Mat C

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Posts posted by Mat C

  1. Posted

    Had one this Saturday.

    Dad brings Daughter 2 1/2 hrs from Norwich to look at a 3 yr old lovely blue Convertible we have.

    After talking her out of it, because he didn't like the roof, thought it might get slashed etc etc. The one reason that they went away empty handed..... her words exactly.... no lie

    " I'll have to spend more time on my makeup when driving the car around with the roof down, not sure i'm prepared to make that much effort "

    I give in! How come when its dead, the freaks come out?

    • Like 1

  3. Posted

    Good thread, I've seen our overheads increase and now we are with a new accountant we are now able to run monthly management accounts, gives us a real time view of exactly where we are, what we owe and who owes us what etc.. Scary really, as sometimes we sail very close to the wind with whats left in the bank. Moving forward we are definitely looking to cut costs. Its frightening to see how much we spend on fuel, valeting equipment, stationary........ I've just done a fortune on crap, air fresheners and key rings!! must give the debit cards to the other half to curb my spending!

     

    Off subject but AT is more than our rent to advertise 11 cars... madness really, but I cant see us selling half of what we do without it, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea I guess. We are having a shocking month though, usually by now we've covered the cost and are into the black, not sold a car for a week and the enquiries are garbage for some reason. Actually feel negged out. Gonna pack up and go home now, might even take the day off tomorrow and watch Forest thrash Derby!

  4. Posted

    4 hours ago, Uncle Ron said:

    Cheers Mat, much appreciated!

    Yeah bonnet wasn't great at all - first time that particular bodyshop had done anything that wasn't spot on but I was piling miles on - knew it'd need doing again so was waiting for the right time which never came.

    It is a nice spec despite the lack of nav - sold already by the looks of it.

    If you happen to come across a JCW challenge (the F56 1 of 50 job), let me know as I quite fancy one!

    I have a Challenge 210 if thats what you're after? Number 70 of 210

    http://www.superminiuk.com/cars/mini/hatch/challenge210edition/151871/0

  8. Posted

    1 hour ago, s and b said:

    whys that then?

    put it this way

    you have a product people want

    your customer and the dealers of these fine automobiles havent

    so why not just say no

     

    I’ll take anything in a deal. Just after a price from someone. 

    20 minutes ago, Arfur Dealy said:

    Mat, why plough thousands into one of the most undesirable cars on the market. Do a WBAC value and then knock off a couple of k because of all the trouble it’ll cause you....

    I would rather have the clap than own it myself, but just checking if any of you lovely folk fancied a bash. 

  9. Posted

    8 minutes ago, BHM said:

    Your potential customer wants about full retail. I think he's well out with his valuation and then do you really want it?

    Yep, I kinda sussed that bit out. I don't want to stick my neck on it hence trying to get an underwrite before we do the deal. He's dreaming with £12k but I need to put something to him and Ssangyong are either 'with a customer' or just avoiding me. Must be someone out there 'desperate' to own this though  .........

  10. Posted

    Hi all.

    Got a lovely chap interested in one of our Clubmen. He has a Ssangyong tivoli in px. Any ideas or an underwrite would be much appreciated as this is not our forte.

    2015/65 Plate

    21000 miles

    Ssangyong tivoli ELX TD Auto

    White / Black leather

    Lovely car, few small chips to bonnet and front bumper, but easily touched in. had first service at 9.5k in August 2016 and then 2nd service 20.5k Sept 17. Had new brakes too.

    Customer wants £12k, but what the customer wants is usually not what the customer gets..... I've called 6 Ssangyong dealers and had no replies or real help.

    Cheers in advance.

  11. Posted

    1 hour ago, Arfur Dealy said:

    You'll need numerous insurances, your Traders Policy will need multiple addresses, CCTV security, Public liability, trade plates, planning for usage agreed by the council..... Its not as straightforward as you might think.....

