Kes

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Posts posted by Kes

  1. Posted

    On 10/6/2021 at 7:34 PM, BHM said:

    Interesting because I’ve never had a single issue from using supermarket fuel & cant think of anyone who has.

    By the sounds of it it sounds very much like the problem is with the storage of fuel by your local supermarkets, or by their supplier.

    Exactly this. Always been filling up at supermarket pumps and never had any issues. Diesel and Unleaded. 

     

  2. Posted

    On 6/20/2021 at 12:14 AM, MrC said:

    I'm not on my own any more, there are 3 of us now, 2020 and 2021 have been crazy busy for obvious reasons. It's been very hard work, stress levels have been high. 

    Our biggest challenge has been the supply chain,  really hit and miss with getting the bits in to do the jobs. Beds are a 10 week lead time and furniture 14 weeks poptop canvases are 6 to 8 weeks at the moment. So it's been a lot of long term planning and holding more stock than usual. 

    Most of our customers have been fabulous and understanding with our challengers, but we have had one or two inpatient customers. 

    The rest of this year is booked up than includes the vans we have on order. 

    The idea of doing our own vans is to try to get back a decent work life balance and work just to our own dead lines. 

    Also we can preplan 12 months in advance what we will need, this should  simplify our ordering process. 

    Standardise all our colour schemes etc. 

    I started off 4 years ago buying, converting, advertising, selling then preselling vans before I even had them in. This turned in to converting customer owned vans, and that's the way its been for a while. Last year I bought a brand new van we threw the world at it and sold it within 10 days for £58k. Actually made twice as much as we would normally. 

    As it stands we do have a dealer willing to take vans straight off us, needless to say we'll take a hit on the profit.  But its good to know we could just punt them straight in to them if we need to turn the cash around quickly. 

    I know the transition will be rocky and scary at times, you can soon tie a whole lump of dough up in couple of vans. 

    We reallyy need to work smarter and these are the first steps.

     

    Brilliant business model! 

  3. Posted

    On 5/29/2021 at 7:39 AM, DCS01 said:

    Just taken in an old 137k 54 plate jalopy.  Looked a straight thing.  MOT in Jan no advisories.  Just went to put a ticket on yesterday and there is a massive list below. I hate how other dealers just s*it over each other as this trade is hard enough, but this really annoyed me and I’m tempted to report them.  There is no way this car should have passed in Jan, How many other cars are they putting through and endangering people?  

    Should I just let this go or is reporting doing the right thing?
     

    Repair immediately (major defects):

    • Nearside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill panel (5.3.6 (a) (i))
    • Offside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength sill panel (5.3.6 (a) (i))

    Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

    • Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
    • Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))
    • Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))
    • Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
    • Nearside Rear Inner Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill panel (6.1.1 (c) (i))
    • Offside Rear Inner Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced sill panel (6.1.1 (c) (i))
    • Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
    • Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

    Out of curiosity- what car is it?

  10. Posted

    4 hours ago, Tommy83 said:

    Hi all, 

    I've been lurking on here for a few years - I think I first signed up in 2018 when I decided I wanted a career change and to start selling cars (purely from being obsessed with them). 

    A bit about me - been in sales all my professional life, co-founded a telecoms company in 2008, traveled all over the world with work but had had enough and wanted to take control of my own destiny. 

    Formed a Ltd company in October 2018, went to a few auctions to get a feel etc and bought my first car in March 2019. Bought and sold maybe 1-2 a month for the next 12 months whilst I still had my full time job. Decided at the end of 2019 that I was going to take the leap and told my work, worked out my notice and left full time employment at the end of March 2020. 

    As soon as I finished work we went into our first lockdown - I thought I had just made the biggest mistake of my life!! Anyway, since then its been going well - desperately trying to increase my stock numbers (I really want 20 cars advertised). I'm FCA and VAT registered - offer finance through Close brothers who are great. 

    Just wanted to say a big thanks to all the experienced guys on here that I have learnt a huge amount from - still learning a lot every day but am much more confident in what I'm doing now and am trying my hardest to grow. 

    If anyone wants to give me an honest critique of my adverts, I would really appreciate it - here's my website: https://www.wheelerautomotive.co.uk/

    Cheers

    Tom 

    Nice stock, Tom. Good to see some classic cars. Good luck.

