I've gotta be honest, I wouldn't have had anywhere near that level of patience for him. In the trade, people like him are just a pain in the arse waiting to happen. The job's hard enough!
@@samdub You've clearly not watched much of this channel then? James always goes beyond what anyone else seems to think is the right thing to do by the customer. I do agree that a fair few used car dealers ARE shady and don't give a shit once they've got a sale completed.
Not bad cars. Not fancy but low cost and reliable. Cars like this are hard to come by. You'll rarely see a kia by the side of the road. But BMW, audi, jaguar. You'll see them parked up on the side of the motorway all the time
Fighting over a Kia ceed? Are you kidding. Done 115k in one of these. All it needs was 2 x tyres and a set of brake pads. No car has ever came close and I’ve had everything from Honda Accord to f30 3 series.
Have you driven one? I never gave them a second glance untill i started looking for an estate. Found a 2014 Eco diesel Sportwagon with 143000 miles on it & i was gobsmacked - drives like a new car, no rattles bangs or squeaks, everything works & the best bit is it's £30 tax and is averaging 58mpg. It does everything asked of it. No complaints here.
There's a reason Kia have been steadily climbing the sales charts in the UK - they offer excellent value for money, and in recent years are nailing the styling and specs in the respective model's classes - the Sportage has been selling like hot cakes in 2022... oh, and that 7 year warranty makes them very attractive as used cars - they tend to have been serviced throughout those 7 years and had most things well maintained on them. I'm on my first ever Kia (Stinger GTS) and it's a hell of a lot of car for the money !
Lol, such passion over a Kia estate. I actually like the fact he got really competitive to secure a deal on what is a pretty mundane vehicle: never mind Gladiator people, this is war!👊
I once had an issue many moons ago. I'd chosen to buy a Vauxhall Estate car from a non franchised dealer, and put a deposit on it. A day or two later, I spotted the car being driven by the dealer, loaded with stuff in the back!! I wasn't best pleased and told him so. He insisted I charged him for using it! I responded by stating I'd already *paid* him a deposit on it, so technically he should not have used it for moving any goods.... I told him I was no longer interested in the car, but it took me a couple of weeks to get my money back.... He ceased trading a few years later.
@Nick Maclachlan Any turbocharged car can 'eat its turbo'. I've serviced and maintained several Vauxhalls including an Astra H with 192+k on its original engine and gearbox, this is the 1.7CDTI model. It's had issues like a sticking rear calliper and a failed dual mass but these are issues ANY car can suffer. My brother also runs an Astra J estate with the near enough same 1.7 turbo diesel. Hasn't missed a beat or even failed an MOT on even a small problem in the last 3 years he's owned it.
I was expecting exactly this sort of situation to happen by offering first refusals. While it's a nice gesture, I think it's best to simply operate on first come, first serve. Whoever puts the money down first, gets it. First refusals invite time wasting (they didn't know it'd be too expensive to deliver before asking you to hold it for days?) while potentially turning away genuine buyers, leaving you holding the can if they decide they're not going to go ahead with it. All in all, probably not worth the aggro as a one-man business.
I respect that he stuck so rigidly to that first refusal, but totally agree, first come, first served is the way to go and would have saved all that palava, just not worth it, with his quick flip sort of operation, time is definitely money. I bet that customer will be the type to come back with a little squeak, might be more trouble than its worth, but that'll be another days work, and another episode 🤣
If I want right of first refusal I pay for it. I offer a small deposit, say 25GBP, which is non refundable if I refuse. If I take it then that is deducted from the agreed price. This right has an expiry time agreed by both parties. This is a great way to secure good deals AND goodwill with suppliers.
@@alphaomega5721 I didn't want my original comment to be a long-winded analysis of first refusals but I disagree. It's a good idea in theory but in reality, there's a real risk that it actually ends up causing more grief than it's worth for a one-man band. Once you start to involve deposits, you're going to inevitably be dealing with people coming up with all sorts of excuses as to why they're entitled to their deposits back and causing problems when you don't cave. Given customers like the one mentioned in the video, I'd consider it from a personal safety angle too. Just imagine how much worse behaviour can become when they feel cheated out of their money, even if they were at fault. It might work to cut down on time wasters in a private sale but is an extra £25 here or there really worth the potential headaches?
@@Chaosvex I think you're missing my point: As a seller I wouldn't suggest non refundable first refusal deposits. As a buyer I offer them. If agreed to by the seller, this buys me time.
The customers in your area are so lucky to have such a genuine car sales business on their doorstep. Car dealers do get a lot of bad press and some are genuine rouge traders,but the fact you sit on the fence and your honesty and integrity really set you in a class of your own. I love your videos,very informative.
The golden rule with being a car dealer is the car is always for sale until someone puts their money where their mouth is,no holds,no first refusals,at the end of the day you’re there to make money not friends😀
Opposite, you life by your reputation like a restaurant. The moment word spreads in your area better be avoided you are done. You might hang on for another few years selling sh"%boxes to people without any other option. Low profit and alot of headache.
@@AcceptYourDeath how is requiring a buyer to put an online reserve or deposit down going to negatively impact your business? The online subscriber first refusal would negatively impact your business because it's stopping you from selling to customers who turn up looking to buy there and then. A restaurant who doesn't take a booking deposit for a large group booking will be at a loss when the booking doesn't turn up or cancels on the day, if that was happening regularly it really wouldn't matter what the locals thought of you because you would be out of business from loss of earnings fairly quickly. He could have said to the subscriber interested in the car initially, that if it wasn't sold that day, a Saturday of all days, he would then hold the car after Saturday's COB till Monday morning for him, that's still friendly but professional. That's still fair and keeps everyone happy. A stressful experience with too much back and forth and up in the air to a on the spot buyer would definitely impact your business in a negative way as it needs to be an enjoyable & relaxed experience buying a car especially when thousands of pounds are on the table. My adverts buy & sell online account has near 100% positive feedback, and I don't do first refusal or hold for days. Once you're pleasant and zero hassle and selling genuine items, people will be happy with you.
I used to be in retail (not cars). We learned the hard way the first refusals just aren't worth the headache. And that a difficult customer will always be a difficult customer. You just don't need that hassle.
