jimreidvehicle

We often show cars as DUE IN on our website as soon as they are purchased, this certainly increases interest and often helps secure a viewing very soon after it arrives, if done properly it works a treat, but watch out for your older stock that may well bite you on your bum with costs that you just didn't see when appraising it, but it is GREAT for stock turn and even better for cash-flow! On a side issue we always show our cars as sold on our site until they are collected, as this also gains confidence with customers to show that others are buying from us. great post, Jim

Here's a very good quote 'YOU CAN'T POLISH A TURD' back to auction, it will grow arms and legs, we have all been there, just move on the problem! IMHO

oh guys it's like telling your Granny how to suck eggs on here, you guys have got all the wee loopholes sussed out already , brilliant GG & Steve92

Yip, sent away recorded delivery, normally through within 5 working days, on day 4 log on to https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax and check to see if the description has changed to the car that has the personal number, if it has changed, you print off the screen, call up your customer get them to update their insurance and ask them to collect! Job sorted all you have to do is ask your customer to pass in the V5 for the car you have taken back as part exchange when they receive it ( normally within 3 days after number has went through) get them to sign the yellow slip , fill it in post it away and they get back their road tax remaining and it's transferred to trade, as Tommy Cooper would say " just like that"

Well done you, persistence pays off! You took the right course of action so well done! So even if the car is now used for an armed gold heist next week your conscience should be crystal clear :-)

It wouldn't be the first time we asked " what is it you need to think about?, it's one of three things, there's something wrong with the car, something wrong with me the salesman or something wrong with the price!, so which is it?" This normally gets it out in the open!

Think you are right Umesh , 13.6% 90 days average!!!!! mmmm! me thinks on that average they won't be in business long!

Actually another we loop hole in the system (not that we take advantage of loop holes) , you can road tax the vehicle for 6 months then as long as the car is sold within 2 months you can still put the new owner details on the V5 and cover the cost of the 4 months road tax you can't reclaim in the cost of the transaction, however I think Wheeldealer1's idea is the best !!! Jim

How did we get on then? Deal done? Money safe? No issues? Genuine person?

Craig Sorry didn't see your next question. Make sure the customer signs the V5 of the car he owns and as Gavin says don't send away the yellow slip at this point,this V5c should be complete, the V317 form should show the customer buying the car as owner of both cars at the same time , with the car he is buying, complete his details in here and make sure he signs the new keeper part, if you need any more help just give me a shout and I can you through it on the phone tomorrow, 01467634000. Jim

Hi Craig Really simple, Road tax the Merc first either at the PO or online, but do not send away the V5 , instead, send the orginal receipt for road taxing along with the completed V317 and V5c's to DVLA, that way both cars are taxed! DVLA will then recognise that it is the new keeper that has road taxed the car and transfer this road tax to the private plate on the MERC, SIMPLES :-)

If you have to question it then your gut says no! Always go with you 'gut feeling' James! It's normally right!

James I agree it sounds too good to be true. I'm sure you have thought about these anyway but maybe best to check with the bank to see that the transfer has come from the name of the account holder, if she pays by card payment that is a nightmare, we almost got caught by a fraudster on a £4500 quad a few years back it was a stolen card that didn't show up straight away. The only other thing is , if it is all ok the problem you will have distance selling and all the potential can of worms that can cause with any defect on the car even 12 months down the line, you are right to tread with caution! Best of luck Jim

Although not a customer we have dealt with I know of a guy at the local Golf Course , who's nickname is 'Head First' due to the way his name appears on the golfing result board...................................R. SLATER !!!!! IF YOU ARE CONFUSED SAY IT OUT LOUD, THEN YOU WILL REALISE WHY ITS FUNNY :-)

My view would be if it passes an MOT then it's good to go! If you get a customer on the car then maybe know a £50 off the car and suggest that they may pick up a stone one day that will break the screen and his /her insurance may cover it with a , you've guessed it £50 excess :-) On the other hand I would likely spend money on the alloys, some of the mobile guys will do then for £20 each and that will help the sale of it, IMHO

