James Bush

Well BCA have called this morning and agreed with my points raised with them. They've offered to take the car back but the rest of the car is a nice clean thing so we've entered negotiations on a bit of good will. My faith have been restored.........

Well no reply from the centre's operations director so a quick search online and I've found several email address for mangers/directors so I've sent an email to them all this morning and if nothing else comes of it I'll just keep blocking up their inboxes until I get a response. I've asked for them to send me a copy of the auction video as my technicians think its impossible for the car to be driven through.

I may have to take everything that I've said good about BCA back. Today I took delivery of an Alfa GT bought online from Nottingham. I though it was strange it didn't get delivered with the other 2 I'd bought which arrived yesterday but this morning it turned up on the back of a recovery truck and had to be winched off. No clutch, won't drive, won't move an inch and to make its worse it's a diesel with dual mast fly wheel so a £600-£700 repair. Non to happy I phoned and spoke to the operations director who basically said it was my tough look as its sold as seen which I understand nornally but to me this should have been sold as a non-runner because they must have limped it through the hall on the last legs of the clutch. It was bought online and most auctions the auctioneer will declare if there's any obvious faults but they didn't in this occasion and BCA delivered it. All he offered to do was watch the video back.

Give the online team at Measham a call I've always found them to be fairly helpful.

My experiences: Warranty Assist were just about OK but anything too technical and I struggled to get it authorised - they have a tie in with Halfords and them sending a BMW 7 series customer with a EML showing on his way after just cancelling the light was the end for me with them. A few weeks later and the 7 series had done its head gasket plus a few other bits, it left me with a £4000 bill. Warrantywise just about the same - the claim not to use weasel words, motortrade jargon etc but do exactly that. I had a Merc B class auto gearbox rejected just because it was too expensive to repair and was only an intermittent issue??? I've had a C4 diesel turbo claim rejected with them because it had got to the end of its natural life (57reg and 60k miles) apparently because it didn't have full service history. The car had good history with a local, old boy and his garage set up, no stamps in the book but a folder of receipts and invoices which they refused to accept as service history to decline a claim. I tempted with starting my own but am not sure so just started with Autoguard, real decent local rep who you can chat to, and used them yeas ago in a previous job without to many complaints from memory.

Yep good idea

Thanks. YH57 ZCA, 97K miles, good service history - some would say its full but some are a couple of month/few miles over due. Manual, been for a good drive in it and all performs and works as it should, usual things to look out for, air suspension etc are all in good order. My technicians have given the once over and can't see anything to worry about. Its black with 20" black alloys, side steps and cream leather. Can't see any prep but it was covered in road dirt so allow a little for minimal prep. Looks a lot of car for what it Caps at but it's just not my thing. If you want to email or give me a ring you're more than welcome - info@jamesbushcars.co.uk / 07989356667

I need an underwrite on the following Discovery, can anybody help? 2007 57 Discovery TDV6 SE. Black with 20" black alloys, side skirts, cream leather. Looks a nice clean, can't see any prep but allow a little just in case. Drivers well, no warning lights and everything seems to work as it should. All tyres with plenty of life left and just MOT'd in December. Thanks

GreenGiant I've no clue either but after 12 o'clock tomorrow I'll know if the info supplied by DVLA is correct or not - I very much doubt it can all be done online at the same time but we'll see - the outcome will be one customer who just thinks we dealers do this every day so shouldn't be a problem or one upset customer questioning why it can't be done when DVLA have told him it can"""

CONFUSED!!! After phoning the customer back and telling him that it couldn't be done he phoned me back 10 minutes later saying he had spoke to DVLA again who confirmed it could all be done online. After 30 minutes on the phone, and 3 different people they have also told me it can be done. Apparently you tax the car online and then do the transfer and as you're using two different forms and document numbers - V5/C to Tax and V5 for the transfer - it's all possible. Has anybody done this? I've been told procedures in the past as informed by DVLA only to look a tit in front of the customer

I have a customer collecting a car tomorrow and he's just phoned to say he's bought a private plate from DVLA and they informed him he could tax the car and put the private plate onto the car when he collects it..........he presumed I "do this everyday" so I should know what I'm doing but its a while since I've done one. I've just searched DVLA's website and can see you can do it but just need clarification on one point. Do I tax the car first and then put the plate onto the car or put the plate on then tax it?

