I have considered this previously as I was adamant I was going to treat myself to a newer car this year after waiting and making do (and saving up) for a number of years after selling the Audi, which I had for about 8 years from 3 years old from new.

 

I have now had the Octavia for coming up to twelve years.

 

Listening to the radio the other day was an advert for Spottycar stating that they had 15000 approved used vehicles available for sale.

 

What with all these online car sales companies I'm wondering do they all have their own stock???

 

Cos if they do, it is no wonder prices have rocketed. 

 

I do not believe it is simply a supply and demand issue without taking stockpiling into account. Am I wrong?

 

I know (led to believe) that part of the issue is with silicone chips and brand new car availability so a lack of used cars hitting the market, but I think this in only a small part of the reason.

 

I was hoping to get something similat to when I purchased the Audi, ie few years old in top condition and about half it's retail price.

No chance. What would have cost between 12 to 14 grand tops was 18/19 grand last time I looked.

 

Gutted that I have waited and saved up, to no avail. Long live the Octavia, Lol (and fingers crossed)

Arnie Shark wanted just shy of 5k for an 08 reg Fabia 1.2 12v in 2 trim the other day. I think I'll keep mine a little longer.

Every disused Airfield is full of cars either off lease or used px's.

I've been to 3 Cazoo prep centres in the last 2 years and what you see online is the tip of the Iceberg.

Cinch will be the same.

If/when Cazoo go under, BCA will have the used car market basically to theirselves and prices won't drop you can guarantee that

Stock not even hinted at but Arnold Shark now has 200 branches.

 

http://www.bca.co.uk/Services/partner-finance

http://bca.co.uk

BCA / British Car Auctions lend money to Traders / Dealers to buy cars at auction for their stock so now with interest rate rises that will be interesting to the cars in stock and money owed.

But then the money in the car trade is all about finance and it is overseas finance that owns the companies and the lending. 

They are Money Lenders. 

 

 

http://www.cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/boss-of-arnold-clark-faces-64-8m-tax-bill-after-dealer-groups-performance-rockets/253188

http://arnoldclark.com/about-us

 

John Clark Motor Group. (No connection to Arnies.)

http://www.cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/john-clark-motor-groups-pre-tax-profit-more-than-doubles-to-6-25m-despite-drop-in-sales/229221

 

 

 

Edited 25 September, 20223 yr by roottoot

7 minutes ago, roottoot said:

They are Money Lenders. 

Agreed, and with all such scams be it cars, furniture, solar panels whatever you like its the same banks and financial institutions  seeking a notional product to front their loans.

 

It's little wonder that none of these companise give a Four X about whether their product actually functions as long as the sale is made, any money spent after that trying and failing to satisfy customers is money lost in their eyes.

Most main dealership groups are heavily tied into finance companies, if not owned altogether by them. 

 

BCA / WeBuyAnyCar / Cinch / Marshall Motorgroup are all the same group. 

There are no fools more foolish that UK Tax Paying fools.

Not the higher tax payers though, or the Corporation Tax Payers who have friends in government.

 

http://barnfieldcars.co.uk/blog/webuyanycar-com-the-truth

 

2 hours ago, KenONeill said:

Stock not even hinted at but Arnold Shark now has 200 branches.

 

Shark weren't doing well at the time I was leaving. The quietest it had been... well, ever.

5 hours ago, Tilt said:

What would have cost between 12 to 14 grand tops was 18/19 grand last time I looked.

 

 

Your not wrong there.  I keep looking at used Kodiaqs as I still fancy an SEL instead of our SE but for the same reg, or older and similar mileage the used prices are still about a third higher if not more than we paid just over a year ago 

 

I know I thought we got a bargain at the time but current prices seem to still be mad.

Arnold Clark or the other named dealerships they own have never not done well.

Even selling less cars / vans etc they make huge profits and can manage to make the overheads high so that they pay less tax. 

 

They have everything done by businesses that are their own and all along there is stuff to pay and people making money / profits. 

 

Back in the day when AC started doing 'Interest free cars' which were 3 year old cars that they had Buy Back on from Motability that really changed the Used Car Market, 

not only in Scotland. 

 

Motability cars at that time were limited to 12,000 miles a year. Dealers that wanted to supply and buy back put on mud flaps and put in mats and cars were very well serviced and cared for in the 3 years when any parts / warranty work was needed.

