Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.
Discussion
loskie said:
why can't Arnold Clark affix their number plates on straight?
Last 3 new cars we've had in the family, Honda, VW and SEAT have all had wonky rear plates.I mentioned it in an attempted jokey way before collecting the VW, the salesman proudly showed us the "straight" number plate - I didn't know whether to laught or cry, one side is literally a cm lower than the other.
SEAT put lovely plastic plugs in the tailgate to screw into - dealer has scored a line right across the back of plate through the backing (which very technically renders the plate illegal) and drilled two holes - one perfect, the other missed the line completely. Then crushed the plate with the screws.
I can't believe there isn't someone in dealerships who thinks these things matter - it just looks like they don't give a toss about your new car.
loskie said:
why can't Arnold Clark affix their number plates on straight?
Why does Arnold Clark stick their rear window sticker on the EXTERIOR of the car?
Oh go on then why TF do folks use Arnold Clark at all?
I have it on good authority that they put the sticker on the outside because if you don't want it it's easier to remove without potentially damaging the window heating element.Why does Arnold Clark stick their rear window sticker on the EXTERIOR of the car?
Oh go on then why TF do folks use Arnold Clark at all?
Evans Halshaw can't fit number plates on straight either. My car helpfully provides two dimples on the front bumper where the screws should go: totally ignored by the fitter who simply forced a couple of self-tappers through a random part of the bumper.
With the huge number of cherished plates around, the average car might have several changes of number plate in its lifetime..why can't car makers come up with a standard fitment? LGV trailers have had a standard-sized frame for decades. There must be millions of perfectly good plates thrown away every year. I took the cherished plates off my old car when I traded it, but couldn't use them on the new car because the fixing holes were in a different place.
talksthetorque said:
Arnold Clark put the sticker on the outside because the adhesive is on the back of the sticker. If they put it inside it would face inwards.
More likely that they can slap it straight over any previous sticker (internal or external) without needing to remove it.
Also less chance of buggering the heater elements...
Plastic chicken said:
I have it on good authority that they put the sticker on the outside because if you don't want it it's easier to remove without potentially damaging the window heating element.
Evans Halshaw can't fit number plates on straight either. My car helpfully provides two dimples on the front bumper where the screws should go: totally ignored by the fitter who simply forced a couple of self-tappers through a random part of the bumper.
With the huge number of cherished plates around, the average car might have several changes of number plate in its lifetime..why can't car makers come up with a standard fitment? LGV trailers have had a standard-sized frame for decades. There must be millions of perfectly good plates thrown away every year. I took the cherished plates off my old car when I traded it, but couldn't use them on the new car because the fixing holes were in a different place.
Standard for which country?Evans Halshaw can't fit number plates on straight either. My car helpfully provides two dimples on the front bumper where the screws should go: totally ignored by the fitter who simply forced a couple of self-tappers through a random part of the bumper.
With the huge number of cherished plates around, the average car might have several changes of number plate in its lifetime..why can't car makers come up with a standard fitment? LGV trailers have had a standard-sized frame for decades. There must be millions of perfectly good plates thrown away every year. I took the cherished plates off my old car when I traded it, but couldn't use them on the new car because the fixing holes were in a different place.
Do you want a UK specific bumper, or France, or German? Perhaps you want a US size plate. Or one for Italy?
bogwontflush said:
Great thread chaps. Question please:
What view does the industry have of vehicles that have come back from Japan? Both cars for the Jap domestic market, and those originally registered here in the UK and then shipped abroad?
(Herein lies the great debate about the value of service history versus minty looking cars with barely a napkin of history but from a country with no rust and higher service expectations.)
But interested in what the trade thinks of them (in terms of both the vehicles and the business experience of people involved in them)...
What the trade think of them?What view does the industry have of vehicles that have come back from Japan? Both cars for the Jap domestic market, and those originally registered here in the UK and then shipped abroad?
(Herein lies the great debate about the value of service history versus minty looking cars with barely a napkin of history but from a country with no rust and higher service expectations.)
But interested in what the trade thinks of them (in terms of both the vehicles and the business experience of people involved in them)...
They are a bit wary, and they find them difficult to value as a PX, and many got clocked years ago which also made people wary.
I used to bring a few in from Japan, I collected every one from the docks myself and nearly all of them had the Jap history in the glove box.
Because it's largely illegible to us, most dealers used to just bin it and tell the customers they don't come with it.
Clocking was a huge problem years ago, but not so much now.
Many dealers will be happy to show you the auction description from when the car went though in Japan, that's if they've nothing to hide.
Grade 0-5
Grade 0 will be a vehicle that's been accident repaired.
Grade one, I've never seen one, must be pretty ropey.
Grade 5 mint.
I used to buy only grade 4 or 4.5 and never got a substandard one.
The cars themselves?
Treat every car as an individual as you would any car here. Some will be ropey, some will be lovely with very little rust underneath.
