Car lot

[hpi_matrix]

I guess the trouble is that dealers are tied into a 6 months warranty now and can't "sell as seen", who wants to warranty a sub £1000 car for 6 months?

[fiatdaft]

Exactly .

 

 

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[Bren]

I don't mind bombsite traders - I could see that our vectra was basically a sound car that could have fetched maybe £100 more if he had bothered to clean it.

 

They have overheads and still have to make a living - I have no objection to this whatsoever - I object to the ones that pass off cars that are fucked as of "merchantable quality" when plainly they are'nt.

[SiC]

I don't mind bombsite traders - I could see that our vectra was basically a sound car that could have fetched maybe £100 more if he had bothered to clean it.

 

They have overheads and still have to make a living - I have no objection to this whatsoever - I object to the ones that pass off cars that are fucked as of "merchantable quality" when plainly they are'nt.

I guess this is part of the problem. Due to the race to the bottom, thanks to ease of comparison of price on eBay/AT/etc, there really isn't much margin in motors nowadays. It seems to either be high-end prices, where the seller gives a comprehensive warranty, immaculate and well running car to pile-high, sell cheap.

 

To make a profit on the pile-high route, they seem to literally take them off the back of the transporter and stick them straight onto the forecourt. No mechanical testing and if you're lucky, some poorly paid eastern European gives it a once over with a bucket. If there is problems, fight nail and tooth (possibly changing company names every so often) or just buy back and dispose of cheaply. Sell enough cars and on average as long as they predominately don't have much come back, it cancels out the loss of the few and you make a living.

 

It would be interesting to follow the life of a Cannock car auction banger. I can't imagine all the buyers are private and exporters. There has to be a decent quantity going into the trade.

[SiC]

Here are a good few examples of my above post here around Bristol that I've found and personally visited.

 

First is "Benedicts of Bristol" who are the expensive, but decent cars with backup: http://www.benedictsofbristol.co.uk/

 

Second case is "Volks-Hanham", who are the fly-by-night job. Volks-Hanam is their currently latest name: http://www.volks-hanham.com/

Previously known as (that I remember) "Cars under 3k" (2016), "Bristol Px bargains" (2015), "Hanham Car Centre" (2014)...

Going by their current reviews on Google, I suspect they'll have another name change soon.

 

Third case is Roys Autos who are (well is) the one man traditional, old school bomb site. He's a tad expensive for what they are, but seems to have a following. I guess because Patchway is not a prosperous area, so he gets a ready supply of punters whos bangers have broken. He makes no qualms on his adverts that what you see is what you get.

Being old school, his internet presence is a bit piecemeal.

So:

https://www.facebook.com/Roys-Motorbargains-310618519130555/

http://ebayshowroom.ebaymotorspro.co.uk/emp/showroom.html?cid=ZrwA3A99StFsh7wKEhKygQ%3D%3D

and Gumtree.

[mercrocker]

An old mate of mine ran a lot for a number of years, only packed up when council planners started getting stupid about use of land, etc.   

 

From what has transpired since that seems to have been more about itchy developers wanting to get their hands on it. 

 

Anyway, point is that he told me by far and away his biggest demand came from migrant workers - 75 percent - who found it easier to deal with him as opposed to Gumtree and Ebay sellers.   He was happy trading with them and found them all pretty straightforward and of course cash-rich (or at least credit poor).     

 

On a slight tangent - does anybody still find cars in newsagent windows?   Bought a good few of mine over the years like that but it seems to have almost completely disappeared round our way.

[hpi_matrix]

On a slight tangent - does anybody still find cars in newsagent windows? 

 

I always make a point to look for them

[fordperv]

I bought a mk3 mondeo from a car sales for my mum nearly 2 years ago now, rocked up with the cash and drove it away it was already hoovered and clean and it wasnt smothered in spray on shine crap, i was very happy

[AMC Rebel]

 

 

On a slight tangent - does anybody still find cars in newsagent windows?   Bought a good few of mine over the years like that but it seems to have almost completely disappeared round our way.

 

There's a bloke around here who is a (very) small-time trader who advertises all his luxury motors on hand-written postcards in the Co-Op.  I always browse these kinds of Ads - better still I was walking around town yesterday and saw a Pug 406 with a sign in the window saying "10 months MOT £350" 

[AMC Rebel]

Second case is "Volks-Hanham" Volks-Hanam is their currently latest name: http://www.volks-hanham.com/

Previously known as (that I remember) "Cars under 3k" (2016), "Bristol Px bargains" (2015), "Hanham Car Centre" (2014)...

Going by their current reviews on Google, I suspect they'll have another name change soon.

 

 

 

The reviews don't cover them in glory but I suspect they are also representative of the issues even the reputable ones face - some of the shrieking sensationalism about "putting me and my baby at risk" etc and "my mechanic said the car wasn't safe to drive" - which goes on to list a range of non-safety critical defects.  Of course there's no excuse for "he was shouting at my partner" but maybe if the partner came in shouting the odds about OMG baby death etc that's how it started?  I  am not defending sharks and charlatans selling stuff that shouldn't be on the road but if some of the ebay disputes we hear about are true, trying to run a decent car lot for cheap motors just can't be worth it.

