Online traders/websites

[T33JOB]

Hi guys,

I'm just wanting to get a little bit of feedback from a handful of people please, don't really need masses of responses but will appreciate them nonetheless

Basically, as you'll all be aware, buying a car is very much an online thing nowadays, find it on autotrader/pistonheads, and if it's a trader you'll most likely end up on their website having a general browse?

Yay/Nay?

Basically from my current trade/profession I've seen a lot of cars via traders that are, awful, and traders seem to be very deceitful with the cars history even if it's HPI clear (front end scuffs and stone chips = full front end paintjob to get it looking ok) and will happily tell customers it's mint, never been painted, it's all as new etc etc. Same with wheels being refurbed, a lot just get a man in a van to come and spray the faces (sometimes without even cleaning the faces let alone the rears!) getting paint all round the rear of the rim and the callipers and discs!

Basically, us PH lot like a good car, and most likely when buying a decent car would like it to be mint, preferably with no paint history, and if anything has been done, to atleast be told about it?

I'm just wanting to know if you were on a dealers website, and it mentioned the above (worked in the trade; seen how shoddy it CAN be, and we do it completely differently basically and only do it with the customers interest first) but also clearly stated that if work is done on cars, like a front bumper resprayed due to stone chips, and the wheels fully and professionally refurbed etc, were perfectly happy to tell you this?

I'm just concerned that having info like 'if we need to do any repairs it will be done right' may put people off, as others don't mention it and just sell the cars looking clean?

Honesty and doing the job right is what I'm wanting to portray rather than 'say nothing and yea the cars fine' approach.

Opinions please!

In simple terms - I'd use it as a selling point, but would it backfire and end up being too honest and sending buyers elsewhere?

Thanks everyone

Edited by T33JOB on Sunday 13th March 20:40

[waterwonder]

What are you planning on selling?

If it's run of the mill stuff I wouldn't bother you'll price yourself out of the Market and most people are not car enthusiast and will just ignore it on the premise that there is a cheaper 'mint' one somewhere else. However wildly inaccurate that maybe.

If it's enthusiast stuff, by which I mean something you might travel to the other end of a country for based on a honest sounding description. Then you may have a bit more joy.

If it was me I'd concentrate on buying right to start with and detailing it to be mint. I.e not loads of painting.

All my humble opinion of course.

[T33JOB]

Main stock will be current M3's, RS4's, Nissan GT-R's, Range Rovers, that sort of thing, obviously slightly lesser and higher vehicles will pass the doors from time to time

I want the cars to be worth travelling for, and by being 100% honest and having any work carried out being done by the top names in their particular forte, I consider it a selling point personally, but do others? Would a car that's had the wheels refurbed put you off if you got told about it or atleast made aware it may have been done?

[Ean218]

Well, I would expect any car over 2-3 years old to have had something done to it. I would not expect a trader to be aware of repairs done by previous owners.

A "specialist" in the marque might be a bit more savvy than your ordinary dealer but they still need to turn a profit so at the end of the day will always gloss things over.

As a buyer, I buy on condition and always barter down, especially with dealers, and specifically agree to waive warranties. But then again it always takes me ages to buy a car

[craig7584]

With those kind of cars u are asking people to part with a lot of money so I think its reassurring to know that u get an honest history of repairs with the car, it shows u are as much of an enthusiast as the buyer. I would say tho, that a more in-depth section on ur site , assuming ur talking of putting this on a site, that shows this happening with pics etc. I say this because it brings the dodgyness of buying a car to the forefront of the mind and cud sound like u r trying to cover up a dodgy job before u even start if u know what I mean, so by showing your mechanics and garage that loom the same on arrival it will show that u do actually do the work u claim on the site.

[T33JOB]

It wont be a part of my current business, but obviously its a profession I'm going to continue with the new venture, and having paint thickness gauges it can help back up our words with customers being allowed free range with the gauges to check for themselves

Full documentation of work carried out will always be mentioned for them to look if they wish,

[Ozzie Osmond]

T33JOB said:

Main stock will be current M3's, RS4's, Nissan GT-R's, Range Rovers, that sort of thing, obviously slightly lesser and higher vehicles will pass the doors from time to time.

Should be easy then. Once you've worked out how to deal with,
a. I need a test drive mate
b. I've got a "Blobby Neurobox" for part exchange
c. Warranty claim - the £5,000 gearbox failed when I was half a mile down the road.

[POORCARDEALER]

As many new cars have had paint retification work when new, not sure where cars that have had no paint will come from.....secondly how will you pinpoint what has and hasnt had paint and other cosmetic repairs.....???

[T33JOB]

POORCARDEALER said:

As many new cars have had paint retification work when new, not sure where cars that have had no paint will come from.....secondly how will you pinpoint what has and hasnt had paint and other cosmetic repairs.....???

