CRW

Replacing them is always the biggest headache. Usually only carry around 20 units, but currently sat here with 10. June turned out ok, but just a total nightmare finding decent stock. I use all the normal sources, but most stock available at the moment seems to need a lot of prep. No point in having 10 waiting for prep, I need practically retail ready stuff!

It depends on your personal circumstances. I started at 23, 2 years after University and with 2 years experience as an accountant. I had never worked in the trade but had nobody else to worry about at that time, other than myself. That was 13 years ago. The gamble I took then was ok, but with a mortgage, a wife and children, I wouldn't take it now. Experience in a showroom may help, but its not going to give you the experience of the stress of going solo.

You would be considered as an extra owner. In the old days when V5's showed previous owners, your name would be current owner and previous owner.

That's true, I have often thought that could potentially happen if they wandered in to do a random check. I am registered with Trading Standards on their "buy with confidence" scheme, so I would hope they would be reasonable if we had let one run out of MOT, although who knows! Every car I sell I collect in person, usually driving them between 200 and 300 miles so I get a good idea of how the car is. I know its not the same as a full strip down, or an inspection on a ramp, but then again you pick up things when driving that no MOT tester will notice.

An MOT certificate does not mean the car is roadworthy, it was only technically roadworthy at the point the MOT was issued. Saying that, I have sold plenty of cars which, when the handshake occurs, have a short MOT. My perspective is that it is up to me to make sure the car is roadworthy before the car leaves or any money changes hands. Therefore all my cars are MOT'd before they leave the premises. The deal I did yesterday was on a car with a lapsed MOT, just a 2014 car that had been hanging around, nothing sinister. Within a couple of hours, the MOT was done and everybody is happy.

Enjoy it buddy, 17 degrees here with thick cloud cover! Here ends the live weather updates from Cornwall!!

What hot weather? Didn't make it to Cornwall!!

When I watch customers on the cameras walking around the forecourt with a Parkers Guide, I don't even get off my seat, just wait for them to leave!

ebay 99p?

If anybody is going to worry about how things will change by 2050 then I fear they may have too much time on their hands! Im only in my mid 30's but am a lot more concerned with the day to day problems of being in the motortrade than something at least a generation away. Change will happen and we will all deal with it at the pace required.

Whilst I agree SOR vehicles can be a cheap way of increasing stock numbers, I personally have never had great success with them. Obviously if there is any amount of prep costs you have already met the first complication, the owner generally wont want to stump up initally and you don't want an under-prepared car on the forecourt. You then have the issue of the warranty period but for me personally I just lose interest in somebody else's car. If someone is looking for a £5k car, are you going to sell them one of your own, thus returing you £5k to play with or someone else's which might bank you £1k? Its very easy for the SOR car to get pushed to the back of the forecourt. You then get continual visits or calls from the owner asking you if the under-prepared car they have lumbered you with is selling!

I have been trading for 13 years and have never placed a single advertisement on Autotrader. Maybe I am missing something, but certainly not the costs I hear spoken about on here!

I was thumbing through a copy of Auto Express this week and it was certainly an eye opener to me. 90% of the articles were about electric/ hybrid, hardly a mention of anything petrol or diesel. Im not worrying too much down here in Cornwall but I suppose it indicative as to the extent manufacturers and dealers have moved away from older technology.

Have never driven one to be fair, but remember years ago a Toyota dealer told me they wouldn't place a new order for one unless the customer had at least two test drives in the demo MMT. Says it all really!

Basically I think he was doing his landlord and his mate, but other than that not a friggin clue.

Saber - Do you spout such crap all day long? Or are you ill?

Whatever happens, it cant be worse than one I took back about 5 years ago. I think it was on an X plate. Lady drove it in, just been MOT'd, was fairly tidy and had reasonable hopes for it. Did the handover on her new Yaris, after she left, I jumped in the MX-5, drove literally 3 car lengths, the next thing the whole rear end drops and im looking skywards (bit of an exaggeration but you know what I mean). Was a bit annoyed to say the least, the rear arms had completely rotted through and given way. Wheels were out on 45 degree angles. Could have killed her had it happened half a mile before. Should have pursued the MOT tester as it had literally past 2 days before. Ended up trading it out as it was, still did ok out of the deal as I remember though. Despite that, I still love an MX-5!

Not much to go wrong with those normally, except the clutch!!

I think if you contact DA and tell them, they will usually clarify with the vendor and fees will be refunded. Just out of curiosity, what was the duffer and where was it from? Save somebody else getting burnt!

I have been using Facebook recently and have boosted some of my postings with specified demographics. However, to be fair its not having any great results, hasn't sold me anything. You also get the stupid comments "How much?" when the price board is clearly hanging in the window. Last week I had a local old retard negatively comment on my £4k Focus, took a look at his pictures and realised he'd clearly bought his much younger wife online. The temptation to rip into him was almost unbearable, but for the sake of business I just deleted his comment. I think Facebook is ok, but I view it as planting seeds of thoughts in peoples mind which may come to fruition in the future, over time people become familiar with you and your business and that's when it might be beneficial.

Dealer Auction has a lot of stock, although all tends to make strong money. Its a learning curve on there as you learn which dealers actually appraise the vehicles and which do it from the comfort of the office! Some are good, some are terrible. Registering didn't seem that difficult when I did it, cant see why having your home as office would matter, especially if you are VAT registered. The general consensus with all the online platforms is that a number of the general public have got through and push prices that bit higher. I stick with the Dealer Auction simply due to the nearest decent auction house being 3 hours away. I've wasted too many days with unsuccessful trips to auctions, so at least when I am away now, Im definitely bringing a car back with me (unless I've picked a dodgy vendor!)

I used to use Full Auction a lot, but in the last few years its barely been worth looking at. It was Robins and Day's main platform for trade disposal, but think they signed a contract to send all their cars to Aston Barclay. However, I have noticed a few R+D car appearing on there again, but nothing much to get excited about.

Personally I would have applied for a logbook in my own (business) name before selling to a customer. However, paperwork can be genuinely mislaid sometimes and its usually not a problem. I would check whether the car came to the dealer with a logbook in the first place. There are two things I would do, firstly, I would do a HPI check to make sure the car isn't recently damaged/repaired and therefore needing a new logbook applying for. Secondly, check the DVLA tax website to find out when the vehicle was last taxed. That update's on the date the last owner traded the car in (and the tax was cancelled). If it is still showing as taxed, I would be a little concerned.

No, im right down the end of Cornwall, a few miles outside of Penzance.

Oh I wish. Today has been ok, could almost convince myself. However, an 830 mile round trip planned for tomorrow to pick up 2 cars and I probably will think stacking shelves would be a much better option. That's the joy of living down here, everywhere is a long way from Cornwall!