    I second this. I started from home and now have a small ( 15 Car ) unit with 2 offices and a small kitchen. My overheads are relatively low compared to flashy showrooms but its still a huge cost. Rates ( if applicable ) waste collection, water, electricity, insurance, alarm, cctv, Planning etc..... All ads up. But working from a unit sure beats working from home and having people sat in your dining room. If it works for you, go for it. Logistics are key. You'll always get a call on the one you've not cleaned thats at home and you'll be p1ssing around moving stuff re cleaning etc.. all part of the fun. The unit definitely gives us a more professional appearance than when doing from home ( also stopped the nosey neighbours peering over the fence ) 

    Good luck though whichever way you decide

  14. Posted

    6 hours ago, SC Derby said:

    We found a nationwide delivery company that operates out of our city (Derby).

    They are 95% driven delivered and the vast majority of their drivers also live here too therefore most days they want to drive cars back to here, which means we get our cars quickly and at a fair price.

    So my advice is find a company similar local to yourself and strike up a deal.

    Who's this mate, as i'm in Notts and am using Movex mainly

     

  16. Posted

    We offer a reservation fee service. £100 reserves the car for you until an agreed time/day. I confirm this to them in an email so that there's no confusion. In the 2 years i've been independent, I've refunded 3 reservation fee's as people have changed their mind/or some other BS excuse. No skin off my nose, and keeps people happy. We have had on several occasions, people not want to leave a reservation fee ( no problem, but don't shout at me if its gone ) and then just turn up and be disappointed that its sold, I did warn you, this is my job you know, to sell stuff!

    I had one the other month, Customer 1 is constantly on the phone, email, text saying he wants a lovley Silver Coupe we have, and i'll have a reservation fee later in the day. Sends me £1 to make sure his bank will send the transfer over.... then I get an existing customer ( Customer 2 ) come in with his partner on handover and he decides to buy said Lovely coupe... SOLD. The customer 1 then emails saying i'm going to send the reservation fee..... oops, sorry mate, its gone. He went mental, proper winging and moaning to me about customer service etc... I sent him back his £1 and apologised, but until we have £100 in the bank, its still for sale. ANYWAY.... I then smash the rear bumper on the car as I was rushing about so i send him a picture of it to say, hey guess what, I pranged this car so guess you can have a laugh at me.. He saw the funny side and apologised for being a duche bag. I said i'd look for another one for him. Fast forward 3 weeks, Mr 2nd customer calls me and says, i've seen another Lovely Coupe Cooper S on your website that I love, will you have this one back in PX... Yes sir I will, I call customer 1 and deal him on the customer 2's px ( the original Lovely coupe )  for the same price as before even though it was an extra owner and make a tidy sum on both deals too. Happy days. THEN 3 weeks ago, customer 2 comes in on spec and buys my oldest car in stock and px's his beauty of a Cooper S Coupe that I sold within 24 hrs..... Love Mr Customer 2!! - in fact I might give him a bell......

     

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    14 minutes ago, Arfur Dealy said:

    Manners maketh the man. By responding you are encouraging them. You are lowering yourself to their level. These people are scummy low life's, they are showing you such little respect and you don't even realise it...... I find them deeply offensive and you are encouraging these morons. You are making the job harder for all of us decent hard working Motor Dealers.

    I wasn't trying to get into an argument about it, I was simply stating my difference of opinion in the way I like to treat my ( potential ) customers.They way some of you speak about your customers is disgusting, no matter how hard you think you work or how decent you think you are, treating your enquiries as low life scum is unacceptable ( in my humble opinion )

    You are making my job easier, by pissing off potentials makes me look like a hero when I actually reply.... oh and I work my arse off too thank you very much. 

     

  18. Posted

    15 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

    Mat :) you are exactly right "courtesy costs nothing" when an anonymous inquiry comes through by text or email which is discourteous DELETE. Would you sell a car to someone who walked onto your forecourt and spat in your face ? I don't think so, with that in mind.....that is exactly what these people are doing to you by email / text. They're Scumbags.

