Gavin@Rousdon

I agree that dealers want to protect their brand and they have every right to do so but the attitude seems that they want to crush anyone who threatens to take business from them. The reason the people prefer independent specialists to main dealer runs a lot deeper then a few illegal logo's. Once the EU insist on the release of techinical to independent garages (if it ever happens) main dealers may realise that customers want good honest service delivered in a fair way at a fair cost.

Some good points made but it's clearly a politicaly motivated blog. Claiming families are better off due to low mortgage rate doesn't tell the true story as house prices are higher. Add in the thinly veiled dig at the BBC and it becomes something that could have been written at Tory HQ.

VW Spec Check -09040200001 BMW - Mini Spec Check - 09062090001 I've used both and they seem helpfull but a little litted that they can only tell you dealer visits and not what was carried out and also only what opitions were added to the car and not what was standard i.e Business or Professional Nav. I feel I must name and shame here because in 5 years of using the BMW Spec line and chasing service histories I've met very few dealers who have a problem giving info and stamping the service book. This week I phone Halliwell Jone BMW in Chester to chase a missing stamp. They said they could tell me what was carried out but not dates and mileages (Company policy!!), I then asked if I could send the service book to be stamped and return in a S.A.E and the reply was 'We charge £50+VAT to do that, it's company policy'. £50+ VAT for 2 minutes work if that!!!

For me I only hear about the SMMT when i comes to new car figures and dealings at the top end of big manufactors. I maybe be wrong but I can't see what they do on my behalf so therefore my question would be 'Has the SMMT an interest in smaller independent dealers?' and if so 'how are they planning to promote this interest?'

The car is only sold when money changes hands. Mr & Mrs A have had 3 chances to leave a deposit. Money talks and it sounds like Mr & Mrs A could find every excuse not to part with their deposit. The reason the have erupted is because they thought they were in control only to find out you were.

For me it varries from deal to deal. I have a base target I like to reach but if a deal is on the table I will take it. Saying that the profit margin were a lot better in 2013 then they were in 2012.

Whats everyones prefered method of sourcing stock? For me about 70% is from BCA, I like ex-fleet German cars and BCA normally have a good supply, I may have to wait 2-3 weeks for the spec I like but I know BCA can offer a steady supply. With VWFS, BMW open and Fleet sales I can always find something to stock. I don't like the excessive charges which add about £300 onto the sale price but there is no way around it. I like the concept of Sytner and Dealer-Auction but do find some of the discriptions or lack of them put me off buying. Lots of dealers seem to avoid talking about how the car drives and most seem to want to cover their backs with disclaimers about it being a 'Trade Auction', all well and good but a 10 minute test drive wouldn't harm anyone. Saying that some dealers give a fantastic discription and I feel 100% confident bidding on their cars. As for ATM, well that became a joke many years ago with retail prices for stock, lazy 'please spec check' discriptions and every rising subscription fees.

The main reason I refuse to underwrite is because salesmen can't describe a car properly and very few ever drive them which is crazy to me. We all know a panel costs £150 to paint but a clutch and dual mass flywheel could cost £700-£800 or a knocking engine even more. In my eyes the mechanics of the car is far more important then anything else. Main dealers can sometimes be the worse but I guess it's not their own money they are spending. I picked a BMW in purchased on Dealer-Auction up from a exclusive 'Italian' car dealership a few weeks ago and they had lied about the service history. If fact lots of main dealer employees look down at the independent dealer/trader, I think sitting in those posh showrooms all day goes to their head.

I read something about this about 6 months ago. It implied that GMG have massive debts and the Autotrader arm was propping the rest of the group up. Seems there was truth in the story. (It was in the Telegraph I think)

Another issue it that the books/guides can be almost out of date once they are issued to the trade. I imagine December's guide would have been completed by mid December so therefore come the end of January its data is 6 weeks old at least and takes no account trading conditions at the current time, the start of January was busy but now it's gone a little quiet, I'm sure February's guide will reflect the busy time not the quite time. I guess that is why they are trying to sell us 'live' products such as Deltapoint but these product can only reflect the asking price on sites such as AT and ebay I guess and not the true selling price (unless you use AT invoicing system).

Ian, is 'Big Mike' who wites in Car Dealer magazine your boss by any chance??? Site selling cars under £4k, in the MIdlands and a Hyundai Sonata in stock (a Big Mike Car if there ever was one!!) It all adds up !!!

'Burton's on acid' ...best quote i've read so far this year!!!!

When they start realing off the list of faults on my car I just reply...'Clearly not the car for you then is it?'. It soon puts me back in control of the deal. As for mechanic they bring along most are 'pub mechanics', always ask which garage they work at and you find most aren't mechanics at all.

I wonder why the local Nissan dealer is advertising 13 plate and 63 plate cars with delivery miles on with massive savings over list price. Maybe 1 or 2 OAP's could have purchased Micra's and given up driving after doing 10 miles in them but 10+ cars??? We all know what goes on but the SMMT have an interest in making a 'buzz' around new car sales. It was the same 10 years ago and will be the same in 10 years time.

Still selling down here, got some big gaps in the forecourt now !!! As for buying, a Grade 2 (should have been a 3) BMW at CAP Average out of Blackbushe on Friday and then I've watched in amazment as a couple of A4 Convertible's made £500 & £1200 over book on dealer auction and then an X-Trail did the same. Lets see what next week brings in the crazy world of car buying !!!