Mercedes B Class Auto, sold 2 within the last year and both developed gearbox issues with the part on back order with a 3/4 month wait. Anything Citroen diesel with over 60k on otherwise you're just waiting for a phone call to say the turbos packed up. 2010 onwards Low spec Mercedes C-Class, really cheap interior.

After a year of deliberating I've just taken the decision to cover my own warranties after having quite a legitimate claim turned down on a Citroen C4 diesel. The turbo went and as requested by Warrantywise the customer took the car to Evans Halshall who didn't lift a spanner but quoted £1700+vat to fit a new turbo. This was rejected and I collected the car, put in a claim for £600 and this was rejected. Main reasons were Evans Halshall had said the turbo had come to the end of its natural life (?), 2009, 55k miles car, the service history was patchy (logged warranty purchase with part history) it's full history but 1st 3 years are Citroen, then next 2 are Indy's then 2 self serviced with all Euro car part invoices then service we carried out when sold and the turbo was oil contaminated and how they know this with it still attached to the car it anybodies guess. I argued the case, but itvwas a pointless task but I can't help thinking if it came to me 1st and not the main dealer who've tried to rinse the warranty for every penny it would have been authorised.

I'd get it fixed and pay up......a bit painful I know but it just gets the problems sorted and then move on. He's quite within his rights to reject the car, ask you to collect it and refund his all his money....

Sounds about typical of the questions my customers ask. I would answer the factual questions and then invite him down to test drive himself explaining condition, drive etc is always down to personal opinion. Last month I had to email photographs of each stamp in a service book off a Zafira so the customer could check them out. 2 days later he turned up, very pleasant family and bough the car. He's made a shortlist of 6 cars, contacted each dealer for history details and I was only 1 of 2 to bother to send them and turns out the other car was advertised with full service history and had 3 stamps - this is on a 60k mile 58 reg Zafira. After the sale I got chatting to the guy and it turns out he'd just gone through a long battle with a dealer over a car he'd purchased that turned out to be clocked.

A few years ago I went to demo a car at a customers house, alarm bells should have started ringing at the "beware of the dogs" sign. Anyway the demo went well and we started to talk about the part exchange, 5 year old mondeo estate. I was taken to the car and opened the doors and gagged at the smell coming out, the back seats were down and the whole of the rear was covered in dog hair and dog fluid. It's the only car I've never offered a value on!!

SK, I wasn't aiming my comments at anybody in particular and apologies if you thought I was. You sound one lucky person though and a very understanding employer. I suppose I only have experience of the guys doing it near me. Our local steelworks recently made a load redundant and 1/2 dozen of them "set up" in the motortrade, no experience of the trade, no real clue of customer care, SOGA, legal responsibilities but it made our job very hard for a short while because they were quite happy selling a car to make £200 - no VAT, no tax, no warranty etc, and once they had the customers money that's where their interest ended. And one local guy that buys anything he can retail for under £1000 and sells it via facebook, classified adds etc and again has no interest post sale. So my comments were made with those in mind - as I said I first started off as a home trader after 20+ years in the motortrade. When setting up I also contacted my local council who assured me no planning was needed, but 6 months after setting up the local parish council started to take more of an interest and sure enough there is some precedent set and the battle started.......its still going on now some years later, I don't need it anymore but just out of my own pure pig headedness I'm taking it all the way.