    You are saying that someone Texting a cheeky offer, just because they haven't said 'Dear Sir' - Or 'Please can you consider this'  = Being spat in my face????

    I'll agree to disagree and continue doing what I feel is right by replying to every enquiry I get courteously and quickly. Seeing as i've paid ££££ to get the enquiry in the first place

    And we wonder why our industry has a bad rep......:huh: 

     

  19. Posted

    We all pay through the nose for advertising, All I read is people moaning about how much it costs, and then you get an enquiry from your expensive advertising who is a chancer who low balls you and you send him abusive messages or just completely ignore him? It just baffles me. Courtesy costs nothing and a reply takes seconds. I guess i'm different. I reply to every enquiry, low ball or not, with a quick, courteous response. Sometimes.....believe it or not....... they come and buy a car.....

    • Like 2

  22. Posted

    12 minutes ago, M.J said:

    I use drive away insurance from time to time mainly when a customer was not planning on doing the deal that day but then decide they do want to take the car away then and there, it gets them out the door quicker, instead of them spending an hour on the phone to insurance companies, i can setup drive away cover for them in 5 mins and they can sort out their permanent insurance when they get home.

    Its got nothing to do with you or your own trade policy, you are simply setting up a temporary insurance policy for them, costs around £15-£20.

    I don't use it much but it's come in quite handy at times.

     

    Who do you use? This is exactly the situation I get sometimes. All my cars are ready to go, just gets people away without them sitting here for hours sorting it.

     

  23. Posted

    4 minutes ago, BHM said:

    No chance whatsoever. The sort of man who can't afford to insure his car immediately isn't the sort of man I'd trust to take his details from. I can just imaging one of these punters pranging their car on the way home (or two months later saying you'd insured it for them), their details being incorrect, the insurer bouncing the claim & it ending up back in your lap.

    I know you can cover yourself legally with the paperwork but why bother? Tell them to arrange day insurance if they need it. I assure you that you have NOT lost a sale cos you don't do it, a serious customer will be happy to sort their own insurance.

    I was asked by customers that have already purchased, more for convenience as collecting on Sundays and their insurance company wasn't open etc..

  24. Posted

    I'm sure i've asked this befoer, but I have been asked about 6 times this week by customers do we have drive home insurance. 

    Do any of you guys have it? How much is it? Do you charge your customers for it?

    Any providers would be ace, thanks in advance.

    Mat

  25. Posted

    On 7/18/2017 at 7:11 PM, MattGM said:

    I'm trading from an industrial unit on an estate, doing reasonably well within the first 12 months, but there are things to be aware of.

    Most units suitable are classed under the 'B' bracket, which is general industrial office, and distribution. To retail from your unit you will need A1, and getting that depends what the local council are like as it'll require planning permission, and indeed a landlord willing to seek it. I fell lucky with mine, as the previous leaseholder ran a fixings company, and the unit came with A1 when I took it over.

    I have heard of industrial units gaining A1, there's recently been a 'Screw Fix' open up on an estate neighbouring mine, so they must have got it also, but I've also heard stories of it being a royal P.I.A.

    Hi Matt, 

    Correct me if i'm wrong but i'm sure you need Sui Generis Planning to run a car sales operation. We don't fall under A1 Retail i'm pretty sure. Luckily my unit had this application already granted. None of the council run business parks in my city accept car sales from a one of their units either. 

    http://www.gilmartinley.co.uk/resources/planning-uses

    I got lucky and bagged the second one I looked at. I also had my first unit pulled from me at the last minute by the landlord as he'd changed his mind about me selling cars from his lovely refurbed place. Funnily enough, 18 months later its still empty!  every cloud.....

    We are looking at buying our next place, setting up a ramp and hopefully setting up a service outlet at the same time. but slowly slowly......