The trouble is some mechanics don’t want to bother diagnosing or working on older cars. I was ‘advised’ by a mechanic a couple of years ago to scrap my van because it was a 2008 and he thought the steering rack was going. When someone else investigated, it turned out to only be a UJ which was fixed for £100 and it was fine!
Very true. My elderly fathers 2007 skoda Octavia starting having engine trouble, his mechanic told him car couldn't be fixed (or would be way more than car was worth to fix) so he sold it for scrap for a few hundred £. I've since checked the online history and car has new tax and MOT and was sold for over £4k... I expect it was something like a mass air flow sensor etc but seems to me that his garage couldn't be bothered to look into it/work on it because it was an old car.
From a mechanical point of view I wouldn’t call that an older car - just a car old enough to require some mechanical work! Any mechanic not interested in that should be working at qwik fit.
Well James, my Grandad bought a Morris Minor new back in 1965, it ran for the first 56 years no problems at all, and then the drivers side floor fell out, shock horror we were going to get our money back but the dealer is dead! So I have a new floor panel in t shed waiting to be welded in and then she will run on for another 100 years. As my old foreman used to say "You can't educate pork" great video as always.................
Hi a friend off mine has a 2004 corsa 1.0 three cylinder and has just pasted 310000 miles he changes the oil every 3 to 5 thousand miles and we have just done the cam cover gasket which was leaking water into the oil but apart from that and the odd exhaust it's been reliable
Absolutely it's like if a person dying, getting them cremated... Then accusing someone of poisoning them! They chose to scrap it, James has been more than fair on so many aftersales/out of warranty cars (with video evidence)
Probably scrapped £2k worth of car for a £50 part. Couldn't afford to diagnose it further but they will have stumped up far more to buy another car. I understand they may not know about cars which is why they need to ask people. I know about cars but I would not do DIY brain surgery. Car forums seem to be dying breed, but still some good ones out there with people willing to help.
Did they ACTUALLY scrap it? Or did some sharp mechanic persuade them that scrapping it was the only option and then "as a favour" give them £100 over scrap value while knowing full well that there was a cheap and easy fix!?!?? Quick repair and orf up to places north and his mate that he has some sort of cosy arrangement with.
I had a sureal conversation with my neighbour about his car nightmare, his 15 plate civic had been nothing but trouble since he bought it six month ago a flat tire with a nail in it a month ago, new wipers for the mot and to cap it all he had had to replace the battery in January. Aparanetely the dealer was a crook😂
🤣🤣🤣 I helped the lady who walks our dog find a new car for her dog walking business …the brief was she had £1500 to by a large car to last 1 year, and then she would be happy to scrap it… I found her a nice Honda CRV 4x4 with 170,000 for £1100… it had a years MOT and really clean, drive real nice… she absolutely loved it… she har it a year and liked it so much she’s now had it 3 years and covers 60,000 miles in it!!! But OMG does she complain about it… she spends next to nothing on it and runs it in to the ground… the other day she said the callipers welded themselves to the disks costing £500 to replace!!!! She had run the pads out completely and ignored the grinding noise… then the ignition barrel gave out, etc etc… all small issues she’s ignored… it’s a 2004 car with now 230,000 on the clock and the poor thing never sees any maintenance until something goes bang… some people are utterly unrealistic about cheap cars… they want to pay nothing, invest nothing in maintenance but expect it to drive to the moon and back
A neighbour of mine a few years ago bought a nine year old Suzuki Alto for £800. Used it to drive daily for work from Exeter to Highbridge. After two years it went band and he expected the place he bought it from to fix it for free, as it should've lasted! Utterly clueless!
Check the reg to see if whoever brought the car for scrap puts it back on the road. This is an old Garage trick tell the customer it's scrap and buy it cheap.
I've been a victime of that myself, except it was a lot worse because the car was scrapped at a scrapyard and yet somehow managed to end up back on the road. I suddenly started getting demands from this company I had never heard of of signing a document for a car I didn't own and they had already described as being 'his'. A messy business also involving the police. I never want a repeat of this experience.
That happened to me a good few years ago, wanted to trade in an older car that had a few problems and the dealer said it wasn't worth fixing and they could only offer scrap value at £150. A couple of weeks later we see the car up on their forecourt for sale at £950. Now they still can't have been making much money on it, and they could have just said, look it's going to cost us to fix it up and even then we're not going to make much profit so the best we can offer is £150.