  11. Posted

    5 hours ago, D&M said:

    Hi chaps,

    Looking for a bit of help for a local garage.

    They've got a 2016 Mercedes B-Class 4x4.

    They've changed the battery, but for some reason or another the car wont let the gearbox come out of Park.

    Is there any manual release anywhere to make it easier to transport back to the dealer for re coding!

    Thanks in advance!

     

    Dave2302 is your man on here.

  12. Posted

    30 minutes ago, have a word with the wife said:

    Wrong.

    Why?

    12 minutes ago, Bmx Bandits said:

    You haven’t visited Michael Smith have you?? :D:lol:
     

    There is evidence the Oxford Vaccine reduces your ability to transmit the virus but doesn’t appear to stop it all together.

    Better to be safe than sorry

     

    No, I haven't. :)

    Nothing provides 100% guarantee when in comes to treatment. We won't be safe until medication is invented anyway.

  15. Posted

    1 hour ago, LSP Vehicles said:

    Only thing I'd disagree with is the Astra 1.9 diesel, especially in the Van range, solid engines, never had an issue with them and we shift them with no problem.

    Yep, it was strange statement from such an experienced motor trader. I'm bit cautious when it comes to 1.3 or 1.7 vauxhall diesels but 1.9 is solid unit.

  18. Posted

    14 minutes ago, Martin F said:

    Guys, I don’t want to teach anybody to suck eggs, but you should NEVER work under a car that is supported only by a jack. You should ALWAYS be using axle stands or similar support.

    Won’t get into the debate about competency or comprehensiveness but just wanted to make sure the obvious safety point wasn’t overlooked  B)

    Of course. Just forgot to mention. I always use axle stands. 

  19. Posted

    13 minutes ago, MarkTVS said:

    Yes you can do it on the deck I don’t doubt that, but it makes the job ten times harder, unless your jack is really really high it would be hard to get the space to get a lever in to check play in rear axle bushes, front suspension arms. You struggle to get the angle on your arms to check for play in droplinks etc. 

    Yep, it is harder and more time consuming. No way I would do it on a pitch with 20 cars.

  21. Posted

    1 hour ago, David Horgan said:

    Without a ramp , how do you check ,Bushes ,Steering joints ,  arms , links ,Brake pipes , oil/water  leaks , inside face of brake discs , exhaust leaks , exhaust mountings , springs , tyre side walls , cracks etc .signs of being bent twisted out of line or corrosion in older cars ,   just to list a few bits you cant see from the floor . 

    we all might be different but cars are the same 

    All these things supposed to be checked on MOT anyway?  And as a doorstepper I don't see a problem checking discs/pads/springs/brake hoses/cv joint gaiters/tyres by using simple 30£ jack. 

     

  22. Posted

    3 hours ago, David Horgan said:

    we had a car in for a service a while back , Audi A6 , been to same Audi main dealer for 60, 000  miles . New owner brings it to us , took oil filter off and there was only tatters of the filament left , Never been changed we reckoned , Air filter same Clogged to death it was , Fuel filter never been touched . 

    Main dealers with apprentices are my big nightmare for service history records . 

    Joe public asks me about Main dealer services and I do have to have a slight smile . 

    THIS

  23. Posted

    7 hours ago, hondansxr said:

    THE CUSTOMER IS BUYING A SECOND HAND UNIT AND THERFORE THERE HAS TO BE SOME LEWAY IN THAT THEY ARE NOT BUYING NEW! YES THEY HAVE RIGHTS BUT TO REJECT SOMETING THATS OLD AND WORN CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED , IF IT IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE THEN YES , BUT WARNING LIGHTS ? THE SMELL OF FUEL IS QUESTIONABLE ?   I WOULD DO MY BEST TO GET IT CHECKED FIRST.

    DONT GET ME WRONG I HAVE REFUNDED IN MY 31 YRS OF TRADING BUT MOST HAVE THEM REPAIRED AS ITS A PITA TO FIND ANOTHER CAR ... WHICH ON THE TRADERS SIDE IS GOOD NEWS . MY MESSAGE TO THE OP WOULD BE PUT THE BEST WARRANTY ON THE CAR YOU CAN , IT COVERS BOTH OF YOU.

    I totally agree with you. My point was- we all know what some punters are like and law is on their side unfortunately. There are tons of stories on this forum about it.