( But there is one last hurdle to jump and another pain in the ass to sort out, which is basically proving that each car i sell is roadworthy, im hearing more and more stories that buyers buy a car that the seller claims is roadworthy and then returns it a few days or even a few weeks later, claiming the car is knackered and not fit for road and then eventually going to court, ringing the police, etc.)
Hi keeron, I'm a motor trader dealing in exactly the same stock as you describe ,I've been in the trade for about fourty years working for franchised dealers ,used car dealers and selling for myself ,most forum members would agree I'm qualified to comment .
So having said that ,I have to say your worried about something that just doesn't happen .
You must make sure to the best of your knowledge and belief that any car your selling is both roadworthy and in reasonable condition ,checking safety related items brakes , lights etc should always be a priority . I only sell cars that have a new mot .its an automatic defence if you genuinely sell an unroadworthy car.
If it does happen that you sell an unsafe car you have the right to involve the garage that did the mot for you .
Basically buyers of cars in the £2k to £5k market may shout and bluster about suing ,involving trading standards ,solicitors etc .It very rarely happens ,it never has to me .
The main thing to be aware of , is that consumer law is subjective ,the idea that a car has to have a 1 month ,1 year ,6 year warranty etc is nonsense .simply sort the cars out ,before you offer them to the public .
Finally present your cars properly ,the cars must have a good quality valet ,if a buyer makes an appointment to view make sure that the car will start on the first turn of the key,give it a coat of polish before they arrive ,tyre sheen on the wheels improves the look of a car .
Your opting to join a tough and complicated business ,if your any way near West Yorkshire ,let me know and we can perhaps get together and I could help with more information .
Good luck with your venture
Tonyg
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hi tony !! thanks alot for the input..
I think i have now worked out my problem and ive just decided to offer 6 months warranty for all vehicles i sell, provided by someone like warranty wise or another company that provides warranty.. This saves hassle on both my part and the buyers.
Do you think this is a good option Tony ? To get warranty and just pay for the warranty cost, but make sure i still make enough profit ?
Is warrantywise a good company or should i look around more, specifally warranty for car traders etc. ??
Thanks again guys!! I Really appreciate all the help. Thanks rob..
Edited by keeron on 16/09/2014 at 14:54
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The problem if using an external warranty is if something breaks down that is NOT covered by the warranty (and we hear stories on here all the time about things not covered by warranties), YOU are still liable for the repairs. In addition, you're sending a nice large chunk of your profit to the warranty company.
You've said that you've got a good mechanic. I'd be more inclined to take the job on with any warranty work myself, if possible.
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hmm, ok..
So i need to make sure what is and what isnt covered by the warranty. And if its not covered by a warranty i am still responsible for repairs ? wow, there is not easy way around this lol! .
Im going to have to get the facts on what i will have to repair if anything does go wrong in the sales of goods act etc... For example, the cars i am selling are no newer than 2007, so my cars will eventually have wear and tear, and faults with them.
But i guess, the fact that i am giving the customer a warranty which i am paying for out of my own money, then i guess they are less likely to be an awkward customer, like trying to take me to court other stupid things i dont have the time for..
I can only try and make sure my cars will last, but this is literally impossible, as we have no control on how the customer drives or what will go wrong with it in the future. If my 2004 plate car is roadyworthy with 12 months MOT and 6 months warranty, then i am less likely to recieve an hassle, that i would if i sold a car with 3 months mot and no warranty..
Every time ive bought a car 7+ years old and something went wrong ive never took it back to the seller, because its a car!! What do people expect ? lol.. But i can also get most problems fixed without going to a garage, but still what do buyers expect from a 7-10 year old car?... All i can offer is a roadworthy car with a new MOT, 6 months warranty and i will throughly test my cars to make sure they are above average for the age.
For example, ive just bought a VW Polo 53 plate with only one previous owner and 80k miles. And is in great condition its only got minor scratches and one bit of rust, were going to get the one piece of rust out, remove the swirl marks and remove as many scratches, polish it up, get it through its MOT, give it a service and re sell it with 6 months warranty.
Edited by keeron on 16/09/2014 at 16:25
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I can only try and make sure my cars will last, but this is literally impossible, as we have no control on how the customer drives or what will go wrong with it in the future.
