XFS

I have to say that BCA have been reasonable with me, the North branches more so than the South it has to be said. It’s very difficult to get a car re-graded …pretty much a waste of time in fact, however I find grading is swings and roundabouts. For ever misgrade against me there is usually one to my advantage to balance it out. They have been fine taking back or compensating for misdescribed cars though…which happened a few times and also the recently took back a car with a knocking engine even though there was no assured report. I made the case that a major fault must be disclosed and they accepted it. No major complaints to be honest. Staff are pretty polite if you are and are often helpful if you engage them properly….again more so northern branches than southern branches.

Good shout. the fixed lens ones which are a step down from DSLR’s I would go as far as to say a DSLR is pointless unless you are a good photographer and understand shooting in raw format, how to process the images and can throw a decent amount of money at lenses. The average camera user will take a far better picture with a £300 Fuji DSR than they will with a £3000 Canon DSLR

Almost any camera in the £300 to £500 price range will take quality images as will most high end smart phones. In fact I would go as far as to say a top end smart phone which is packed full of features designed to allow anyone to take decent photos is better than a budget camera. As far as cameras go, the quality of images is rarely down to the choice of camera body, it’s 1. The quality of the lens and even more importantly 2. The ability of the person using the camera will determine the quality of image. As a rule of thumb the better and more expensive the camera, the more skill required to use them to their best.

Don’t worry about it. What you will have received is probably not a speeding ticket but a 172 notice requiring you to identify the driver of the car so a speeding ticket can be issued. Clearly, you cannot identify the driver of your car as it wasn’t being driven by anyone when the speeding offence was committed. Presumably you are not the registered keeper of the car as it will be in trade. It may take a couple of letters to sort it out but it won’t be hard to prove that you cannot identify the driver.

Au contraire I see it as an upgrade…. Cars don’t move, blink, talk incessantly, eat to many pies, trash your bathroom, leave make up/fake tan/unspecified stains on your carpet and sets or have social media accounts.

I like a Modern Classic...but they can be a mixed bag. Alfa’s seem to sell quickly with minimum hassle, BMW to....even if they are models which stretch the term Modern Classics to its very loosest extent. However, I had a couple of apparently Bona Fide and very desirable “modern classics” up last year... A Merc priced at 14k which I didn’t get so much as an enquiry on in 3 months. A VW priced at 5k which attracted more time wasters and idiots that any car I have had, but still I couldn’t sell it. Sent both to auction. The Merc made 16.5k The VW made 5.5k

I'm sure this has been asked before... How do the auction companies get round the distance selling rules. is it purely because they are not selling to private individuals?

Funnily enough so did I ...except mine was a more modest 55” ...because it’s quite a small room.....and I wouldn’t want to be seen as extravagant ....;)

I am not going to entertain distance selling on the basis that I am simply not willing to give customers the opportunity to use MY car for 14 days FOC However I did sell a car before lockdown to a customer remotely. The customer paid a holding fee (not a deposit) has signed a disclaimer waving their rights under the distance selling legislation. The agreement is that they inspect the car on delivery and either accept or reject it then. If they reject then they lose their holding fee. My question is...could I still subject by the terms of distance selling legislation?

Wash with Bio-Brisk Expensive but effective. Remember to do the roof lining, it’s one of the major areas holding the smell. Then put a Meguires bomb through the air con system

If you can't understand TV, then you better hope I don't do a podcast. TV sounds like he is talking the Queens English compared to my Scottish accent. Back in the day Police cars wanted for nothing, most forces had a highly skilled maintenance force and their own garages. Getting a slot in a Police garage was a prime job for many mechanics. In many forces the cars got washed every day to.

Me to. CAP valuations are often as useful as a chocolate fireguard. I paid 2.5k over Cap clean the other day and I don’t think the car was dear.....

Up to 20m forward or backwards is the criteria apparently.