Absolutely NO WAY could you EVER be described as a 'dodgy dealer', just a decent bloke trying to make an honest living! People like that just do my head in!!!! Keep up the good work, both on and off the screen.x
Flipping a car is not honest. Buying a car at auction and putting it through a MOT does not say the car is good. The car needs inspecting and faults fixed before it is sold. The least I would expect is that the timing belt is inspected for wear and if needs be changed. He does not know the condition of the timing belt. If the belt had slipped and caused the problem, that would have been caught with an inspection if the belt and tensioner needed replacing. How does the dealer know if the timing belt had ever been changed. When buying a second hand car the first thing I ask is about the timing belt and if they can't prove how old it is then I will ask them to change with an OEM part or walk away.
"I knew it was a wrong un when the horn needed fixing". What the actual f. I admire your ability to maintain a dignified and professional manner with people like that.
The horn is probably the simplest circuit on a car! Horn wired to positive and negative, protected by a fuse/relay, with a switch in the middle (steering wheel), maybe a splice to wire it into the alarm system! Even my Gran could figure that out!
Sadly that is the mentality of some people. I would think it was to be expected on a 13 year old car? It's hardly the most expensive thing to replace on a car.
I had to have the horn on my car replaced because it was pathetic from factory, my mechanic had spare horns they ripped out from dead cars, I knew the guy really well he said get me a bottle of whisky and it's done. The horn from my car was functional and ended up being fitted to a Moped which is suited much better and was actually good for a Moped he fitted to his sons Moped. I got a horn from an an old Vauxhall Astra in my Toyota Auris, since the alarm on my car is the horn it's incredibly loud if someone dares to steal it and the led indicators I fitted which also go off are incredibly bright the whole street will be up to witness my car being broken in to.
I sell buttons. Was told the button i sent was 25mm and she ordered 16mm. I said put a ruler next to it and send a photo. It was 16mm and i put lines from the rule on the 16mm mark so she could see it was 16mm. Got a message back saying it was 25mm. What can you do?
@@mrfoameruk Probably wrong place to ask. Do you sell foam too, lol. I need asome prices on foam. I gave up upholstery 10 years ago and all my accounts with hunters, martins etc are long closed.
@@UberAlphaSirus Gave up selling foam years ago as no one was buying it anymore (and took up a lot of space) as it was usually cheaper to buy a new sofa. The best thing is to look online.
People are unreal... Most seem to want champagne, for Lemonade money! Your openness and honesty on this channel speaks for itself! In my experience, the customer is sometimes, just wrong!!
This is such a shame, you're a genuine, honest guy. Anyone who watches your videos knows that you'll try to help out the best you can. Most places would charge top dollar for out of warranty repairs, but you always look after folk. If only everyone was as kind, please don't change.
Maybe she was trying a scam or perhaps she was a bit too nervous to complain directly ? The thing is when you are dealing with someone who makes the comment she did about the horn failing then you are dealing with someone who really is clueless. Whatever you do for them they are probably never going to be happy.
James, I’ve watched your channel for as long as it’s been live and you’re one of the few used car dealers I would buy from. You go out of your way to keep your customers satisfied with their purchases. You go the extra mile to ensure the cars are highly presentable and mechanically sound. Unfortunately, some consumers are totally unrealistic in their expectations or merely try it on to see if they can extract cash from you. I wonder what the mileage was on the car when it was scrapped! If you were based in the North East, I would certainly buy a car from you. Good luck and best wishes for the future.
Having spent many years in the retail trade the expectations of consumers is totally out of step with how much they are prepared to pay . Buy cheap but expect top end levels of service.
When i worked in the motor trade it was definitely the case that the cheaper the car a customer was looking at the more unrealistic their expectations. Sub five grand you are mostly dealing with people who really cant afford to properly run a car.
did you work at a main dealer by any chance ? Because your comment definitely isn't true. I've traded for 12 plus years and sold mainly £2000- £3000 cars and had repeat customer year in year out. I've taken part exs in that I valued at £150 got them right and saw them on the road a couple of years down the line, you are not experienced enough in the motor trade to make comments like that
I had a guy buy my old car, when he put it in his garage he scraped it all down one side, and caught the front corner trying to get it out. He wanted his money back as the car was bigger than he thought and had lost confidence in it (he’d had it six weeks at this point). I said no, private sale, end of. He said he was going to get legal advice …. Never heard a thing after that. That was over 2 years ago.
I expect they never once opened the bonnet in 8 months to check the oil and let it run low - I run a garage / MOT station and low oil level is the most common problem we see by far! Let a Corsa run low on oil and the timing chain will be clattering away within days.
I used to get rid of cars as soon as they started getting relatively small problems. Learned my lesson when I got rid of a Citroen picasso because I thought it was going to fail big time. 10 years later whilst my car was having it’s MOT , my old Picasso drove out of the adjoining business premises.