New cars are painted, and anything after then, it's considered a repair in my eyes. There must be a reason why a brand new car has already been repaired in some way. Be it vandalised or damaged

It's incredibly easy to spot inconsistencies in the paintwork. Colour differences, 'blowing in' marks, orange peel, blends, fish eyes, rough edges, paint drips, ridges under seals etc etc - and state of the art £2000 paint thickness gauges to check for thicker/thinner areas.

[POORCARDEALER]

T33JOB said:

New cars are painted, and anything after then, it's considered a repair in my eyes. There must be a reason why a brand new car has already been repaired in some way. Be it vandalised or damaged

It's incredibly easy to spot inconsistencies in the paintwork. Colour differences, 'blowing in' marks, orange peel, blends, fish eyes, rough edges, paint drips, ridges under seals etc etc - and state of the art £2000 paint thickness gauges to check for thicker/thinner areas.

So will you be using your thickness gauge before or after you have bought the car?

[T33JOB]

Before - it may be time consuming but this is the whole point of what were doing.

I already offer paintwork inspection services, usually a good hour to do a normal sized car.

[POORCARDEALER]

T33JOB said:

Before - it may be time consuming but this is the whole point of what were doing.

I already offer paintwork inspection services, usually a good hour to do a normal sized car.

Its an intersting idea, and I can tell a car that has had paint from ten paces but that only comes with lots of experience. For me if I had to resort to a paint depth meter (and as you know it will not be the same as factory paint depthwise) then chances are the "repair" would be acceptable.

I think the public in general would rather not know/care that a car has had a bumper corner painted, or a front bumper painted due to stonechips, what they seem to care about is price/spec and general appearance....much more than that could be information overload.

[nouze]

T33JOB said:

Before - it may be time consuming but this is the whole point of what were doing.

I already offer paintwork inspection services, usually a good hour to do a normal sized car.

Are you by any chance that VXR bloke off the detailingworld?

[confused_buyer]

If you present a car with a big bumper scuff and one which has been repainted 99/100 people will buy the repainted one. Just the way it works. I don't think many people care about such things - major repairs, yes, or not to standard ones but most buyers simply what a good looking car as cheaply as possible.

Also people want to have a car asap once they've decided to buy it - not many will wait for repairs to be carried out beyond maybe a couple of days for a new MOT and tax it. Presenting unprepared cars can waste a lot of your time - few buyers will "see through" any defects and be able to envisage the car with them done.

Of course, once you have sorted out the non-painted car to the buyer who "will not buy repainted cars or ones without all docs" you'll then wonder what to do with their px which has 3 different shades on it, airbag and EML lights on, "full history" (serviced by a mate 40000 miles ago, bald tyres, and missing.

Edited by confused_buyer on Sunday 13th March 21:46

[JC2012]

I know someone who works for VW - that saw recently a Golf with 12 miles on the clock undergo a full respray - it was black, smart repaired, poor match across one side - off to the bodyshop out with a fresh coat over the top.

A valeter i know went to assess light swirls on a vehicle noticed there was more damage than just the light swirls in question went to a bodyshop asked about a repair bodyshop assessed the vehicle - the one door had been painted (not to the owners knowledge) twice already - the vehicle was a 2010 covered less than 5,000 miles and ordered by the owner brand new.

[Simpo Two]

'Honest Car Dealer'

Well it's not been done before.

[T33JOB]

confused_buyer said:

stuff

Missed the point a little - the cars won't be presented with bumper scuffs and curbed wheels, they will be fully prepared and only then will be marketed - But we are wanting to portray the business model and inform them of what we are and how we do it. Obviously there are people who have no interest, if it looks clean and tidy, we may have spent the money and had it resorted properly costing us more than some, but if they arent too fussed then that's fine - but to those who do, that's where we want to offer our service

[T33JOB]

Simpo Two said:

'Honest Car Dealer'

Well it's not been done before.

Bit different though as were not showroom operated and we will document the progress if needed - obviously we will stock cars needing very minimal work, but if we do it would be done to a very high standard with proof. And rather than present the finished article, we'd inform of any things been done even if it's just freshly refurbed wheels

Might be easier to show the website once it's complete to see how it looks in 'real' life!

[waterwonder]

It's an interesting concept and Harrogate is maybe the place for it to work if anywhere (having had experience selling there).

I guess the important thing is that the cars do look spot on get practising with a camera, a good number of quality photo's will do more to attract buyers than any blurb you can write.

My only other word of caution would to be make sure the people doing the work are happy to give some sort of warranty on it. By itemising what prep work you have done you leave yourself more open if that work turns out to be substandard.

Give it ago, try get a couple of similar cars, try different approaches on the adverts and see which you get the most phone calls about.

Good luck

[T33JOB]

Thanks for the responses guys, I'll be sure to keep this thread going and update it when the mock website is done

Thanks