Mark101

Ohhmeeger here unless it is a watch, then it is Oh Mega

Got to be careful what I write, includes: live story. I have only ever had one real success story and am now searching for car 5 for someone who has always kept his side of the deal, no quibble. He asked me to find one for his mate (well introduced us to each other), wanted a late Focus. Been quoted for a 1.0 ECO shite from main dealer. I warned him off them and he asked me to find him a different model. My search began............. Whilst handing over car number 4 to my regular, I said how is your mate getting on. He said, the tw*t has bought a 1.0 ECO shite, didn't he call you to turn off the search....erm, no. Live: (make model deleted incase a Google search reveals itself to customer) Customer looking for 3rd car said can I find X for him any colour under 50K miles, upto £150 month with £2,500 dipper and his Ren.C in PX (like I say, the family already have two cars from me). 1 week later, sourced from Preston. Win (over book) X with 35k FMDSH and sport model in white, make all the figures work to meet his exact requirements. I let him know and he says great followed by radio silence. I thought (millenial), Whatsapp him (atleast I can see if he has seen my message). Please can you send me a £100 deposit to secure car and let me know when you want to collect. Said he will get back to me. 24 hours pass. I say that I need to know what he is doing because of collection, MOT, prep etc. Nothing back... I sink a few G&T's that evening and I am pretty miffed, so just send. "hello?" The reply was, I didn't expect you to find something so soon and I need to sort stuff out. I will give you an answer tomorrow. I thought What???? I sent a long message about how I work hard to find a specific car, not just any old junk, I have delivered what you asked etc etc. Anyway, reckon parents gave him a right telling as a dipper arrived at 9am the following day. I will NEVER do another car source without a NON refundable £500 deposit (unless I can't source within 1 month).

When I was a kid, we went to a holiday resort which had three C5's available to hire, a bit of a novelty. Much to my disapointment, the electric side didn't work it was a peddle only affair. It was probably one of the first true hybrids pedal and leccy. I bet they fetch a fortune now though.

I meant Clive

No one has ever asked to see a logbook, they just ask how many owners has it had.

I like a success story. My iZettle resides on my desk and makes me smile when I think how proud I was to get it. Payzone now - Fast and cheap.

Not me... I love old tales and to be fair TV, when we get towards the end of our careers, we will be just the same as you. Probably along the lines of, we used to pour a liquid in a car and ignite it and then some clown who sounds like a Lynx Deodorant thought electricity would be the future. Think Sir Robert Sinclair. Things change and we always think our heydays were the best times but they were only the best for that person who operated within them. I still miss cashing the rent out of a swapper in though.....

Yep, my Dad had one. I used to page him and he would find a phone and call me. He loved that bit of tech.

I wish that was my biggest issue. Hardly a major drama, just apply for a new one and sell the thing. Worrying over this is a waste of your time. If the car goes in your name, no one will care - some even expect the car to be registered to the trader who is selling it.

Yes

Feu Orange I think

There was an X reg 2.0 16V GLS(?) going through (think it was Northampton) on Monday.

Living at home paying £20wk board (and moaning about it) whilst pretending to be a car dealer (but really just utilising a traders policy to drive an XR3i at 18) Ebay (when it was good) Paying pence per character in the paper (hence PAS, FSH, EW was invented) The acronym guide at the beginning of AT's pages, explaing what PAS etc meant. Bargain Pages and AT hard copies, beating the next trader to the call. Top Marques magazine (where I stole part of the name of my business from) Doing my own valeting (properly) and having the energy/enthusiasm to do it. Driving for the first time after passing my test. My MKII Escort which at the time I was embarrased of but now could retire on. 70's, 80's and some 90's Fords and Vauxhalls.

100% - buy from a dealer and have confidence that you will hold their hand if something genuinely fails. Agreed. I tell my customers at the POS that I treat people how I like to be treated myself and that if they work with me, I will bend over backwards to help. I cover wear and tear (my choice) becuase I do believe for example, that a clutch, by its very nature a wear and tear item, should last beyond my 3 month warranty, same for brakes, exhausts, batteries etc. Everything but tyres IMO. Only time I dig my heels in is when a customer starts to rant, call me dodgy (or atleast suggest) or threatens me or my business in any way. This has only happened 3 times. A Volvo where two garages (including a specialist found no fault) A Passat that had a free health check at VW (I sent legal letter to VW dealer principal who said the car was "dangeous." 13 main agent stamps, never had an advisory, new MOT) Ended up costing me £50 for a new "spare" key. The only legitimate observation from the health check. A Mini woman who would call at any time day or night ranting about the bag of shit. Worst of all, a rejection on a Vauxhall from a greedy customer who completely knew what they were buying and why it was cheap, said I would never hear from them again.....until it developed a fault a couple of weeks later.

Yes. Simply call the lender and ask them for a clearance letter. It takes a while to filter through the system. Had one this week, collected Wednesday, went to finance it on Thursday but it still had the marker. Quick call to Santander and 24 hours later an email arrived stating "we have no interest in this vehicle."

I presume you will have changed you Ltd category with Companies House? What stuff are you selling - 60 is an excellent number in 4 months from a standing start, well done.

I quite like getting up and going to work. Perhaps that is because it is my business. I prefer it now I have an employee and there is always something to do. I spend most of my time looking for stock, tweaking photos and adverts, organising servicing, doing the books etc. Eating....of course. Tomorrow for example, I have 2 hand overs and at least (I have genuinely lost count) 4 people saying they will pop down on Monday to see XYZ. I absolutely love the buzz of being busy (now there are two of us to help move stock, test drives etc). The quiet times do my head in though. The way I see it is, what else am I going to do? Kids have grown up and moved out and the Mrs is at work anyway. Weekend viewings have to be very well qualified because I reckon it is 3 hours home to home once I have opened up and closed up again. That isn't happening for a "can I have a look." I reckon I sell as many cars to walkers on as I do phone appointments. Certainly when I buy a car, I like to see the set up before I engage in conversation.

I'm only jealous

You drive a multi coloured pearlescent R8 (according to your profile picture) - nuff said

They're vile IMO But very practical - a bit too in your face, a bit like the Range Rovers that get the aftermarket bling from one of the Overfinch type companies. Not my cup of tea. Standard black on the other hand, much better but my own cars always prefer rubber mats becuase they protect the floor so much better.

My adverts and website used to say Appointment Only. I give up and just let them turn up as not one week (sometimes not even one day) goes by without this happening. It says, we recommend calling before you travel just to cover ourselves and save the "It is still on XYZ (usually FB)."

Whilst it is annoying and we all want a bargain, I don't see how it can be illiegal. No one is forcing you to bid or buy, just set your maximum - some you win, some you don't but nobody has actually robbed you. In other words, if you were prepared to pay £10k and got trotted to £10k, what's the problem. If it was trotted to £10.5k it either doesn't sell or it went to someone who wanted to spend £10.5k in which case you still wouldn't have won.

Better to struggle to but than struggle to sell - well done mate

I love a PX. Best to date £100 in, one week in stock plus a wheel bearing and £1500 out, best ROI ever. Also on stickers, I will over value a PX and lose it in the margin on the retail car, another good reason to aim for proper margins - every other dealer offers £100 scrap and you offer £500, they aren’t going anywhere else.

If that isn’t a PX opportunity, I don’t know what is?