Yep. In 1999 I had been driving a 1988 2.5l Senator for 3 years. Traded it for a new Renault Scenic. The Scenic was a pile of rubbish and appears to have been scrapped at 12 years old. I saw the Senator around locally for some time afterwards and it managed to keep going until major corrosion issues killed it about 3 years ago.
Your spot on James, unfortunately it seems their restricted outlay also applies to their mechanical knowledge. You wouldn’t scrap the car unless you knew what the fault was and its repair cost. Very odd this one, scrap yard will be dining out on this…
Just check it out that it’s actually been scraped they may have been told a story by the other garage or mechanic so that they could buy it off of them for next to nothing. And yes that does happen a lot.
Never like to hear that cars have been scrapped, but soon as you mentioned the Customer said “The Garage said…” I immediately knew - no wrongs on your part James! Keep ‘em comin’! JCHK
I used to be a car trader with a site but I packed up in 1996 as I was fed up with the public. I even had one come back after 2 months for a bloody headlamp bulb. My old business partner was right in saying sell cheap cars get cheap people.
Is that the corsa you got pete to change the chain and he didn't remove sump. It's impossible to get cover alignment when you only remove a few sump bolts which is way he does them. Oil pump will always fail..jyst a matter of time
I bet they didn’t “scrap” it, James. It’s just language. I’ve heard it before. They mean they scrapped it from their life. Sold it for a nominal amount or part exchanged it. And then moaned about it.
@@ChopsGarage many in London P/Ex value £500ish . Scrappage For ULEZ £2k. (did you see the vid on parking lots full in china of unsold electric vehicles (LHD) dont think they are "type approved" for UK road legal.
I swear some customers expect new car reliability when buying old cars. Scrapping if was a ridiculous over reaction. And honestly not your problem James. And on a lighter note is it only me who’s had a chuckle at the Suzuki’s number plate behind you 😂😂
@0:46 If they are penny pincher spec, there is not much to worry about beyond normal wear and tear. Especially those Toyota Aygos. @1:09 Some of them have specific design flaws that go beyond wear and tear. Cars aren't created equally in terms of reliability. In the cheap city runabout market there doesn't seem to be much of a difference, though. 👍
You go above and beyound to get these motors retail ready, how was this corsa driven for the last 8 months ? End of day its a motor could break at any time, scarping it then ringing you to give you a mouthfull. You do a fantastic job keep it up.
It was an unreasonable customer. You should have been given the opportunity to remedy the situation. I wouldn’t worry, you sound an honest and trustworthy dealer.
thankyou James, why on earth would anyone do that without at least asking someone for advice first, even the garage that picked up the faults could of come up with a practical alternative and your very approachable to,, as for contacting you after scrapping it im really not sure why she did that, I find that very strange,,anyway have a good weekend James im sure youll be spoilt on sunday,personally I cant wait my kids and grandkids always make it such a special fathers day for me,,,👍👌
If the person was fairly close to you , she, could have rung you for advice. Anybody who watches your channel regularly , knows the score -or should. Sadly, some people are on low income, and can't deal with a repair. But scrapping a car means that she now has to buy something else. Don't look at emails at midnight 😴 Keep the videos coming, please.
Get the impression that alot of his customers don't watch or even know about his channel which is a shame because its a great advert for his whole buisness model.
I have also had similar problems in the past selling older cars . I remember selling a Vectra the buyer got back to me the next day saying he had changed his mind 🤔 I asked him why he said nothing was wrong with it but he decided he didn't like it anymore . He asked me for his money back to which I replied tough titties !! Bought as seen . He was going nuts lol threatening me with all kinds of stuff . James I love watching your videos as I have always been into cars just sold my last Capri a couple of years ago I used to love working on the old pinto engine lol so easy to work on . Anyway keep up the good work and I look forward to your next video 😉.
I sold a car cheap to a friend after he had been hassling me for it for quite a while. Six months later he had sold it on because he couldn't afford the insurance. Less than six months after that the person he had sold it to had ragged it to death and scrapped it. It was in excellent nick when I sold it and I would still have it today if my "friend" hadn't kept on about how badly he wanted it. At the end of the day they are only lumps of metal. Life's too short to be worrying about them. I'll never sell a car to anyone I know again, though.
You are spot on! We own and run an independent car dealership in Lincolnshire and stock 80-100 vehicles. We sell all sorts of stuff from Range Rovers to Meganes, we ALWAYS find that people expect WAY too much on our cheaper stock. For example, about 4 months ago we sold a 2010 Vauxhall Insignia for £3500 with 110k on it. Full service history, well looked after car. Last week they turn up out of the blue stating that they have had to have a new track rod end fitted and don’t think it should have needed one so soon after purchase and asked what we were going to do about it. My first question to them was “how many miles have you done in the vehicle since you purchased it?”. Their answer was 7500 miles! I was very diplomatic and explained to them why we were not in a position to help them on this occasion due to the mileage covered since purchase, the fact that they have gone ahead and had works carried out on the vehicle before speaking to us amongst other things. Every single vehicle we sell is sold with a minimum of 3 months RAC warranty and 12 months breakdown cover and I think that is plenty on a vehicle of that age and mileage.
