Advertise before all prep is completed

[Mark101 536]

I list everything bought the same evening - no pics save for generic “just arrived - pics coming soon” - on collection day usually the day after sale - mini valet - list in and out pics and video. Then off to workshop for MOT and service ready for sale.  More often than not I sell cars prior to MOT and service - take deposit and arrange collection for a few days or week later after all work completed.

I have too few cars (about 12) to wait for valet, paint, workshop before listing.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

Nik, I don't see there being any problem with banging up a few plagiarised pictures prior to prep, done it many times. The only problem is when you get a billy which wants it straight away and pesters you.... The quicker you can advertise it, the quicker you can sell it.

But not if its a shit pit car like "project Bravo"

[trade vet 702]

33 minutes ago, twerp said:

Do you mind explaining?

I had heard proper traders refer to Brighouse with phrases like ‘den of thieves’ but never believed it.However we are talking about what now would be referred to as insider trading’.The Brighouse guy ( now retired ) explained that he had his own line there.I think he said he used to inspect the entries and mostly select ex company direct stuff.He would give his list to the auctioneer who would bounce them through unsold  and he  would negotiate for them afterwards.The stuff he bought would then be lined up again and resold in the next sale.In those days there were no vendor reps on the rostrum.Interestingly a Brighouse manager was moved to another sale we used and a similar thing happened and had been discovered by chance.Although at the time I had not yet met the Brighouse guy....It was a long time ago and I am pleased things have changed to the better,I have to say our guys still buy the odd one there although come to think about it our main buyer is from Barnsley !

[Mark101 536]

TV - you talk an awful lot about “our guys.”  Whom are you referring to, have you sold your business and working out your contract or P/T or consultant or....?

Just intrigued.

[Nick M.K. 574]

On my Facebook page when I thank a buyer for their custom I always put WE. Looks better than me, myself and I. 

[trade vet 702]

2 hours ago, Mark101 said:

TV - you talk an awful lot about “our guys.”  Whom are you referring to, have you sold your business and working out your contract or P/T or consultant or....?

Just intrigued.

Yes and no,management buy out several years ago but no longer have any control.Currently have about a dozen cars on the pitch.We have another really good pitch which has come back to us off lease which we are trying to rent out.I will probably finish up reopening that .....after over 50 years agrovation,I must be mad.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

7 hours ago, trade vet said:

Yes and no,management buy out several years ago but no longer have any control.Currently have about a dozen cars on the pitch.We have another really good pitch which has come back to us off lease which we are trying to rent out.I will probably finish up reopening that .....after over 50 years agrovation,I must be mad.

You love it, it’s in yer blood.

[Scooby who 41]

I often have cars sitting in my yard for weeks before I get them advertised, it's not good enough I know, but unless I have it prepped 100% I'm never as enthusiastic when selling it over the phone.

Also people can be very fussy, something as trivial as stains on seats or buffing circles on black paint can be a turn off for some. I find sometimes there is just one buyer out there for your car and if you mess it up first time, there's no second chance, far too much completion out there and they'll walk off and buy elsewhere.

I tend to buy the same type/colour car a lot of the time. For example I have bought 4 2013 White Golf's in the past 2 months, I have used the same advert and photos to sell the last 3, therefore saving time taking pics, etc. People don't notice little differences as such, although one young lad did notice the car he was buying had no tinted windows while the one in the advert had. He still bought it but may not have come at all but for the wrong pics.

 

 

[c_cars 56]

49 minutes ago, Scooby who said:

I tend to buy the same type/colour car a lot of the time. For example I have bought 4 2013 White Golf's in the past 2 months, I have used the same advert and photos to sell the last 3, therefore saving time taking pics, etc. People don't notice little differences as such, although one young lad did notice the car he was buying had no tinted windows while the one in the advert had. He still bought it but may not have come at all but for the wrong pics.

This is why I love commercials. 

We get a lot of the same type direct from the same company, always identical spec and always within a few reg digits of each other; one set of photos and not one customer has ever noticed 

[Nick M.K. 574]

On 02/07/2018 at 3:52 PM, c_cars said:

one set of photos and not one customer has ever noticed

That is one of the main reasons I don't display number plates. My adverts are sometimes online within the hour of me coming back from the auctions with the vehicles still there and not yet paid. 

[justina3 518]

9 hours ago, tradex said:

Let me get this right, some of you guys are displaying a different car to that in the advert

I had to read it twice

Each to there own and all that, for me it goes up for sale when its ready and not a second before, we just put awaiting finial preparation in the window on stuff awaiting to be done, I did have a trading standards comment a few years back about pricing stuff that wasnt ready for sale when they asked to see it. 

 

[metcars 397]

1 hour ago, justina3 said:

I had to read it twice

Each to there own and all that, for me it goes up for sale when its ready and not a second before, we just put awaiting finial preparation in the window on stuff awaiting to be done, I did have a trading standards comment a few years back about pricing stuff that wasnt ready for sale when they asked to see it. 

 

I agree. One of my little rules, 'don't sell until you're ready to sell'

[have a word with the wife 299]

no 

ive been bit too many times, very close to doing one recently as "its quiet" to get phone ringing, then i took it up road, my wheelbarrow drives better , so plenty to sort