Contractors, Self Employed nice cars? You earn far too much!
Discussion
Am I the only person to get this at work? I am a self employed contractor and work within a blue chip organisation along side of people who are employed by this company. There are some nice car's in the car park but when people realize my car is mine they always come out with "you are paid far too much" or my manager will come out with stuff like "you don't need a rate increase this year do you".
I mean WTF? Why this negativity? A colleague has a £9,000 BMW 645ci Convertible in Black (2004, 125k miles)- he really looks after it (clay bar, polish etc) so it looks amazing and has nice wheels etc and we were laughing a lot this lunchtime when he told me he get's the same s
t day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that car 
How do you deal with idiots like these?
I mean WTF? Why this negativity? A colleague has a £9,000 BMW 645ci Convertible in Black (2004, 125k miles)- he really looks after it (clay bar, polish etc) so it looks amazing and has nice wheels etc and we were laughing a lot this lunchtime when he told me he get's the same s
t day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that car How do you deal with idiots like these?
Just point out the real value and the fact that it's lower depreciation, which offsets the higher running costs. Most people respond positively to that reasoning. Then offer to show them how they could afford their dream car.
I've even sent colleagues some links to get them interested!
I've even sent colleagues some links to get them interested!
LOL all the time mate. How do I deal with it:
They - "You earn far too much"
Me - "No, you got that wrong, you earn far too less"
They -
Manager - "you won't need a rate increase this year, or "we pay you far to much"
Me "No, not really; if you did I would be driving a Red Ferrari (and if you own a Ferrari - say a Bugatti ;-) "
Manager -
It's a way of life - deal with it mate, will happen which ever company you go and work for and where ever that may be located in the UK - same ste day in day out. If you can't deal with it get a Fiesta for work ;-)
They - "You earn far too much"
Me - "No, you got that wrong, you earn far too less"
They -
Manager - "you won't need a rate increase this year, or "we pay you far to much"
Me "No, not really; if you did I would be driving a Red Ferrari (and if you own a Ferrari - say a Bugatti ;-) "
Manager -
It's a way of life - deal with it mate, will happen which ever company you go and work for and where ever that may be located in the UK - same s
te day in day out. If you can't deal with it get a Fiesta for work ;-)I'm in the same position and never talk about my cars at work because some people can be very jealous - even if their eurobox is worth more!
In fact my cars are all >6 years old but they don't see that - just a fast car.
It's an odd stance to take by them but you find it a lot in the UK.
In fact my cars are all >6 years old but they don't see that - just a fast car.
It's an odd stance to take by them but you find it a lot in the UK.
Buy a crappy diesel rep mobile for visiting clients.
Don't rock up at a clients premises in an Aston Martin, and then complain if someone questions why they're paying £500 a day for your services.
I appreciate your mates 645 dilemma ..... people have no clue what cars are worth. I drive an 8 year old X5, and have been asked by "financed brand new base model A3 bird" at work how I can afford something that expensive. She's more fresh air in her head than the balloon in her finance agreement that she chooses to ignore.
Don't rock up at a clients premises in an Aston Martin, and then complain if someone questions why they're paying £500 a day for your services.
I appreciate your mates 645 dilemma ..... people have no clue what cars are worth. I drive an 8 year old X5, and have been asked by "financed brand new base model A3 bird" at work how I can afford something that expensive. She's more fresh air in her head than the balloon in her finance agreement that she chooses to ignore.
g7jhp said:
Just point out the real value and the fact that it's lower depreciation, which offsets the higher running costs. Most people respond positively to that reasoning. Then offer to show them how they could afford their dream car.
I've even sent colleagues some links to get them interested!
Trust me I have tried that - but most people who come out with comments like this don't even know what "depreciation v running costs" mean I've even sent colleagues some links to get them interested!
