metcars

I noticed an article online about insurance companies offering discounts due to the ‘Rona. This had crossed my mind, premiums are built on ‘risk’ and the risk has changed significantly for many of us. So, discounts all round and cheaper premiums on the way?

The auctions will do the least they have to. The last thing they want is to be obliged to accurately describe anything!

Contactless, embrace it, it’s the future! Seriously, physical auctions eventually will become a thing of the past. The only way it will work is if the auctions give honest appraisals?

I wonder how many traders that acquire stock from ‘private’ advertisers just turn up and hand over the cash without attempting to chip the price?

Good post. Couple of points though. Online deliveries are the future, for everything, not just cars. And obviously in the not too distant future we will acquire our stock in similar way, because the car auctions will move away from physical auctions, and instead bidders will all become account holders. Forced to rely on online auctions dubious online descriptions but also use their own logistics? So, yes, contactless business is the future? I’m not sure about us moving into a slump. Im not a clever money person, but I know a few. They say sit tight, don’t throw investments on the fire? Personally, when the government send the great unwashed back to work, and as long as that’s everybody, then the economy should spike back up! It might take a couple of weeks but businesses didn’t close because of lack of demand, they shut on orders of government. The widget factory will open on Monday and start making widgets for the businesses that needs them. I know that sounds a little over simplified but that’s how I see it! just as an aside, I’ve been viewing a lot of dealers video descriptions. I suspect that some clever young tech person is going to make a lot of money selling this ‘dark art’ to dealers. I was going to post some of the more hilarious ones but it feels a bit mean when those guys obviously think they have done a good job? Being able to use a video camera, having a voice that doesn’t sound like a music hall act, and having the ability to edit professionally are obviously going to be things worth paying for!

I bet if someone had said to you guys 6 weeks ago that you can take a break for a few months and stay home, sign on the dole etc, you’d think it sounded fantastic?

Now you are going to have to send your £2k focus 300 miles for someone to try and find a fault that they hope will make you chip the price rather than take it back.

Hey James, it would be interesting to see the age range/value of the cars being sold.

It has to be down to the age of the cars though. There’s no way I’d ship my old bangers off into the distance sight unseen. My punters are very different to the ones buying nearly new stuff?

You still have to be ‘proper’ trade. So if I were you I’d take advantage of the lack of competition and fill yer boots! I imagine there’s a lot of guys with orders to fill from the last few weeks of lockdown. So my prediction is strong prices. And as I’ve mentioned before, with online auctions only for proper trade you won’t have any ‘hero’s’ bidding you up, at least at the moment until the auctions sort that out. Because they make a lot of money out of the private’s. Not only from high fees but bidding up prices for everything. Private’s and amateurs are the gift that keeps giving for auctions

I can’t buy my stuff online, so I’ll have to wait for them to open up the auctions again. Can’t see that happening any time soon? I’m guessing the auctions must be losing shed loads of cash. Because correct me if I’m wrong but only proper trade can buy from BCA online. Privates, blue and silver cards can’t buy. Auctions make huge amounts out of that group from the mental buyers premiums?

Are hgv drivers classed as essential anyway? I keep seeing stuff on social media about how they are working but no support. Can’t find cafes open or hotels etc.

Thanks

Hey James, does this website have the ability to do a poll? Even anonymously? Just to see what percentage of us are still trading?

It’s the future, but not as we know it? Good post. Big changes ahead. Money to be made for those flexible enough to adapt and change quickly?

But we shouldn’t have to decide if and when it’s safe to return to work? That’s what the government are for? They should be telling us when it’s safe to do so! I’ve decided not to be critical of those who feel they need to break the lockdown. If I was a young single guy with nothing to lose I’d probably be out there. But I’m a 58yr old guy with heart failure and hypertension and according to the letter from NHS am extremely vulnerable and need to stay home for 3 months! Personally I cannot afford to catch it, and I am certainly not prepared to ignore the advice of hugely intelligent medical professionals just to play Russian roulette with my life over a shitty 10yr old focus! Oh and a nIcely written article James

Back in the day I knew a couple of guys that had a little business buying main dealer px from one auction and driving them to sell in another with the stuff still on the screens. They got away with it for a while? Just out of interest was your friend ‘trade’ with a trade buyers account? And did your friend have a trade selling account too? Or did he just re enter as private seller?

Really, in what respect?

I nicked it off FB. It’s both funny, but worrying too?

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?

Collapsing under the strain?

1. You MUST NOT leave the house for any reason, but if you have a reason, you can leave the house 2. Masks are useless at protecting you against the virus, but you may have to wear one because it can save lives, but they may not work, but they may be mandatory, but maybe not 3. Shops are closed, except those shops that are open 4. You must not go to work but you can get another job and go to work 5. You should not go to the Drs or to the hospital unless you have to go there, unless you are too poorly to go there 6. This virus can kill people, but don’t be scared of it. It can only kill those people who are vulnerable or those people who are not vulnerable people. It’s possible to contain and control it, sometimes, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster 7. Gloves won't help, but they can still help so wear them sometimes or not 8. STAY HOME, but it's important to go out 9. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are many things missing. Sometimes you won’t need loo rolls but you should buy some just in case you need some 10. The virus has no effect on children except those children it effects 11. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there… 12. Stay 2 metres away from tigers (see point 11) 13. You will have many symptoms if your get the virus, but you can also get symptoms without getting the virus, get the virus without having any symptoms or be contagious without having symptoms, or be non contagious with symptoms... 14. To help protect yourself you should eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand as it's better not to go out shopping 15. It's important to get fresh air but don't go to parks but go for a walk. But don’t sit down, except if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant or if you’re not old or pregnant but need to sit down. If you do sit down don’t eat your picnic 16. Don’t visit old people but you have to take care of the old people and bring them food and medication 17. If you are sick, you can go out when you are better but anyone else in your household can’t go out when you are better unless they need to go out 18. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house. These deliveries are safe. But groceries you bring back to your house have to be decontaminated outside for 3hours including Pizza... 19. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but they can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver 20. You are safe if you maintain the safe social distance when out but you can’t go out with friends or strangers atthe safe social distance 21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours ... or four hours... six hours... I mean days, nothours... But it needs a damp environment. Or a cold environment that is warm and dry... in the air, as long asthe air is not plastic 22. Schools are closed so you need to home educate your children, unless you can send them to school because you’re not at home. If you are at home you can home educate your children using various portals and virtual class rooms, unless you have poor internet, or more than one child and only one computer, or you are working from home. Baking cakes can be considered maths, science or art. If you are home educating you can include household chores to be education. If you are home educating you can start drinking at 10am 23. If you are not home educating children you can also start drinking at 10am 24. The number of corona related deaths will be announced daily but we don't know how many people are infected as they are only testing those who are almost dead to find out if that's what they will die of… the people who die of corona who aren’t counted won’t be counted 25. You should stay in locked down until the virus stops infecting people but it will only stop infecting people if we all get infected so it’s important we get infected and some don’t get infected 26. You can join your neighbours for a street party and turn your music up for an outside disco and your neighbours won’t call the police. People in another street are allowed to call the police about your music. 27. No business will go under due to Coronavirus except those businesses that will have already gone under.

I actually feel sorry for Milton Keynes trading standards?

Why don't you offer to send him a mug?

I don't think I could sell a punter a 10yr old Ford focus and have them wait 3 months to pick it up? Or maybe I could? I can guarantee they'd want to chip me come handover?