Mark101

Stationery wise - Vista Print premium cards (they're ok actually) Invoices, Deposit forms, PDI sheets - all home made in Excel (I love Excel) but look the part Customer gets PDI, Invoice, Deposit Form (if applicable), Warranty Booklet and Contract and a business card all neatly placed in one of those card board A4 folder/envelope things - total stationery per car = about a quid

Welcome - these guys are great and if you take on board everything that is said, you'll do well - good luck

Exactly - finance is cheap. I look in awe at some people's websites - Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc etc and wonder, how do they ever get to this - amazing. Then............, I take a look on Companies House, see Stock of £500k ish and still think wow, scroll to liabilities (£600k) - Balance sheet -(£100k) - who's the winner - me!

Couldn't agree more, selling is easy if the car is right - challenge is buying stock at the right price and managing the costs of prep (which should be to a high standard) whilst retaining a decent margin. Having said that, seperating yourself from plastic traders whom act like trade when buying (i.e. they want trade pricing) and sell as private (i.e. no comebacks or warranty) - zero prep, zero servicing, maybe a wash if they can be bothered and happy to draw £200 over gate price. With the internet naturally creating an overly price sensitive buyer, this is my biggest single challenge. Get the customers through my door and I can sell but getting them here when cars are advertised so much cheaper is a massive hurdle. I just wish every customer would look beyond the unserviced, unwarranted, short MOT full of advisories, poor paint or unrepaired cheap crap and come and see a properly prepared, long/full MOT'd, freshly serviced, valeted, warranted and HPI clear type of cars we all sell - that doesn't come cheap but cost of ownership is beyond some peoples mentality. I feel better now

Does that work with Chrome? I'm hopeless with computers Sorted it, thanks James - it automatically blocks Flash but I have unlocked it for BCA. Roll on tomorrow

For BCA? I will try anything, it is horrible bidding without sound. Thanks

I'm really enjoying liking your posts Simon I have just bought a new computer and thought, I wonder if the like button has gone but it's still there! Only issue now is BCA Online doesn't have sound or video - they do mention newer browsers aren't supported.

That's what I paid for the last one - for the top ad (21 days, extra images and images within search)

And open the doors

I do exactly that - Lechler Hydrafan water based base coat and 2k lacquer - with a 2k mask (should be air fed really but I only do touch-ins now and then)

No doubt Car Dealer 5 - super starter packages and really helped me out

It was a classified ad - I edited the title to say SOLD and showed the price at £1 because most people search from cheapest to highest and I thought that might direct them to my website and inturn, my other Mini.

Yes, good advice - when I get a "decent" car, i.e. one you'd expect to have seen the inside of a main dealer workshop, whilst it's operator sips latte and a Highland cookie - I often get at least a service printout. Especially true of lease or company vehicles as you say. Then again, they say nothing handles like a company car - so perhaps they're not the best!

It's quiet this morning - all the Ebayers must be watching (or starring) in Jeremy Kyle. These people exist - amazing!

PMSL absolutely hilarious - I hope you have left him such a 5 star review on his web page - class. I rarely laugh out loud, but you've just made me do that very thing.

Oh now I see what you mean - I thought I had made a typo lol. He turned up in a Land Cruiser, so don't think he was PC at all in that respect - I just found it weird that he never called himself be his christian name, I would find it very uncomfortable someone keep calling me Mr, I would say call me Mark. He may come back, who knows - stranger things have happened and I think you're right about teaching types being "out of water." What's the saying.... People who can = do, people who can't = teach Waiting for an onslaught from all the forumites whom are related to those in the teaching profession - it doesn't apply to them, they have been toughened up by their motor trade exposure lol

?

Brilliant idea and checking driving licence has crossed my mind - yes, I have all the right insurances and admit I am stupidly taking a risk when it comes to "trusting" the buyer to own a licence. I really appreciate that input re: the form. I am going to create one first thing tomorrow - thanks s and b - great piece of advice.

Great analogy to be fair (and ironically, my old man owned clothes shops before he retired and he used to moan about that very thing). Back to our trade: In my eyes though, the risk is my insurance, the vehicle, the possible re-clean, fuel but most of all my precious time and how do people even have the brass neck to walk off - surely unless it drives like a dog during the test drive what is going on? This is the reason I don't sell cars that attract boy racers and test pilots - thought I'd have this nonsense covered. I am considering changing my tack, what do you think, reasonable? Customer: Can I have a test drive? Me: Yes sir, I welcome test drives and/or any other inspection but only after we have agreed a sale (subject to car performing as expected)

What is it all about. When I want a new car (a personal car) - I go and look at the few I have heavily pre-filtered - discount the ones which don't match the description closely enough and if I like what I see (to the point I will make an offer), request a test drive but only at that point. This week I have had someone look at my Q7, fall in love with it (I think this is going well) and ask for a test drive. At this point I know the car is perfect and a real pleasure to drive, so for me it's in the bag - he says I'm off to talk to my wife and will come back to you - that was Wednesday. He was not like the stereotypical tyre kicker either, a mature college lecturer whom insisted I called him Mr (despite me saying, good afternoon, I'm Mark) Another came today to look at my BMW Convertible - said it was the tidiest one he has seen and could he go for a quick spin. I grab the plates and off we go, he can't believe how well it drives - get's out and says, can I call you? because I am off to see a hatchback of the same model. How do people have the nerve to do that? My blood is boiling....

Or was it the free version on Auto Trader Website beneath each click advert?

arslan2468 - I am presuming you have not been trading very long. Do you have any experience in the motor trade in any capacity? Before anything, a full HPI all category check is the first (any category flag I 100% walk away from) thing I filter out. I hope you work this out and it doesn't become an expensive lesson but in any case, I think you'll have learned one - we had the exact same issue on here last week from a Newbie - read through that because that will provide all the answers you need but not necessarily what you want. I do hope it works out and good luck.

If you brought it, you're ok - if you bought it, you've got a problem

I am titled..... it's Mr.