petrol head

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Posts posted by petrol head

  1. Posted

    Notwithstanding the valuation, a number of observations would spring to mind:

    1. Would seek the opinions of others, but their website is very good as are their descriptions, are they significantly better than Dealers websites. IMHO, no they are not and the pictures /  descriptions would not be enough to make me buy the car.

    2. The descriptions are only as good as the the person who uploads the details, mentioning a car has memory seats and it doesn't or vice versa, when the customer hasn't seen the car will heavily impact on sales and returns.

    3. Nobody really knows what the return % will be, if you get 10% or more you are in the brown smelly stuff.

    4. Do they hold the P/X for 7 days, if they do, that's a lot of dead money?

    5. 31% of people don't trust the local Dealer, 69% therefore do and how many of the 31% will trust someone selling a car they can't touch?

    @Bmx Bandits  very valid point on manufacturers proactively disposing of their vehicles, not sure I will see it in my lifetime? 

  2. Posted

    Amazing how these cancers get air time. 
     

    I remember how Saturn were going to revolutionize the industry in the early 90’s that went well....

    Complete bunch of changers, very rich ones though...

  4. Posted · Edited by petrol head

    1 hour ago, David Ayers said:

    I just read “newly purchased “

    You may be right, never the less, clearly a scam.

     

    Edit to say is a test drive part of a safety check, should have asked this before I let Audi near the Mrs R8!

  5. Posted

    1 hour ago, David Ayers said:

    Normally a customer who can’t afford to buy from Audi but takes it to them for a health check so he can get the dealer he bought it from to pay for Audis standards. 

    I read it that it was new? 
     

    Regardless, it’s a scam and I hope Jardines take him to the cleaners. 

  9. Posted · Edited by petrol head

    Since posting this I have taken a detailed look at their website and would comment as follows, and would be interested to garner other people's opinions:

    1. The website is easy to navigate and the pictures and descriptions are first class down, to the last service date.

    2. I wouldn't say the prices are much cheaper than Dealers, given how much used vehicles are in the trade, how could they be?

    3. It may be me being a dinosaur, but even with a 7 day money back guarantee (does this include the costs of cancelling insurance etc), but do customers really want to buy a used car they haven't driven or seen? It will be really interesting to see the return % when buyers remorse sets in, or they see a car they like better for sale?

    4. Self appraisal of P/X by customer, what could possibly go wrong!

    Float it with all the razzle dazzle and watch it fail.

     

  10. Posted

    2 hours ago, CCC said:

    Our local LR dealer was forced to move from a great location and biggish place to a massive glass goldfish bowl in a large of town you rarely go to. All due to JLR requirements. Given the internet was already putting the writing on the wall that felt a stupid move at the time, now it seems insane. I worry JLR are in bigger trouble than they let on too. Massively unreliable and technology changing fast, and against big lumpy cars.

    I think JLR are in trouble, they have the wondaful cocktail of Indian ownership, with Tata shares having taken a battering, along with the lethal combination of German and British management. 

    They are not doing bad in the UK and China, possibly USA, but the rest of the world is a bit of a joke. About 10 years ago they opened a large regional center in Singapore with a large training center with more than a 100, largely ex pat staff. Nearly all gone now and sales have dwindled across the region ever since, largely as unlike, MB, BMW and everyone except Audi, they don't have a CKD (complete knockdown) strategy, so their products are taxed at the highest rate. 

    Whilst I wouldn't touch an XE or any other Jag for that matter, the L405 RR and Sport are special products, nothing like them, but certainly not to be considered reliable. 

  12. Posted

    4 hours ago, trade vet said:

    6 billion or whatever,if the guy has copped for £100m of investors money already as rumoured,no wonder they are bandying around these figures.It will be interesting to see their next annual accounts.

    Yes I'm looking forward to their accounts too, kind of reminds me of this:

     

    • Thanks 1
    • Haha 1

  15. Posted

    14 hours ago, Casper said:

    Many thanks petrol head very informative will look them up hope all is well 

    My pleasure if we in the "trade" can't help each other nobody else will, this may help:

    https://www.theimi.org.uk/mot-quals/

    For me the appeal of the IMI is they are only focused on the Motor Industry, unlike City & Guilds, BTEC and the like who are multi industry. The curriculum's are as upto date as anyone's although I think they have to give these to other bodies, the assessments are well thought out, well they were when I looked at them a few years ago. 

    I think they are losing relevance under the current CEO/COO and I can't see any value in retaining my membership, however this is a personal view.

    Good luck and don't hesitate to PM me if you need more help.

