Sticking stock

[Nick M.K. 574]

I don't think so but I'm never sure which package I am on. My listings are not "featured". 

 

Your invoice summary

Total

inc. VAT

£1,372.67

Advertising Package £1,105.50

Finance £38.39

Forecourt Management -

Auto Trader Dealer Website -

Retailer Display -

Added Value -

Subtotal excl. VAT £1,143.89

VAT ( 20%) £228.78

Total £1,372.67

[tradegirl 112]

1 minute ago, Nick M.K. said:

I don't think so but I'm never sure which package I am on. My listings are not "featured". 

 

Your invoice summary

Total

inc. VAT

£1,372.67

Advertising Package £1,105.50

Finance £38.39

Forecourt Management -

Auto Trader Dealer Website -

Retailer Display -

Added Value -

Subtotal excl. VAT £1,143.89

VAT ( 20%) £228.78

Total £1,372.67

Blimey...at least you get a tidy sum back for VAT. 

[Nick M.K. 574]

3 minutes ago, tradegirl said:

Crazy how expensive AutoTrader is in comparison to the rest

Out of 10-11 sales a month 8 come from AT, 1 each from eBay and Motors. If you divide the cost-per-sale AT is working out cheaper. 

What I find crazy in this internet age (and FORGIVE ME if this will sound insulting to some) is to NOT use Autotrader considering how much more popular it is as an advertising platform. 

[NOACROSS 414]

Oh good. This topic again! ;0)

We STILL get people telling us they saw the car on Autoraper. We’ve not been with the cluttered mess for two years. 

[MSP Motors 39]

I am now going into my third month of No Autotrader. June and July have been my best months, August has started well. I am based on an industrial estate so have no passing trade. I sell cars from £2,000 - £40,000. I also get people saying they have seen my cars on autotrader. Each to there own, but I refuse to pay the prices they charge.  To think that most people just search on 1 platform is naive. Sure some do, but most people will search a few places.  

[Nick M.K. 574]

5 minutes ago, MSP Motors said:

To think that most people just search on 1 platform is naive

A lot of my customers weren't actually looking to buy a specific car, they weren't actively searching. They just browsed AT (the mobile app mostly), liked a car that we have, kept looking at the ad for a few days, weeks sometimes, made up their mind and came to buy. 

I am not prepared to lose these "impulse" (if you can call them that) sales for the sake of a-grand-a-month when just a single finance commission covers that. 

[EPV 631]

30 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

I don't think so but I'm never sure which package I am on. My listings are not "featured". 

 

Your invoice summary

Total

inc. VAT

£1,372.67

Advertising Package £1,105.50

Finance £38.39

Forecourt Management -

Auto Trader Dealer Website -

Retailer Display -

Added Value -

Subtotal excl. VAT £1,143.89

VAT ( 20%) £228.78

Total £1,372.67

Mine is £500pm more than that for less cars but I have a few tools and I do have their premium package which has made a huge difference to me. 

[Nick M.K. 574]

2 minutes ago, EPV said:

Mine is £500pm more than that for less cars but I have a few tools and I do have their premium package which has made a huge difference to me. 

What tool do you reckon is worth trying out the most? I might persuade my account manager to give me a months' trial...

[EPV 631]

1 minute ago, Nick M.K. said:

What tool do you reckon is worth trying out the most? I might persuade my account manager to give me a months' trial...

Retail checker, all day long. 

I have an example of it on the Toureg thread. It may not make any difference to how you think or how you run your show and you may well know the show inside and out but for me, knowing how long the nearby competition has had a certain car for before I buy another to add to the pile is information worth knowing in my world. 

*gave 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

18 minutes ago, MSP Motors said:

I am now going into my third month of No Autotrader. June and July have been my best months, August has started well. I am based on an industrial estate so have no passing trade. I sell cars from £2,000 - £40,000. I also get people saying they have seen my cars on autotrader. Each to there own, but I refuse to pay the prices they charge.  To think that most people just search on 1 platform is naive. Sure some do, but most people will search a few places.  

MSP, who are you using ? 

[Nick M.K. 574]

39 minutes ago, tradegirl said:

I'm only on the PAYG package (3 weeks for £69?). How long do you get on the proper package?

I am sorry, I only just saw this. 

The "proper" package gives you a certain number of advert slots and an advert can be live on one slot indefinitely. The major advantage is that if you turn your stock quickly you can sell 20 cars in a calendar month but only pay for say 12 advert slots. 

The major disadvantage is that you could pay for 12 slots but only have 9 available cars to advertise so you could potentially be overpaying at times. 

[MSP Motors 39]

1 minute ago, Arfur Dealy said:

MSP, who are you using ? 

Motors, eBay, cargurus paid and Facebook-although it's absolutely gash and I can't stand social media..... But it's free.

[EPV 631]

TG, you need a Dealer account. Minimum of 5+2 cars will set you back around £800 per month. This allows you certain things, up to 100 images (you’re capped at a maximum of 25) you also can have your website link up, a logo, a company statement and a page where all your other stock will be shown. 

As you can see from other responses those, people make other platforms (cheaper ones) work nicely for them. 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

How many do you stock ? , does eBay bring in most of your sales ? I would love to lose my £1700 AT month fee, thats 15+2 but my usage is running at about 70%....

1 minute ago, MSP Motors said:

Motors, eBay, cargurus paid and Facebook-although it's absolutely gash and I can't stand social media..... But it's free.

