Never been this dead before

[rich89 11]

Worst month by far!

Had a guy ring me about 5pm yesterday about coming to view a car this morning. Thought to myself i'll ring him before I set off as i've had bad experiences with people like him before (Eastern European)(Not racist etc just they don't tend to actually stick to their word). Rang him at half 8 this morning... "No i'm working today".

Had another guy come and test drive a car on Friday. Was with me for about an hour and afterwards he told me he's really interested and he'll definitely call me on Saturday. NOPE!

[rich89 11]

Ah. Customer just turned up and asked to PX his Golf R. He wants £25k for it, CAP is £20k and retail is £23k-£24k. 

[Paulusk2z 1]

Never been this dead!!! So bad I had to give up my pitch and start selling from home again!! 

I haven’t sold anything at all!!!!  

6 Cars in stock.. and they are cheap!!! 

One is a 2010 mariva 1.4 active in grey/blue.. only 40k on the clock and £1000 less than retail! Had a few people look at it and decide it’s not for them  

2006 Range Rover sport... black with black leather! Only £7500... no bites  this is a cat d but a nice car and full service history! 

Then I have a 2007 Cooper S! Low miles and up at £4995.. had thousands of views on autotrader, Facebook and eBay, but no takers  

whats up with the trade at the moment? Why is nobody buying? 

[Mojo121 229]

15 minutes ago, Paulusk2z said:

Never been this dead!!! So bad I had to give up my pitch and start selling from home again!! 

I haven’t sold anything at all!!!!  

6 Cars in stock.. and they are cheap!!! 

One is a 2010 mariva 1.4 active in grey/blue.. only 40k on the clock and £1000 less than retail! Had a few people look at it and decide it’s not for them  

2006 Range Rover sport... black with black leather! Only £7500... no bites  this is a cat d but a nice car and full service history! 

Then I have a 2007 Cooper S! Low miles and up at £4995.. had thousands of views on autotrader, Facebook and eBay, but no takers  

whats up with the trade at the moment? Why is nobody buying? 

That’s terrible! How long were you quiet for before you had to give it up?

How much is the Meriva it’s the only one I’d know where to price?

1 hour ago, rich89 said:

Ah. Customer just turned up and asked to PX his Golf R. He wants £25k for it, CAP is £20k and retail is £23k-£24k. 

A friend of mine bought one of these recently - 2011, pan roof, all the goodies on it - mint example. Took it to VW because he needed the Nav updating or something and they offered him £23,500. I think demand is quite high for them. It’s not my market so I don’t really know what they’re worth

[rich89 11]

38 minutes ago, Mojo121 said:

That’s terrible! How long were you quiet for before you had to give it up?

How much is the Meriva it’s the only one I’d know where to price?

A friend of mine bought one of these recently - 2011, pan roof, all the goodies on it - mint example. Took it to VW because he needed the Nav updating or something and they offered him £23,500. I think demand is quite high for them. It’s not my market so I don’t really know what they’re worth

I'd love to be able to buy a car like that and take it to a main dealer and they'd pay circa £10k more than its worth for it. I take it he accepted and tried to keep a straight face??

[Rory RSC 596]

1 hour ago, rich89 said:

I'd love to be able to buy a car like that and take it to a main dealer and they'd pay circa £10k more than its worth for it. I take it he accepted and tried to keep a straight face??

With panroof, nav and 19's they are worth a fair whack. Hardly any out there with options full stop. All generally basic spec. 

 

So so when it comes to selling them had a couple in stock for a while here now, the rest have been in and out. Never really know how its going to go.

[Paulusk2z 1]

4 hours ago, Mojo121 said:

That’s terrible! How long were you quiet for before you had to give it up?

How much is the Meriva it’s the only one I’d know where to price?

A friend of mine bought one of these recently - 2011, pan roof, all the goodies on it - mint example. Took it to VW because he needed the Nav updating or something and they offered him £23,500. I think demand is quite high for them. It’s not my market so I don’t really know what they’re worth

Meriva is only up for £2495! Every retail value I have seen puts them around £3500! 

Trade in value is £1800!!! 

Inwas quiet for a few months.. only just breaking even! I decided to give it up and go it alone... but it seems like the used car trade is just on its arse at the moment! 

Plenty of people looking, but nobody actually buying anything

Edited October 22, 2017 by Paulusk2z

[justina3 518]

On 21/10/2017 at 2:42 PM, tradex said:

Or key...if the other turns up I'll post it on.

That's spooky I use that line also

[It's me 615]

2 hours ago, justina3 said:

That's spooky I use that line also

i categorically tell customers that the only keys with the car are the ones in my hand and if they need replacements then dont use those cobblers because they are cobblers and be aware it might cost much wonga at a proper place

this way there's no future grief,

if its a ball breaker dont buy the car at the block or whatever is my advice to myself

,ive only ever had one customer actually walk away and the funny thing is they usually only ask after the sale is complete and are ready to drive away 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

Me Customer, you only need one key to drive it... additional keys are a bonus:)

[Anglo9 26]

3 hours ago, justina3 said:

That's spooky I use that line also

+1

 

[have a word with the wife 299]

i never even thought of sending it recorded delivery  so its still not turned up then ?