    • Thanks 1

  16. Posted · Edited by petrol head

    1 hour ago, Casper said:

    Looking for some info please Although I’m not a time served mechanic I do know the basics and have done for many years and was wondering if anyone here could advice what road to go down to become an mot.tester and manager . Also if they know of any training companies in Scotland or even the uk who do it and lastly if you can offer any advice on study material for the courses it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while and think if I don’t do it soon I never will  many thanks in advance 

    Would highly recommend an IMI Approved Centre, they set the NOS (National Occupational Standards) for the Industry, you can search here:

    https://tide.theimi.org.uk/search/centre

    Not to be confused with membership which is a crock of shit.

    They also offer EV quals, L3 takes only 5 days, not all the centre's offer the full range, you will have to contact the centre's or IMI Directly.

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    My wife’s family had a JLR business, gave up 2.5 years ago as the level of investment they wanted would never have given any ROI. The dealer they replaced them with has got away with spending around a 1/4 of what they wanted us to spend. I was brought in to kind of mediate, but JLR were not for bending and couldn’t get their heads around the costs. There is more to this, but I won’t bore you here. 
     

    Back to the XE the warranty claims were much higher than any other model, really poor quality. 

    • Sad 1

  19. Posted

    19 hours ago, trade vet said:

    There might be method in their madness.Bumped into a top Ford sales guy last year who has stayed with the same dealership for many years.because he has a massive repeat customer base.He said that when Arnold Clarke took over they have a deal where ‘ sales executives ‘ as they are now called could lease a new Merc for a low rate which was proving very popular and reduced staff turnover.It appears that the mentality of your average millennial ‘sales executive’ ( with pointy toed shoes no doubt ) would prefer to go home in a new Merc than earn a big lump of commission.

    Good god!

    If I look at the sales exec jobs, technicians and other roles the salaries have stood still for 20 years. GM/DP salaries have risen, although I'm sure they are coming down given the times we live in?

    Now call me old fashioned, but if you sell Ford's, you drive a Ford?

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    On 2/26/2021 at 8:19 PM, Bmx Bandits said:

    They also used to have their Mercedes Benz Direct used car sites, they were more like car supermarkets and I’m sure they used to sell the unwanted deflected management/daily rental cars. They have all disappeared over the years too.

    You had Mercedes Direct competing with their own retail dealers, how crazy was that? Back in the day I bought a few cars from them pretending to be a retail customer as they had completely under priced them, if memory serves me correctly a couple of CLK cabs, a CL500 and an SL500. 

    Not sure if they do know but every employee was entitled to a subsidized lease car, a second car if they already had a company car, Porsche Retail used to do the same too.

  21. Posted

    16 hours ago, Bmx Bandits said:

    I’d image MBR have rarely ever made a real profit.

    The only one I can think of would be Porsche Retail Group Ltd which does very very well.

    I'm sure most retail groups would argue that they are just there to represent the brand in areas were no one else can afford to.
     

    It proves that car manufacturers should stick to making cars and leave selling them to the car dealers !! 

     

     

     

    Good point on Porsche Retail I think they are well run. MBR have closed all there central London sites, if I remember correctly they closed Park Lane first, around 2002, around the same time they close Piccadilly and moved everything to Portman Square. That didn't last long and became a Fiat Dealer, Canon Street lasted a couple of years as did Canary Wharf, last year Chelsea closed. I agree they should stick to making and distributing and leave the Dealers to sell the bloody things...................  

  23. Posted · Edited by petrol head

    On 2/20/2021 at 6:27 PM, trade vet said:

    Link ? Posting on here and sending emails on my iPad is about the extent of my digital knowledge,I will try and get my daughter to do it.The BBC documentary is called The Secret Life of Colin Chapman and there might be one or two more mini docs about him on YouTube.

    Cheers, easy to find, I was being a lazy so and so:

    Edit to say I watched this last night and it was a compelling watch, I did not realize how Chapman worked, won't say anymore as I don't want to spoilt it for those who may be interested.

     

  24. Posted

    21 hours ago, trade vet said:

    Watched a good BBC documentary about him on YouTube channel last night.What a character,his finance guy got 4 years and the judge said if Chapman had still been alive,he would have got 10 years.I had forgot that the Europa Breadvans were Renault powered  ( usually with limited power ) crap cars but good earners.Elan’s were good,but expensive and way over book to buy and I might have only had a couple of them.The Breadvans were far more lucrative.

    Could you kindly post a link to the BBC documentary. 

  25. Posted

    1 hour ago, trade vet said:

    I don’t think you can blame Mrs T.It was a Labour government who believed that De Lorean had 30000 orders for his car before the factory was even built.As for Colin Chapman he appears to have died in mysterious circumstances after millions of the De Lorean Motor Co’s money paid to Lotus was traced by the FBI.Chapman and De Lorean both brilliant engineers but it appears like a partnership made in hell.

    BTW just been watching Brightwells on line classic auction and although I know little,future classics like SL ‘s appear to be very good value but the bidding has not finished.

     

    All a bit before my time, but for John De Lorean was a chancer.

    SL's don't drive great and rot like hell, prices are going up right now, but IMHO will drop again.