Mark101

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Posts posted by Mark101

  3. Posted

    5 minutes ago, JA Trader said:

    Its never the nice customers who ask this either.

    It's never the "normal" customers. Who in their right mind doesn't just sort out their insurance before they collect a car, especially when they have had to wait a couple of days for the MOT and PDI etc.

    • Like 1

  4. Posted

    I have a Mini ONE D on a 61 plate. Have fitted a new turbo and if I sell it I would never recoup my costs so, it makes perfect sense to retain that as our runaround/courtesy car/pool car etc.

    I never advertise the fact that I have a courtesy car and I only use it to MY ADVANTAGE. I.e to buy me time to fix a car on my terms/price. It is great to have but I really do pick n chosse who can have it. I don't care too much about the vehicle but I do want to protect my insurance premium.

    18 hours ago, BHM said:

    Slightly off topic but I get the occasional person asking if I’ll do them day insurance to get them home. As a one man band I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of getting involved in the legalities of strangers driving on the highway. Your insurance paperwork would have to be absolutely watertight because, my guess is, they’d come after the small car dealer not the big insurance company.

    I imagine any irregularity would be pushed my way - “No Your Honour, I told him I have 12 points on my provisional licence but he said I’d be ok for the next fortnight”, swiftly followed by their defence barrister “It is most unfortunate my client mowed down the bus queue of school kids but the financial burden of compensation for the grieving families surely lies with BHM who, my client attests, was responsible for completing the drive-away insurance”. 

    If a customer is either too lazy or too skint to insure their new wheels I’m not interested in getting involved & exposing myself to risk. 

    The amount of people who say "Can I drive this home on your insurance and I will sort it later?" Unbelievable - that's a big fat no chance.

  9. Posted

    12 minutes ago, sam1 said:

    Where should I take photos?

    Ditch Gumtree asap, waste of time.

    Find a nice park area (shame the trees have no leaves). Nothing in the background as best you can and certainly no other people's cars, dogs, walkers etc.

    IPhone is fine, it is all most of us use but get minimum 30 pics but ideally 80-100 (yes really).

    Don't draw attention to anything that has been done as a recall.

    • Thanks 1

  10. Posted

    OK, here goes.

    1) Only CRV's I did well with were top spec EX models but even they struggle nowadays

    2) It's red (although I sold a red EX spec very quickly once)

    3) Photos are in a car park (or looks like one)

    4) You're advertising on Gumtree (never sold a single car from there)

    5) It is probably too cheap which will deter the serious (nice) customers

    Your last comment "If the ad is up, it is still for sale" means you are bored of generic messages asking if it is still available. Welcome to our world.

    Welcome by the way. You might do better placing the post in the General section.

    • Thanks 1

  11. Posted

    3 minutes ago, JA Trader said:

    I have got 3 engine changes waiting to be completed and prep coming out of my ears.

    I have no idea why anyone buys stuff that needs excessive prep. I work this job full time, have a (more or less) full time valeter, driver, gofer, a part-time mechanic and an MOT workshop on my doorstep and prep kills the momentum, I hate laying out money and waiting weeks to get it ready for sale. I try and buy cars that need minimal prep but all of them have: New MOT, a minimum of an interim service + inspection and valet. Those are the basics and it still takes a lot of time. Add a few "issues" and that can further increase prep time; I certainly wouldn't be deliberately buying engine swappers or like Tradegirl, CAT D/N cars to repair - slows things up far too much.

    I can't imagine how you do that alongside a full time job (or has that changed?)

  12. Posted · Edited by Mark101

    I used to love attending auctions, the food hall, the auctioneer, the banter. I only don't go because of time constraints. I bought 5 last week, the ones I thought were going to be risk free (a 1 owner Golf GTI and a BMW 325 6 cylinder petrol) turn out to be the risky bags. The banger MX-5, the U Grade S-Max and a 36k, 12 Honda stamp Jazz Auto are all fine, except - I bought the Jazz (£1,000 over book) for a lady who had called the day before who said she cannot find a small, petrol, automatic car for £4k anywhere can I help. Less than 24 hours later, I call and say got you one....You can guess the rest. Luckily (for her) I missed the call and got a voicemail saying.....