These idiots exist everywhere! I had great fun refusing them from my site. Not worth the hassle😢😢 Sometimes I’ve ejected them off site as they refuse to leave!
What an absolute tool this bloke sounds, take my hat off to you m8 I would have told him to feck off especially coming into your workplace shouting the odds,another reason for not selling him the car because imagine what Kind of attitude he would have if he has a future problem with the car,he sounds like he needs anger management,👍👍
I find it amazing, that this vehicle can evoke so much emotion. Although, I'm sure quite functional and serviceable, how so much angst and drama can be invested is almost beyond belief.
I'd stay away from the guy, sounds like he is going to be back and forth for the slightest thing for ever. The car will never be good enough for him as he has had to pay for it.
I can't believe it, you are such a good bloke, if only all Car dealers could be like you. I watch your vids and the standard of the Cars after you prepare them for sale is first class. Well done mate, you are a Star.
Crazy situation with good quality used cars in such short supply at the moment. It is affecting values like I've never seen before. My daughter was contacted by Mini last autumn about potentially swapping her three year old Mini. She did not expect to have the conversation at all as she was only 2/3 of the way through her PCP but the deal on a new Mini was too good to miss. She's ended up with a brand new Mini in exactly the spec she wants for very little difference in monthly outlay. That said, though the deal was done in September she's still awaiting delivery. Should be this month apparently.
I was in the business over 20 years, nobody offered first refusals, the deal was done on the day, if not, it wasn't a deal, the car stayed on sale. Might do's, probably's and definitely will buys, were ignored.
Found your channel recently and I gotta say you're probably the most honest car dealer I've seen! The transformations on the cars you get in is amazing too, has me hooked. Have you got any tips of getting a small burn mark out of fabric or at least make it less noticeable please? I've got a 2003 Honda Accord and the interior is pretty much mint especially for it's age except a small burn mark above the drivers side window (exterior has a few minor battle scars owing to an elderly lady owning it previously but it's been serviced religiously). Many thanks and keep up the good work! Shame I'm up north or I'd recommend people to you haha
Thank you Matt, much appreciated! Fabric is a hard one, finding a Sharpie the same colour can help or very light dusting from a similar colour rattle can (very light or it will cause the fabric to go crusty).
I personally wouldn't hold a car back if someone's there with the money they can have it reckon this guy is gonna be a pain with the warranty from the sounds of it
I've lost out on buying cars for both reasons,firstly due to another person having first refusal,secondly due to being told i had first refusal but they sold it and i must say the worst ones are when a garage/person say's that you have first refusal but then sell it.Keep up the honesty James,repeat business is great.I can honestly say i have never again dealt with the people and garages that sold a car i had first refusal on to someone else.
@@peaceformula5830 For me,i wanted the car but knew it would get alot of interest so i asked as soon as it went for sale to be the first person to view it and most likely buy it.I guess its like reserving a viewing if you can't get to the car fast enough.I hope i explained it well enough,if not,feel free to ask more
Mr Chop! You can well do without this Angst!!! When I ran my own wedding photo business and customers like this came along I told them the 1st person to pay a deposit would secure the date AND I can take your credit card number NOW over the phone if you wish to book!!! Sorted!!!
Good story James! You were 75% into it and I thought you were going to say his wife had been down , drove the Kia Ceed liked it but loved the KIA Soul. Then gave him a roasting about the Ceed being a bit "fuddy duddy" for her and they bought the Soul😂😂😂
You are an Honourable Gentleman . . . Honest & True ! It takes ( Licorice ) Allsorts of people to make up life in all it's many / various forms . . . 'You can please some people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time !'
Proves you are doing a great job of car prep and customer service. Trade a bit different to this time last year, when you had the 2 Yaris & fiesta auto that took time to shift
In this day and age it’s never been easier to contact someone, so why does he keep driving over to you when he could just call you? People are strange.
Pleased you got the sale. What a nightmare situation though, and no - you did nothing wrong. 2nd hand car market is nuts though, and at least he apologised! Must be very hard trying to keep everyone happy and actually get a sale...
As always you show just how to treat people as you would like to be treated, those that only care about themselves that are stressed for other reasons, well only time will tell. Another well done you, we all have our good and bad days, your management of that and your cars are just perfect.
Some people are beyond reason and I'm disappointed that this dickhead managed to get the car in the end. Hate unreasonable people and will agree with your fair methods.
You did the right thing should patients when needed. Treated the bloke with respect when he was disrespectful. But you're there to sell cars by being the way you are you sold the car. From the comments a lot of people don't understand that you make your like this. And dealing with the general it's quite difficult sometimes that's a skill in itself well done.
I'd never bother with first refusal, 99%of people deal there and then, if they don't I immediately forget them, I'd never ever turn a buyer away who was actually in front of me, I find that once a deals gone into the next day or two it's dead in the water.
Hi there Mr chops! I've been watching your videos for a week now and I'm loving the stories so I have subbed to your channel and I'm really looking forward to seeing much more brilliant videos.😃👍
The annoyances of selling goods when you try to be fair to others 😅 Thats the main reason I just take the loss and don't bother to sell my cars anymore, but trade them in. Stay true and I hope karma will keep you covered and I'll enjoy the stories of your adventures in the meantime 😁
You'll always get DREAM BUYERS in Any Genre. I worked for used cars at Vauxhall in Essex late 80s and Ford Yorkshire 90s and I'd say SELL it to the FIRST customer with the Buckeroonies 🔥 It's an Extremely tempestuous trade used cars and it's not as if you've got 3 more identical on the shelf. All spoken with respect for your jolly good character. Greetings from Middle Earth
James sometime you can't do right for doing wrong. Glad the car sold though. Just hope the chap doesn't turn out to be a headache. Keep up the great work. 👍👍👍🏴🇬🇧
Thank heavens you have a high threshold for tools that buy cars. Would rather deal with a smaller operation such as yours, than these giant impersonal pressure places...He is a lucky fella that you remained calm, sadly, his wife must put up with him....
People do it with my computer repair business. They'll come over to see me without priort arrangement (bearing in mind I don't have a storefront, its a residential address), and expect to get faster service than someone who contacts me ahead of time. I even specify on all my advertising that customers who just turn up without contacting me first will not recieve faster service. Winds me up sometimes.
