awc1000

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Posts posted by awc1000

  1. Posted

    well its legal to sell and quite safe to do so if you are organised, the reality is if cazoo sell online then deliver on a wagon by 1 driver who has zero contact with the customer on delivery bar a phone call to say your car will arrive within the next hour please stay indoors and i will notify you when i have left your address - then that chaps is 100% safe and water tight, morals are another thing i guess...

    there are two camps of thought here - i would suggest some of the against camp do not have the business model capable of operating during this crisis, its obviously harder for a single trader to operate in this climate who's model is still - meet greet, can we see the p/ex, i'll get it ready for you next week, you'll have to sign up for it here, we dont deliver, we have to explain the bolt on warranty here,  we are worried about distance selling, our client base is mostly cash customers etc etc.

    like it or not chaps this game has moved on, with respect some are stuck in the dark ages, same old plan, rent a unit, buy all stock from auction, pay for everything else,just man the phone and moan about the costs.

    take a look at cazoo - as of today, they have 2280 cars on the site, a search reveals about 1850 are aged between 2017 and 2020 and all sub 50k miles and the bulk of stock even lower - ALL or mostly ALL are still in manufacturers warranty hence they are not in the slightest worried about distance selling or warranty's, theyre not spending fortunes on prep either, i'm not blowing their trumpet because at the end of the day they are bad news for everyone else, but it has to be said the stock profile and quality of car for 2000 units is impressive.

    this job forever changes just as you get used to it and yes its a total pain, but as usual chaps its a case of run with the new way of trading or get run over by it....good luck everyone and stay safe.

    • Like 1

  2. Posted

    anyone on here have a stocking loan from bca or manheim or other? in particular the stocking loan companys who have not supplied the stock ie not an auction.

    appreciate its a bit sensitive at the moment, but would be interested in whats happening regards what the lender is saying will happen regards the current crisis, 

    i'm hearing a few bad things regarding whats happening with some of the lenders / auction house's  as of course some of these are themselves also funded, but curious what these lenders are saying to the trade?

    cheers.

  3. Posted

    1 minute ago, metcars said:

    I always understood BCA are acting as an agent or facilitator rather than a seller. Same as an estate agent. The grey area for me is guys selling cars on eBay by auction?

    yes, but i would imagine calvin is clever enough to swerve this by claiming he is the agent, his buying arm (mostly main agent) will be one company, his binca arm selling online at fixed price will just be an appointed agent to sell from the other arm - hence its an auction if the company selling the goods don't own them.

    the terms and conditions may be water tight but with the prices asked its certainly not the trade buying the cars, on a positive at least he's not selling shite like the other team who have this scale model who trade out of reading / ebay.

  4. Posted

    1 minute ago, LINGsCARS said:

    Ah, right. THAT contempt. Now I understand.

    believe it or not most franchises are good, believe me they would not get away with underhand tactics like days of old, the manufacturers keep a very close eye on most of their network these days through brand protection and strict audit, of course that does not mean some of the salesmen are bad - maybe thats what you were saying? rather than the dealership.

    I have many friends who are deeply invested in franchise and believe me its not easy these days, vast outlay for little returns, but they carry on,employ people, contribute a lot in tax / rates to the coffers,and tow the line properly, 

    ling -try not to shoot them all, if you think otherwise then in the spirit of this forum list the ones you think are bad and why- but bear in mind any franchise  who chooses not to deal with brokers is not a valid reason, that's just a choose likely based on protecting themselves from being diluted.

    • Like 1

  5. Posted

    26 minutes ago, LINGsCARS said:

    Merc is 19th June delivery, Trok is 20th August.

    Why am I showing contempt? I am selling cars, supporting the industry. Doing what i should be doing. How is that contempt? I'm supporting my suppliers and my customers.

    Don't need a crystal ball, ...just plain balls will do. And a "get on with it" attitude.

    I guess they are dealer old stock hanging around / rental fleet diverts /pov spec, they certainly are not factory orders.

    regards the contempt, i was referring to the various other posts you made - the customer advise on keeping clear of franchise dealers and advising on brokerage as a better option, granted some are bad but not all, ling you may be an honest broker, but in the 38 years i have been in this trade i have rarely met a straight one, most brokers are lier's parasites and have low morals, i could write a list of their bad habits which would make most people considering using a broker run a mile.