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I left a deposit on one after we spoke yesterday.

    From now on £500 dipper no exceptions of sourcing. Happened twice now in two weeks.

  13. Posted

    Started off really well this month but gone quiet now. I am sure AT will put it down to the end of the double up freebie but I just think it is one of those things. Of course, now it's quiet I have a couple of screamers. I am well stocked and having to store a few cars in my garage at home, so my ducks are all in a row ready for another flurry of buyers.

  14. Posted

    2 minutes ago, RJEauto said:

    We use Xero, highly recommended

    MTD compliant, easy navigation, bank feeds and we use payroll on there.. something like £30 per month

    I started using Xero but it doesn't have CDM which is why I switched to VT and Sage.

  15. Posted

    1 hour ago, trade vet said:

    Brilliant.They actually did a top of the range talking Maestro where you could give it various instructions.The trouble was you needed to speak in a BBC Radio 4 voice.If you had a regional accent they did not understand .You couldn’t make it up ! I think Tradex would remember them.

    Do you remember the urban myth that a Maestro would say "oh shit" in the event of an accident. It was big news when I was a lad. I had a G reg Maestro Special when I was at college in 1991, my dad bought it me. I hated it and did a straight swap for an Orion Injection Ghia. I have never had as much money as when I lived at home, thanks Dad.

    • Like 1

  16. Posted

    Buy yourself a cheap dedicated PC with Windows (£300) and pay VT and Sage £500 in total per year and you are 100% sorted. 1 press of a button on the 7th of Feb and my VAT is done, I am compliant, my books are always up to date every single day before I leave work. Takes 10 mins per day and makes you feel so much better knowing your real financial standing.

  17. Posted

    1 hour ago, XFS said:

    A bit of a boring topic. Sorry in advance.

    Ok, so I am making a fresh start with a new Unit based business. We start trading early March with a stock of 12 to 15

    I am looking for an easy way of make accounting and VAT easy.

    My accounts recommend A programme. Cant remember which one, but it didn’t look particularly appealing to me.

    Any recommendations ?

    Thanks in advance

     

    VT just google BBSOL

    Works a treat for me.

  19. Posted

    2 hours ago, Casper said:

    Remember saying on here before but guy I used to work for all be it over 15 years ago he was worth a right few quid at the time had a policy which covered him for trade use by any employee employed or self employed worked for him friend relative or acquaintance of him for trade use and sdp as long as they had his permission to any value of vehicle with no age restrictions the apprentice at the time was picking up vr six golfs 

    i wouldnt have believed it had i not seen it to tax a car one day but wouldn't like to think what he was paying . 

    There Is just so many different options I don't think there will ever be a set price or average even going by this post it seems it varies a lot 

    Sounds like my policy but it does restrict under 25’s and relatives (my choice).

  20. Posted

    I will be the first to admit that I wish I had experienced the cars of yesteryear. I started in early nineties (dabbled from my childhood home) aged 18. Mini 1275GT, XR3i type stuff and had fun but made no money. Started again early noughties and even back then cars were far less complicated. I was one of the first with a website and card payment machine. Had a long sabatical and got back again in Feb 2018. On the whole, I love it but every day has its challenges. I can either buy or well but never at the same time. I either have plenty of customers or reliable staff but never at the same time. I have garages that cannot keep up when I am busy but come asking for work when I am quiet. Challenges.

  21. Posted

    My insurance went up to £4,300 this year with Aviva. Their excuse, my current whip.

    Going with NIG (including current smoker) for £2,600.

    Sounds a lot but that is not much more than my monthly AT bill - so represents good value when you consider AT is optional and insurance is not.

  22. Posted

    6 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

    Remember the chicken wire and coke can metal to fill the holes too , before P38 and P40 applications :ph34r:

    You did it properly then. 

    Scruched up newspaper and a GB sticker usually worked a treat on rusty boot lids.