Arnold Clark did great out of Motability cars, fleet cars and much else. 

 

Eventually Ford & Vauxhall had had enough, as had Motability Customers and we got 20,000 miles a year with the lease.

Subaru & Fiat and others offered Disabled buyers good deals because they were not getting Motability customers, before those years BL had done the same thing.

Having a Green card / Orange Badge got you a discount on a new car. 

There's worse things than a motability car.

 

I don't know if it's still the case, but about 10 years ago, Enterprise Rent-A-Car were the biggest vehicle re-marketing company in Europe. 

There is nothing wrong with most of the Motability cars and motability is the biggest group buyer in the UK.

Cars serviced to manufacturers recommendations and usually now that is Variable Servicing so maybe 1 service at 2 years on a low mileage and another 2 months before 3 years and a MOT 1 month before.

There are no a huge number abused with many drivers or hired out, loaned to others with no disability or disabled passengers. 

 

After the Motability funds where at the disposal of the major banks from 2008 and the banking crash then swapping and returning cars became easy & the £26,000 cap on the cost of cars never happened. 

 

Sir Arnold never got to where he did without knowing where to get good cars cheap and doing as little to them as was possible.

If the cars had new tyres on them before the reached the workshops, and wipers and were serviced and cared for inside with little wear, and body damage usually having been repaired properly with the person with the lease paying only £75 a hit, and any warranty work done without a song and dance from the manufacturers, &  then the millions can just keep rolled in. Nobody losses really other than tax payers.  Now car go to BCA and Motability sits on Billions of a slush fund which only millions go back to the customers or tax payers.   The major banks can use the billions of quid. 

Edited 25 September, 20223 yr by roottoot

3 hours ago, roottoot said:

Even selling less cars / vans etc they make huge profits and can manage to make the overheads high so that they pay less tax. 

 

I can assure you that is not a wise business strategy!

 

3 hours ago, roottoot said:

They have everything done by businesses that are their own

 

That is!👍

 

By adjusting the transfer pricing between the businesses you can channel the profits through those with the least tax exposure.

 

On reflection that is probably what you meant above 👍

Edited 25 September, 20223 yr by J.R.

@J.R.

Penny pinching to the nth degree,  ssshhhh!.

Every item from the car arriving to going out the door, transport,  itemised & costed, and done at not the cheapest, not as far as the 'sheet shows', inspection, correction, valet / ptrp,new plates, stickers, Servicing if you can call it that. then the 'Service and Warranty' Plan when not added to the buyers finance, the free as part of the deal.

Plenty nice cars about for staff usage.  Do not have the lovely 'Demonstrators' soiled by potential customers like HMRC are giving the tax brakes for exactly that.

https://gtg.co.uk/about

 

A love in with the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and others is such a good move.

Electric Scotland. Host events, be where ever you need to be with EV's helping Scotland get to Net Zero.

The more ICE vehicles that can be put off the roads the better,  Sir Arnold would be so proud of how well it is going.

 

Training will need to be much more intensive than it ever has been over the decades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 25 September, 20223 yr by roottoot

With Euro and the US dollar much stronger against the GB pound this week and possibly until UK gets its financial act together imported cars will becoming more expensive and that will knock on to second hand prices.

 

Mind you the every growing loss of disposable income for the middle class will be pulling the other way as some cannot continue to pay their PCP and try and give back their cars. 

 

Maybe people will drive cars they can afford, maybe they want to show they can drive a prestige new vehicle and that fits into their life, work balance.

 

Maybe for actual business use the appropriate cars will be bought or leased for the job and for the companies financial benefit. 

Edited 26 September, 20223 yr by roottoot

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

With Euro and the US dollar much stronger against the GB pound this week and possibly until UK gets its financial act together imported cars will becoming more expensive and that will knock on to second hand prices.

 

Mind you the every growing loss of disposable income for the middle class will be pulling the other way as some cannot continue to pay their PCP and try and give back their cars. 

 

 

If second hand prices rise much further then some of them will not be far off their original price when new ..........

 

I still think the biggest issue / reason lies with these online retailers with massive stock, although people forever buying cars that they are probably struggling to afford doesn't help.

 

There is not a shortage or cars registered in the UK and sitting 'In trade' awaiting a buyer from the motor trade.  

