Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all (Vol. 2).

[Hub]

An increasing number of car ads have the car on some sort of turntable thing for the photos... It seems to be the fashion, but surely it can't be that great an investment for all these dealers to have a massive room just because you can't be bothered to walk around taking photos? OR is it that they are just using earlier auction pics and this a good indicator of where they got the stock?

[Fast Bug]

Hub said:

An increasing number of car ads have the car on some sort of turntable thing for the photos... It seems to be the fashion, but surely it can't be that great an investment for all these dealers to have a massive room just because you can't be bothered to walk around taking photos? OR is it that they are just using earlier auction pics and this a good indicator of where they got the stock?

Or it makes it easier to take photos if you don't have to shuffle the car around for each photo. We've just had 15 used ars arrive on stock over the past couple of days. There's a conveyor line of cars coming out of the valet bay to be photographed. I reckon a turntable would probably save half a day faffing about.

[The Rotrex Kid]

Fast Bug said:

Hub said:

An increasing number of car ads have the car on some sort of turntable thing for the photos... It seems to be the fashion, but surely it can't be that great an investment for all these dealers to have a massive room just because you can't be bothered to walk around taking photos? OR is it that they are just using earlier auction pics and this a good indicator of where they got the stock?

Or it makes it easier to take photos if you don't have to shuffle the car around for each photo. We've just had 15 used ars arrive on stock over the past couple of days. There's a conveyor line of cars coming out of the valet bay to be photographed. I reckon a turntable would probably save half a day faffing about.

And car salesmen are lazy bds, convincing them to photo cars is hard work.

[Milner993]

We don't have the turn table, although it would be nice if we did.
Taking pictures, recording a video and other 360 images takes about 30 mins per vehicle if it's not raining and if the cars not blocked it and if you don't get called away to speak with a customer that's walked in!

We now employ a dedicated photographer and social media person to carry out this job, it's now to laborious for the sales guys to do! + They are lazy

[resolve10]

The biggest issue with dealer photos is when they are indoors. Why would you try and entice someone to part with multiple thousands of pounds with a dull indoor photo of a commodity which is going to spend the majority of its life outdoors?

[Deep Thought]

Milner993 said:

We don't have the turn table, although it would be nice if we did.
Taking pictures, recording a video and other 360 images takes about 30 mins per vehicle if it's not raining and if the cars not blocked it and if you don't get called away to speak with a customer that's walked in!

We now employ a dedicated photographer and social media person to carry out this job, it's now to laborious for the sales guys to do! + They are lazy

And time consuming and takes you away from your core job role - selling.

[Zero Fuchs]

Finance question.

I understand that dealers make money from PCP, which is fine. I'm guessing this is why incentives are available with PCP and not as generous with cash.

But is this comission affected by the buyer, if they settle the finance early?

For example, if I take advantage of an incentive and clear the finance next month, does the dealer lose out?

Thanks.

[HTP99]

Zero Fuchs said:

Finance question.

I understand that dealers make money from PCP, which is fine. I'm guessing this is why incentives are available with PCP and not as generous with cash.

But is this comission affected by the buyer, if they settle the finance early?

For example, if I take advantage of an incentive and clear the finance next month, does the dealer lose out?

Thanks.

Yes, any commission made would be clawed back, however that is not your problem.

[Zero Fuchs]

HTP99 said:

Zero Fuchs said:

Finance question.

I understand that dealers make money from PCP, which is fine. I'm guessing this is why incentives are available with PCP and not as generous with cash.

But is this comission affected by the buyer, if they settle the finance early?

For example, if I take advantage of an incentive and clear the finance next month, does the dealer lose out?

Thanks.

Yes, any commission made would be clawed back, however that is not your problem.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Is there a point at which it's not clawed back, before the end of the loan term?

I ask as these are tough times and appreciate dealers are businesses and need to make money. Therefore, I've no issues with not paying cash, if PCP greases the wheels and everyone is happy. Naturally paying more interest (than is strictly necessary) is not ideal but if there's a point at which the commission isn't clawed back then it'd be useful to know. Thanks.