If a dealer doesn't have any history, or auction sheets, then do yourself a Bimta check, about £50
That will show the mileages of that car when it's passed through a Jap auction. You'll need the chassis number.
Experience of people selling them?
Nowadays we are lucky, because so many checks can be done, and consumer rights are better, most Importers will be proper people.
Just ask for proof of the grade it was, so you can rule out the grade zeros if that bothers you.
But I have seen a few grade zeros at auctions that have been very good looking in my eyes. As I said, treat every one as an individual car.
Sorry for the long post.
Mexman said:
QuartzDad said:
You've sold a 2.5yo car for 12.5k. During final checks before delivery you notice two of the four matching Michelins are borderline.
What do you do, what do you tell the customer and when do you tell them?
Most dealers will have standards regarding tyres, ours are 3mm minimum, or replaced.What do you do, what do you tell the customer and when do you tell them?
Edited by QuartzDad on Saturday 1st June 16:33
Trevor555 said:
What the trade think of them?
They are a bit wary, and they find them difficult to value as a PX, and many got clocked years ago which also made people wary.
I used to bring a few in from Japan, I collected every one from the docks myself and nearly all of them had the Jap history in the glove box.
Because it's largely illegible to us, most dealers used to just bin it and tell the customers they don't come with it.
Clocking was a huge problem years ago, but not so much now.
Many dealers will be happy to show you the auction description from when the car went though in Japan, that's if they've nothing to hide.
Grade 0-5
Grade 0 will be a vehicle that's been accident repaired.
Grade one, I've never seen one, must be pretty ropey.
Grade 5 mint.
I used to buy only grade 4 or 4.5 and never got a substandard one.
The cars themselves?
Treat every car as an individual as you would any car here. Some will be ropey, some will be lovely with very little rust underneath.
If a dealer doesn't have any history, or auction sheets, then do yourself a Bimta check, about £50
That will show the mileages of that car when it's passed through a Jap auction. You'll need the chassis number.
Experience of people selling them?
Nowadays we are lucky, because so many checks can be done, and consumer rights are better, most Importers will be proper people.
Just ask for proof of the grade it was, so you can rule out the grade zeros if that bothers you.
But I have seen a few grade zeros at auctions that have been very good looking in my eyes. As I said, treat every one as an individual car.
Sorry for the long post.
No, thank you for the long post, really interesting. Wish I had known about PH and asked the question before buying mine. I won't bore you with all the details but I had a very bad experience from the UK trader who did the importing and marketing. I probably came across as a screamer at the time, but frankly, problems with brakes on a car you've paid a significant premium on (£13k for a late year P38) isn't something you would expect. Anyway we live and learn. They are a bit wary, and they find them difficult to value as a PX, and many got clocked years ago which also made people wary.
I used to bring a few in from Japan, I collected every one from the docks myself and nearly all of them had the Jap history in the glove box.
Because it's largely illegible to us, most dealers used to just bin it and tell the customers they don't come with it.
Clocking was a huge problem years ago, but not so much now.
Many dealers will be happy to show you the auction description from when the car went though in Japan, that's if they've nothing to hide.
Grade 0-5
Grade 0 will be a vehicle that's been accident repaired.
Grade one, I've never seen one, must be pretty ropey.
Grade 5 mint.
I used to buy only grade 4 or 4.5 and never got a substandard one.
The cars themselves?
Treat every car as an individual as you would any car here. Some will be ropey, some will be lovely with very little rust underneath.
If a dealer doesn't have any history, or auction sheets, then do yourself a Bimta check, about £50
That will show the mileages of that car when it's passed through a Jap auction. You'll need the chassis number.
Experience of people selling them?
Nowadays we are lucky, because so many checks can be done, and consumer rights are better, most Importers will be proper people.
Just ask for proof of the grade it was, so you can rule out the grade zeros if that bothers you.
But I have seen a few grade zeros at auctions that have been very good looking in my eyes. As I said, treat every one as an individual car.
Sorry for the long post.
How does the rest of the trade view them (nudge to Mexman, Dan and co)? Say if one was presented to you in part exchange, would you be equally wary?
This is all theoretical by the way, I haven't got a Jap Import / reimport any more, but it always played on my mind, "how will a dealer view this car in the future and how hard will it be to shift?" (Remembering the valuable mantra, everything sells at the right price...)
Powerfully Built Company Director said:
How does the rest of the trade view them (nudge to Mexman, Dan and co)? Say if one was presented to you in part exchange, would you be equally wary?
This is all theoretical by the way, I haven't got a Jap Import / reimport any more, but it always played on my mind, "how will a dealer view this car in the future and how hard will it be to shift?" (Remembering the valuable mantra, everything sells at the right price...)