I have been reasonably lucky and have tended not to bother with most minor issues as it tends to balance out...particularly with grading. I work on the basis Grade 1 has to be 100% accurate in description. Grade 2 Max spend on prep £600, Grade 3, £1000, Grade 4 you are playing a lottery, some you win, some you lose. I have only ever bought one Grade 5 car, it ended up only needing £800 spent on it and made me my biggest ever profit. My worst ever was a grade 3 Volvo. It was a shed in every way and has ended up breaking my heart. Luckily it was sold to a very patient and reasonable customer. If I ever see it again, I am going to scrap it. I have just made my first BMW assured claim.. On a 2014, 24k mile BMW Z4 2.8 M Sport Auto. Grade 1 car, clean report. It makes a whistling noise in reverse gear ...like a turbo whistle. Has anyone heard of this? Spoke to a BMW specialist and they say the have seen it on other models but not a Z and it doesn’t cause any issues, but they have no idea what causes it. Anyway, made a claim via email, BCA were on it right away and are sending an engineer out on Monday.

Yeah, me to...and constant emails. I think all it would due is generate pointless leads.

I remember doing the same as a kid. I recall a lot of the big dealers stayed open late, so the punters could drive their new cars away at midnight in the 31st.

Very good interview. Enjoyed watching that.

Thanks for all your efforts James.

I think this is a good post on the subject and in in line with my views. Personally, I am choosing not to trade on any level during the lockdown, this is my choice based on the safety of myself and my partner as much as anything else. But I am not going to criticise those who continue to trade legally within the guidelines. Equally, that is their choice.

I'm not that smart, I am just average general public and if I want a new TV then I know enough to compare similar TV's. Or if I want to buy a house I can compare mortgage deals and know pretty well if somebody is trying it on. I don't understand why its so hard.

If you are buying a used car, particularly from a large franchise or Supermarket, The advice I would give is that if your first thought is how much money can I get off or how low can I get my monthly payment, then you are simply cannon fodder and you may walk away thinking you have a great deal when the reality is you are just their standard punter whom they can swallow up and spit out without breaking sweat. You are probably walking out thinking I got the monthly I wanted, but in reality you have been strapped up for 5 years on a high interest agreement and have a string of expensive add ons you don’t need. Look at the car. What is the condition, history, spec...how does it compare to others on that basis. Make sure you are comparing like for like. If it’s in good nick, well serviced, good tyres and has a few options it may be good value already. Work out yourself what is a good finance deal before you go to the dealer, learn how APR works. That way you will know if they are strapping you up. Don’t agree to add ons you don’t need. You do not need ceramic coating at £800 or interior protection for £600 or whatever other add on junk they deem essential. DO NOT buy on price or monthly alone without knowing exactly what you are buying.

It says autotrader have a record amount of cars advertised ...mainly due to free advertising in April. Do you think they should be advertising at all? Should any car dealerships remain open...even for the mainly faux (in my opinion) no contact sales. Surely at this time car sales are non essential? The car trade is a prime example ( not the worst...and one of many) of a general lack of social responsibility. Surely a short, sharp complete lockdown and suspension of absolutely everything non-essential is at least worth trying and preferable to the much more likely scenario of this dragging on and the country being in partial half arsed lockdown for the rest of the year.

I’m not officially open yet, but I,ve continued the prep programme. We are scheduled to open for business 1st April, not sure if that will happen. I,ve been giving the garage next door as much as I can, kept the alloy man going, been giving the painter virtually full time work for the last few weeks and have the valeter here today working alone, probably the only guy working on the whole estate...lol I’ve being paying my bills as soon as they are ready. I have simply stuck to my business plan and can survive for the next 3 months with no income. I guess I am very lucky.

I,m not sure what effect it will have in the motor trade. I am in the fortunate position where I have no borrowings and can live without a wage, so I can ride it out... However, in my partners business which I am involved in, we are down 30K already... just like that. (that is a real tangible 30K, not a projected loss)if it goes on we lose another 30K in Sept/Oct. That would pretty much fuck up a business my partner has put her heart and sole into. What fucks me off so much is that all the people giving out the advice and managing the situation will get paid whatever...it won't effect them other than the inconvenience of maybe not being able to wipe their arse with their favourite brand of toilet paper. Out here in the real world.....

Oops, yes, meant to quote OP. Sorry.