All Those Little Signs
Discussion
What is it that makes you think "dodgey"
I was looking for a car for my daughter. She had done her research and come up with a short list. The first one was about 20miles away and from a dealer.
The ad didn't have a mainline phone number and the photos, although good quality, were all taken outside, away from the lot, hmmm
I phoned and asked about the car, it had a full service history and was just in the process of being valeted, could I come over in about an hour..........his "associate" would be able to show me the car. (only lawyers and east end gangsters have "associates"!)
We followed his sat nav post code and drove right past the place without seeing a car lot... all we could see was an odd collection of light industrial units behind a farm, so we turned in and there was a sign, next to a huge metal gate, with a business card stuck behind it......
I phoned him and apparently his Associate was still there, and let us in.
The lot looked like the back of a farm yard, but it had an "office" that looked rather like the sort of prefab that car shows have for main dealers.
The walls were covered in posters of supercars, with the dealer company's name along the bottom, rather like a cross between a schoolboys bedroom wall, and well, something else.
The Associate looked like he had just nipped back from the bookies. Half his teeth were missing. Still, I thought, give him a chance....
I asked him about the setup, he said, yeah most people work from home these days, its cheaper on the rates....Well, I suppose so.
The car looked OK at first glance, so I left my daughter to look over it while I checked the log-book and service record.......one main dealer stamp, two local specialists and a bloody great gaudy stamp, from this guy's company, accompanied by Merc, Audi and VW trademarks.....Hmmm he had apparently done the latest service the day before...
So I looked a bit more closely at the the car. It hadn't been valeted. There was blood on the headliner ~WTAF and surprise surprise, despite the major interval service, no oil change.........and the lacquer was just stating to go on the bonnet
We left. I am probably being a little unfair on the guy, but all the little signs along the way pointed in the same direction.
I was looking for a car for my daughter. She had done her research and come up with a short list. The first one was about 20miles away and from a dealer.
The ad didn't have a mainline phone number and the photos, although good quality, were all taken outside, away from the lot, hmmm
I phoned and asked about the car, it had a full service history and was just in the process of being valeted, could I come over in about an hour..........his "associate" would be able to show me the car. (only lawyers and east end gangsters have "associates"!)
We followed his sat nav post code and drove right past the place without seeing a car lot... all we could see was an odd collection of light industrial units behind a farm, so we turned in and there was a sign, next to a huge metal gate, with a business card stuck behind it......
I phoned him and apparently his Associate was still there, and let us in.
The lot looked like the back of a farm yard, but it had an "office" that looked rather like the sort of prefab that car shows have for main dealers.
The walls were covered in posters of supercars, with the dealer company's name along the bottom, rather like a cross between a schoolboys bedroom wall, and well, something else.
The Associate looked like he had just nipped back from the bookies. Half his teeth were missing. Still, I thought, give him a chance....
I asked him about the setup, he said, yeah most people work from home these days, its cheaper on the rates....Well, I suppose so.
The car looked OK at first glance, so I left my daughter to look over it while I checked the log-book and service record.......one main dealer stamp, two local specialists and a bloody great gaudy stamp, from this guy's company, accompanied by Merc, Audi and VW trademarks.....Hmmm he had apparently done the latest service the day before...
So I looked a bit more closely at the the car. It hadn't been valeted. There was blood on the headliner ~WTAF and surprise surprise, despite the major interval service, no oil change.........and the lacquer was just stating to go on the bonnet
We left. I am probably being a little unfair on the guy, but all the little signs along the way pointed in the same direction.
Often ebay sellers will use the same spot for all their stock. Must be annoying if it was your house.
I bought our 156 from a light industrial unit behind a farm...this was outside Longfield.
The car was tatty, the fresh mot somewhat dubious, but it was rock bottom (£1300) and it's still going ok after 4 years.
These guys are bottom feeders, so I can imagine they have this set up to keep costs down. Going in with eyes open surely can't be a problem, but I would not be handing thousands of pounds over on the basis of "history" or believing in any warrenty. ( I know you didn't do this, I'm just saying)
Still, it seems genuine private sellers are becoming rarer by the year.
Ian
I bought our 156 from a light industrial unit behind a farm...this was outside Longfield.
The car was tatty, the fresh mot somewhat dubious, but it was rock bottom (£1300) and it's still going ok after 4 years.
These guys are bottom feeders, so I can imagine they have this set up to keep costs down. Going in with eyes open surely can't be a problem, but I would not be handing thousands of pounds over on the basis of "history" or believing in any warrenty. ( I know you didn't do this, I'm just saying)
Still, it seems genuine private sellers are becoming rarer by the year.
Ian
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