[Rory RSC 596]

11 hours ago, have a word with the wife said:

i never even thought of sending it recorded delivery  so its still not turned up then ?

I know a dealer who used to send out envelopes with a slit in the bottom of them claiming that he had posted service invoices / books /spare key etc. 

 

Spare keys do only tend to get mentioned after the sale to be fair. Not really much of an issue.

 

[Mojo121 229]

20 hours ago, rich89 said:

I'd love to be able to buy a car like that and take it to a main dealer and they'd pay circa £10k more than its worth for it. I take it he accepted and tried to keep a straight face??

My bad, 2014. That's what I said to him, but he searched high and low for it. I think it cost him £22k private.

16 hours ago, Paulusk2z said:

Meriva is only up for £2495! Every retail value I have seen puts them around £3500! 

Trade in value is £1800!!! 

Inwas quiet for a few months.. only just breaking even! I decided to give it up and go it alone... but it seems like the used car trade is just on its arse at the moment! 

Plenty of people looking, but nobody actually buying anything

Pricing is right. It's much more difficult than even a year ago. I don't think there's a solution to be found from anything dealers can do. Probably it's just a wider issue of people's education around money and poor incomes.

[BHM 994]

If it’s old shape (I don’t know about newer shape) Merivas are bad news at the best of times & the plonker Rangey will only attract scum.

As for Minis unless you’re a specialist you won’t make much money on them - most traders I know have given up on them, including me. I made money on one once & that was only because the dealership thought the gearbox was shafted when it was only the gear linkage. 

You’ve said it all really when you say there’s been loads of views on AT - two of them are simply arsehole dreamer cars. Sorry, but rather than them three I’d rather have three old shitters with £500 wiped across them - small profit, quick return. You’ll be smoking the Mini & Rangey next Easter.

[It's me 615]

1 hour ago, BHM said:

If it’s old shape (I don’t know about newer shape) Merivas are bad news at the best of times & the plonker Rangey will only attract scum.

As for Minis unless you’re a specialist you won’t make much money on them - most traders I know have given up on them, including me. I made money on one once & that was only because the dealership thought the gearbox was shafted when it was only the gear linkage. 

You’ve said it all really when you say there’s been loads of views on AT - two of them are simply arsehole dreamer cars. Sorry, but rather than them three I’d rather have three old shitters with £500 wiped across them - small profit, quick return. You’ll be smoking the Mini & Rangey next Easter.

sorry but totally agree

and i guess the mini cable breaking out of its bonding is common then

[Fixedgear 4]

We had a really quiet August and September but October looks to be our best month ever! Everyone has come out of the woodwork and last week the phone was going mad.

[BHM 994]

1 hour ago, tradex said:

can we pop over and rub you please

Which part of him are you wanting to rub? 

 

Funnily enough I had plenty of calls & emails (of the arsehole variety) last week too - but only 2 converted into sales. It’s bloody desperate at the moment & the punters don’t seem to have a pot to piss in - I’m even been asked if there’s road tax on them to get them home! 

[Paulusk2z 1]

6 hours ago, BHM said:

If it’s old shape (I don’t know about newer shape) Merivas are bad news at the best of times & the plonker Rangey will only attract scum.

As for Minis unless you’re a specialist you won’t make much money on them - most traders I know have given up on them, including me. I made money on one once & that was only because the dealership thought the gearbox was shafted when it was only the gear linkage. 

You’ve said it all really when you say there’s been loads of views on AT - two of them are simply arsehole dreamer cars. Sorry, but rather than them three I’d rather have three old shitters with £500 wiped across them - small profit, quick return. You’ll be smoking the Mini & Rangey next Easter.

I have never lost money on a mini.. sold around 10 Cooper S Over the last 12 months. 

Have had a few come back with faults, only 1 major fault which was cam chain. (Still decent profit after getting it done) 

i am actually tempted in becoming a mini specialist! I love them. 

[justina3 518]

Sold my Cooper today whoop whoop looking over my records the mini us my top margin vehicle

[have a word with the wife 299]

yes but where's page five 

[metcars 397]

I had a guy come over to look at a Focus diesel estate. On the test drive he complained it was too 'slow' and that he likes to be first away at the lights?

I am lost for words

[metcars 397]

Exhausted. Just had four Romanian guys here looking over a car. Only one spoke anywhere near reasonable English. Their mechanic was very good. But they spent 30mins inspecting the car and nearly an hour haggling and horsetrading. Funny how their negotiating style is similar to our 'traveller' community

They arrived in a battered silver Passat on Romanian plates which in itself is borderline cliche☺

Edited October 25, 2017 by met

[It's me 615]

3 hours ago, met said:

Exhausted. Just had four Romanian guys here looking over a car. Only one spoke anywhere near reasonable English. Their mechanic was very good. But they spent 30mins inspecting the car and nearly an hour haggling and horsetrading. Funny how their negotiating style is similar to our 'traveller' community

They arrived in a battered silver Passat on Romanian plates which in itself is borderline cliche☺

they came to me last month,one always wears a leather jacket 5 sizes too small

[have a word with the wife 299]

interest rates up next week ?

xmas round the corner ? 

i am putting jam on them and theyre still not coming out to view 

at least some bright house customers are getting some money back so thats good for us