metcars

Just out of interest. Maybe it’s just me, but has anyone noticed the increase in cars on the hit list being advertised? A plethora of cat n/s near me on autotrader. Is it the backstreet copart rebuilders. Or are more private people buying back their cars to repair? Trade and private sellers.

Bit of a long shot. Just wondering if anyone’s renewed their driving licence recently? What was your experience. How long did it take to turn around? cheers

You can’t be surprised! Recession looming, interest rates up (not for savers!). Everyone expected the ‘sunny uplands’ and got a ‘punch in the face’ with the cost of living. Sadly for us, the first thing to cut back on is replacing the old jalopy. It’ll just have to wait another year?

I thought maybe I’d missed a trick. But a crusty 18yr old diesel focus estate! £1,000 at the hammer plus fees? It was sold at £500? There were at least two bidders who thought it was a bargain? Yikes!

Colchester last night. Mk1 focus diesel estate. On sale at £500, hammers down at £1k? Plus fees. Someone must be waking up this morning thinking WTF did I do?

This!

The last time I checked the BCA vendors list, 16 had ‘BCA’ in their title?

Yikes!

What the hell have they done to it! I see two cars on my screen now in huge ‘Janet and john’ size! Website search engines are one of the few areas in life where small and compact is better than stupidly large! I understand the need for ‘high quality’ images but not as thumbnails? Do they think we’re eyesight issues. I wonder if these website updates are done for the benefit of IT guys or the customers? BCA search was the best, now it’s as bad as Manheim. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! Rant over!

Harsh! Not sure what you can do about that! If you try a clawback on a takeaway they’ll block your card. But that doesn’t work for us car dealers?

Yes, “the dead don’t need loving?” Straight out of the bereavement counselling handbook?

Yikes! I’m guessing you won’t be volunteering for Samaritans any time soon?

We sure will, once those brexit benefits kick in!

Personally, I would say don’t bother! Most of these cheap bottom-end code readers can’t be trusted. Even as something to throw in the bag for ‘auction collection capers’, you can’t take them seriously. I think there’s a case for keeping up to date with automotive technology, and being aware of what’s possible. But ultimately, let your mechanic invest in diagnostic equipment and spend his money on the tools.

Lockdown imminent! get your wet wipes and rubber gloves out again?

Because part 2 of my question is, if the owner eventually eg after 2 months gets a pull for no mot, do ‘feds’ consider VED. Watching cop shows like ‘police stop wars interceptors’ dvla have their own enforcement team that proactively seeks out untaxed cars, which is an offence. Can you see where I’m going where the direct debit is concerned?

Hypothetically, if an owner was paying VED by direct debit and the car failed it’s MOT, how long would the system take (if at all) to detect this? Or would the DD continue ‘ad infinitum’. I’m guessing it’s until either the insurance runs out or the ‘feds’ appear?

Yeah, that’s pretty much how i see it. I used to ‘smoke’ a really old diesel shogun and the breakdown cover was prudent. Especially as I towed with it. Ironically, the old shogun always managed to get me home when It had issues (or I fixed it at the roadside). The only time I called them to actually recover it was when the engine spun a bearing on the school run?

I have personal cover with auto-aid, anyone use anything they can recommend. Must be personal/any car type?

“......if the cap fits?”

Have you been in a bank lately, don’t get me started. I actually got ‘told off’ for queuing to pay cash in “when I could have used a machine!” Turkeys voting for Christmas?

Thanks Casper. We’re still pushing on, scratching a living!

2001

I’ve seen a few posts from guys that have platinum cards feeling they are not be shown any respect from the auctions. They feel that the auctions should be ‘grateful’ in some respect? It seems to me that the auctions would rather sell more cars to newbies/small timers and earn more from their higher buyer premiums. Auctions have exploited the lockdown and tapped in to the current trend for everyone to have a ‘side hustle’ flipping cars. It’s easy to get trade insurance, it’s easy to open an auction account. There seems to be an endless stream of facebook chancers with a breakdown truck selling cars with their ambiguous trade with a small ‘t’ adverts? Even saw one yesterday with images taken in manheim Colchester car park!

Works nicely for them? Plus they clearly feel they’ve been doing us all a huge favour operating like this?