@@Brian-om2hh Yeah, sort of, but the early to mid/late 2000s Ford's are up there with most reliable for their time. 2011 ish onwards with the Ecoboom engines coming out to play is where disaster struck for Ford!
Hi James congratulations on reaching 26,800 subscribers and you will soon be at 27,000 subscribers and well done for all your continued hard work on the cars
The Kia Venga I have just bought was a similar situation. There were four other cars that I had turned up to view, but spotted a married couple haggling over the Venga, he was wanting no less than £10'000 for his own car against the Venga at £4'300, I reckon he was just trying to clear a debt. The trader told him that he couldn't pay that for his car and he just said that he would go and get it valeted and sell it on, then return and buy the venga, he didn't leave a deposit so when he left I pounced. After the test drive I bought it, top spec Venga 3 2013 with all the bells and whistles, I especially like the electric Panoramic roof, and the £30 yearly road tax.
You were NOT wrong. You acted completely ethically and were true to your word. A lot of others could learn some ethics from you. Keep up the good work.
I bought a Peugeot 305 diesel estate for 300 quid years ago. Great car, had about three years out of it before I flogged it and got a 405 turbo estate. When I rang the seller he said he’d got about 20 messages on his answerphone about the car. When I said, thinking I’d now be at the back of the queue,”aren’t you ringing them first? “ he said I’m talking to you, if you want to see it here’s the address. I went and looked and bought it. And learned a life lesson, I was prone to tying myself in knots trying to be fair to everyone when selling stuff, and having first and even second refusal lists, I no longer bother entertaining potential timewasters , first come first served. I’ll wait but I’ll need a non returnable deposit
I used to be an estate agent for many years. The vast majority of people were respectful and understanding of deposit or best bids situations, however there were always a minority who were entitled and aggressive, who'd get angry and sometimes abusive as soon as it looked as though they might not get exactly what they wanted, through no fault of anyones. They must end up making life very difficult for themselves and probably end up on the end of abuse themselves if they act like that all the time!
Earlier in life the 1960s OAP bought a mini from the garage i worked at & kept complaing bad mpg a mechanic had it for a week & got 48mpg whilst driving for a week returned it a month later he returned still complaining mechanic took him on a test drive came back laughing turns out the OAP only used first gear had never passed a driving test as had licence prewar when test not needed
First come first served. Simple as that. Customer are not and never are friends. You are a business. If someone attends with the readies get it sold. Cut throat 🤷🏻
James your in business....forget all this subscriber first refusal stuff....your too nice. The market is in your favour at the moment but it won't always be and you could have lost a sale because a subscriber said he liked it......the subscriber didn't buy it....the man in front of you will. I had a Discovery for sale and people were hot for it on the phone...One chap had a test drive and liked it but said he had a few more to look at...I said couldn't hold it for him. I bloke called me from Cornwall said if it's as described he will buy it...Could i hold it until monday....NO was the answer.....he then said I will buy it don't sell it I'm on my way ( 320 miles away).....he kept calling me to update me where he was until he was in my village...and true to his word he bought it. Make hay when the sun shines R kid.
I can never understand why people get so het up about part-ex values, especially when they have an old crap car to trade in. If you've got a car worth a grand, just sell it privately AFTER you've bought the new car. You'll get more money for it and you get the car you want straight away. I've never part-ex'd a car, I have always sold my vehicles privately, it's not hard. People say "oh I can't be bothered with the time wasters / being messed about / haggling", it's just nonsense. They just can't be bothered, period. I've got a car worth £2.5k at the moment that a dealer would probably give me £1k for - why on EARTH would I want to give up £1.5k??? Weird people.
Ford focuses are good cars but get very tatty and bitty at high mileage. £550 sounds bang on P/X price, probably a £1795-1995 car with advisories done fully retail prepped, but I don't think it'll be worth your time as I wouldn't be confident on putting a 6 month warranty on a 1.6 HDi Focus with 140k miles. Trade out at £1k-£1.2k or so?
@@ChopsGarage Damn, that's why I say pay as little for the older high mileage snotters that come in P/X I've left a reply to you on David's comment about it I know the MK2 Focuses inside out lol, I've got 2 and seem to be working on one every week as of lately 😀
As you explained: He was given any opportunity to refuse the sale He chose to come, he wasn't invited to come His phone not having signal was not your fault What an entitled person he was!
Well done James, you have the patience of a Saint but you may pray the car holds up and doesn't go wrong, in any way ... no matter what!! Personally I would have refused to sell him the car as I would be concerned about his reaction if something goes wrong with the car. However, from past experience, working as a senior manager in a very large insurance company in their underwriting complaints department; sometimes the pillocks and bad tempered customers are your best friend when you sort out or compromise on an issue. I doff my hat to you James.
Another part of your job I wouldn't like dealing with the peculiarities of different people, when he shows up tell him you've had a better offer - just to wind him up
Appreciate you wanting to be fair James but you don't need the hassle!! I'd be a little peed off with the first chap telling you he wanted the car then saying the distance was going to cause issues....did he not know where you were? First come first served is the way James....but then you've always gone 'over and above' mate, and if you are happy with that fair play to you, I couldnt!
@@highpath4776 I appreciate what you say but maybe some aren't as genuine as they appear....I've bought cars from all over the country but been sure I could collect or have delivered within my budget rather then get the seller thinking its possibly a sale and holding others off only to be let down....
I have this friend who's been running a second hand shop for decades. If there is one thing he doesn't do anymore, it's holding something for someone with the promise of a guaranteed sale. The person who comes with the money in hand is the person making the purchase.
@@ChopsGarage Or obviously taking a deposit, when the buyer can't take it away right there and then. It simply weeds out all those so and so time wasting buyers who will change their mind when they see another car at another dealer 4 miles down the road. It's fairly obvious how one can abuse someone else's gesture of good will.
Handy it's a Kia as more likely to be written off than go wrong. Focus part ex asking for trouble. Maybe emphasise test drives by appointment and deposit required post test drive and it's theirs.
