gfautomotive

Well if sales were conducted at a garage forecourt I would assume that a customer would be relatively happy to meet there, especially seen as my mechanic who owns the garage would be the one doing the pre-vehicle check and repairs. I guess its worth giving it a go and see how we fare.

Really appreciate the input, it this kind of information we need to take into account. We would be based from home as we have an established office and my wife's business which is run from home. I would intend to try and conduct sales with customers at prearranged locations such as a friends garage to establish a centralised meeting point/location. I appreciate that any problems could well be a wipe out on profit margin for sub £1000 cars. I feel that given my experience, I would be able to source decent cars for the money and turn the sales around with my mechanic on hand to attend to issues or advise accordingly if I am unsure. I think really the only way to go is to get set up and get going really and see how we fare. I am willing to give it a go and give it 12 months to see how we fare.

Many thanks for the reply. With regards to trade plates, if I buy from private sellers, not auction can I tax them using the online DVLA system temporarily until the vehicle is sold and drove without trade plates? I understand now that warranty is given in law and plan to at least conduct a pre sale checklist/defect list of there is any damage faults to the vehicle such as dents/scratches and be as honey as possible with my sales. Do you feel the sun £1000 market is barking up the wrong tree as a start up venture as the way I see it, there will always be customers wanting a decent no frills run around? Thanks

Hi all, My wife and I are looking to start trading cars part time. I am a full time employed Project Engineer and my wife is self employed operating her own established business from home. Cars have always been a passion for us both and our circumstances now mean we may be able to try our hand at buying and selling on a relatively small scale. I did my apprenticeship many years ago as a car mechanic and HGV fitter and my wife runs a successful small business from home so we feel it is worth a shot for both of us as an avenue for potential extra income. Now as far as starting trading goes, I would like to ask what it is specifically that we should ensure we have before we start trading as I want everything to be above board and legal. So far I have the list of the following to cover: Motor Trade Insurance - I have already received what I feel is a competitive quote for fully comprehensive cover, including business use for my wife's other business. Trade Plates - Are these a specific requirement for traders or can individual vehicles be taxed in the interim? Warranty - Do we have to offer warranty on sales vehicles, especially if they are sub £1000 run arounds? Local Authority - We plan on using our home as our base trading 2-3 cars per month in a ideal world and not looking at big value sales. Do we need to register with the LA specifically? Buying and sourcing - We plan to use local car auctions, eBay, gumtree and even Facebook to source vehicles for sale until we establish ourselves. Advertising and sales - Auto trader, eBay, Facebook, and possibly our own website and Facebook page in future. My main concerns at the moment are really over the trade plates and as to whether they are a necessity as we start buying maybe 1 or 2 cars in our first month. I will be looking to source locally to us and try quick flips to get into the swing of things. Also I am concerned about whether we need to offer a warranty on vehicles sub £1000 sale price or whether the terms sold as seen. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Dan Apologies I have just noticed this should be in the FAQ forum. Can this be moved accordingly?