And you certainly have no control over what has already happened to the car - which you may or may not be able to discover. Setting a lower age limit of 7 years must make selection quite tricky.
I would second others' advice about warranties. Many customers expect them, but even though you will up your price to allow for the cost, those companies only provide cover to make money - some of it yours. I don't think you should buy warranties if you intend to fix faults yourself within any warranty period.
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(I think i have now worked out my problem and ive just decided to offer 6 months warranty for all vehicles i sell, provided by someone like warranty wise or another company that provides warranty.. This saves hassle on both my part and the buyers.
Do you think this is a good option Tony ? To get warranty and just pay for the warranty cost, but make sure i still make enough profit ?)
Hi keeron ,
Don't put to much faith in warranties ,I use warranties 2000 from leeds ,a three month warranty costs very little from them , and covers very little ,but it does satisfy a car buyers need for a warranty . No warranty will cover ware and tare items ,the way to deal with warranty claims is give a buyer the three months warranty as above ,if he has a problem your confident is genuine then repair it at your expense .
Don't worry about the law and consumer rights ,trading standards and citizens advice are both ineffective and only get involved in extreme cases of mis selling .
Just try to be fair and reasonable with buyers ,if your confident a buyers trying it on tell him to see a solicitor ,they never do .
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Ok, thanks mate.. Im local to leeds, so i may check out warranties 2000.
My mind is alot clearer now, i guess i was overthinking things, but its better to know what to do in certain situations instead of not preparing for things like customers wanting returns or repairs etc...
Edited by keeron on 16/09/2014 at 23:26
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>>,tyre sheen on the wheels improves the look of a car .
Personally, that's one thing that puts me off a car, along with that shiny silicon cleaner they put on dashboards and engines. If a car's clean and polished, with a clean interior and a relatively clean engine, then to me it looks 'honest'.
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>>,tyre sheen on the wheels improves the look of a car .
Personally, that's one thing that puts me off a car, along with that shiny silicon cleaner they put on dashboards and engines. If a car's clean and polished, with a clean interior and a relatively clean engine, then to me it looks 'honest'.
I'll second that, Tom. Shiny tyres just look like an attempt to cover up, or distract attention from something else.
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Used tyres on a car are always stained from use ,mud etc leaves them looking scruffy and detracts from the look of a car .silicone type tyre sheen applied the day before a viewing , makes the tyres look new . The black tyre paint looks wrong as it stays permanently shiny .
Again interior silicone spray is ok ,providing it's applied lightly and then gone over with a lint free cloth ,it leaves the interior clean and smelling fresh .
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Regarding tyre shine, i honestly prefer car tyres to be black, rather than faded, muddy or worn. If a first car buyer or young male or even female was buying, then having black and shiny tyres could help with the sale from a cosmetic view and first impressions of the whole car.
But saying that, i prefer the cars i buy to have terrible looking tyres, so i can get the price down :) or so it reduces the price of the car overall... On the cars i drive i like to keep my tyres black with tyre shine. But thats just me.
And as a trader, i will clean the tyres before any car viewing or sale. This is just me, i like to get the car looking as good as possible when a buyer is interested. I can see as a car trader or dealer how it could make you think they are hiding other problems by making the car look cosmetically better, but at the same time a buyer wants the car to look as good as it can if they are paying top dollar for a car.
Edited by keeron on 16/09/2014 at 23:37
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And as a trader, i will clean the tyres before any car viewing or sale. This is just me, i like to get the car looking as good as possible when a buyer is interested. I can see as a car trader or dealer how it could make you think they are hiding other problems by making the car look cosmetically better, but at the same time a buyer wants the car to look as good as it can if they are paying top dollar for a car.
As a very occasional buyer I am not put off by seeing a car in unvaleted condition - it gives me a chance to look under the rear seats or spare wheel, places which are often passed over. But of course I expect a clean car when I collect.
If you as a trader have enough spare time to prep every car before it goes on display, you may be missing trading opportunities. And you may have wasted time (and a bit of cash) on a car which doesn't sell...
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If you as a trader have enough spare time to prep every car before it goes on display, you may be missing trading opportunities. And you may have wasted time (and a bit of cash) on a car which doesn't sell...
yeah that's true..
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