stock whilst others take their time to present it properly. Probably best if I give a few examples; 1 owner 2007 A6 Avant, 128k, great history, S-Line, privacy glass, 18" rims, 2.7 TDI drives fucking spot on; I did: New MOT, oil & oil filter service (didn't get the book stamped it has a MDSH, yes, really) two smart repairs (one big gouge out of a door the other a whole bumper respray) got the driver lock changed as wouldn't open from the outside, 2 new tyres (fail on the MOT) and new front pads (advisory on the MOT) I haven't done; Passenger door sometimes won't open from the outside 2 owner 2009 A4 Avant, 99k, good history, S-Line, 18" rims, 2.0 TDI, now drives lovely; I did; New MOT, oil & filter service, new belt and w/pump, new (well, recon) AC pump as the existing one was rattling, 2 new tyres, 3 alloy refubs one bumper corner smart repair I haven't done: Fuck all, it wants for nothing. 3 owner 2009 Jaguar XF, 72k, good history, Premium Luxury Spec, 19" rims, 2.7 TDI I did: New MOT, oil & filter service, new battery (would start but occasionally spluttered, now fine) full colour change of rims (silver to grey) I haven't done Fuck all, it wants for nothing. As you can see I don't mess around, if it needs doing it gets done but am I missing profit here and could I prep less?

I read the other day the only difference between all of those categories is age and mileage and grade. A premium car has just as much chance of having a hidden issue as a trade one. Don’t know how true that is but ultimately you’re buying a car from we buy any car, there’s usually a reason why joe public have taken it to wbac!

This thread is giving me an erection.

Sell it. You’re selling cars now marriage guidance. She may well want to make big trouble in little China but unless it’s a genuine complaint she can do her worst.

Surely these are plentiful and reasonable parts from breakers?

I’ve been trying to get hold of one of those, especially a HSE for ages but so has every other c*nt.