tradegirl

Yes, but what if for instance there's a mechanical problem? We had a car not long ago that had cost us the Earth, but there was an intermittent engine issue where the car would go into limp mode, and had an engine light not even the dealer could get to the bottom of. It was pointing to a sensor, but that sensor had been changed. The car drove fine, but every now and then this light would come on. I don't know what that light is, or what caused it, so...even if I make the customer aware, and it could be something bigger than even I know about. Am I liable in that case? Even if I've advertised it as I've written here? Someone could buy it thinking it's something silly and fixable, and they either see that 1. It's not as fixable as they thought, or 2. It's a bigger fix than any of us thought. At which point I imagine I'd be held liable, and would be seen as a dodgy dealer. We bought a car years ago with an EML, and it wasn't as simple as we thought. We werent about to go back to the dealer and ask for money from him, because WE took a chance on the car. He sold it well below retail, for anyone willing to take it on.

Haha, how generous of him. What do these people really expect? Someone to say "Oh you're right, go on then!"?

While I know all the above is to cover our own back, I think it's ridiculous and unfair that if I sell a car with an EML as "I've reached the end of financial viability and I'm offering it up to someone who thinks they can make it work and use/sell it" and list the current known faults, Joe Public can later turn around and put me in a hole, on a car I'm already making no money off. Because Joe Public thought he was clever, and turns out he can't magically fix the car. And so in order to avoid that, I have to advertise the car as completely noteworthy, meaning I make an even bigger loss on it. The law, while made to protect the consumer, has also made it so that the consumer can completely and unjustifiably take advantage.

Glory be, the logbook arrived in the post! Looks like it was the owners who sent it. Minus the second page with the green slip but who cares? Hurray!

James, as doorstoppers people don't trust buying cars with no logbook. It's not in the trade, so we can't tax at the post office, I tried this morning.

The keeper is still on record though. Anytime that's been the case, it's taken near a month. Plus, the private plate logbook says 2 former keepers. Looking at HPI there's been a keeper change in May 2019, so it's now 3 former, and with us on it it'll be 4 former. I don't know what they've done, as there are items in the car still with their surname, so I'm assuming they put the plate back and registered the car on a family member. God knows why. But telling the customer they'll be the 6th owner on a 2011 BMW probably won't sound good. I'll get it sent off today anyway, thank you!

Bought a car from auction, but the plates on the car and on the logbook given to us, as private and have been transferred to another car. I know the original reg, but I have no logbook. And the original reg is still on the keeper, not in the trade, so I have to apply for a new logbook and sit on the car for a month now. I've sent the owner a letter saying I'll give them a thank you if they send me the logbook, but no reply. Auction are no help, and now I'm stuck. Is anyone local to Stretford who could pop around please? A friend of a friend was supposed to go, but I've been waiting almost 2 weeks and they've had a death in the family, so...it might be a bit insensitive to keep pestering them.

Others will explain this far better than me, but you don't have to provide a warranty at all, it's optional. It's in addition to the customer's legal rights (CRA) You cannot get away from the buyer's consumer rights, and you can't get them to sign those away.

Ah good old Parkers. At least it's that. I had a woman screenshot me the WBAC price for one of ours, telling me we're too expensive. I hope your guy wakes up and realises with his criteria, it'll be a while before he finds another car.

I would possibly stab someone to do 8 in a month (and to consider that a quiet month). But then I don't have your stock level or overheads.

You're right, life is too short. You mentioned your boy, and it's always extra frustrating when we change the kid's plans, for a sale. Even more so when it's a time waster. I think JB said he skipped his kids' karate lesson for a viewing that never showed. Being self-employed can be all-consuming, and you're right, life is too short, and there has to be a balance. In slow times it's easy to lose sight of that though. You're right, Tom. You just never know if people get offended. But who wants those kind of customers anyway?

Only 1 sold this month. I passed up a "just coming to view" viewing on Father's Day, and asked them to arrange for another day. Then I had a "I might buy, or I might view and come again with my mate to double check it" viewing. I asked him to arrange with his mate and they can check the car together and save the back and forth. Neither party called to arrange another day, so I've lost those potential sales, and I know it's my fault. Had a viewing today, but customer cancelled as we're still awaiting a logbook on the car. Generally dead as a dodo.

Helpful as always Noa

Thank you

No, of course. Anything clearly wrong with it on the 15 mile drive down is repaired before the MOT, together with the service. Then MOT, then run for for a couple of days to make sure nothing crops up, then PDI.

Ok so MOT and PDI are last after road tests. I'm doing it a bit arse backwards.

Nice response I assume you use a polisher or by hand? Wish I knew how to do that. Tried it on a black A Class by hand with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish. Thought it looked great. The following morning it rained, and all these white pasty patches came up on the car, which I had to wipe hard with a chammy to get off.

@David Horgan you touched on location. I've been wondering lately how important location is. I'm due to go it alone after summer, and Walsall where I live isn't surrounded by the most affluent areas. Where we work now, the bulk of our customers came from Worcester, Gloucester, Hereford, even Wales and Bristol. Walsall is only half an hour north, but...it makes me wonder how I'll do trading from home in a not so great location. Having said that, Emerald House of Cars are in a crap area, and they get customers from all over. Then again, I'm no Emerald House of Cars

@Nick M.K. I've got to ask, I know you edit your photos, has anyone ever come up and said the car doesn't look as good as in the photos? Because your cars look like showroom condition.

Thanks James. Which A1 Approved is it? The one in London or the one in Leeds? Two different websites. Thank you

Is this before or after the MOT? We get cars serviced, MOTd, run them a fair amount after that, and then PDI. I've often thought though, could they customer say that the car was fine at the MOT, but something got broken during our road testing/use?

I've been deliberating over if and which warranty company to use. I'm not between Mark's recommendation of A1 Approved and Lawgistics. Any opinion regarding Lawgistics Administered vs Self-Administered? I'm thinking the former is a bit less of a headache, and they know better how to deal with people taking the mickey?

Where has my like button gone?! Many thanks gentlemen. You bring common sense back to me. Now to decide whether to go 3rd party or self-funded.

We had one and it was to do with the bonnet lock. There's a plastic part where the bonnet lock is located, where one of the sensors had gone. You'd shut the bonnet and the warning would be on, open and close again and it would go off. So it might be a case of changing that part or the complete bonnet lock. There's a lot online about it, others say to have someone push flat the inner bonnet release while you shut the bonnet. Lastly, check where the bonnet hinges are, there's a plastic round plug on either side of the car where the hinges meet the wing. If those round plugs have a silver cylinder poking out, the car has had some sort of a bump and they've deployed. Hope this helps.

Because they're covered by the CRA? But I understand and agree that I have to entice the customer, and a warranty among other things, might help do that.