[Dan W.]

Zero Fuchs said:

HTP99 said:

Zero Fuchs said:

Finance question.

I understand that dealers make money from PCP, which is fine. I'm guessing this is why incentives are available with PCP and not as generous with cash.

But is this comission affected by the buyer, if they settle the finance early?

For example, if I take advantage of an incentive and clear the finance next month, does the dealer lose out?

Thanks.

Yes, any commission made would be clawed back, however that is not your problem.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Is there a point at which it's not clawed back, before the end of the loan term?

I ask as these are tough times and appreciate dealers are businesses and need to make money. Therefore, I've no issues with not paying cash, if PCP greases the wheels and everyone is happy. Naturally paying more interest (than is strictly necessary) is not ideal but if there's a point at which the commission isn't clawed back then it'd be useful to know. Thanks.

claw back usually can be upto 6 months sometimes longer for the dealership.

And actually pcp doesnt make us much finance income on new car deals to be honest, What it does is allow the dealer to get first bite at the customer next time for customer retention and an ideal bit of stock usually 1 owner full history 3 years old.

used pcp we earn nice finance income

Sold a new car yesterday 23k balance on pcp 7.9% apr and we get £75 finance commission

But its an existing customer whos had 3 cars from us now on pcp, ideal stock 3 year old 25k perfect condition straight on the pitch and will sell in a few days.

Edited by Dan W. on Friday 4th August 09:31

[HTP99]

Zero Fuchs said:

HTP99 said:

Zero Fuchs said:

Finance question.

I understand that dealers make money from PCP, which is fine. I'm guessing this is why incentives are available with PCP and not as generous with cash.

But is this comission affected by the buyer, if they settle the finance early?

For example, if I take advantage of an incentive and clear the finance next month, does the dealer lose out?

Thanks.

Yes, any commission made would be clawed back, however that is not your problem.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Is there a point at which it's not clawed back, before the end of the loan term?

I ask as these are tough times and appreciate dealers are businesses and need to make money. Therefore, I've no issues with not paying cash, if PCP greases the wheels and everyone is happy. Naturally paying more interest (than is strictly necessary) is not ideal but if there's a point at which the commission isn't clawed back then it'd be useful to know. Thanks.

Don't worry about the dealer, just worry about yourself, play the game, I say this as a car salesman.

Just check that any deposit contributions aren't demanded back from yourself from the finance company, it is in the T's&C's of our finance paperwork, however it is not acted upon but there are murmurings that this may happen at some point.

[Zero Fuchs]

Appreciate the honesty. Thanks guys.

Sadly I'm the worst customer ever. No brand loyalty and tend to keep my cars!

That's interesting about them clawing back incentives though. Crazy if that happens!

[Magikarp]

Give a salesman credit, if they're too busy to get up and walk across a showroom to talk to someone, preferring to holler instead, how in tarnation are we supposed to expect them to photograph cars? Unfair, they'd call it.

[Dan W.]

Magikarp said:

Give a salesman credit, if they're too busy to get up and walk across a showroom to talk to someone, preferring to holler instead, how in tarnation are we supposed to expect them to photograph cars? Unfair, they'd call it.

As a salesman who takes all the photo's at my place im outside in all weather lol

lots of lazy sales people think taking photos is beneath them these days, I do get the inside photo booths though looks great saves any time with weather wise and a decent investment

[The Rotrex Kid]

Magikarp said:

Give a salesman credit, if they're too busy to get up and walk across a showroom to talk to someone, preferring to holler instead, how in tarnation are we supposed to expect them to photograph cars? Unfair, they'd call it.

Hahhahahahhahhhaahaha

I know who you’re talking about.

[Sheepshanks]

Dan W. said:

claw back usually can be upto 6 months sometimes longer for the dealership.