No deposit=no commitment on either side, although I appreciate your personal morality i.e. "My word is my bond" on the First refusal; unfortunately this can often be one-sided/a downfall with some who are "Definitely going to buy it mate" types. That said, I wouldn't have sold it to this guy as often people like this can be a 'nightmare' after the sale as well. All credit to you though, as you are everything a good [as in fair] businessman should be. If I lived down you way and needed a car I would feel confident buying from you, and would know that any statement you made would be genuine and not sales BS....and I have bought/sold many cars in my time.
Unless a decent non-refundable deposit, none of this 'will £50 be OK mate?' nonsense, has been put on the car, you are free to sell it to whoever you like, without giving any notice whatsoever. Why do some people think its OK to mess car dealers about like this?
People are sheep bud, if a cars not sold, why has it not sold, if its sold they want it lol, it that deals falls through, why, revert back to why has it not sold, its a never ending circular flow chart lol
I found after many years of car sales to put people I have a bad feeling about off the car I have and try and steer them out of yard.There are dodgy customers and dodgy dealers most people are great and we all have our angry moments.You get 10 out of 10 from me for being a sales man,its about paying the bills.Kia should send you an award.😃
I get so frustrated with people like that, who seem to think that despite their attitude you owe them something. I appreciate you need to sell the car but I'd have recommended an attitude adjustment straight away. I sold a car once in the Middle East with one buyer wanting a discount because it had a sunroof, leather interior and expensive entertainment system. He wanted to export it to his home country and all the goodies meant that he would get taxed in the luxury car bracket, therefore I should reduce the price to account for that. We didn't keep in touch.
It's funny how some people go to view a car and then get emotionally attached to it and can't bear the thought of it being sold to somebody else if they don't buy it there and then.
The world's a great place - it's people that spoil it. I would have told him the car was sold - he'd do my head in. I had a muppet drive 80 miles once to look at my old car I was selling privately. I gave him £100 off the price but he wanted another £50 off - I said no, that's as low as I'll go. He moaned " I can't beleive you are gonna lose a sale over £50" - I said you are going to miss a car over £50...goodnight. Went in the house and had a cuppa. 10 minutes later the door knocked and he bought the car - I have little patience for unreasonable people.
Good to see the Alfa comes in red…… James is the Alfa a reliable car in your opinion was thinking of buying a 2012 1.6 diesel one ? Great channel by the way !!!
I bet you had a headache at the end of that day! Gordon Bennett 😲😲😄😄 You did it right. First come first serve is easier though😊 Id always keep a list of interested parties and being up front, up front, saves lots of hassle further down the road. Customer "I want a complete clutch for my NSU yesterday" Me "I can't do it yesterday - perhaps try xyz auto factors down the road, they might - but I can have it here for tomorrow with a 40% discount, if you leave a deposit and your contact details". Customer "I'm not waiting that long!" Storms out. Two days later he's back asking to order the clutch for his rare motor. Seen it a hundred times or more😄😄
I remember many years ago I was desperate to buy a yellow fiat coupe 20v turbo. I had searched for months and then noticed that a garage about 45mins away had one come up for sale so I rang up and was told that it was due in that afternoon so I left a deposit over the phone and agreed to go and view it later that afternoon. I got there at the time we agreed only to be told that somebody had seen it being delivered and bought it there and then. As you can imagine, I wasn’t a happy bunny but some dealers just don’t care. I wish there were more like you about.
You know what that couple who were undecided about financing would have been saying when they left? "Oh God.....the old someone else is really interested scam. He must get the same guy turning up every time"
I imagine this guy will be a dream to deal with when any post-sale "issues" arise.
Yes I might regret it
My thoughts exactly.
I pray to God for your sake that this Ceed runs sweet as a nut for the next year to 18 months.
Absolutely folks this guy could be a nightmare! I wouldn't have the patience fir him by the sounds of it lol!
@@ChopsGarage it will make another great video if does come back complaing😄
@@leedstown Have you watched this channel before?
An honest dealer. Rare these days. Proper old school manners and service.
Love these videos. Keep 'em coming.
"Mr Angry" is likely to be a fucking nightmare customer for "warranty" claims if he gets that angry about buying a car!
I've gotta be honest, I wouldn't have had anywhere near that level of patience for him. In the trade, people like him are just a pain in the arse waiting to happen. The job's hard enough!
@@TELE6220 There's always one, ain't there!
@Neil Dempster
"I've been driving this car around for a few days now and it's run out of petrol! What do you intend to do about it?! Hello?!"
Luckily warranties given by used car garages aren’t worth a wank.
@@samdub You've clearly not watched much of this channel then? James always goes beyond what anyone else seems to think is the right thing to do by the customer.
I do agree that a fair few used car dealers ARE shady and don't give a shit once they've got a sale completed.
These people are everywhere James, people getting very self entitled. You handled the situation well
Fighting over a Kia Ceed. There really must be a shortage of used cars 😂
Not bad cars. Not fancy but low cost and reliable. Cars like this are hard to come by. You'll rarely see a kia by the side of the road. But BMW, audi, jaguar. You'll see them parked up on the side of the motorway all the time
Fighting over a Kia ceed? Are you kidding.
Done 115k in one of these.
All it needs was 2 x tyres and a set of brake pads.
No car has ever came close and I’ve had everything from Honda Accord to f30 3 series.
Have you driven one? I never gave them a second glance untill i started looking for an estate. Found a 2014 Eco diesel Sportwagon with 143000 miles on it & i was gobsmacked - drives like a new car, no rattles bangs or squeaks, everything works & the best bit is it's £30 tax and is averaging 58mpg. It does everything asked of it. No complaints here.
There's a reason Kia have been steadily climbing the sales charts in the UK - they offer excellent value for money, and in recent years are nailing the styling and specs in the respective model's classes - the Sportage has been selling like hot cakes in 2022... oh, and that 7 year warranty makes them very attractive as used cars - they tend to have been serviced throughout those 7 years and had most things well maintained on them. I'm on my first ever Kia (Stinger GTS) and it's a hell of a lot of car for the money !
Tbf the second hand car market has gone bonkers. People are desperate so Kia have found a niche in the market.
Lol, such passion over a Kia estate. I actually like the fact he got really competitive to secure a deal on what is a pretty mundane vehicle: never mind Gladiator people, this is war!👊
Lol
Another example of your superb level of humanity, patience and fairness. Delighted you got the sale in the e nd
Thanks Martin!
