Are car dealerships still open for business?

[Contracts 68]

They had a good 10 minutes inside after turning the alarm off.  Must of being trying to code a key as it kept getting to ignition stage as headlights did their dance etc but never got it started.  Looking at the cameras not once did the brake lights come on so it might be something that simple that stoped them starting it.

Police have attended and have given them footage but doubt they can do much more.

[SC Derby 259]

Busiest Saturday I’ve ever had without selling a car.

2 collections from sales last week

bought one from a private and took a part ex

got 3 valeted and advertised 

but didn’t even get a browser in terms of new sales :/

[MarkTVS 209]

We did unfortunately have thieves last night aswell, not on the same scale though. We have 2 advertising smart cars that get kept at roadside locations. One for the workshop business and one for the sales. One has a large Kevin the carrot teddy as the driver and the other has a 6 foot teddy bear. Some wee idiots smashed both windows and stole the teddies. 
 

Slightly annoying but we decided to do good out of it by putting a funny kidnapped post on social media and it has had an overwhelming response so it’s almost been worth it from an advertising point of view. 
 

search our social media pages if you fancy some mild amusement.

[Casper 272]

2 hours ago, Halfpenny said:

I fully expect theft, and crime in general, to increase. 

I was talking to a supermarket cleaner today and people have been stealing the toilet rolls from the public toilets as soon as she replaces them cause them because there is  none in store 

the local newspaper is also reporting this week about people stealing from the local food bank trolley at the door of local supermarket so they have had to move it to a secure location 

[grant8064 219]

Still open next week (assuming retail isn't closed by then). Taking all sensible precautions with gloves, proper grade sanitiser, hand washing, safe social distancing, unaccompanied test drives etc.

Open for business and ready for business.

Priority though is looking after the guys we need. Paying all the trades; dent man, trimmer, painters and valeters same day they invoice so they're not stressing and trying to find them a bit of work here and there. Luckily we only have two staff but they're aware they can ask and have any time off they need for shopping, family stuff, emergencies or if they're just feeling a bit overwhelmed by this all (they're both too proud to accept help but the gesture's there). Can't influence any of what's going on but we literally are in this bollocks together so getting people paid on time and helping out where we can is the goal for now. 

That and concreting a few potholes on the forecourt Monday if T.Perkins are still open.

(not nice to hear about the break in's guys...feel for you)

Edited March 21, 2020 by grant8064

[James Baggott 227]

You gent @grant8064 - this is the kind of spirit I'm talking about. I'm sure it's not easy for you too, but plaudits for your attitude!

[have a word with the wife 299]

very good points raised by grant, pay the trades, back in work if we are allowed, sensible precautions, [ i have come across a few this week who have said " don't worry mate, i haven't got it !? " ] and grant  is doing next week what i have been doing this week, filling holes  with concrete  .us car dealers can be a versatile lot, many skills, great people [ sounding like trump there  ] next week i will be introducing the idea to my rent man of "payment holiday" but he is tighter than me  but there will be closures all around me, it is a very sad fact indeed, keep strong 

 

[Gilmour82 0]

It’s all well and good saying hopefully we stay open, but we need people to visit the showroom in the first place to create business opportunities, not one person walked in through our doors today on a Saturday, customers cancelled appointments, the phone rang twice in 8 hours and the people we were calling were all pretty much saying things are on hold until the virus is less threatening, I’m a lookers employee and I love the company I work for, but I’ll be quite disappointed if we don’t close just because we think it’ll be ok and we’ll still take in lots of business, because unfortunately it’s going to get far more worse before it gets better..we are definitely all in this together but the right decisions have to be made at a high level for its employees and not just the shareholders..

[BHM 994]

7 hours ago, grant8064 said:

Priority though is looking after the guys we need. Paying all the trades; dent man, trimmer, painters and valeters same day they invoice so they're not stressing and trying to find them a bit of work here and there. Luckily we only have two staff but they're aware they can ask and have any time off they need for shopping, family stuff, emergencies or if they're just feeling a bit overwhelmed by this all (they're both too proud to accept help but the gesture's there). Can't influence any of what's going on but we literally are in this bollocks together so getting people paid on time and helping out where we can is the goal for now. 

+1.

[Lucky13 14]

I’ve had a gent pull out of a deal on a van, forfeiting his deposit. Plenty of people bidding me 50% of the value of a car and that’s all really.. I’m still staying open until I’m told to close, use the time to do some painting etc

[XFS 70]

I’m not officially open yet, but I,ve continued the prep programme. We are scheduled to open for business 1st April, not sure if that will happen.

I,ve been giving the garage next door as much as I can, kept the alloy man going, been giving the painter virtually full time work for the last few weeks and have the valeter here today working alone, probably the only guy working on the whole estate...lol

I’ve  being paying my bills as soon as they are ready. I have simply stuck to my business plan and can survive for the next 3 months with no income. I guess I am very lucky.

[James Baggott 227]

Thanks for sharing your stories

[Lakeside 94]

It’s going to be a vicious circle for a while, it’s ok hoping that we all keep selling but I think sourcing stock Is going to be a problem for the time being to. 

[Halfpenny 114]

A few cars will be sold as 'distress purchases' but most cars are sold as discretionary purchases and that will surely largely grind to a halt for many months to come.  Servicing/MoT and repairs should continue unabated (we are still busy as normal) but people are driving much less so probably the repair side will drop off in time.

The 'elephant in the room' is PCP and leasing.  A lot of self-employed and those in the leisure/hospitality industries are into these and won't make the payments. A guy I know is a bar owner and runs around in a leased '19 Range Rover Sport HSE. IIRC he is paying around £550 a month. He was living on the edge before all this - what now?