 

[MSP Motors 39]

3 minutes ago, EPV said:

Retail checker, all day long. 

I have an example of it on the Toureg thread. It may not make any difference to how you think or how you run your show and you may well know the show inside and out but for me, knowing how long the nearby competition has had a certain car for before I buy another to add to the pile is information worth knowing in my world. 

*gave 

These tools don't have value to me. You can see how long a car has been in stock for on autotrader in the URL. As for all the other bits and pieces, thats one of the main reasons I left. I don't need some knob from a Manchester call centre calling me up and telling what I'm doing wrong, just so they can sell me the latest and greatest package that they have devised. 

When I left I was fully expecting to be calling back with my tail between my legs..... And who knows, maybe I will have to. But it certainly won't be this month. You don't know until you try.

[Nick M.K. 574]

8 minutes ago, EPV said:

Retail checker, all day long. 

James, if able can you run a couple of examples through it for me:  MJ59HHF, 56K miles and HK64FFT, 24K miles

[EPV 631]

3 minutes ago, MSP Motors said:

These tools don't have value to me. You can see how long a car has been in stock for on autotrader in the URL. As for all the other bits and pieces, thats one of the main reasons I left. I don't need some knob from a Manchester call centre calling me up and telling what I'm doing wrong, just so they can sell me the latest and greatest package that they have devised. 

When I left I was fully expecting to be calling back with my tail between my legs..... And who knows, maybe I will have to. But it certainly won't be this month. You don't know until you try.

Sorry MSP, I was talking to Nick in my response. 

[MSP Motors 39]

I stock between 15-20. I sold 12 last month. Motors or their partner websites seem to have been performing best for me over the past few months, but eBay over the years is by far and away the best ROI for me

 

 

[EPV 631]

1 minute ago, Nick M.K. said:

James, if able can you run a couple of examples through it for me:  MJ59HHF, 56K miles and HK64FFT, 24K miles

I need your postcode Nick, or at least one close to you. Otherwise it will just show me information for my locale. 

[MSP Motors 39]

1 minute ago, EPV said:

Sorry MSP, I was talking to Nick in my response. 

Maybe chat in private then?

[EPV 631]

1 minute ago, MSP Motors said:

Maybe chat in private then?

Easy tiger, I thought you thought I was replying to you regarding the tools.

[Dealer 54]

1 hour ago, tradegirl said:

What platforms if you don't mind?

Crazy how expensive AutoTrader is in comparison to the rest. I'm only on the PAYG package (3 weeks for £69?). How long do you get on the proper package?

At 23 plus 4 budget, eBay mp, cargurus, motors and exchange and fart. On the proper package as you call it its just a set price every month for the amount of vehicles quoted above. I'd love to be able to get along without having to use it but as others say on here ultimately it does sell cars. 

 

[MSP Motors 39]

My current advertising bill is £342 plus I'm also paying for cargurus £200 I'm on the 6 month contract. Undecided wether I'll continue as the free package actually returned a few sales. If I sell a few less cars a month, not a problem as my overheads are reduced. 

In another life I've had the 100 car site with a business partner and it was just too brutal. Overheads of 27k is a lot to focus on at the beginning of the month. 

I'm happy to plod along, I'll never make millions but ive decided to work for myself and sometimes I felt I had to work for autotrader!

[EPV 631]

7 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

James, if able can you run a couple of examples through it for me:  MJ59HHF, 56K miles and HK64FFT, 24K miles

The first;

There are 2 examples of that exact make model derivative nationally, on a 59 and 10 plate (I always search one plate newer especially on low mileage stuff) and you are number 1 from 3 in terms of value for money. Rono Prestige has had his Teal blue one in for 72 days and has just reduced it in price by £500 today. If you expand this search to similar derivatives (this now includes the SE spec) then the results are the same. It's clear you are in pole position for anyone wanting that make/model/derivative around that mileage with that sort of budget. Rono Prestige have overpriced theirs possibly, especially given the hideous colour.

The second;

Because of the low mileage, I capped the search on this at 25,000 miles, just above yours. 

Nationally, there are 17 of these examples, 64 or 15 plate, up to 25,000 miles.

Within a 50 mile radius, there are 9 examples. You are 8/9 in terms of value for money, with your other I3 coming in at number 7/9 in terms of value for money.  Frosts of Brighton are at the bottom however they are seemingly overpriced and it shows by virtue of the fact they have had their white one in for 287 days, making 2 price cuts in that time, the latest on the 12th July. Of those 6 dealers that are above you and Frosts, they have held these vehicles for 127 days, 68 days, 15 days, 11 days, 11 days, 35 days. I look at that make/model/derivative as something of a competitive department and quite a few of them within your area. If it were me, I wouldn't see there to be a shortfall in that area. That said, there are a good number of low days held in that, 15, 11, 11 and even 35 days. So perhaps these cars do turn quickly but there is definitely plenty of choice around a 50 mile radius of you.

 

 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

7 minutes ago, MSP Motors said:

 

I'm happy to plod along, I'll never make millions but ive decided to work for myself and sometimes I felt I had to work for autotrader!

I know exactly where you are coming from, I've never had any intent to be huge... I like being my own boss and now with the kids, I just want an easy life watching them grow at weekends, we've gota static in Newquay. To be fair, I sell everything remotely so it gives me alot of freedom, I just feel robbed with that AT bill when its quiet.... We all know how that feels....