@@ChopsGarage welcome...md
I would not save a car for anyone, first come first served I have learnt that
I once had an issue many moons ago. I'd chosen to buy a Vauxhall Estate car from a non franchised dealer, and put a deposit on it. A day or two later, I spotted the car being driven by the dealer, loaded with stuff in the back!! I wasn't best pleased and told him so. He insisted I charged him for using it! I responded by stating I'd already *paid* him a deposit on it, so technically he should not have used it for moving any goods.... I told him I was no longer interested in the car, but it took me a couple of weeks to get my money back.... He ceased trading a few years later.
@@Brian-om2hh Best thing you did, not buying a Vauxhall that is..........
@@nickmaclachlan5178 I had a 16 plate astra cdti, no issues whatsoever
@@insidiousinflation8605 Well there's a first time for everything, lol. It didn't eat it's Turbo then?
@Nick Maclachlan
Any turbocharged car can 'eat its turbo'.
I've serviced and maintained several Vauxhalls including an Astra H with 192+k on its original engine and gearbox, this is the 1.7CDTI model.
It's had issues like a sticking rear calliper and a failed dual mass but these are issues ANY car can suffer.
My brother also runs an Astra J estate with the near enough same 1.7 turbo diesel. Hasn't missed a beat or even failed an MOT on even a small problem in the last 3 years he's owned it.
I was expecting exactly this sort of situation to happen by offering first refusals. While it's a nice gesture, I think it's best to simply operate on first come, first serve. Whoever puts the money down first, gets it. First refusals invite time wasting (they didn't know it'd be too expensive to deliver before asking you to hold it for days?) while potentially turning away genuine buyers, leaving you holding the can if they decide they're not going to go ahead with it.
All in all, probably not worth the aggro as a one-man business.
Agreed!!! Life is too short to be messing about!
I respect that he stuck so rigidly to that first refusal, but totally agree, first come, first served is the way to go and would have saved all that palava, just not worth it, with his quick flip sort of operation, time is definitely money.
I bet that customer will be the type to come back with a little squeak, might be more trouble than its worth, but that'll be another days work, and another episode 🤣
If I want right of first refusal I pay for it. I offer a small deposit, say 25GBP, which is non refundable if I refuse. If I take it then that is deducted from the agreed price. This right has an expiry time agreed by both parties. This is a great way to secure good deals AND goodwill with suppliers.
@@alphaomega5721 I didn't want my original comment to be a long-winded analysis of first refusals but I disagree. It's a good idea in theory but in reality, there's a real risk that it actually ends up causing more grief than it's worth for a one-man band. Once you start to involve deposits, you're going to inevitably be dealing with people coming up with all sorts of excuses as to why they're entitled to their deposits back and causing problems when you don't cave. Given customers like the one mentioned in the video, I'd consider it from a personal safety angle too. Just imagine how much worse behaviour can become when they feel cheated out of their money, even if they were at fault. It might work to cut down on time wasters in a private sale but is an extra £25 here or there really worth the potential headaches?
@@Chaosvex I think you're missing my point: As a seller I wouldn't suggest non refundable first refusal deposits. As a buyer I offer them. If agreed to by the seller, this buys me time.
The customers in your area are so lucky to have such a genuine car sales business on their doorstep. Car dealers do get a lot of bad press and some are genuine rouge traders,but the fact you sit on the fence and your honesty and integrity really set you in a class of your own. I love your videos,very informative.
Fair play James. You’ve got a shed load more patience than me! Good job. Love the channel by the way.
The golden rule with being a car dealer is the car is always for sale until someone puts their money where their mouth is,no holds,no first refusals,at the end of the day you’re there to make money not friends😀
Opposite, you life by your reputation like a restaurant. The moment word spreads in your area better be avoided you are done. You might hang on for another few years selling sh"%boxes to people without any other option. Low profit and alot of headache.
@@AcceptYourDeath how is requiring a buyer to put an online reserve or deposit down going to negatively impact your business? The online subscriber first refusal would negatively impact your business because it's stopping you from selling to customers who turn up looking to buy there and then.
A restaurant who doesn't take a booking deposit for a large group booking will be at a loss when the booking doesn't turn up or cancels on the day, if that was happening regularly it really wouldn't matter what the locals thought of you because you would be out of business from loss of earnings fairly quickly.
He could have said to the subscriber interested in the car initially, that if it wasn't sold that day, a Saturday of all days, he would then hold the car after Saturday's COB till Monday morning for him, that's still friendly but professional.
That's still fair and keeps everyone happy. A stressful experience with too much back and forth and up in the air to a on the spot buyer would definitely impact your business in a negative way as it needs to be an enjoyable & relaxed experience buying a car especially when thousands of pounds are on the table.
My adverts buy & sell online account has near 100% positive feedback, and I don't do first refusal or hold for days. Once you're pleasant and zero hassle and selling genuine items, people will be happy with you.
I used to be in retail (not cars). We learned the hard way the first refusals just aren't worth the headache. And that a difficult customer will always be a difficult customer. You just don't need that hassle.
These idiots exist everywhere! I had great fun refusing them from my site. Not worth the hassle😢😢 Sometimes I’ve ejected them off site as they refuse to leave!
What an absolute tool this bloke sounds, take my hat off to you m8 I would have told him to feck off especially coming into your workplace shouting the odds,another reason for not selling him the car because imagine what Kind of attitude he would have if he has a future problem with the car,he sounds like he needs anger management,👍👍
He was ok in end but I'm hoping you don't end up being right
Guy is a knob…..anger management issues. I wish you the best with him in the coming months.
Typical customer scenario, it's how you deal with it that matters and I think you dealt with that fairly and respectfully.
I find it amazing, that this vehicle can evoke so much emotion. Although, I'm sure quite functional and serviceable, how so much angst and drama can be invested is almost beyond belief.
James obviously your doing something right! Shows you have an excellent reputation when clients are fighting for your cars! Well done mate👍
Thanks 👍
I'd stay away from the guy, sounds like he is going to be back and forth for the slightest thing for ever. The car will never be good enough for him as he has had to pay for it.
😁😀😂😃😅😄😃😂😀😅😄😃
Yes I may regret it
I can't believe it, you are such a good bloke, if only all Car dealers could be like you. I watch your vids and the standard of the Cars after you prepare them for sale is first class. Well done mate, you are a Star.