Guy , guys , guys! It's very easy to talk ourselves into doom and gloom , that is something the trade is very good at. Be very careful that we don't talk ourselves out of business. We all came through what happened in 2008 so we can do it again. It is quiet, we are much quieter than we have been in the past and the trade in general (well at least the ones I talk to ) suggest that the used market is back about 20% compared with last year, although we are not back by that! Cost continue to creep up and compliance becomes a reason to print money especially when it comes to FCA, but let's look on the bright side, there are many more cars out there to buy, condition of these cars seem to be better of late too. One of things we have found which is a little gem is selling cars on Facebook, it's very cost effective and when you have time on your hands why not sign up to this great course http://www.fbfortheforecourt.com/ which gives you baby steps , on how to sell using FB, just an idea!!!! Anyway back to it! Upwards and onwards :-)

Chris, in my experience you always get the people who come across well at interviews but they are not necessarily the best! Good manners, respectful, good timekeeper, organised with an awesome positive attitude who is still willing to learn! That's the person you need! My daughter who trained as a midwife found it hard at first to get a foothold in the job market as there is a shortage of midwifery position , so using her positive attitude she went for an interview for an internship for a year to give her the required job experience,at the end of her interview she was asked "why should we take you on for this internship?" To which she replied, "BECAUSE I'M AWESOME!" now theres a positive attitude! The interview had no reply apart from to offer her the position ;-)

Guys, I think we are all missing the point a little here! IT IS FREE! I agree that most if not all of us ( if we do advertise on AT) will get better results from advertising on Autotrader, but look at your end of month invoice from them (I don't get one) and check it against the RAC invoice you get! Get it now? If all car dealers advertise on RAC free and the public start to understand the benefits of only having one website to look through to find there next car knowing that ALL the cars are on there, THEY WILL START USING IT, cause guess what the general public have as much loyalty to AT as AT have to car dealers! IMHO

Agree UMESH, we don't spend money directly withGoogle on SEO, instead invest in AA Cars & Motors who you will find gain most of their leas they sent to us from Google Searches which makes me think would I be better of paying the. £400+ per month with Google rather than AA and Motors? Or even better spend that budget on promoting my own company on Facebook direct to my local community? Bit one thing I don't miss is the massive invoice from Autotrader every month! The difficulty for the motortrade if we all knew there was only one place where you were guaranteed to get calls, appointments and sales from then we would only ever use them , but sadly AT can't even guarantee this

Of course GG we are not a registered charity ;-)

Hi Steve, I'm currently on holiday but happy to share on email once I get back Jim

A little off thread but would like to mention this on here! it just shows the enormous reach this forum has. Because of this most many many month ago, I regularity get emails and calls about Vauxhall Gearboxes! Now can I put the record straight , I don't sell of recondition these gearboxes nor can I condem your gearbox over the phone even if you do hold the phone up whilst slipping your car into 6th gear, I am not a specialist however if you are local to the Aberdeen area I am more than happy to get one of my technicians to take a look for you ;-) Jim

If you check out the American dealers website although it says 7days test drive what it actually is , is a 7 day money back guarantee, so if for what ever reason the customer doesn't like the car they get there money back within that time period, however I'm sure that you could put some kind of mileage restriction on it too! I think as an industry if we all stopped worrying about what could go wrong and start adopting some of the great ideas out there like this I think that is the only way forward in the next 10years! No it's not for every customer and agree you will have one or two taking advantage of the situation which we already have anyway , but it wouldn't necessarily mean another owner on the v5 as you can tax the car in their name but delay sending the v5 for 30 days, now I know that works already as we have tried it! So it will only be for those of you brave enough to join the forward thinking motortrade for the others just sit back and watch and think in 5 years time " I wish I had done that" Jim

Hi Steve, it's a shame it spent quite work like that! If you are selling the car on your forecourt and on your website it is deemed as being your car! The fact that you are selling it on behalf if a friend is irrelevant with vat being due and prep work etc having to be carried out prior to sale! We have sold customers cars on their behalf before, but always agree what they will get back once the car has been sold and the funds are in our bank ,as for come backs you just have to deal with them like any other retail deal! We always get the customer to sign a basic agreement , like a contract which works nicely and allows you to be open and honest about what potential profit you are to make! I can forward this basic document to you if you wish? Jim

If they can communicate the message to the retail customer that AT isn't the only place to look then yes they can be a real threat to AT, but the cost of getting that message out there is massive and is the 'brand image' right for the digital market and the younger user?