  7. Posted

    7 minutes ago, LINGsCARS said:

    While you lot are pissing about with vacuums, I am selling.

    Merc A-Class and a Trok today. BOOM. :)

     

    good for you, i just hope the industry you show so much contempt for yet rely on for supply still exists when this crisis ends...

    out of interest - how much lead time did you quote for delivery? and where can i buy the type of crystal ball that you are using?

  8. Posted

    Nowt wrong with what ling has been doing for many years,  the new lease trade does not really affect what the majority of dealers on here are doing anyway - selling used cars.

    you could even be controversial and say in the 20 odd years since lings rocket launcher appeared on the side of the A1 she has contributed a lot of tax and vat into the coffers - enough to keep a few of the members on here in an inflated early pension so that they can come out of retirement and play at being car dealers............:lol:.

    regards supplying lease cars during lock down - bad morals? well yes maybe, but the way lease supply is going i understand if business is still being done, a recent example (pre lock down) i witnessed which shocked me how slick it can be these days - new citroen van sold, van landed/  entered country at portbury docks and was pdi'd at dock and delivered direct to the customer in cornwall from the dock (look up GEFCO portbury). bmw are even having lease stock pdi'd in transit on the boat.

    regards the current rules, well gov.co.uk currently list storage and distribution facilities as exempt from lock down,so maybe there is some business currently being done legit? 

  10. Posted

    think we were all a bit daft in our early employed years, i know i was:ph34r:,  regards delivery i don't use it much but always found it was who rather than how it was delivered, not keen on drivers these days but in the last few years iv'e had a "yes iv'e got the correct ramps for that" man damage a lotus front bumper, and a twonk manage to ruin a merc by using an A-frame, 

    with the increase in sourcing stock from a distance someone could get rich delivering cars if they had proper appraisal experience and got organised, out of interest whats everyone paying per mile ex vat?

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    5 minutes ago, Roweco said:

    I think this is the way to go although if I can tell him to sod off because he’s not got significant enough reason to reject, that’s be more satisfying. My biggest question is is the timing chain a wear and tear item? Would he actually be able to reject the car on these grounds? 

     

    Here’s one of the few explanations from a credible source I could find (euro car parts technical) 

    2D8804A0-ED88-4817-9FC0-A5AFCBDF4E25.png

    True, true. 

    Obviously I would assume he wouldn’t be untitled to a penny of his expenditure on service and brake pads etc. Etc.?

     

    What would be considered fair deduction for use?  £50/week?! 

    usage , fair deduction depends on miles, less than 500 than likely not much, offer a refund minus £x, he's unlikely to accept, but a compromise then often happens where he does not purse his additional servicing costs.

  15. Posted

    4 hours ago, twerp said:

    Lots of used Prius coming through - I do wonder what the margin is after competing with worldwide buyers + shipping etc

    margins are quite big on the unusual or sporty stuff, ex japan stuff looks cheap on auction results, there isn't much competition on buying because the stuff is all RHD, no appetite for buyers in surrounding asia, i can't understand how it pays to import a prius though??

  17. Posted

    I wouldn't be too bothered, mangoletsi are the oldest (50 years) alfa dealer in the u.k, that should surely carry some weight regards an inspection, and he decided to proceed with purchase after the car was inspected, and it sounds like he got a very cheap car, £55k new?

    strange how it was written off at that age for a damaged quarter panel, are these aluminium/ honeycomb /bonded? maybe aluminium structure damage? or maybe it was nicked and payed out on, then found later with light damage?

    If it were me i would have another look at it, then if happy with what i see tell him to jog on.

  18. Posted

    had a look and it has to be said the website looks good, stock profile is very good too, looking at the stock and photos its clear they have some experienced motor trade people on board,

    1816 units on the site, 1598 of those are sub 40k miles and less than 5 years old, 1352 less than 3 years old, only 5 cars over 60k miles, that profile is very hard to achieve with 100 cars let alone 1800, has to be said that is impressive, presume they recruited some very experienced buyers?

    with that profile i cant see them not gaining traction, whether they make any money is another thing! would love to know what the margins are.

