Ummm. Can I talk about me for once?

[jamslug 91]

I understand if this post isn't welcome here as I have seen some rather lovely glossy adverts in CDM which wouldn't have come cheap. 

Anyway I told everyone I was leaving AT, I have been without them for 1 month now. Currently not looking back. 

I thought that the quiet X-Mas period combined with dropping the number 1 lead generator would cause me to have to hibernate until January. 

How wrong was I !!! I have been so so busy. I am not looking back. On another note, I haven't been anywhere near their site for a month so I went back to it as I wanted to find a car at another dealership and my god hasn't it changed for the worse. I am struggling to find the car I needed to find with all these new sub menus and things. AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW IT BEST . What is a new user going to think? I am so glad I am out. 

When is anyone else going to follow ? 

[Max Branning 149]

Where are most of your leads coming from now Jamslug?

[Phil H 124]

Well done Jamslug, once you're over the fear factor it's easy, IMHO autotraders a dead duck and in a decade they will be a distant memory unless they listen to their customers and stop putting greed first.  

[jimreidvehicle 255]

Thanks for the update James, glad to see you are succeeding without AT, the cost saving alone must help Decembers figures.

A wee tip from a man who has been through it, you will go through those quiet months , because everyone gets them, but remember don't be tempted to go back, because we are all at our most vulnerable when it's a really quiet month, but as I said everyone get's those even when you advertise every car you have on Autotrader! Next update 3 months? I look forward to it! UPWARDS AND ONWARDS

[williamblackshaw 43]

I'm not going to argue your case as I feel AT works for us, but I asked for some data recently which a year ago would have been no issue, now I'm being told No you can't have it despite a recent price increase. Also annoyingly at the recent UCAwards not one AT congratulated or said hi to me despite being a customer for over 10 years, now I'm no celeb but that's the point. Just a number to them now. 

[Rory RSC 596]

I'm not going to argue your case as I feel AT works for us, but I asked for some data recently which a year ago would have been no issue, now I'm being told No you can't have it despite a recent price increase. Also annoyingly at the recent UCAwards not one AT congratulated or said hi to me despite being a customer for over 10 years, now I'm no celeb but that's the point. Just a number to them now. 

funnily enough lots of the companies we deal with have sent us a Xmas card. Some that we have a big spend with even sent us a gift. 

Euro parts who our monthly spend with is similar, maybe a touch more than AT were very generous in the business relationship.

Not AT. 

[RH Trading 80]

Funnily enough received a nice autotrader phone charger today through the post saying thank you for your business, a discount would have been a nicer present though

[Rory RSC 596]

I have not had anything. Love free gifts  

 

[williamblackshaw 43]

As said in a previous post i am very tempted to try Sky admsart over Autotrader for a period, but not in a position to do it just yet, confident i will though in time

[TapCars 0]

Is AT really that bad now? No wonder we are getting more clients. I guess no matter how big the company is if it doesn't take care of its clients will definitely disappoint.  This is why we are focused on the continuum between car tshopper, the dealership and a team of strategic advisers in place to maximize results and of course provide outstanding service.

Edited December 30, 2015 by James Baggott
Self promotion of motor trade suppliers is banned on this forum. Please don't do it again.

[RH Trading 80]

would love to walk away from the big bills but honestly get a lot of sales from AT, finding a few now from FB but not enough to give up AT completely by a long way, any help on how to get more FB sales very welcome, takes up a lot of time and loads of timewasters but there's gold in them there hills

[Phil H 124]

speak to Jim Reid he'll happily help you through the process.

[Wood235 36]

It's been about 16 months since we jumped ship, we are selling as many and haven't got the equivalent to a large mortgage to pay with AT anymore! Happy days!!

[umesh 336]

It's been about 16 months since we jumped ship, we are selling as many and haven't got the equivalent to a large mortgage to pay with AT anymore! Happy days!!

GREAT to hear that ! so are you advertising in different places ? portals etc ? what have you done to maintain/increase sales / leads with AT ? [Great saving per month to add to bottom line  ] 

[Wood235 36]

We have been doing an extra newspaper, only fortnightly plus the rac site. We are saving approx a grand with AT and spending £200 with local paper and rac is free!

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

Can I ask where your leads are coming from now, if your not with AT

[sparky 274]

28 day notice with AT has just been served. My financial year ended 30/10/15 and since then I've had a good start to the next financial year, including December which was a real bonus. Now over that period AT has paid for itself, but that's all it's done. Other business/leads has come from ebay, google, Zuto/247,  walk ons,  good old fashioned walk ons and since I've started to get the hang of FB, I've had a couple of deals off there (thanks Jim).

I'll more than likely go back on Motors, which I know works as long as buying is disciplined, and in the process I'll be reducing my overheads from £2600 per month to £1100 (not including my own wages) which which will still include a nice fancy website, ebay and all the other platforms that Motors brings. That takes the pressure off when things go quiet and gives me chance to focus on quality and margin and not quantity and this silly red/green stuff which seems to be all the rage at the moment.

If good quality stock with a decent margin in it suddenly becomes readily available (fat chance I know) then I may well have a change of heart, but for the time being I'm pretty confident that the world will not end when I part company with AT.

 

[BORO PAUL 0]

 red/green stuff which seems to be all the rage at the moment.

 

What did you mean by this ?