W4NTED said:
Am I the only person to get this at work? I am a self employed contractor and work within a blue chip organisation along side of people who are employed by this company. There are some nice car's in the car park but when people realize my car is mine they always come out with "you are paid far too much" or my manager will come out with stuff like "you don't need a rate increase this year do you".
I mean WTF? Why this negativity? A colleague has a £9,000 BMW 645ci Convertible in Black (2004, 125k miles)- he really looks after it (clay bar, polish etc) so it looks amazing and has nice wheels etc and we were laughing a lot this lunchtime when he told me he get's the same st day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that car
How do you deal with idiots like these?
Just ignore them or laugh at them. I had this myself only recently when I bought a 3yr Focus ST. First night I turned up to work in it I was scoffed at by the full-timers wanting to know how I could afford it, how much it cost, must be paying you too much etc etc. Two even went round to see the manager to complain that I was "in all the time" when there apparently wasn't even enough work for them and wanted management to stop using me.. which was rather amusing as I was there to do the jobs that they refused to do themselves. When i nonchalantly announced that I'd paid cash for it as well they looked like they were about to explode. I mean WTF? Why this negativity? A colleague has a £9,000 BMW 645ci Convertible in Black (2004, 125k miles)- he really looks after it (clay bar, polish etc) so it looks amazing and has nice wheels etc and we were laughing a lot this lunchtime when he told me he get's the same s
t day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that car How do you deal with idiots like these?
Bit in all honestly I don't like going to work in it as I fear that I will return to it one morning with a nice key scratch down the side. 
I get it all the time, more so after each car change/holiday.
I politely remind them that out of my client base, I charge them the least...
Do I care, no- unfortunately some of the employees are so focussed on image. One has a Lexus RX that's 4 years old that they can't afford the final balloon payment on...
I politely remind them that out of my client base, I charge them the least...
Do I care, no- unfortunately some of the employees are so focussed on image. One has a Lexus RX that's 4 years old that they can't afford the final balloon payment on...
It actually doesn't matter that you are a contractor, its cross departmental too, a few years ago I bought an early 98 plate Porsche Boxster, gave less than 4k for it and but as soon as I went to work in it, got plenty of 'you guys in recruitment earn too much', 'how do you afford a Porsche','wow, wish doing <insert their job here> paid that much, you must all be minted in HR', when in all honesty about 50% of them earnt more than me, about 90% of people that commented had cars worth in excess of 15k sat in the company car park, but I was an overpaid flash harry in a 4k Porker !!!!
W4NTED said:
I mean WTF? Why this negativity? A colleague has a £9,000 BMW 645ci Convertible in Black (2004, 125k miles)- he really looks after it (clay bar, polish etc) so it looks amazing and has nice wheels etc and we were laughing a lot this lunchtime when he told me he get's the same st day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that car
To be fair... I bet a 645 costs a lot more to run than a new Fiesta when you consider all the costs.t day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that carBeing a staff employee myself, its a known fact that most contractors earn more than the lower level members of staff.
For me if the lower level members could be arsed then they would try to progress within the company, be improving their CV in terms of training or have left and gone contracting.
Its just simple jealousy, when people see the contractors in work and its "say have you seen his car", "how much is he getting paid" etc - you know you can leave and contract, but then you'd lose your health benefits, sick pay, holidays, have to pay an accountant etc etc.
One lad used to swap his Audi for a brand new one every 12 months and the other lad who was a bit older than me about 27-9 was driving a brand new Porsche Boxter which they hated!
Of course then there are just the plain stupid ones who can't comprehend a 10 year old 6 series will cost less than their brand new 65MPG euro dull box.
Move out of the UK, I've never been somewhere with such an envious culture! (And I am British).
For me if the lower level members could be arsed then they would try to progress within the company, be improving their CV in terms of training or have left and gone contracting.
Its just simple jealousy, when people see the contractors in work and its "say have you seen his car", "how much is he getting paid" etc - you know you can leave and contract, but then you'd lose your health benefits, sick pay, holidays, have to pay an accountant etc etc.
