grant8064

Nice. If you haven't already join the facebook group about these, there are some cracking posts and photos on there.

How do you guys get on with the self serve btw? I have some customers using it but have come across a few 'issues' so far

When the car is, in their words, perfect for them; in budget, the best one within 40 miles, their favourite colour, the right spec, mint, they researched it and turned up on it, I haven't talked them into viewing it....and they need to think about it. What do you need to think about and what do you think will be out there that is better? It's a standard everyday thing but it makes me want to smash heads together.

Hi Umesh, We have the same iVendi and online app. For the first couple of months we got the odd application but usually filled out incorrectly or with info missing. They were also instant declines if they went through. I've been finding the last couple of months customers are using it a bit more now and we're getting a better rate of acceptance from it. Probably about 10% - 15% of deals per month on finance are coming that way for us now. We don't push it as a product any more than it just being on the site does but it seems to be getting some traction for us.

Best of luck with it. I'll have three months of any advertising for free

The difference in relevance between the glossy magazine and the forum is quite funny sometimes

I've done well lately with petrol anything, mostly down to the diesel scaremongering. In fact the more ridiculous (£500 tax 12MPG) it is the better. As for petrol Audis...I have a similar sounding 61 plate A3 1.8T with 75k so we can have a little competition as to whose goes first! Always done well with sub 8k A3s and the petrol engine makes this one book cheaply for a 61 plate IMO...add to that some people swearing they'll never buy diesel again and it's gotta be winner winner chicken dinner....surely?

Nobody said it was going to be easy! My only advice would be stick to something cheap and uncomplicated like Corsas, Clios or C1/107 type things and buy and sell and buy and sell and buy and sell until you learn what works and what doesn't. They're always in demand, the parts are generally quite cheap, there is less to go wrong and less money is risked. Once you learn a few things then maybe think about other stock. Starting up trading and diving straight into ten year old German diesels and prestige stuff sounds pretty damn crazy to me. Diesel 3 series still scare me a bit let alone in the beginning.

Off topic so apologies; I never really look at car sales when on holiday, what are prices like in comparison? I saw a few in Hamburg and the outskirts of Berlin and the stock seemed to mostly be old stuff at what seemed mega money, 92 - 02 BMWs and Mercs mostly.

Yer, they're good little things IMO. I don't want to talk them up too much because none of the other forecourts near me bid for them but I cannot get enough. Young families seem to like them I find, new plate for old plate money, really good spec levels, reliable (so far) and usually in a decent colour. They look pretty good IMO too.

We do well with them...those and Aveos look such value on a forecourt. Need to be lowish mileage I find though (sub 50k).

I had a good one today; Nice couple turn up on a mint Auris I have had in stock for a while. FSH, nice miles, top spec but silver (urgghhhhh)...cars probably one of the nicest bits of stock I have in. Really pleasant people, really realistic about budget, buying a car that fits their needs perfectly (nothing winds me up more than someone buying a car that doesn't fit their brief because they'll end up disliking it and it'll become an object of hate). Test drive is a joy, no speeding, driver lets people out at junctions, doesn't go too far but far enough. Get back and they admit they have seen three already and ours is a standout car. Say they want to haggle but can't see any reason why I should budge on price which I concur with. Gave them a £200 reduction anyway because they were such genuine people. Makes such a difference when a punter turns up with the right attitude and is honest from the get go. (For once i'm actually looking forward to the handover)

I might bump this thread again when I finally work out what to do with the Santa Fe that is beyond well out of bed and i'm choosing to ignore for another few months

£1200...not the worst loss compared to some but it was bad considering it was a chopper I took in for £600. 07 Sportage Diesel...turned up in chop with an EML but seemed worth going with. New turbo, DPF, timing, and some paint and ready for retail at £3995. Then did some injectors, new rear door mech, some sensors, lots of diagnostics costs, plenty of other stuff. Hated the thing in the end but had put so much in that I had to keep going with it. MOT threw up a load of other silly bits that all added up. Worst of all was a seatbelt sensor that proved impossible to find anywhere apart from KIA who charged royally for it. Hateful, hateful, hateful thing.

You're right, we have the Green party in town who are very anti car. I live just outside town luckily. Tbf it works because usually i'll park just outside town and jump on a bus in or get a train in. Parking is nigh on impossible, the roads are an absolute nightmare with bus lands and cyclists everywhere...overall it's an unpleasant and very expensive experience using a car in Brighton.

We pay £50 for a full valet at the usual Eastern Euro car wash...really good guys that pick up and drop off, very accommodating and really are the best around. That's priced at a place in Brighton so second only to London in terms of running costs. I've been ashamed to give them some of the disgusting stuff we buy and they all come out the same...mint. A day and a half i'd only really reserve for classics and exotica...not BM's, Mercs or Fords

I don't think i'd go quite as far as some of you guys but i'd agree that on the whole most of them are pleasant enough. We get quite a few recommendations from customers which is always nice and a fair few repeats. Had more than a few that start off all sweetness and light but turn into monsters as soon as they get the most minor of issues so I try to keep it business like these days. I've already got friends, you're here to buy a used car, i'll offer very good personal service and you'll leave satisfied hopefully but we're not gonna start exchanging numbers and going for a pint.

No problem being nosey OCS! We're always full at the current site averaging 45 vehicles in stock. The new site will hold 60 and is 3 minutes down the road which is a big factor in deciding to take it on. It's been our only real competitor for normal family bread and butter stock within 15 miles but they're at retirement age so we figured taking it on would stop someone else coming in and making our lives more difficult. Also given that we're in the South East, sooner or later, one of the two sites will be developed into flats most likely so it gives us a bit of land security for now

Having an average month so far with seven gone. We're expanding to a second site come the start of August and were a bit panicky over stock levels after June but managed to get 15 bought and prepped last week which was a relief.

I take a photocopy of every drivers license and write the time, date and reg on and stick it in the file. I'm always amazed how many people come out car hunting without their license.

I got one recently from the block with 62k stated, turned out it had done 32k...doesn't happen too often

Well mine never showed but I hope yours did. Sold nothing so far and seen nobody for two days...just as well really because I'm super low on stock

If it's a nice lump buy it off Mr Customer 1 and then retail it to Mr Customer 2. If it's not nice enough to buy yourself for the right money and retail like any other bit of stock then, as everyone else has suggested, run for the hills. Why bother is my question?

It's of no help to you Mat C, so apologies in advance, but I have a mate who buys old ones and throws a bed and a window at them (not an original idea I know). Recently got 6k for a 1999 lump of scrap with 210k on the clock...the worlds crazy. He told me it's mostly 50+ guys that hate their wives and go fishing to avoid them that end up bidding highest

I don't even like driving much... Maybe I need to re-think this career path