Crazy situation with good quality used cars in such short supply at the moment. It is affecting values like I've never seen before. My daughter was contacted by Mini last autumn about potentially swapping her three year old Mini. She did not expect to have the conversation at all as she was only 2/3 of the way through her PCP but the deal on a new Mini was too good to miss. She's ended up with a brand new Mini in exactly the spec she wants for very little difference in monthly outlay. That said, though the deal was done in September she's still awaiting delivery. Should be this month apparently.
Coming up on Chops Garage:
Customer is angry after test driving car but it was later sold to another customer who was waiting on the forecourt 😆😆
I was in the business over 20 years, nobody offered first refusals, the deal was done
on the day, if not, it wasn't a deal, the car stayed on sale. Might do's, probably's
and definitely will buys, were ignored.
The red MGB looks tidy.
Thanks for the video, handling awkward customers is always difficult.
Found your channel recently and I gotta say you're probably the most honest car dealer I've seen! The transformations on the cars you get in is amazing too, has me hooked. Have you got any tips of getting a small burn mark out of fabric or at least make it less noticeable please? I've got a 2003 Honda Accord and the interior is pretty much mint especially for it's age except a small burn mark above the drivers side window (exterior has a few minor battle scars owing to an elderly lady owning it previously but it's been serviced religiously). Many thanks and keep up the good work! Shame I'm up north or I'd recommend people to you haha
Thank you Matt, much appreciated! Fabric is a hard one, finding a Sharpie the same colour can help or very light dusting from a similar colour rattle can (very light or it will cause the fabric to go crusty).
@@ChopsGarage cheers James! I'll deffo give that a go, thanks for getting back to me :)
I personally wouldn't hold a car back if someone's there with the money they can have it reckon this guy is gonna be a pain with the warranty from the sounds of it
I've lost out on buying cars for both reasons,firstly due to another person having first refusal,secondly due to being told i had first refusal but they sold it and i must say the worst ones are when a garage/person say's that you have first refusal but then sell it.Keep up the honesty James,repeat business is great.I can honestly say i have never again dealt with the people and garages that sold a car i had first refusal on to someone else.
Can I ask why you went with the first refusal option instead of just buying it? Not having a go just trying to understand this whole thing.
@@peaceformula5830 For me,i wanted the car but knew it would get alot of interest so i asked as soon as it went for sale to be the first person to view it and most likely buy it.I guess its like reserving a viewing if you can't get to the car fast enough.I hope i explained it well enough,if not,feel free to ask more
People are such ball bags! It's the sense of entitlement that really does my head in. What a throbbersaurus!
Mr Chop! You can well do without this Angst!!! When I ran my own wedding photo business and customers like this came along I told them the 1st person to pay a deposit would secure the date AND I can take your credit card number NOW over the phone if you wish to book!!! Sorted!!!
Good plan
What struck me about the video was how immaculate all the cars looked, as if they rolled off the production line yesterday.
Good story James! You were 75% into it and I thought you were going to say his wife had been down , drove the Kia Ceed liked it but loved the KIA Soul. Then gave him a roasting about the Ceed being a bit "fuddy duddy" for her and they bought the Soul😂😂😂
Dealing with the general public takes a skill. Personally I would have been searching for a blunt instrument. Well done James.
You are an Honourable Gentleman . . . Honest & True ! It takes ( Licorice ) Allsorts of people to make up life in all it's many / various forms . . . 'You can please some people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time !'
Proves you are doing a great job of car prep and customer service. Trade a bit different to this time last year, when you had the 2 Yaris & fiesta auto that took time to shift
lo, you remember that too hey! Yes December and Jan this year were like 4 months last year!
In this day and age it’s never been easier to contact someone, so why does he keep driving over to you when he could just call you? People are strange.
Pleased you got the sale. What a nightmare situation though, and no - you did nothing wrong. 2nd hand car market is nuts though, and at least he apologised! Must be very hard trying to keep everyone happy and actually get a sale...
As always you show just how to treat people as you would like to be treated, those that only care about themselves that are stressed for other reasons, well only time will tell. Another well done you, we all have our good and bad days, your management of that and your cars are just perfect.
I appreciate that!
Some people are beyond reason and I'm disappointed that this dickhead managed to get the car in the end. Hate unreasonable people and will agree with your fair methods.
I admire a man of principal.
These days, not a lot of people understand 'my word is my bond'!
Otherwise known as commitment.
Some customers are not worth keeping. That customer would've been a nightmare. Not worth the admin
You did the right thing should patients when needed. Treated the bloke with respect when he was disrespectful. But you're there to sell cars by being the way you are you sold the car. From the comments a lot of people don't understand that you make your like this. And dealing with the general it's quite difficult sometimes that's a skill in itself well done.
Thanks Star Man
I admire your patience james , I would have told him to fk off and the cars not for sale to him
Lesson learnt - no reserving or first refusal unless a deposit is put down 😁
I'd never bother with first refusal, 99%of people deal there and then, if they don't I immediately forget them, I'd never ever turn a buyer away who was actually in front of me, I find that once a deals gone into the next day or two it's dead in the water.
Hi there Mr chops! I've been watching your videos for a week now and I'm loving the stories so I have subbed to your channel and I'm really looking forward to seeing much more brilliant videos.😃👍
As ever James - I admire your patience and restraint :-)
Many thanks!
Just love this story. The wonderful British public. Don't know how you kept your cool.
"First refusal" is a terminology that continues to bend my head!
Stuff that! I want last acceptance!
Well James if this chap is a subsciber to your channel he should know what sort of man you are and that your morals are top draw and beyond reproach.
The annoyances of selling goods when you try to be fair to others 😅 Thats the main reason I just take the loss and don't bother to sell my cars anymore, but trade them in. Stay true and I hope karma will keep you covered and I'll enjoy the stories of your adventures in the meantime 😁
Every once and a while, you will always get a customer who will keep you on your toes.