And actually pcp doesnt make us much finance income on new car deals to be honest, What it does is allow the dealer to get first bite at the customer next time for customer retention and an ideal bit of stock usually 1 owner full history 3 years old.

used pcp we earn nice finance income

Sold a new car yesterday 23k balance on pcp 7.9% apr and we get £75 finance commission

But its an existing customer whos had 3 cars from us now on pcp, ideal stock 3 year old 25k perfect condition straight on the pitch and will sell in a few days.

Wife just got a nearly-new Karoq and the salesman told her to take the PCP to get the (small) deposit contribution and service etc package and then to call VWFS to cancel it - he even gave her the number to call and looked up their Saturday opening hours.. So clearly not an issue to him / his dealership.

[Dan W.]

Sheepshanks said:

Dan W. said:

claw back usually can be upto 6 months sometimes longer for the dealership.

And actually pcp doesnt make us much finance income on new car deals to be honest, What it does is allow the dealer to get first bite at the customer next time for customer retention and an ideal bit of stock usually 1 owner full history 3 years old.

used pcp we earn nice finance income

Sold a new car yesterday 23k balance on pcp 7.9% apr and we get £75 finance commission

But its an existing customer whos had 3 cars from us now on pcp, ideal stock 3 year old 25k perfect condition straight on the pitch and will sell in a few days.

Wife just got a nearly-new Karoq and the salesman told her to take the PCP to get the (small) deposit contribution and service etc package and then to call VWFS to cancel it - he even gave her the number to call and looked up their Saturday opening hours.. So clearly not an issue to him / his dealership.

We had a finance offer last month on used cars, £400 contribution and £150 off next year service if you take finance.

same as you were told, we were informing customers to pay it off after 1 payment, End of the day its about selling the car and everyone wins

[The Rotrex Kid]

Sheepshanks said:

Dan W. said:

claw back usually can be upto 6 months sometimes longer for the dealership.

And actually pcp doesnt make us much finance income on new car deals to be honest, What it does is allow the dealer to get first bite at the customer next time for customer retention and an ideal bit of stock usually 1 owner full history 3 years old.

used pcp we earn nice finance income

Sold a new car yesterday 23k balance on pcp 7.9% apr and we get £75 finance commission

But its an existing customer whos had 3 cars from us now on pcp, ideal stock 3 year old 25k perfect condition straight on the pitch and will sell in a few days.

Wife just got a nearly-new Karoq and the salesman told her to take the PCP to get the (small) deposit contribution and service etc package and then to call VWFS to cancel it - he even gave her the number to call and looked up their Saturday opening hours.. So clearly not an issue to him / his dealership.

To a salesman it doesn’t really matter. They’ll get paid their commission for selling the car/finance, very unlikely they’ll get penalised if the customer cancels and they get anything clawed back.

Also, with manufacturer deals there js often a small amount of commission, nowhere near what is paid on a used vehicle.

The dealership will have a problem if they get enough cancellations and the dealer principle gets their ear chewed off for a massive churn rate!!

[Sheepshanks]

I have to say it's still a right faff buying a car, and we weren't particularly pushed on all the F& I add-ons..

I don't mind playing the game, but things like not being able to use the full value of wife's old car against the finance now means there's cashback on that (of course delayed a few days) plus they'll return the £500 deposit. There were so many numbers on the page the salesman and 'brand manager' were getting themselves confused.

One thing that hadn't occured to me, as I haven't bought a used car for many years, is that we had to pay the VED on collection.

[V12GT]

One for the used car salesmen out there...

I'm helping our son buy his first car as he's starting a job in September and needs one. When he first asked me a couple of months ago, there was very little at <£5k that wasn't over 10 years old and high mileage.

There seems to me to be much more when I looked again today with him - budget of £5k, post 2015/16 and small petrol hatchback, but bigger than a city car. There are also a reasonable number of Dacias, which seem good value.

So my question is: are used car prices coming down a bit now at this end of the market?