grant8064

If it was pay per lead wouldn't the companies just employ some bots/staff to send you false leads to bump up your payment?

Two today...the fusion auto is gone and just done a Kia Rio auto on strap

Chipped Autotrader off a year ago. Cost is mega and it's difficult to be the cheapest on there when your cars are half sensible with decent history and aren't being traded from home/ a supermarket. I charge more because the cars are better but we all know everyone filters by lowest price first. Spent the 15k a year saved moving to a busy A road forecourt and now most sales come from drive bys and reputation/word of mouth. The only advertising we do is ebay motors which is not especially good but improves our SEO and keeps us in peoples thoughts when searching. Motors, Pistonheads, RAC and the like we are also on but frankly I wouldn't notice if we weren't. Tried local paper advertising but it only attracted a few tyre kickers on the cheapies. I think Autotrader can work if you are incredibly cheap, as in top of page one, but try buying cars to fit that criteria that aren't gonna come back and bite you. ...I forgot to add; No real desire to try Gumtree. Facebook is free, easy and gets your name out there. Worth doing. The way I see it; I sit at my desk bored sometimes so may as well utilise the time and if only one car sells all year because of it it has still paid dividends. We seem to only get sensible comments on our posts too...not too many negative comments or timewasters.

Wheeler Dealers...to blame but also maybe helped broaden the interest in 'modern classics' despite every viewer knowing it's a bit of a joke? Anyway, best of luck with it...i'm very into newer icon classics and i'm very very jealous. The biggest appeal for me is accessibility. Jump in a Lancia Delta or a proper BMW or old Merc and, yes they are different to a new car, but not so different and they are so simple to use. One key, turn it, drive. None of this messing about with chokes or anything. Classic mags used to petrify me...the guys were always doing major surgery on Ford Anglias and rotten MGs. No thanks! I know a guy locally who specialises in 1960s - 1980s Italian stuff and some of the stuff he gets is simply beautiful. Like really really pretty...not sure he can top my 59 plate Matiz S right now though in the looks department If you ever accidentally go down the Dutch route and get a Daf 44 in stock drop me a PM...i'm your man!

Always done so well with them myself. I find them completely uninspiring but in the world of sit up and beg cheap autos I can't think of much better? Amazing! We spent a couple of hours the other day googling weird Asian copycat stuff. Be interested to hear how/what you do with it? All I ever get is 02 Focus' with EML or blowy exhausts. Quirky courtesy car maybe!!!!

Two today both after 4:30pm...one left in a Billy basic 11 plate 27k Polo which in truth is mint. Wanted it there and then so got away with the existing MOT which is always a bonus. Other was a 118D, boring silver but otherwise a very nice car. They sent the, kiss of death, mechanic to inspect it and even he agreed it's a good one for its age so all good! Got an extended test drive booked on a Fusion auto for Saturday too...hopefully it's a nice day so I can see a bit of the countryside because we ran out of stuff to talk about on a 5 min drive last weekend!

Interesting views guys...seems like, in one way or another, we're all pretty much on the same page. Over complicated. Higher rate of warranty issues/faults. Higher repair costs. They just seem to be so fragile these days. We sold an old 206 diesel to a friend for £100 a while ago and its done 160k and just keeps going and going and going. Something tells me the 2009 40k Golf i'm using won't get there so easily...its already needed a DPF and EGR and i'm waiting for the next thing!

There has been loads of media scaremongering lately about diesels and I wondered if any of you have noticed a change in buyers choices because of it? I am definitely finding buyers want petrol again. We have 40 odd cars in stock and a couple of years ago it was a 50/50 split but now we only really stock diesel SUVs and a couple of hatches. Punters pretty much all seem to turn up bemoaning diesels (even if I think they would benefit from one) and I can only assume this is because of the media coverage. Personally I only drive diesel because it suits my driving and journeys. For me that's the thing...it's about buying the right tool for the job. I think a part of the problem with diesels is simple mis-selling of new cars. The number of people I get turning up in 12 plate Jukes or Kugas saying they have had to replace/regenerate the DPF more than once already is bordering on silly. When probed though this always seem to be through mis-use...school runs and stop start trips etc. And the reason they bought a diesel? Cheap tax & high MPG. Despite the fact that the engine is completely unsuited to their lifestyle. and WILL become an expensive problematic lump these are good selling points on a new car. So what is your opinion guys? It seems to be a hot topic on the TV and radio but we haven't discussed it on here and we are supposedly at the sharp edge.