Lots of money laying about and vehicles owned by financial institutions.

 

There does seem to be a need for some investigation into manipulation of the market.  A sort of collusion to inflate prices of goods. A cabal. 

Money is lent on a product not worth the value put on them.

 

But then Current Market Value is the term used and anything is valued at what someone is willing to pay. 

 Hence so many unsold as asking prices can be ridiculous.

Some paid too much getting that car into their stock.

 

They disagree.

https://www.am-online.com/news/used-cars/2022/07/26/car-dealers-lose-11-000-a-month-using-opinions-to-price-used-vehicles

 

 

 

 

Edited 26 September, 20223 yr by roottoot

Link gives a header but blank page beneath.

34 minutes ago, roottoot said:

There is not a shortage or cars registered in the UK and sitting 'In trade' awaiting a buyer from the motor trade.  

Lots of money laying about and vehicles owned by financial institutions.

 

There does seem to be a need for some investigation into manipulation of the market.  A sort of collusion to inflate prices of goods. A cabal. 

Money is lent on a product not worth the value put on them.

 

But then Current Market Value is the term used and anything is valued at what someone is willing to pay. 

 Hence so many unsold as asking prices can be ridiculous.

Some paid too much getting that car into their stock.

 

They disagree.

https://www.am-online.com/news/used-cars/2022/07/26/car-dealers-lose-11-000-a-month-using-opinions-to-price-used-vehicles

 

 

 

 

 

Keep meaning to go to the Trade Centre here between Brum and Black country.  Just crazy prices ie £4k for a not too old car, what is the catch ?

 

https://www.tradecentreuk.com/

 

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Edited 26 September, 20223 yr by lol-lol

Speaking with the dealer when I got the Jimny he was expecting the market for 'heavy gear' (his words) to tank over this winter but that the market for small economical cars would be quite boyant.

 

I can see 'heavy gear' starting to be offloaded now, lot of private sales for high power high depreciation motors coming onto autotrader. Marketed prices are still high but I'll be keeping an eye out to see if they metal is staying on the forecourt or still shifting.

Similar boat as you. I had a spreadsheet which I made in 2019 with a somewhat accurate prediction of what the prices will be in 3 years time (2022) of the cars I would be interested in buying and they're well off. I was hoping an M140i would be about 18k this year for a shadow edition with pro nav etc but they're at least 24k.

 

I've also been tracking Autotrader adverts/prices for the last 2 months on several cars/models and I've found they've not changed neither, apart from total cars for sale has gone up by nearly 20k, but I'm only 2 months in. Don't see me finding any quick cars for under 18k and good spec next year by the looks of it, so the fabia will probably be getting an overhaul next summer to make me enjoy driving it a bit more.

On 27/09/2022 at 10:30, Aspman said:

Speaking with the dealer when I got the Jimny he was expecting the market for 'heavy gear' (his words) to tank over this winter but that the market for small economical cars would be quite boyant.

 

I can see 'heavy gear' starting to be offloaded now, lot of private sales for high power high depreciation motors coming onto autotrader. Marketed prices are still high but I'll be keeping an eye out to see if they metal is staying on the forecourt or still shifting.

 

I would have thought especially for diesel as I have never seen diesel such a high percentage more expensive than petrol, seems like around 15% but heading towards 20%.

Diesels must now more expensive to run mile per mile than petrol. 

Stunning how efficient hybrid can be now with coasting with the engine off is resulting in fuel cost of less than 10p a mile. 

On 24/10/2022 at 12:08, lol-lol said:

 

I would have thought especially for diesel as I have never seen diesel such a high percentage more expensive than petrol, seems like around 15% but heading towards 20%.

Diesels must now more expensive to run mile per mile than petrol. 

Stunning how efficient hybrid can be now with coasting with the engine off is resulting in fuel cost of less than 10p a mile. 

 

TBH an efficient petrol might actually be cheaper than an electric right now. Neighbours electric is costing him about £30 to 'fill' right now on cheap rate lekky and he's been topping up at the free council chargers when he can. The council is withdrawing the free charge and his bill could be going up. so he's going to be about £50 for 200 miles in his car. I bet there are plenty of ICE cars that can do 200 miles on 50 of petrol or diesel even at todays prices.