I agree, once you start 'chasing' stock and paying well over book you can end up with expensive overage stock 90 days down the line but empty spaces don't sell cars. Find a decent cars at a decent prices, stock them and wait for the prices of 'prime' stock to fall as it always does. Play the waiting game and 2 months down the line your prime stock can be £1000 cheaper (with room to move downwards) then that of the dealers who paid the big money.

For me (a small independent) enquires and sales are up compared to last year. As for stock, I'm stuggling to find my standard stock so I'm trying to be alittle more open minded about what I buy. Prices on Dealer-Auction and Sytner seem to be increasing without entring 'the crazy zone' but also a lot of cars don't seem to be meeting their reserves, weather this is because the dealer has set them too high or if the car do stand them in a to much only they can answer. Only purchased one ex-fleet car from BCA so far and paid a shade under CAP Clean for a Grade 2 Audi A3 TDi. Got about 10 cars lined up for tomorrow from BCA and Dealer-Auction so I guess I will find out how prices are holding up but I'm not expecting any bargins!!!

I've use a great 'Dent Man' but I don't really class that as a smart repair. as for bumper corners etc etc I refuse to use anything but a bodyshop. I've yet to see a smart repairer do a job that I class as to an acceptable standard. They many look glossy for about 2 minutes but as soon as you look again you can see the blend and the different shade of colour. Why would bodyshops invest in in ovens and expensive paint booths if the same result can be achived by a man in a Transit Connect with a tent and a compressor? Walk around most BCA Centre's and you will see 'Smart' repairs at there worse, so call 'refurbed' alloys which you can peel the paint off, bumpers where you can see the masking lines and even body panels where you can see the dark shadow where the paint has been blended. Almost acceptable for the cheaper stuff but this is on BMW's in so called 'Top Car Sales'. I wish there would just sell them with the damage as it is rather then me having to repaint. I feel half the problem is that the repairers start repairing panels rather then just sticking to bumper corners. You may of guess by now.....I not a fan !!!

Had a bottle of Whiskey that someone gave me sat in the corner of my office for the last 6 months, it's not a drink I enjoy so it sat there until I finally gave it away to my childrens nursery to put in a Christmas hamper. A week later I get given another bottle of Whiskey!!! It's now hidden in my recovery vehicle so people don't think I'm a hardcore drinker ! Not got a sheepskin coat but have got the 2013 equivalent which is the black 'North face' jacket. I believe the quilted sytle jacket will be the 2014 car dealers look, so if anyone wants to get ahead of the game go get one now !!!

If true its has to be an inside job. Details of an invoice can't change once sent unless it was originaly sent to the scammer address. A simple check of the selling dealerships emails would prove this. If the email has changed its an inside job. A few simple checks and the police would be interested because a crime has been committed.

My person preference is an unaccompanied test drive ( unless I get the feeling that I don't trust them ), firstly it gives them a more relaxed test drive, they can stall the car, put on the wiper instead of the indicators and not feel a fool, show them the basics and send them on their way, it doesn't feel like their having a driving test and in my opinion it creates a less 'hard sell' environment. Secondly, if they have a part exchange it can give you a 'Golden' 5 minutes with it, you can find out so much more if your left alone with their car. Get the part exchange wrong and you can wipe out all your profit on the deal. First thing I do it look on the passenger seat, in the glove box and door pockets, them number of times i've found the AA or RAC report in the car from a few days pervious telling me the starter motor played up, the car went into 'limp mode' or the battery went flat (lift the bonnet and you see the battery hasn't yet been replaced) or I find the printed A4 sheets of paper with the 2 or 3 cars they plan to view, either way your learning all the time. It's nosey I agree but they will be doing the same to the car i'm selling at some point. A quick drive of the part exchange then into the office, get the Glass's and CAP value (leaving the lowest value on your computer screen!!), check Autotrader so you know what their car is worth, some time you even find their car advertised. You may not get this time with their car once they are back. My money will be buying that part exchange (something some salespeople forget) if I get it wrong it comes out of my pocket. If they have querries and questions about the car they are driving you can do another test drive and go with them. Whats more productive, 5 minutes sitting making small talk or 5 minutes crawling over their car?

How many people do the rounds now? With the internet most have norrowed down the search to 1 or 2 cars maybe, buy refusing them a test drive you could lose the chance to deal them. You may find out the the other car they want to look at is 50 miles away or a different colour which their not to keen on. On the other hand they my just be time wasters but are we really so busy that we can't spend 20-30 minutes to find out? As for the chap at 4pm on the Saturday afternoon, if you really don't want him to have a test drive, make an excuse (just had an screen put in and can't be driven for 2 hours!!) and take his details so you can arrange a drive a few days later. Phone him the next day and if he comes back it proves he must have some interest in the vehicle. Are we all really that flat out that we can't lose time (as frustating as it is) to time wasters once in a while. Who knows, you may even convert one into a sale!!!

Just done 2 today, if I can get another tomorrow I will be a very happy man!! 1 of the sales today I had arranged the viewing but the other just turned up, so it's worth sitting waiting as you never know what could happen.

Every salesperson should want the car to fit the customer, if the customer has paid a large sum of money for a car he hasn't driven what happens when he gets 2 miles up the road and decides he hates the car, some will live with it but others will be back which then becomes a headache. Lots of Main Dealers offer a 14 day exchange program, all well and good but it's double the time, double the paperwork etc etc. If the customer hates the car on a test drive it gives a proper sales person the car the chance to shine, If you take the time to find a car thats right for the customer, explains the pros and cons of certains cars there is every chance that that customer is yours for the next 10 years or more. Refusing a test drive just starts the sales process on the wrong foot.

£30 a month, even I would take that offer up!!!!