‘Rent-a-dads’ paid £50 to help Gen Z buy their first car

[CSNY]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs...

From the Telegraph money section. It seems little more than a cheap advertorial for Carmoola (no, me neither), but surely there's a sizeable group of rent a dads on here who believe that they can help clueless youngsters buy cars, and get paid for it?

"The excitement of getting your first set of wheels can easily be stalled by the fear that the rusting second-hand car in front of you is a heap of junk that will break down as soon as you drive off.

Now a motor finance company is offering the use of “courtesy dads” to help young and inexperienced drivers navigate around smooth-talking car salesmen and mechanics.

The scheme, which will see the “dads” paid £50 an hour, will match experienced drivers with novices to be by their side or on the other end of a call when buying a car or even a trip to a garage."

[Rotary Potato]

Is this not opening up Pandora's box and finding a can of worms in there?

What happens if the car turns out the be a lemon? Any comeback on the "Rent-a-dad"?

I've done similar for close friends and family, but they know I have zero qualifications and while I'm doing my best the bottom line is that I'm just giving them a less un-informed opinion than their own. But all this is done out of love and kindness (or something like that) and there's no form of payment going on.

To me, if you're paying for an opinion, then there is liability involved as well.

[alscar]

Interesting concept - reading between the lines though implies that only applicable for new or relatively new cars and only where finance involved so doubt applicable to private sales.
The advert suggests that not only do you have to be car knowledgable you also have to be a good negotiator and have a calming manner.
Not sure how big their target market is and the question over duty of care and or liability is a good one but
can’t help thinking this is more of a gimmick than a real service.
£50 an hour to help someone at a garage though sounds decent pay though !

[otolith]

Will the rent-a-dads railroad them into buying something sensible and boring, like a real dad would?

[CSNY]

otolith said:

Will the rent-a-dads railroad them into buying something sensible and boring, like a real dad would?

I can see it now - a teenager with his compo face on looking forlornly at a 15 year old Honda Jazz......

[alscar]

otolith said:

Will the rent-a-dads railroad them into buying something sensible and boring, like a real dad would?

And perhaps even lecture them on the perils of finance ?
Actually perhaps therein lies the flaw/s in their cunning new plan ?

[Huzzah]

So that'll be Wilf then.

[williamp]

otolith said:

Will the rent-a-dads railroad them into buying something sensible and boring, like a real dad would?

Only if we're also allowed to talk about the past, when they would insure a 17 year old on an Escort RS2000 which is now worth £50k but were given away... petrol 50p/litre.... no speed cameras.... freedom "not like nowadays"

"....Of course the Capri was laughed at, so I got an E30 M3 for £5k but it was left hand drive so I sold it to one of those drifter sorts and bought a Subaru Imprezza P1.. Top Gear said it wad the most reliable car, which was nice...."

[yellowbentines]

otolith said:

Will the rent-a-dads railroad them into buying something sensible and boring, like a real dad would?

Like the 1.0 Nissan Micra I had whilst my mates had Saxo VTRs, Citroën AX GTs and the like

[scot_aln]

yellowbentines said:

Like the 1.0 Nissan Micra I had whilst my mates had Saxo VTRs, Citroën AX GTs and the like

Although it's probably still buzzing around delivering pizzas or something whereas most of the others ended up in trees.

[hyperblue]

Or you could just pay the AA/RAC £100-150 to do an inspection which might actually be useful.

[JQ]

yellowbentines said:

otolith said:

Will the rent-a-dads railroad them into buying something sensible and boring, like a real dad would?

Like the 1.0 Nissan Micra I had whilst my mates had Saxo VTRs, Citroën AX GTs and the like

Better than my first car then - A Vauxhall Nova Merit Saloon in Gazelle Beige. My dad, a lifelong petrolhead, must have been pissing himself. His first car, aged 19, was a brand new MG Midget in British Racing Green.

[C5_Steve]

hyperblue said:

Or you could just pay the AA/RAC £100-150 to do an inspection which might actually be useful.

Exactly. Sometimes I kick myself for not being able to come up with an original business idea, but here we are with someone coming up with "Rent-a-dads".

If you rented my Dad he wouldn't turn up at all and if he did he'd probably be hung over

Joking aside, I bought my first car on my own basically. Mate gave me a lift, I'd done some research but would have bought it had it been a nail probably as I was young and eager. It's part of the learning experience, what's the need to try constantly baby younger people rather than let them grow up?

Wait, I've just thought of a business idea. "Rent-a-mum", where for £25 a go a lady will make calls to scary people for you. Like the doctors to make an appointment, work when you're feeling poorly etc etc.

This time next year Rodney...