I used to visit this forum a fair bit but like others have become increasingly frustrated with the amount of very basic questions being asked which don't have a place on a "car dealer" forum. My mind boggles how part time dealer/traders do it along side a full time job? When do you find time to source stock, collect stock, prep stock, photo and advertise the stock, respond to enquiries, meet customers, deal with warranty/post sale issues, dispose of part exchanges, do the paperwork, do the banking, file your tax returns etc???? Also how do you stay under the VAT threshold? Couple of cars a month, the odd px a month, prep bills paid, advertising bills paid and you're at the threshold. I've nothing against professional home traders/dealers, it's how I started, gave up work and started full time, but I just don't understand how you can claim to be a bonified, professional trader/dealer while holding down another full time job? I struggled doing it full time and quickly opened up a indoor showroom, no car supermarket glass palace but I'm proud of it. You do need planning permission to retail cars from home, and as I found councils are very reluctant to grant it, you need public liability insurance, you need understanding neighbours etc So good luck if you're "getting away with it" and enjoy it while you can because eventually the planning department, vat man, tax man, annoyed neighbour, upset customer who'll be happy to drop you in it with them all will catch you out one day.

Alfa's, Audi's, Citroen C2 VTS/Code and high spec Mini's any anything else that looks out of the ordinary - I was told I was mad buying a Chrysler 300c 5.7 Hemi a few months ago, had it 3 weeks and made £2500 profit - it did look the dogs dangly's though for not a lot of money. I sold it local and the guy drives it around like he's a local celeb!!! I try and stay away from bread and butter stuff - have a Picasso, Aygo and Astra Estate all in stock that I took as PX and struggling to any interest even though they are cheap!!!

Yep, easy to deal with. If you call them you'll get a honest appraisal on the car, and always get them to try and get it a little cheaper. Once you agree to purchase a car your money is taken into a holding account. The car is then delivered and if there's any issues it's sorted out and once everybody's happy the selling dealer gets their money. Only issue I've had is the car listed aren't always available but a small price to pay to source decent clean stock at fair money.

Good luck with it.......some things are just meant to be........ Just make sure its got planning for car sales, local councils tend to be really hot on car dealers popping up and will quite happily make your life incredibly difficult if it hasn't........

I tend to find this with all Vauxhall models - I either sell them really quick or they hang around a bit. I have a 2008 58 Vectra 1.8 Design with DAB radio, 60k miles, full history - nice clean thing that I've had 60 days now and not had one enquiry on it and it looks great value to me. Started life with me at £3490 now priced at £2990. The strange thing is while I've had it I've sold 2 other Vectra's a 06 SRi PX that came in with 85k for £2990 and an 57reg Exclusive with 75k miles on that was sold before it arrived with me for £2790. I haven't stocked a Mariva for a while but I think the newer model looks so much better that it puts customers off older ones??

I have an 2006 Astra estate and the central locking has a mind of its own. Just unlocks and locks its self all the time, even when you're driving it. Had the scanner on it and it came up with a fault code on the hazard light switch, which is the same switch as the lock button on the dash so changed that and thought it was fixed, 15 minutes later it just starts locking and unlocking itself again. Checked all the door locks, boot locks, petrol flap lock and all working fine, been through a central locking diagnostic on my scanner and it all operates 100%, each door lock works as it should. Only thing different with it is its had a tow bar fitted, decent job wired in properly and this doesn't seem to effect it but before I rave the tow bar and wiring out as its the last thing to check before I take my frustration out on it with my lucky hammer has any body got any ideas? Thanks

I had a similar thing on a high mileage Vectra diesel I took in PX, guy dropped it off with nothing in, put £10 to get it to auction and 2 days later the auction couldn't get it started. Went to collect it and after a few hours in the garage and finding nothing put 20 litres of diesel in, turned it on and off a few times without trying to turn it over and then tried to start it a few times and it fired up on the 3rd go ............. an old Ford mechanic suggested it as it was a way to start Sierra's when they ran out of fuel apparently.

Taxing the car is normally the last thing I do before the customer leaves while also changing the V5 ownership online.