One yesterday and one today. Sensible 08 Focus diesel and a 57 plate Mini. The latter we have had for ages so nice to get rid of...have found Minis have gone a bit off the boil these last six months. 16 for the month which is good considering we've had half term. On the subject of Rangers...we have always done very very well with any under £5000. Almost instant sellers so long as they are tidy enough and have silly chrome bits. Got a mint top spec Navara but because it's a 7 seater it's still on the forecourt...people love a pick up it seems.

Ours are pretty simple... Normally have a bit of a chat first and wander around the forecourt working out what they need vs what they want vs what they can afford. Next step is jump in a few cars...nothing better than getting in a few cabins and seeing what they're like in reality compared to what google says they look like. Test drive the couple of cars we've both whittled it down to. DEAL. A few days later we'll see them again with a fresh MOT to wave and show them the boring bits (how to open the fuel filler, adjust the seat and explain how cruise works if they've forgotten). Wish them well and wave goodbye...not before explaining if there are any issues to drop in or give us a bell because WE WILL be there to help. Couple of weeks later we'll occasionally give them directions/drive them up to our garage for a minor fix on something. And finally...say hello to them in Greggs, Tesco or the post office a few months down the line. Ask how they're getting on with the car and wave when they drive past. _________________________________________ Gonna pass on it thanks dannybondwork but fair play for trying. For me the business model sums up everything that is wrong with the world and I honestly think most of the guys on here feel the same. My rant is simply because this kind of 'lowest price denominator' really winds me up. I know my cars are more expensive than the local supermarket, it's because I am better than them and genuinely care about my customers...not hitting target each month. (If you get someone after a 60 plate S40 in boring grey with billy basic spec and 6k though PM me!)

Done

On ten for the month so far. Had a cracking start with a lumpy finance deal on a Kia Venga 3 Auto which made up for a few with less in them. Not sold anything for a few days now...half term and some horrible weather hasn't helped

They said exactly the same thing to us two years ago...big backlog, six month wait. I think the six months thing is just their line that they stick to tbh

I think ours was about six or seven weeks. Was a new business with no trading history at the time but we ticked all their boxes

Sounds nice! £2700

And the most annoying thing is that I bet your Corolla is a genuinely decent car for the money! I had a 1999 Corolla Auto with 70k last year. Had FULL service history...as in main dealer stamped EIGHTEEN times. Was a really lovely car and where else can you buy a decent auto on a forecourt for £695? Took six weeks to sell because it had a tiny tiny rust bubble on one arch and a couple of insignificant scuffs that every single person picked up on and decided it was too rough!

They can go buy 'em privately where the consumer rights act doesn't apply. We stick to 10 years old max now also. Generally the older and cheaper a box is the more unrealistic the buyer is IMO...can't be bothered with them anymore. Happier spending my time selling nice cars to nice people.

And me! Always do better with older stuff than newer plates money wise. The only gripe with older stock is the after sales issues. Find usually when I sell a 62/63 plate whatever it goes and that's it. When I get rid of a 53/54 plate lump I almost always get a call saying there is an issue at some point no matter how well prepped and road tested

Had two of those...if they're scratched you're buggered. Couldn't get the colour matched by four different Smart paint companies. You can buy them for £800 above book in that colour retail off a forecourt too so I hope it's not one of those! They should be worth more but ours always took a while to shift and we're located pretty close to Essex too!

I'm struggling to think what it could be...don't keep us hanging on a thread! My vague guess is something like a diesel estate on a 10 ish plate with low miles? These kind of boxes usually book at stupidly low money if the badge is undesirable but are actually quite sell-able as a 'budget option'. Still don't think it would be possible to go £1300 over book on one though?!

They don't make them anymore so they're only going to get rarer!!! In all seriousness though...there was a 2.3 Saab Estate in our local auction recently that was a mintbox, booked at about 4k and made just under 6k excluding fees so maybe the books just see them incorrectly?

Took one in part ex about 9 months ago and still have it...tried everything to get rid of it and it is very very very cheap. Everyone I get on for a seven seat turns their nose up at it and tells me that they blow up

Haha, i'd have loved to but she would only have gone and tried to enact it from the Med knowing our luck!

Fancied a 61 plate Fiat 500 Lounge in candy red with black cloth interior at our local auction the other day. Booked at £3850 Made £4900 to a trade buyer...found a retail one on AT for £5295 within 20 miles with the same miles.

Just an quick update guys... Car was collected yesterday and paid for in full by the collection driver. All good!