[James Baggott 227]

We've written this on MOT and service centres

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/need-mot-car-service-coronavirus-crisis/188392

[BHM 994]

31 minutes ago, Halfpenny said:

The 'elephant in the room' is PCP and leasing. 

I assume there are going to be a few cheap nearly new cars soon & the new car market is going to take a battering. This will have long term repercussions.

[Halfpenny 114]

4 minutes ago, BHM said:

I assume there are going to be a few cheap nearly new cars soon

Yes.  All we need is customers to buy them. My gut feeling is that on the other side of this we will see a shift to more 'pragmatic' purchasing and away from the 'look at me' stuff.  Less demand at the 'premium' end of the market and people looking for reliable basic transport. 

[Contracts 68]

1 hour ago, BHM said:

I assume there are going to be a few cheap nearly new cars soon & the new car market is going to take a battering. This will have long term repercussions.

Even with the affordability checks the funders have and diligence checks firms like us complete the high number of self employed people who are going to be without their normal income soon is scary.

I would like to think the funders are sympathetic and help the people that need it with payment breaks similar to the mortgage proposals but as we all know this is harder on a depreciating asset.

 

[BHM 994]

1 minute ago, Contracts said:

Even with the affordability checks the funders have and diligence checks firms like us complete the high number of self employed people who are going to be without their normal income soon is scary.

I would like to think the funders are sympathetic and help the people that need it with payment breaks similar to the mortgage proposals but as we all know this is harder on a depreciating asset.

 

Let’s be honest, cars have been getting knocked out on various finance schemes for very little money for quite a while now so, as you say, I don’t imagine there’s much scope for much flexibility on a reducing asset.

Out of all the reasons to bring some sanity back into car ownership I never thought it would be a virus that could bring the world’s finances to a halt. How quick our business lives have been changed in the last week would of been unthinkable.

[trade vet 702]

2 hours ago, Halfpenny said:

Yes.  All we need is customers to buy them. My gut feeling is that on the other side of this we will see a shift to more 'pragmatic' purchasing and away from the 'look at me' stuff.  Less demand at the 'premium' end of the market and people looking for reliable basic transport. 

Don’t be surprised if the opposite is the case.If late ‘ look at me ‘ stuff collapses in value and the Russia /Saudi oil row continues and oil goes to $20 a barrel meaning cheaper fuel at the pumps,the game could change.There are a lot of people out there with a lump of money invested earning zero who might just be attracted to ‘look at me ‘ stuff if it was £10k cheaper than usual.

[have a word with the wife 299]

Hate to be a doom monger but my own personal thinking is if people do not start taking notice of isolation, then we could be stood down in days, because what i have seen today with my own eyes in reference to  groups of people is shameful. and our health comes before a depo ! 

And i guess if your not doing mot and repairs, then you are not  really a "essential service"?

 

[BHM 994]

7 hours ago, trade vet said:

Don’t be surprised if the opposite is the case.If late ‘ look at me ‘ stuff collapses in value and the Russia /Saudi oil row continues and oil goes to $20 a barrel meaning cheaper fuel at the pumps,the game could change.There are a lot of people out there with a lump of money invested earning zero who might just be attracted to ‘look at me ‘ stuff if it was £10k cheaper than usual.

I think you mean the Bit Of Flash For Not Much Cash market. I wouldn’t know about newer stock but I can certainly see that on older stock.

I wonder if the big petrol market will have a resurgence. Not everyone is a greedy bastard interested in eeking out every last MPG and wanting £30 road tax. They don’t do too many miles, realise £5K buys a nice £50K car (new price) & have a few grand burning a hole in their pocket. At this end many of them will also have had a belly full of oil burners with their various problems & will welcome a petrol with open arms. It’s just a shame most executive metal over the last decade has had Rudolf Diesel’s creation under the bonnet.

[trade vet 702]

3 hours ago, BHM said:

I think you mean the Bit Of Flash For Not Much Cash market. I wouldn’t know about newer stock but I can certainly see that on older stock.

I wonder if the big petrol market will have a resurgence. Not everyone is a greedy bastard interested in eeking out every last MPG and wanting £30 road tax. They don’t do too many miles, realise £5K buys a nice £50K car (new price) & have a few grand burning a hole in their pocket. At this end many of them will also have had a belly full of oil burners with their various problems & will welcome a petrol with open arms. It’s just a shame most executive metal over the last decade has had Rudolf Diesel’s creation under the bonnet.

I agree.My theory is based on our experience during the 70’s oil crisis when pump prices jumped dramatically caused by the quadrupling price of oil.Big stuff was ‘for nothing’ and finance companies collectively stopped doing anything above 2 litre.I can still remember some of the deals we did but I am not into ‘Peacocking ‘ ! 

[metcars 397]

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

Hate to be a doom monger but my own personal thinking is if people do not start taking notice of isolation, then we could be stood down in days, because what i have seen today with my own eyes in reference to  groups of people is shameful. and our health comes before a depo ! 

And i guess if your not doing mot and repairs, then you are not  really a "essential service"?

 

Did you see those ‘gimps’ at Brighton seafront? And apparently Snowdonia was rammed! All those middle managers that should be ‘working from home’?

[poor-trader 15]

There is a lot of talk in the usual rumour places that closure of "non-essential retail" may well be the next step (in actual fact it is more than a rumour - it is being considered by Government today). I think we know what category car sales comes into! 

Could be some time as well - 1-2 months minimum. Starting off at 2 weeks but then keep extending.