One lad used to swap his Audi for a brand new one every 12 months and the other lad who was a bit older than me about 27-9 was driving a brand new Porsche Boxter which they hated!
Of course then there are just the plain stupid ones who can't comprehend a 10 year old 6 series will cost less than their brand new 65MPG euro dull box.
Move out of the UK, I've never been somewhere with such an envious culture! (And I am British).
Ive been referred to as "Contract Scum" by the permies on a recent project. I was in to do the out of hours stuff the permanent staff refused to do. I was told by another contractor he will just smile sweetly and every few minutes say to himself "50p","50p" with the frequency depending on the rate!
From the few conversations I've had with my colleagues about cars they do generally seem to think that anything over three years old will be an unreliable deathtrap that will only do 10mpg and cost £1000 a year to tax. Thus they only look at new or nearly new cars, and since they're not really that bothered about them they end up buying something mid-range (at best) and pretty dull. Nowt wrong with that - if nothing else it keeps a healthy supply of cheap sheds and station cars on tap for future years - but I do feel sorry that they're blind to the wonders of the vertiginous depreciation you get on big-engined petrol cars.
One chap who doesn't earn a king's ransom but who is car-savvy rolled up one day in a very tidy 3-litre S-type Jag. From the comments this prompted you would have thought that to do this he must have won the lottery, or come into a substantial inheritance. It cost three grand.
One chap who doesn't earn a king's ransom but who is car-savvy rolled up one day in a very tidy 3-litre S-type Jag. From the comments this prompted you would have thought that to do this he must have won the lottery, or come into a substantial inheritance. It cost three grand.
james_gt3rs said:
W4NTED said:
I mean WTF? Why this negativity? A colleague has a £9,000 BMW 645ci Convertible in Black (2004, 125k miles)- he really looks after it (clay bar, polish etc) so it looks amazing and has nice wheels etc and we were laughing a lot this lunchtime when he told me he get's the same st day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that car
To be fair... I bet a 645 costs a lot more to run than a new Fiesta when you consider all the costs.t day in day out from colleagues. An old lady just bought a Fiesta which is worth more than his BMW and she hates him for having that carThere is a cross over point on a pence per mile scale, where the steep depreciation curve of the fiesta will offset the economy and running costs of the 645.
Use and independent to look after the BMW, and keep the annual mileage down to 6000 per year (ish), and the Fiesta could be an expensive way to travel.
Even when the BMW becomes more on a gross pence per mile cost, it's easy to make an emotional case for the extra cost for having access to use such a nice piece of kit, rather than a supermini.
I learnt this early on from a previous boss in a small company. When he went to see clients he used his flat white, 4 door sierra. He never took the new Range Rover.
I used to do similar when I went contracting; I've turned up in various dog-eared commuter boxes like a Rover 218 or even a Triumph Acclaim (!). Taking the nearly new car I had at home could lead to these sort of "paid too much" comments.
If anyone did ever come out with the "overpaid" chat I'd offer to show them how to buy a cheap Ltd. Co. and do it for themselves, allowing for no paid holidays, sick leave, etc. and they would pipe down.
To be fair, most folk who said it were just taking the pee, only a small handful said it with any level of spite. Can't believe the tales above of them running to their manager telling tales - FFS!
I used to do similar when I went contracting; I've turned up in various dog-eared commuter boxes like a Rover 218 or even a Triumph Acclaim (!). Taking the nearly new car I had at home could lead to these sort of "paid too much" comments.
If anyone did ever come out with the "overpaid" chat I'd offer to show them how to buy a cheap Ltd. Co. and do it for themselves, allowing for no paid holidays, sick leave, etc. and they would pipe down.
To be fair, most folk who said it were just taking the pee, only a small handful said it with any level of spite. Can't believe the tales above of them running to their manager telling tales - FFS!
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