Very true
You'll always get DREAM BUYERS in Any Genre. I worked for used cars at Vauxhall in Essex late 80s and Ford Yorkshire 90s and I'd say SELL it to the FIRST customer with the Buckeroonies 🔥 It's an Extremely tempestuous trade used cars and it's not as if you've got 3 more identical on the shelf. All spoken with respect for your jolly good character. Greetings from Middle Earth
James sometime you can't do right for doing wrong. Glad the car sold though. Just hope the chap doesn't turn out to be a headache. Keep up the great work. 👍👍👍🏴🇬🇧
You're a good story teller 👍. Glad it came out well for you in the end
Thanks!
Thank heavens you have a high threshold for tools that buy cars. Would rather deal with a smaller operation such as yours, than these giant impersonal pressure places...He is a lucky fella that you remained calm, sadly, his wife must put up with him....
People do it with my computer repair business. They'll come over to see me without priort arrangement (bearing in mind I don't have a storefront, its a residential address), and expect to get faster service than someone who contacts me ahead of time. I even specify on all my advertising that customers who just turn up without contacting me first will not recieve faster service. Winds me up sometimes.
Absolutely amazing how some Kia's are the spitting image of some Fords.
When he first bought it I thought it was a Focus from a distance!
Just basic cheap motoring like most run of the mill Fords
@@sammytheseal2307 But with way better reliability.....
@@Brian-om2hh Yeah, sort of, but the early to mid/late 2000s Ford's are up there with most reliable for their time. 2011 ish onwards with the Ecoboom engines coming out to play is where disaster struck for Ford!
Hi James congratulations on reaching 26,800 subscribers and you will soon be at 27,000 subscribers and well done for all your continued hard work on the cars
The Kia Venga I have just bought was a similar situation. There were four other cars that I had turned up to view, but spotted a married couple haggling over the Venga, he was wanting no less than £10'000 for his own car against the Venga at £4'300, I reckon he was just trying to clear a debt. The trader told him that he couldn't pay that for his car and he just said that he would go and get it valeted and sell it on, then return and buy the venga, he didn't leave a deposit so when he left I pounced. After the test drive I bought it, top spec Venga 3 2013 with all the bells and whistles, I especially like the electric Panoramic roof, and the £30 yearly road tax.
You were NOT wrong. You acted completely ethically and were true to your word. A lot of others could learn some ethics from you. Keep up the good work.
Cheers Dan
1:25 cleaning the cars with a brush that has been on the floor, lol
I bought a Peugeot 305 diesel estate for 300 quid years ago. Great car, had about three years out of it before I flogged it and got a 405 turbo estate. When I rang the seller he said he’d got about 20 messages on his answerphone about the car. When I said, thinking I’d now be at the back of the queue,”aren’t you ringing them first? “ he said I’m talking to you, if you want to see it here’s the address. I went and looked and bought it. And learned a life lesson, I was prone to tying myself in knots trying to be fair to everyone when selling stuff, and having first and even second refusal lists, I no longer bother entertaining potential timewasters , first come first served. I’ll wait but I’ll need a non returnable deposit
Did well, great job, lots of patience.
I used to be an estate agent for many years. The vast majority of people were respectful and understanding of deposit or best bids situations, however there were always a minority who were entitled and aggressive, who'd get angry and sometimes abusive as soon as it looked as though they might not get exactly what they wanted, through no fault of anyones. They must end up making life very difficult for themselves and probably end up on the end of abuse themselves if they act like that all the time!
Great video. Love your approach and decent customer service which is rare these days
Earlier in life the 1960s OAP bought a mini from the garage i worked at & kept complaing bad mpg a mechanic had it for a week & got 48mpg whilst driving for a week returned it a month later he returned still complaining mechanic took him on a test drive came back laughing turns out the OAP only used first gear had never passed a driving test as had licence prewar when test not needed
First come first served. Simple as that. Customer are not and never are friends. You are a business. If someone attends with the readies get it sold. Cut throat 🤷🏻
Love the’B’ in the back!! Had a ‘72 BGT and a ‘73 roadster. Fun cars.
The general public can be a pain in the Arse, I think I've seen it all in my 30 years of retail.
I bet
James your in business....forget all this subscriber first refusal stuff....your too nice. The market is in your favour at the moment but it won't always be and you could have lost a sale because a subscriber said he liked it......the subscriber didn't buy it....the man in front of you will. I had a Discovery for sale and people were hot for it on the phone...One chap had a test drive and liked it but said he had a few more to look at...I said couldn't hold it for him. I bloke called me from Cornwall said if it's as described he will buy it...Could i hold it until monday....NO was the answer.....he then said I will buy it don't sell it I'm on my way ( 320 miles away).....he kept calling me to update me where he was until he was in my village...and true to his word he bought it. Make hay when the sun shines R kid.
People like that I just refuse to sell too. Don’t sell good cars to bad people
I can never understand why people get so het up about part-ex values, especially when they have an old crap car to trade in. If you've got a car worth a grand, just sell it privately AFTER you've bought the new car. You'll get more money for it and you get the car you want straight away. I've never part-ex'd a car, I have always sold my vehicles privately, it's not hard. People say "oh I can't be bothered with the time wasters / being messed about / haggling", it's just nonsense. They just can't be bothered, period. I've got a car worth £2.5k at the moment that a dealer would probably give me £1k for - why on EARTH would I want to give up £1.5k??? Weird people.
Better make sure it goes out with all the valve caps. 😉
Ford focuses are good cars but get very tatty and bitty at high mileage. £550 sounds bang on P/X price, probably a £1795-1995 car with advisories done fully retail prepped, but I don't think it'll be worth your time as I wouldn't be confident on putting a 6 month warranty on a 1.6 HDi Focus with 140k miles.
Trade out at £1k-£1.2k or so?
Turns out seems to have missfire, lump idle, drives well plenty of power but idle lumpy , if we petrol Id say missfire for sure
@@ChopsGarage Damn, that's why I say pay as little for the older high mileage snotters that come in P/X
I've left a reply to you on David's comment about it
I know the MK2 Focuses inside out lol, I've got 2 and seem to be working on one every week as of lately 😀
As you explained:
He was given any opportunity to refuse the sale
He chose to come, he wasn't invited to come
His phone not having signal was not your fault
What an entitled person he was!
Sounds like drama , first come first served in my days owning a car sales.
I've only ever expected someone to hang on to a car for me if I've given them a good sized deposit. Otherwise it's tough T-Ts!