    • Like 1

  19. Posted

    no reply by the op? mileage?

    for those interested - n47 engine, was on u.k recall for chains due to possible worn plastic rollers causing stretched or rattly chains 2007-2009 1,3,5 series cars, however later extended from 2007-2011 to include x1 as a recall but only in other markets, however bmw uk are calling it a bulletin rather than a recall, which sounds like a swerve, i'm guessing they will look and possibly replace rollors and chains as a precaution, but unlikely to act on an engine failure?

    i had a couple of 1 series done on the first recall no quibble by bmw, but they were both sub 5 years and 60k miles at the time, i guess not to be expected on an 11 year old x1 with ? miles..

    anyone on here had any joy with a recall on a higher mileage x1??

  22. Posted

    4 hours ago, BikeNut said:

    Hello Fellas!

    I am considering selling up a large portion of goodwill in my current business in order to start a business in buying and selling motorcycles, and the odd car. I have a LTD company, and my plan is to continue to operate my new venture under my existing company. The reason why I am predominantly looking at selling motorcycles; is because not only am i a motorcyclist; and I love them, but I figure that I can sell more stock from a smaller space than I can with cars, with the same markup in sales revenue, and I wont need to apply for trade plates or motor-dealer insurances as I will collect and deliver the bikes in a van/trailer. 

    My questions are.

    1.) Is it worth registering for VAT from day 1 , I do plan to turn this into a sizeable bike dealership within 5 years. And is VAT chargeable on sales of used bikes? 

    2.) What is the best sort of stock to buy, is it better and more profitable for newer stock 1-3 years old, or would it be better profit to risk selling older, possibly more problematic bikes?

    3.) Financing, how would i be able to set up financing as a dealer through someone like close brothers, or motonovo?

    4.) Marketing, are there any website CRM systems that are off the shelf, and enable me to advertise and market my stock?

    5) Markup, I have done some armchair research, and from what I can see it tends to sit around the 30% region depending on the desirability of the product at the time. Any ideas or suggestions to the contrary..? 

    6) Warranty & consumer rights.. I have no ideas on that

    Thank you for reading this, I await your feedback.

     

    Best

     

    Marc

     

    welcome,

    i know a few bike dealers, they get by, but only by trading on the four fronts - new sales, used sales, servicing, and extras like clothing / helmets etc, guess it all adds up.

    decent used bikes are very hard to buy at trade money , retail margin is more like 15-20%.

    dont' know about new bikes, but presume selling new attracts decent used bikes in part exchange at the right money, which sounds like the hard bit.

    vat is the same as used cars - they come under the margin scheme, which is the difference between the buying and selling price, not added to the retail price, there is no allowance for prep costs - ie your profit margin was 1000 but you spent 300 on parts prep, you still pay vat on the full 1000, you can claim the vat back that came on the 300 though.

    been told selling clothing and helmets etc is quite profitable.

    can be quite seasonal too, unless you are servicing or selling new scooters.

    the few dealers i know have been around for years, i wouldn't say they have made a fortune, but they do always seem happy, unlike the car game at the moment.

    good luck.

     

     

     

        

     

     

  24. Posted

    3 minutes ago, MarkTVS said:

    This is my point, it’s supply and demand, if there is not another one in Scotland or within a certain radius then my car is worth more but there computer algorithms don’t comprehend that and point the finger at us as being expensive but how can you be expensive when there are no comparable models to be compared with.

    Exactly, i think if you are selling premium brands with additional spec then the likely buyer will be clever enough to do research and agree on how and why its priced that way, hence i think things will be ok on certain cars, that's unlikely on basic cars though where the customer is not interested or clued up on model specs - these will just come down to price so it's going to be a serious issue selling box's on wheels.

  25. Posted

    1 hour ago, MarkTVS said:

    It’s annoying, I just bought a mint grade 2 2009 59 white C220 diesel auto saloon, I paid £500 over cap for it so it’s costing me out the door £5079, Autotrader Tells me it’s only worth £5879 and the trade price is £3722, these figures couldn’t be any further out! 

     

    At £6395 it will be the cheapest white c class in Scotland and I don’t think that’s me being greedy with my margin either. 

    mark, an interesting point is if you are in scotland why should your car even be priced in line with a car that's in say the south east? no mention by AT of the real logistical cost of someone close to you buying a car from the other end of the country, instead just a biased opinion based on bollocks, i'm all for AT educating the public, but why they don't tell them why a car deserves a premium etc is beyond me, biting the hand that feeds is an understatement with this horrible company now.