[AMC Rebel]

 it wasnt smothered in spray on shine crap, 

 

I hate that stuff.

[Twiggy]

 

On a slight tangent - does anybody still find cars in newsagent windows?

 

Not seemingly in newsagents` windows, but I regularly see adverts for them in the local co-op, and McColl`s.

[SiC]

The reviews don't cover them in glory but I suspect they are also representative of the issues even the reputable ones face - some of the shrieking sensationalism about "putting me and my baby at risk" etc and "my mechanic said the car wasn't safe to drive" - which goes on to list a range of non-safety critical defects. Of course there's no excuse for "he was shouting at my partner" but maybe if the partner came in shouting the odds about OMG baby death etc that's how it started? I am not defending sharks and charlatans selling stuff that shouldn't be on the road but if some of the ebay disputes we hear about are true, trying to run a decent car lot for cheap motors just can't be worth it.

Oh I don't disagree! I am merely pointing out different business models. However such negative reviews are off-putting to potential customers even if they're true or not, also a name change is an easy way of eradicating such thing.

 

Like I suggested, these cars are very likely straight off the transporter and into the lot. Basically a mix of ok and fucked part-ex's that have been chopped in because they have problems. If someone test drives properly they walk away or negotiate hard, those who don't or don't know what they're looking for are in for trouble with such enterprises. If a fault is found, no f's are given and it's straight back on the forecourt. I suspect that one you said about never even test drove it, otherwise she'd known the 50mph wobble pretty quickly!

 

Such way of working does attract a certain type of person who really isn't bothered by such way of work. I.e. "it's their own problem now!/they should have checked before handing over the cash"

I know I couldn't be such a dealer, as I'd feel guilty for knowing stuff wrong and not saying. Possibly why I usually make a loss when I shift on my cheap cars I get bored of!

[AMC Rebel]

I don't think the name change thing is going to work for them - quite a few of the reviews mention the previous names

 

I agree I couldn't be a trader - I'd feel I'd let the honest punters down and I'd be played for a mug by the scummy ones.

[makum101]

I did this in 2006. After returning from living abroad I walked into a Seat dealers and asked the youngun about a nearly new second hand car they had on their website. After a test drive I said Okay Ill take it with me (it had tax on it). Do you take debit cards? the kid didnt know what to do. After a pause in the conversation he said he would have get the boss. The guy took it all in his stride saying You can take it today if you have the funds in your bank. He even chucked a 30 day cover note in too. Drove off within an hour or so of arriving. 

[EssDeeWon]

On a slight tangent - does anybody still find cars in newsagent windows?   Bought a good few of mine over the years like that but it seems to have almost completely disappeared round our way.

 

I always have a look, hoping to find old Granny Smith selling her 1 owner from new garaged mk2 Fiesta 1.1 Ghia for £250.

[xtriple]

I was always fussy about the cars I sold. Even when I was down the bottom of the market I still made sure they were decent, reliable heaps that looked their best and had a genuine MOT on them. No, I didn't make as much as I could have but I did sleep at night.

 

Still used to get absolute arseholes trying it on. Oh hum a game well left.

[Stixy]

The old Alfa 'specialist' in Tamworth was like that, you could wait and have it cleaned or just take it there and then. They always had more ropeyish trade in types than alfas sadly.

Where was that ?

[Tamworthbay]

Where was that ?

On Watling street, next to the Dugout chippy.

[Stixy]

On Watling street, next to the Dugout chippy.

 

I loose track of who is running the site now but its never been a long term for the same business .

 

Dugout is always worth a visit though 

[Tamworthbay]

I loose track of who is running the site now but its never been a long term for the same business .

 

Dugout is always worth a visit though

 

It's a classic bomb site place, I think the Alfa place was there about five or six years which is the longest I can remember anyone staying there. Good to nose around with a bag of chips though!

[Stixy]

It's a classic bomb site place, I think the Alfa place was there about five or six years which is the longest I can remember anyone staying there. Good to nose around with a bag of chips though!

 

In the early 90's it was run by two of the salesmen from the old john denis site at fazeley and they used to respray everything and if it was near the 100k  they would run it round the clock and say it had been zeroed in case of fraud , i used to do the service side of the free mot and service with every car  , they said service  but reality was oil and filter while it was on the mot ramp , no different to any other dealers of the time really but none of the cars were ever bargains  .

 

good old days ! 

[EssDeeWon]

I used to love going round the local car dealers with my dad years ago, even as a 10 year old I would look at shiney* stuff and know it was really a dog.

 

For the local southend shiters there used to be a little car lot across the road from the Nelson Pub, only about 4 or 5 cars in there. I remember going there once and my dad was eyeing up a red 305 estate, parked next to it was a T reg Granada 2.8 Ghia in black, I kept trying to draw his attention away from the 305 to look at this lovely* old granny.  He didn't buy anything there in the end. Both were up for about £400 IIRC