grant8064

Why? 'because it just seems too good to be true and you know what they say you should do when you think that' I despair.

Just for balance (shout at me if you will), one of my friends is a local councillor and they're not all supporting squandering money on roundabouts and cycle lanes. He doesn't claim any expenses and only joined because he runs a local business (it's removals, nothing offshore or flashy) and was sick to the back teeth seeing rates going up, waste charges going up but nothing improving. Eight years in and there have been some genuine positive changes where he is based; free town centre parking reintroduced, beach huts built and sold to bring in revenue in a good way, reopening of the local public toilets and closing down of a dodgy nightclub that was beginning to cause drug issues etc. It's small stuff but it really has made a difference to his little town. Like cars dealers, you get good ones doing the job right and you get bad ones spoiling it for everyone else.

Our one just had DEFRA down checking his water runoff and chemical handling today so it's defiantly happening and not just words/a hollow threat.

I hope not...never could get to the bottom of what was up with ours.

I'm the same to be honest, maybe it's a generational thing but I much prefer shopping online. Can do it when I want and the items are a click away rather than trawling through shops. We went to town on the weekend for the first time this year and aside from the £15 parking no where had anything we needed, either out of stock or a range that isn't stocked in a particular branch. All in all it was a hateful and overly expensive experience. It was interesting to notice how dead everywhere was compared to a couple of years ago. I'm not surprised to see so many brands closing outlets lately and don't see it slowing down anytime soon. The big thing we were discussing is what are all those (relatively) unskilled shelf stackers and cashiers going to do when it ends? From what I see there seems to be a massive disparity between those with skills that can earn a good living and those without much of an option to do much other than menial low paid tasks.

I'll be interested in this one. We had similar with an Altea recently and sent it to the block in the end. Good luck!

It's all a learning curve Stephen. Don't get down, just get better because the money's in the buying. We recently looked at photos of the stuff we had in stock when we first began under four years ago and bar a Panda and a couple of generic bits we haven't had any of them in stock again since. We must have been an auctioneers dream rolling up looking to buy 25 cars in a month and hoovering up all the rubbish that had been going through each week unsold...we were as green as the grass!

Three today. Would have been five but they forgot to read the 'no credit cards' bit on the website. Maybe it's just the time of year but potless punters seem to be on the rise our way

Crap here also although last year it was rubbish so half expected it. Done as much this week as I did in the first three weeks of the month so it seems to be picking up again.

That's a result BHM! If the effort makes you feel tired i've had a bloody Corsa in three garages so far and finally got to the root of the issue after five months...a broken wire deep down in the darkest depths. How a bloody Corsa could be so complicated i'll never know!

I've had French living ex pats bidding/buying stuff off us in the past and they've been pretty sensible (albeit we are next to a ferry terminal) so all hope's not lost. As for eBay i've just had a finance enquiry on a 15 year old £1995 lump

I wish ours were three days. Example recently is a 57 plate Fiesta. Waits two days for delivery then a further three days before it can go into the paint shop, back a couple of days later so that's week one gone. Alternator needs doing so that's two days waiting for a part and fitting at the garage. Off for a valet and interior steam clean and back the following day, so that's week two gone before it's even got a price board in. All in it was over a fortnight to get the thing ready for sale and it's not uncommon for us. Obviously the tidy stuff is just a PDi, order a few bits to replace the items the auction have nicked and a valet and it's good to go. It's painful.

...must be a 500 thing because about a third of the ones we get in have arced screen scratches. Nationals are so bloody cheap they undercut all the local indies round our way. Plus they turn up on time, don't drop the new screen on the floor just before fitting, don't try and smoke on site and are really pleasant chaps all round. I love National Windscreens.

Gimmie a late plate Matiz, £30 tax, leccy front windows and air and i'm a happy man.

Had to do two of these in March, bloody Corsas. Not much help, we just used eBay for both of ours. One on there and had to wait a couple of weeks for the other to get listed

We had one of these mini lithium things and it was OK for six months but it over heated and blew up...had to throw it halfway across the forecourt before I lost a hand!

Like most of you i'm the same. No advice or sales to friends, family or their mates. My partner is the opposite and loves throwing people he knows in something overage...he's got four of ours sitting in the cul de sac he lives in and every morning he sweats a little!

Snap. Had a Mini, Mazda 3, ix20 recently that were all minters on the forecourt but on a run to the petrol station a couple of miles away they'd be like a wet fish in 3rd or 4th. Luckily they were all customer swappers/sales so you get the opportunity to go for a run in them first.

...don't we already have this on here in the private section?

Nice car and well presented IMO. From your website I don't see 'Estate' 'Cambelt and waterpump replaced' or 'FSH' mentioned enough (or at all, only had a quick look). Massive selling points that need screaming about. 1.6 in a Passat is a struggle but talk up the Bluemotion, cheap tax, silly MPG etc and it would appeal to me as a buyer more. Like NOACROSS we're down south and nobody wants to even look at a diesel VW, let alone climb in one. Been like that for a while for us. Hope your areas better. ...oh and rotate some of your pics!

Deadly quiet here. Nice to be cleaning up at the block for a change though. Our only enquiry today has been for a 'diesel, auto, towing vehicle, not too big, cheap tax and must be economical' Budget... £800

Nice thing that (aside from the chain issues)

We've been offered it many a time. Doing this job (any job) five star all the way is never going to be achievable. Anyone with a four star rating is usually pretty good in my book.

Cheers guys, simply no time to deliver it but I've got a small pallet now so it can go nice and safely!

Hi guys, Got a gearbox that needs to go 40 miles to a firm for new seals but no time to deliver it ourselves. I'm going to wrap it and courier it. Who would you recommend? Never sent a parcel this big so are DHL and the like the best guys? Cheers