Mikey

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Posts posted by Mikey

  6. Posted

    There is no fault with the car - All Stop/Start systems are like this, so this is just customer ignorance.

    You shouldn't have offered them a refund as there is no fault.

    Instead educate the customer! Show them the handbook or email them the link and tell them to read what the manufacturer of the car says about who it works.

  8. Posted

    Plus:

    • The never ending advertising costs
    • The paint guy
    • The wheel guy
    • The dent guy
    • PDI + Service costs per car

    All coming out of you bottom line... My accountant couldn't believe how little margin was left in the stock after everything taken into consideration! The beatch still didn't give me a discount on my year end! ;)

    • Like 1

  11. Posted

    I agree with everything you've said Jim completely... and in an ideal world that would be brilliant, and the industry needs to change one by one dragging its sorry looking ass out of the 1970's!

    However the whole market needs to change from point of entry to generate enough data to feed the industry properly!

    So for example how many people are out there looking for a new or replacement car that fall under the radar? i.e. no one knows they are looking for a car, because they just surf websites or visit dealers looking at cars until they find what they're looking for and go unnoticed? I think the answer to this is still the vast majority.

    In an ideal world the existing platforms need to try and capture good quality and detailed customer data at point of entry to generate good quality and accurate leads. This almost needs to happen before any search can be completed.

    But here lies the problem... People still don't trust the car trade, hate being sold to, and hate giving their details in fear of being bombarded or sold something they just want. Just look at how a lot of main dealers still operate in terms of the hard sell! 10k basic salesmen prematurely going in for the close like a desperate puppy hammering the F&R until the customer caves in and signs on the 42 month dotted line...

    Sure there are people out there that don't mind and really appreciate the help in finding their perfect vehicle at the right monthly, but these people are still in the minority. So how does the industry shake the image and get customers to trust us enough to give us their details, desires and working budget, because I don't think we've anywhere near cracked this one yet?

  12. Posted

    14 hours ago, Uncle Ron said:

    Italian cars are what I love - I've had a GT Junior in the past and have a 208 GT4 tax break special at the moment. Dream would be an old giulia spider!

    I think this is it for people like us - enthusiasts. In 10/15 years when you can't drive yourself anywhere because the car does it itself, there will be a yearning for a great chassis paired with a manual gearbox and a great engine..

    Also, just in case you weren't taking the proverbial, there's a one owner Daf 44 on carandclassic now.. 17000 miles "still on its original tyres" - reduced from £8750 to £5750 :lol:

    Man after my own heart then!

    I nearly bought a 308 GTS when they were down in price to their mid to late twenties after doing a Ferrari day at Oulton Park. Brilliant cars, pop up headlights, Don Johnson side fins, and a targa roof...What more could a man want! :D

    I bottled it as servicing and maintenance costs were prohibitive and we were saving for our wedding at the time... close call I can tell you! :lol: wife or the fezza!

    I owned around 10/11 Alfa's over the years and my first car was a 1.5ti green cloverleaf Alfasud which was great to drive, but it just dissolved a little bit every time it rained. I still miss it now!

  13. Posted

    Oh god not Mike and Ed... I've met them both a lot over the years at various shows, had a few beers with them in hotel bars when staying over for a weekend show etc, and they both laugh at some of the BS they come out with on their shows. We call it the not for profit show, because obviously the team of (hidden) mechanics and pretty much all consumables/parts aren't reflected in the margin, and lets be honest some of the finished cars aren't too great either!

    You mentioned a 156 GTA in your first... Are Italian cars something you're are looking at?

  14. Posted

    Amen to that Rory, I can't win anything at the moment. The economics' just don't stack up right now with stock changing hands at auction for top dollar, Auto Trader's price hike, and then trying to complete with the supermarkets selling volume!

    Anyway Alex I think what you're proposing isn't necessarily unique as I personally know a few traders in this market, but if done properly there is definitely some room for someone to stand out. If it was me I'd be looking to make sure my car prep was absolutely top notch with pictures to match, attach myself to a reputable specialist mechanic as mechanical condition, history and looks are everything in that sector.

