Who is doing well?

[tradegirl 112]

Reading through a couple of the threads, and it's a little depressing, especially some talking about the future of the trade.

I know tradex did 7 cars in 7 days (well done) who else is doing well despite zero emissions/Brexit/the Bank Holidays/another coming recession? Who else's business is picking up over time?

[Row 71]

3 week ago sold 5, week after 0, week after 1, from 12 advertised on all platforms, make what you will of have that.

[tradegirl 112]

3 minutes ago, Row said:

3 week ago sold 5, week after 0, week after 1, from 12 advertised on all platforms, make what you will of have that.

Anything I reply will be a stupid response, but that's quite worrying.

[Row 71]

6 minutes ago, tradegirl said:

Anything I reply will be a stupid response, but that's quite worrying.

Why would your reply be stupid? and what is quite worrying exactly?

[tradegirl 112]

Just now, Row said:

Why would your reply be stupid? and what is quite worrying exactly?

That you have 12 cars and have sold 1 over 2 weeks, and I'm somehow expecting to sell with only 5 cars listed.

If others are selling, it means I'm doing something wrong and I can fix it. If pros with more cars are quiet, it's different.

[Row 71]

1 minute ago, tradegirl said:

That you have 12 cars and have sold 1 over 2 weeks, and I'm somehow expecting to sell with only 5 cars listed.

If others are selling, it means I'm doing something wrong and I can fix it. If pros with more cars are quiet, it's different.

Ok but I'm  a glass half fill type so I see I  have sold 6 over 3 weeks, I don't think if others are selling and you are not necessarily means you are doing anything wrong.

[tradegirl 112]

You're right. I was just thinking about that. I don't know, first thing I read this morning was doom and gloom about the used motor trade. I haven't been in it long enough to ride out a recession for instance (not saying we're in/heading towards one) but when it's quiet like it has been for every one, talk of pitches closing, Brexit, etc, I wonder if I should work on a Plan B.

[Mark101 536]

Just checked my VT CDM and it says I have sold 18 since 1/4/19.

Stock currently on 19 but I am trying to increase that to 25 by the end of next week.

Since 1/4/19 - I have no AT bill and have just cancelled Ebay too (22/5/19 was last day).

I like to try one platform at a time because I am hopeless at remembering to ask "where did you see the advert".  This way, I know 100%* where the lead came from.

*caveat - I have FB feed throughout at £25 per month, why would I cancel it?

Hoping for a busy week next week.  Have got someone chasing me down on a 207 CC but wants to view today and I want a day off.  Also have someone else lined up for either the same 207 CC or another similar one I have.

I'm surviving.  Last month I "had it off" this month, I am paying bills.

This is year 2 for me, so it is nice to have YoY comparison.  Trouble is last year I did 9 in May (with no VAT margin), this year, I am sat on 8 with a week to go (but am now registered for VAT, so need to do 2 more to compensate).

Edited May 26, 2019 by Mark101

[Lakeside 94]

I had a good couple of weeks end of April/beginning of May but died off this week, no interest at all.

I usually gauge how the trades going by the prices at the block, if prices are high people must be selling, if prices are low or the place is empty then the trade on general must be quiet.

Prices around here have been pretty reasonable most of this year to be honest in comparison to previous years, but the last few weeks some sales have been struggling to give cars away.

[Row 71]

Gone away for a week now so don't really care.

[Mark101 536]

7 minutes ago, Row said:

Gone away for a week now so don't really care.

Going away at the end of June - can't bloody wait.

Have a nice time Row 

[SouthernTrader 20]

17 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

Just checked my VT CDM and it says I have sold 18 since 1/4/19.

Stock currently on 19 but I am trying to increase that to 25 by the end of next week.

Since 1/4/19 - I have no AT bill and have just cancelled Ebay too (22/5/19 was last day).

I like to try one platform at a time because I am hopeless at remembering to ask "where did you see the advert".  This way, I know 100%* where the lead came from.

*caveat - I have FB feed throughout at £25 per month, why would I cancel it?

Hoping for a busy week next week.  Have got someone chasing me down on a 207 CC but wants to view today and I want a day off.  Also have someone else lined up for either the same 207 CC or another similar one I have.

I'm surviving.  Last month I "had it off" this month, I am paying bills.

This is year 2 for me, so it is nice to have YoY comparison.  Trouble is last year I did 9 in May (with no VAT margin), this year, I am sat on 8 with a week to go (but am now registered for VAT, so need to do 2 more to compensate).

Hi @Mark101

When you cancel Ebay will you be going back to AT or trying something different?

How was Ebay? Im considering giving AT a break and going with EBay for a few months to compare the two results

[Mark101 536]

It's too soon to tell if losing Ebay has any impact but certainly losing AT only had a benefit, more sold less the big bill.  Could be coincidence and never say never but for now AT is the last platform I would revisit.

I'm trying Car Guru's now and to be fair, when analysing the ones I can (i.e. checking feedback, looking at old emails etc), they have quietly been delivering a few.  I just hadn't apportioned any sales to them because I was on a free package.

I really don't like their price markers but I do like the invoice they send me.

[Nick M.K. 574]

1 hour ago, tradegirl said:

who else is doing well despite zero emissions/Brexit/the Bank Holidays

I am having a very good month, not despite zero emissions but because of it. 

A lot of market activity in the London area from buyers that simply HAVE TO change their car although they don't really want to. 3 out of 10 sales this month were to such customers. Very nice condition diesel p/xs at VERY sensible prices means I will also start June well stocked up with full stock ready to sell. 

Most sales from AT and for the first time ever every customer had left a refundable holding deposit before travelling to view. Not on the strength of videos but just because I asked them to. 