Well done James, you have the patience of a Saint but you may pray the car holds up and doesn't go wrong, in any way ... no matter what!!
Personally I would have refused to sell him the car as I would be concerned about his reaction if something goes wrong with the car.
However, from past experience, working as a senior manager in a very large insurance company in their underwriting complaints department; sometimes the pillocks and bad tempered customers are your best friend when you sort out or compromise on an issue.
I doff my hat to you James.
That’s brilliant you have been able to sell another car well done to you
Cheers Ben
Lol
Another part of your job I wouldn't like dealing with the peculiarities of different people, when he shows up tell him you've had a better offer - just to wind him up
Well he has it now but may not be the end of it
Appreciate you wanting to be fair James but you don't need the hassle!!
I'd be a little peed off with the first chap telling you he wanted the car then saying the distance was going to cause issues....did he not know where you were?
First come first served is the way James....but then you've always gone 'over and above' mate, and if you are happy with that fair play to you, I couldnt!
maybe he was trying to help out as it was said another interested, I suspect might have done the deal had it been more persuasive,
@@highpath4776 I appreciate what you say but maybe some aren't as genuine as they appear....I've bought cars from all over the country but been sure I could collect or have delivered within my budget rather then get the seller thinking its possibly a sale and holding others off only to be let down....
Can I have a third refusal please? 🤣🤣🤣
I have this friend who's been running a second hand shop for decades. If there is one thing he doesn't do anymore, it's holding something for someone with the promise of a guaranteed sale. The person who comes with the money in hand is the person making the purchase.
Good policy
@@ChopsGarage Or obviously taking a deposit, when the buyer can't take it away right there and then.
It simply weeds out all those so and so time wasting buyers who will change their mind when they see another car at another dealer 4 miles down the road. It's fairly obvious how one can abuse someone else's gesture of good will.
Handy it's a Kia as more likely to be written off than go wrong. Focus part ex asking for trouble. Maybe emphasise test drives by appointment and deposit required post test drive and it's theirs.
i dont know why i find this channel so entertaining...but it bloody is lol
Glad the Alfa has had a much needed and deserved clean. It is the showpiece and talisman for your budiness 😍
No deposit=no commitment on either side, although I appreciate your personal morality i.e. "My word is my bond" on the First refusal; unfortunately this can often be one-sided/a downfall with some who are "Definitely going to buy it mate" types. That said, I wouldn't have sold it to this guy as often people like this can be a 'nightmare' after the sale as well.
All credit to you though, as you are everything a good [as in fair] businessman should be. If I lived down you way and needed a car I would feel confident buying from you, and would know that any statement you made would be genuine and not sales BS....and I have bought/sold many cars in my time.
Thank you!
Unless a decent non-refundable deposit, none of this 'will £50 be OK mate?' nonsense, has been put on the car, you are free to sell it to whoever you like, without giving any notice whatsoever. Why do some people think its OK to mess car dealers about like this?
People are sheep bud, if a cars not sold, why has it not sold, if its sold they want it lol, it that deals falls through, why, revert back to why has it not sold, its a never ending circular flow chart lol
I found after many years of car sales to put people I have a bad feeling about off the car I have and try and steer them out of yard.There are dodgy customers and dodgy dealers most people are great and we all have our angry moments.You get 10 out of 10 from me for being a sales man,its about paying the bills.Kia should send you an award.😃
Lol cheers bud
Moral of the story. Don’t give first refusals. First COME first served.
You've done exCee'dingly well dealing with that one, James!
I get so frustrated with people like that, who seem to think that despite their attitude you owe them something.
I appreciate you need to sell the car but I'd have recommended an attitude adjustment straight away.
I sold a car once in the Middle East with one buyer wanting a discount because it had a sunroof, leather interior and expensive entertainment system.
He wanted to export it to his home country and all the goodies meant that he would get taxed in the luxury car bracket, therefore I should reduce the price to account for that.
We didn't keep in touch.
There’s a saying here in Lancashire there’s nowt as quare as folk. Sometimes you can’t win.
It's funny how some people go to view a car and then get emotionally attached to it and can't bear the thought of it being sold to somebody else if they don't buy it there and then.
The world's a great place - it's people that spoil it.
I would have told him the car was sold - he'd do my head in.
I had a muppet drive 80 miles once to look at my old car I was selling privately. I gave him £100 off the price but he wanted another £50 off - I said no, that's as low as I'll go.
He moaned " I can't beleive you are gonna lose a sale over £50" - I said you are going to miss a car over £50...goodnight. Went in the house and had a cuppa. 10 minutes later the door knocked and he bought the car - I have little patience for unreasonable people.
I wouldn't have worked so hard on Mr Agry, he is not the kind of customer you want if there is any chance of there being a real world problem.
A bad customer very, very rarely becomes a good customer.
Good to see the Alfa comes in red…… James is the Alfa a reliable car in your opinion was thinking of buying a 2012 1.6 diesel one ? Great channel by the way !!!
I bet you had a headache at the end of that day! Gordon Bennett 😲😲😄😄 You did it right. First come first serve is easier though😊 Id always keep a list of interested parties and being up front, up front, saves lots of hassle further down the road. Customer "I want a complete clutch for my NSU yesterday" Me "I can't do it yesterday - perhaps try xyz auto factors down the road, they might - but I can have it here for tomorrow with a 40% discount, if you leave a deposit and your contact details". Customer "I'm not waiting that long!" Storms out. Two days later he's back asking to order the clutch for his rare motor. Seen it a hundred times or more😄😄
I remember many years ago I was desperate to buy a yellow fiat coupe 20v turbo. I had searched for months and then noticed that a garage about 45mins away had one come up for sale so I rang up and was told that it was due in that afternoon so I left a deposit over the phone and agreed to go and view it later that afternoon. I got there at the time we agreed only to be told that somebody had seen it being delivered and bought it there and then. As you can imagine, I wasn’t a happy bunny but some dealers just don’t care. I wish there were more like you about.
Yeah see that does not sit right with me
You know what that couple who were undecided about financing would have been saying when they left?
"Oh God.....the old someone else is really interested scam. He must get the same guy turning up every time"
A 13 year old focus with 140k that can't be worth much with advisories to.