JA Trader

Advanced Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    751

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Posts posted by JA Trader

  4. Posted

    16 minutes ago, Highlinev8 said:

    How much is it per check ? I just went to the site and remembered I have an account but I currently dont have any funds in credit.

    Its about £3.66 per check if i recall correctly

    • Like 1

  7. Posted · Edited by JA Trader

    2 hours ago, Mark101 said:

    I have no idea why anyone buys stuff that needs excessive prep. I work this job full time, have a (more or less) full time valeter, driver, gofer, a part-time mechanic and an MOT workshop on my doorstep and prep kills the momentum, I hate laying out money and waiting weeks to get it ready for sale. I try and buy cars that need minimal prep but all of them have: New MOT, a minimum of an interim service + inspection and valet. Those are the basics and it still takes a lot of time. Add a few "issues" and that can further increase prep time; I certainly wouldn't be deliberately buying engine swappers or like Tradegirl, CAT D/N cars to repair - slows things up far too much.

    I can't imagine how you do that alongside a full time job (or has that changed?)

    Still working my 9-5 for now and after some recent shake ups i have parted ways with my original business partner and started again. We split the stock and he kept the original company name (Was never a fan). I dont want to get to into it on here but it was a mutual agreement to split i think we had a different direction in our heads for where we wanted to go.

    In regards to your question about engine changes and with risk of being called out for peacocking i make Incredible margins on engine change cars or the spares or repair stuff.

    I only do engine changes on one particular make and model. I can have an engine out of a donor car and back into the broken car before 5 pm on a saturday its often the headgasket or Valves that fail (Clutch changed and supercharger service ) presuming i started at 7/8 ish. I know these cars this well at this point i blast some music and im on auto pilot. In all honestly i enjoy getting my hands dirty as well.... Sometimes.

    Now if i buy the right donor the engine is free so for a Saturdays worth of work i make a very decent margin. My issue here is finding the right cars so that i can do this every month and be comfortable making a proper living before i leave the 9-5 (My plan is to be self employed before the end of the year)

    Take for example car delivered on Monday. Won on ebay auction for £620 (Advertised poorly)  add the £230 delivery. Free engine actually made a profit on the breaker spend some on consumables clutch coolant oil etc. This car will be up next weekend for £3495. Id expect to be chipped a little on the price but should see a decent profit on what is considered a cheapie i dont think thats bad at all especially with how difficult it is to buy from auctions at the moment its keeping me ticking over.

    I am not trying to say i will be doing this forever but with how difficult it is to buy stock at the moment im happy with my current plan.

  8. Posted

    I am in exactly the same boat as Chris here

    Had our best month since we started Sold 6 / 12 cars up for sale.

    Not only the most sales but the most Profit Margin. My issue now is i cant find anything to stock. I have got 3 engine changes waiting to be completed and prep coming out of my ears.

  11. Posted

    17 hours ago, MarkTVS said:

    Our broker has made a mistake an had us down as a sole trader even though we have been a Ltd company for years so we had to start again on zero bonus this year and I think we are circa 6k:blink:

    Thats for our 2 units, yard, 2 transporters, two staff for work use, myself and my partner for work and sdp and my brother for work and sdp.

    Hoping it goes down a bit next year! 

    No way would i be having that.

    That,s a serious ENO (Error and Omission) I would be after some compo for that. Mention the magical Financial Ombudsman Service.

  12. Posted

    2 minutes ago, Rvmmco said:

    good call, i'm thinking of driving the 200 miles to inspect the car tbh

     

    Call his bluff and do it.

    Alternatively ask for another estimate ?

    10 minutes ago, Rvmmco said:

    good call, i'm thinking of driving the 200 miles to inspect the car tbh

     

    Joe i have sent you a PM.

  13. Posted

    1 minute ago, Rvmmco said:

    I know, its pathetic, although it is only a quote, it does not meet a minimum standard in my opinion - my accountant certainly wouldn't be happy with it. 

     

    Doing some more digging her.

    Company dissolved in October but positive review left on google only 2 months ago......

    Id call the garage and see if they can book you in for a cam belt on a fiesta or something similar like that. See if they are still operating at all.

    Maybe use a phone number your customer wouldn't remember in case there is something fishy going on here.

  14. Posted

    3 minutes ago, Rvmmco said:

    Thanks for the opinion. as always with these problems, its speaking to like minded people to weigh up the pros and cons of the situation. Buyers have a tendency to lie when getting their advice.

    Strangely the quote he has sent me is from a garage which was dissolved in October 2019, has no VAT number, no breakdown of the price, and is just a simple word document. So i am not entirely sure if what he has sent me is even real. 

     

    Smiths Ford Invoice.docx 19.38 kB · 0 downloads

    Sorry thats not a real invoice.

    I know toddlers who can get a more convincing one put together.

  16. Posted

    5 minutes ago, CRW said:

    Watched a 2004 Beetle 1.6 Cabrio make 270% of Cap Clean on Saturday.   Good effort - and they say the profit is in the buying!!

    To be fair it was low mileage, but that was already accounted in Cap price. Needed a bit of prep as well.

    Exactly the same with the car i watched it was a one owner 7 main dealer stamps car so i was prepared to even go 500 into cap maybe even a little more but 2 grand into cap is something i never thought i would see.

     

    Admittedly my car of ebay is not as clean but its a top spec Jobby. Should have no issues.

  17. Posted

    7 minutes ago, CRW said:

    Stick your finger in the air and guess seems to be the tactic in January!

    Plus minimum £1000  for fun.

     

    Watched a car go double cap yesterday was very impressed so brought a near identical one of someone on ebay for half of CAP.

    Desperate times need to source cars from elsewhere.

  18. Posted

    3 minutes ago, Holmfirth Cars said:

    Hi all.....i used to use CAP to value my cars, then i refused to pay £800 a year and now we  just uses WBAC for free lol...

    Im wondering how in this modern day do you value cars, as Auto Traders trade online prices are an absolute joke, and Glasses seem to be way out on some vehicles ?

    Do you guys use Cap, Glasses, or neither anymore ????? 

    https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/used-cars/part-exchange#/landing

    The above is CAP Prices and then we just work back wards from what we want to make per car minus prep fees and it leaves you with your bid amount.

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    1 hour ago, MarkTVS said:

    To do the job properly to fit the occupancy sensor it is seat out, cloth or leather off it and replace Matt, proper pita job, done it once don’t fancy doing it again, much easier to get a plug in emulator from eBay which just plugs in under the seat ;)

    Any chance you can link me to what you have used with some success.

    Quiet a few advertised don't want to end up with the wrong one.

  24. Posted

    On 1/13/2020 at 12:03 PM, JA Trader said:

    Im sure my loss will come ...... Im just not looking forward to it being relatively new compared to some people i have done less cars i also try to stay away from the BMWs other than minis and anything complicated 4x4 wise.

    Should have listened to my own advice about sticking to what i know.

    BMW collected yesterday:

    Drivers door dosent lock.

    Seat belt dosent recognize its plugged in

    Airbag light comes on.

    and the car is all over the place under full throttle.

    Other than that its a nice car and a lot of fun to drive.