    I know from what you've said you have knowledge of where to source stock, but don't under-estimate how much of your time this will take up. It's a lot harder when you're buying to sell, as there are so many more things to consider especially when you add the words preparation, margin and advertising to the equation!

    Having said all that It's definitely buoyant at the moment so good luck with it all fella!

  15. Posted

    I've just had the same with a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport Equippe, so billy basic... 2005, 109k and ex builders vehicle so not the cleanest, but the phone went mad right from the off! Advertised at 4pm for £3295 and sold by 10pm with the guy collecting the next morning. 2 others waiting in the wing hoping he didn't buy it!!  

    I've got mint stock sat here without so much as a sniff and that old barsteward had them queuing!!! Bangernomics springs to mind... 

  18. Posted

    I'm fed up of losing cars at the minute... I can't seem to win anything as they go way above what any sane person would want to pay!

    I mean who are these idiots who seemingly can't seam to keep their hands in their pockets! :rolleyes:

    In fact the next person to outbid me...I'm going to hunt them down and tango their face! :lol: (If you can remember the tango add on the tele)

  19. Posted

    God not had one of those for ages... From memory pretty good and reliable to be honest being Japanese!

    Interiors can wear as the plastics are a little scratchy, and obviously check the underneath for any signs of off-roading as they're only a soft roader... Usual suspension bush squeaks and inner tyre wear on the fronts too.

    They have quite a following so providing the history is good it should sell well! 

  21. Posted

    3 hours ago, CJ Underhill said:

    I know exactly the place you are on about. Over a dozen times i've been outbid on Saabs, watching them fetch over retail price to find them advertised at this place. However... they must sell them, and they make mine look dirt cheap...

    Yep they do sell them! Maybe it's London ''weighting'' or like I said an idiot for every car!

    There's another dealership in London named after an Alfa Romeo trim level... Let's see if you can guess the name!? Anyway they're exactly the same in that they're possibly the most expensive Alfa dealer in the UK. I missed out on a 159 last week that they picked up for just short of 7k privately, and then was up £10,995 less than 24 hours later on their website and sold the same day! ...Kill me now!! :rolleyes:

  22. Posted

    5 hours ago, Ocsltd said:

    Well the madness seems to be rolling over into February!

    Had my eye on a 2010 Saab 9-3 1.9 TTiD Automatic Estate, Grade 2, 40k miles, FMDSH, 1 Owner, so ticked all the boxes, think cap clean was something like £4800, hammer price, £7400!!! That's retail money!!!

    Might go back to selling bangers, think there's more margin in them!!!

    Ha I mentioned this a few weeks back!!!

    Saab and Volvo estates are on FIRE at the moment! I'm sick of being outbid by several thousand...total madness! The last two were internet bids and ended up in London at a Saab/Volvo specialist for 3.5k and 4k over retail. They say there's an idiot for every car! :P

  23. Posted

    2 hours ago, metcars said:

    I must admit that where 'landmarks' are concerned I tend to give them a break for a week or so rather than advertise them continually

    Great advice!

    I do this occasionally and it does attract new attention. Make sure you take fresh photo's though, and try to 'pep up' the description too! Try a 'ladder' shot from above!!

    Have you done any short film clips of the car? Create a YouTube  channel to upload them to, and then link the clips to your adverts...  

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    4 hours ago, metcars said:

    .... and after all that guess what turned up in the post this morning from Manheim?:rolleyes:

    Ha-ha typical! :P

    Oh well look on the Brightside... You've just tested the DVLA system for us all and it's pretty quick! :lol:

  25. Posted

    11 hours ago, andymc1973 said:

    its up at 7k

    http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201701261681719?sort=price-desc&postcode=dh21lh&advertising-location=at_cars&make=TOYOTA&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&radius=1500&model=MR2&page=1

    looks 1500 too much

    The thing is Andy these have recently had quite a bit of press in publications like Modern Classic's etc and are touted to already be on the price rise in that market. So an 06 car with only 35k and 9 stamps might just attract a bit of attention. Especially if he polishes it to within an inch of its life! ;)

    I wonder how bad a grade 3 it was?

    Sometimes these aren't that bad as you know, so let's say he's In it for 55/56 hundred, then he's still got some wiggle room for the ''Hey mate, how much for cash'' brigade.