AT works great for me, I can only assume it's the images quality as my pricing is never the keenest :-) 

[NOACROSS 414]

Crap first three weeks of May,  (after a good April but has picked up all of a sudden.) 

None of my stuff is cheap (as in underpriced).. no AT bill either for a few years now so, like Mark, quiet times worry me less than they did.  Car Gurus performs OK and better than Motors. 

I wouldn’t give eBay up though myself, as has proved a very good platform over the years for all values (classified listings with Best Offer enabled). Be interesting to see what happens with eBay buying Motors as they’ll have to work out what to do with customers already on both packages. FB dong well also, but it’s a slow burner to begin with. 

[Nick M.K. 574]

3 minutes ago, NOACROSS said:

I wouldn’t give eBay up though myself, as has proved a very good platform over the years for all values (classified listings with Best Offer enabled)

+1 but Best Offer disabled. 

eBay buyers always send aggressive enough offers, I don't want to encourage them by enabling the offer function. Have you noticed how the text ONO, OVNO doesn't appear in that many adverts anymore?  

[Mark101 536]

1 minute ago, Nick M.K. said:

+1 but Best Offer disabled. 

eBay buyers always send aggressive enough offers, I don't want to encourage them by enabling the offer function. Have you noticed how the text ONO, OVNO doesn't appear in that many adverts anymore?  

That is the biggest downside to Ebay, best price offers at stupid times of the day night.

I soon realised I would never hear from them again once they had sobered up.

[SouthernTrader 20]

@Nick M.K.

Hi Nick, 

you mention the quality of your images and I remember seeing them on a previous thread and thinking they were superb.

Im sure you’ve been asked this before but what kind of camera and set up do you use?

[NOACROSS 414]

29 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

+1 but Best Offer disabled. 

eBay buyers always send aggressive enough offers, I don't want to encourage them by enabling the offer function. Have you noticed how the text ONO, OVNO doesn't appear in that many adverts anymore?  

You don’t even need to see the idiot offers as you can easily set a autodecline figure. I don’t do that though as I find it quite amusing.  However, I honestly don’t get many. 

Setting best offer puts you under more eyes on eBay. 

You’re right about ONO etc come to think of it. 

Edited May 26, 2019 by NOACROSS

[justina3 518]

I skipped right to the end of this post as for me reading how well someone else is doing when your own business could be better is the single worst motivator i have ever found.

There will always be someone with more cars who is selling more making more buying more, but on the flip side there will always be just as many people having the bank take there shirt of there back.

my two pence worth.

[TangoVictor32 90]

2 hours ago, tradegirl said:

That you have 12 cars and have sold 1 over 2 weeks, and I'm somehow expecting to sell with only 5 cars listed.

If others are selling, it means I'm doing something wrong and I can fix it. If pros with more cars are quiet, it's different.

Am sorry if my recent thread has given you a bad morning.

But in business you can't be worried on how your business maybe effected because of someone elses business.

What i was referring to was market factors as they are the real manipulators.

If you only have a stock of 5 you dont have much to worry about. But if you got a stock of 20+ and a number (say 6) of those vehicles are diesel they won't be wanted as much as more and more cities are bringing this diesel emission crap. 6 vehicles of £3k each and that's £18k you risking.

Like Nick said people are changing vehicles because they have to not because they want to. Except London i hear Birmingham and Nottingham are bringing this in rapidly as some other cities.

[Tony911 79]

January, February and March best start to the year ever for us April wasn't to bad but this month has died with only 4 sold and to top it off with the last price brigade can only see it being the worst month of the whole year I am hoping it will pick up. Diesel now are a no for us as the new emissions charges come in to Leeds January 2020 and other parts of the country so we have started to buy a few hybrids and to be honest they are having the most interest but not cheap stock as lots of dealers are doing the same

Edited May 26, 2019 by Tony911

[Nick M.K. 574]

2 hours ago, SouthernTrader said:

you mention the quality of your images and I remember seeing them on a previous thread and thinking they were superb.

Im sure you’ve been asked this before but what kind of camera and set up do you use?

My camera and lens are nothing special and with photos of cars things like weather, location, background, light, angles, shadows, time of day, car cleanliness, editing ability etc etc are far more important. I could now do my photos with even a basic slr / lens combo and I still use a 5 year old Nikon D7100 with the kit lens (18-105mm). 

It does take more time and then editing them after takes hours. Literally hours. It's not for everyone. 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Nick M.K.

[trade vet 697]

1 hour ago, TangoVictor32 said:

Am sorry if my recent thread has given you a bad morning.

But in business you can't be worried on how your business maybe effected because of someone elses business.

What i was referring to was market factors as they are the real manipulators.

If you only have a stock of 5 you dont have much to worry about. But if you got a stock of 20+ and a number (say 6) of those vehicles are diesel they won't be wanted as much as more and more cities are bringing this diesel emission crap. 6 vehicles of £3k each and that's £18k you risking.

Like Nick said people are changing vehicles because they have to not because they want to. Except London i hear Birmingham and Nottingham are bringing this in rapidly as some other cities.

I thought Nottingham and also Derby have rejected lowe emission zones ?

[Rory RSC 596]

5 car Saturday for the first time in weeks, or months that a Saturday has actually been busy. Had numerous other viewers yesterday and the day felt it went quick for the first time in a long time. Upwards of 40 and should be pushing 50 sales a month.

Currently sat on 32 for the May. Working twice as hard to get the deals in and trying my absolute hardest to ensure anyone actually buying a car gets the best car buying experience I can give them. Its tough, but just got to work smart. 

 

It continues to be tough and challenging times.