I wouldn't be any more or less wary of an import car's condition than a UK one, I'd appraise and inspect them in much the same way.This is all theoretical by the way, I haven't got a Jap Import / reimport any more, but it always played on my mind, "how will a dealer view this car in the future and how hard will it be to shift?" (Remembering the valuable mantra, everything sells at the right price...)
Just because a UK car doesn't show up on HPI doesn't mean that it hasn't had significant accident damage, you need to go and look at it.
A stack of invoices going back 20 years doesn't prove that the car is still in good condition. Those replacement shock absorbers from 2003 will be on the scrap heap themselves by now. Nor does the absence of paperwork because it has been lost / never kept / written in Japanese mean that the car is not in good condition - you need to go and look at it.
What I would be incredibly wary of is how to value the car. The market for classics is incredibly small compared to the market as a whole and buyers often have differing subjective prejudices which affect whether they will consider a particular car. Hence a dealer is likely to have it in stock for a very long time and need a much greater margin than normal to justify tying up the money.
The most expensive P38 on Autotrader is for sale at £11995 by a well respected company. Right click the browser bar and you can see they've had it in stock since at least January - ouch!
Wooda80 said:
The most expensive P38 on Autotrader is for sale at £11995 by a well respected company. Right click the browser bar and you can see they've had it in stock since at least January - ouch!
You missed this rather special one, which has been on for a year. How the hell do you value or sell something like this?https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
silentbrown said:
You missed this rather special one, which has been on for a year. How the hell do you value or sell something like this?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Wow, that's impressive...https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Would that have been the Queens car by any chance?
Trevor555 said:
Wow, that's impressive...
Would that have been the Queens car by any chance?
Have a gander at theseWould that have been the Queens car by any chance?
http://www.specialistcars.net
Where I got mine. Couldnt advise it based on the after sales experience. But not wanting to make this a "name and shame" thread I will move swiftly on.
About the only enjoyment I got from the experience was finding a cassett in the original radio, traditional insane Japanese pop music. I can't remember the exact song titles but I distinctly recall one being "press my g spot" or very similar, ultra high pitched and squeaky too.
Powerfully Built Company Director said:
Have a gander at these
http://www.specialistcars.net
Where I got mine. Couldnt advise it based on the after sales experience. But not wanting to make this a "name and shame" thread I will move swiftly on.
About the only enjoyment I got from the experience was finding a cassett in the original radio, traditional insane Japanese pop music. I can't remember the exact song titles but I distinctly recall one being "press my g spot" or very similar, ultra high pitched and squeaky too.
There have been some interesting threads on these guys on several forums. There's not a barge pole long enough for themhttp://www.specialistcars.net
Where I got mine. Couldnt advise it based on the after sales experience. But not wanting to make this a "name and shame" thread I will move swiftly on.
About the only enjoyment I got from the experience was finding a cassett in the original radio, traditional insane Japanese pop music. I can't remember the exact song titles but I distinctly recall one being "press my g spot" or very similar, ultra high pitched and squeaky too.
Trevor555 said:
silentbrown said:
You missed this rather special one, which has been on for a year. How the hell do you value or sell something like this?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Wow, that's impressive...https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Would that have been the Queens car by any chance?
I’m surprised that is being offered for sale in the UK, if it’s fully ballistically protected then they are normally offered for sale only outside the EU as not being allowed to be sold to individuals in the EU
Most of our armoured stuff at end of life was either dismantled and sold with armour removed,wrecked in training excercises then scrapped or sold to security contractors for use in places like Iraq, Afghan or parts of Africa
Earthdweller said:
Trevor555 said:
silentbrown said:
You missed this rather special one, which has been on for a year. How the hell do you value or sell something like this?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Wow, that's impressive...https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Would that have been the Queens car by any chance?
I’m surprised that is being offered for sale in the UK, if it’s fully ballistically protected then they are normally offered for sale only outside the EU as not being allowed to be sold to individuals in the EU
Most of our armoured stuff at end of life was either dismantled and sold with armour removed,wrecked in training excercises then scrapped or sold to security contractors for use in places like Iraq, Afghan or parts of Africa
Fast Bug said:
There have been some interesting threads on these guys on several forums. There's not a barge pole long enough for them
That's interesting, and makes me feel somewhat better (or less unique in my mistakes, anyway). I will do some deeper sleuthing then just to wallow in my angst. I do recall finding a car dealer review site, albeit after the pain had already started with them. While I did not contribute myself for fear of giving the vendor more muck to throw back at me, it sometimes felt like I was having an out of body experience with some of the other punters who had gone before me. The words they had typed could have been my own. Fine we all have off days and sometimes fail to meet other peoples expectations and sometimes even our own expectations of ourselves, but... at what point does the trail of s
te indicate a behaviour, and the behaviour part of your modus operandi for doing business. Another question for the trade actually please, to what extent do you care about dedicated car dealer review websites? Are they any more meaningful or influential on your reputation than atypical reviews on google, facebook etc? Or will punters always be punters, and screamers gonna scream?
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