If only there were more car dealers like you around. If I lived closer, I would buy a car from you, no problem. As in anything in life, you are never going to please everybody and buying anything secondhand that is 10yrs old, is always a bit of a gamble.
Hi James , totally amazed how some people think and act. It's as if they showed up the wrong day when they were handing out the common sense. You always go the extra mile on car prep and looking after your customers.
Every single part of a car has a life span everything! Nobody can expect a used! Car dealer to cover things that are going to fail, if you buy a used car then the responsibility of keeping extra money for bits here and there is totally on the buyer, ps I have a 2007 car I've had it six years it still drives because I spend money on it's maintenance which is what I'd expect.
I have an 03 plate zafira with 167,000 on the clock petrol, just failed its mot on handbrake cables track rod end ball joint, seized rear caliper and exhaust clamp had rusted all the parts came to a little over £100 I done some of the work and a chap down the road done the the rest cheap so for around £200 I got my 12mth ticket I'm happy its called wear and tear the car still goes like a bomb being the gsi model. I call it cheap motoring. Sod the new cars with more expensive problems. I'm happier with the older cheaper cars.
Exactly,my motorbike is 15 years old now and I'm happy to replace parts on it because I know that the stuff I'm taking off did 15 years so I don't have to think about the stuff that goes on anytime soon.
You seem like a genuine guy. Lots of people keep swapping cheap old cars each year, it still cheap motoring. Don’t beat yourself up the customer was just informing you that they probably wouldn’t be a return customer. As you said all the parts are end of life and it soon gets very expensive to keep replacing the small things if you don’t DIY.
Even leaving the 8 months since she bought it and the fact the warranty she was given has long expired aside, how anyone could expect someone to accept any kind of liability for something they have no opportunity to examine for themselves is beyond me. Very weird! Fully justifiable to just send her packing.
@@grahamlucas208 what's mileage got to do with anything? The warranty had expired on the basis of time not mileage. Additionally, no seller of any kind of goods would replace a faulty item if you didn't return the original. It's like buying a TV and turning up at the shop months after the warranty has expired asking for a replacement - at the same time you tell the vendor they can't see the old TV because you've thrown it out!
Fair point, I'd say there fault and above and beyond when I'm buying cars for others always try and explain that I can't gauntee any major mechanicals. Having said that sometimes people get frustrated with repairs etc. I always so set a maximum your prepared to go upto when doing repairs. If you reach that question is is it worth the hassle or take a chance on something new- usually helping out anywhere upto 4-5k. If I were closer I'd probably be buying off you at points :)
Have you checked if it has been retaxed recently? Perhaps someone suggested they should scrap it and they would give them a good price, then just fixed it and sold it on. Or it could be I'm just getting cynical in my old age.
Nah mate your spot on this happens all the time especially with mot failures they think it's failed on loads and going to be expensive but all the parts are cheap and easy to fit so the garage offer them a couple of quid to get out of it then do the work and sell them on for decent money
Your perspective is spot on…. These are “end of life cars”. Things will wear out. But I guess if someone is broke, they might have really stretched themselves to even pay for a car of that age, so they’ve got no cash for ongoing repairs. Scrapping it seems extreme, but maybe that’s all they could afford to do.
@@ChopsGarage absolutely of course. I was just suggesting one possible reason for the seemingly odd decision to scrap it 👍 Keep up the great work, love the channel :)
given the washer and horn comments they probably never lifted the bonnet and checked any levels. The same people that run the cars into the ground without the easy checks and topups who trade then in for other people. Sounds like karma.
Fella I feel for you! I sold new and used cars for 4 well known brands thinking I had landed my ultimate job (Total car nut) but it was (Mainly) customers whining that made me ditch out after 4 years. 8 months in on a car like that - sorry buyers but some you win, some you lose. ATB to you mate 🙂
@@Steve-gc5nt Staggers me to this day, still involved with cars and customers. Level of stupidity, ridiculous expectation and rudeness when they find out theyre wrong is mind blowing!
There are a lot of unknowns here. We don't know how she treated the car for the last 8 months, we don't know if she's had other problems with it as this was the first, since the horn, you knew about and we don't actually know what was wrong with it. Yet somehow it's your fault and you're expected to help her after she chose to scrap it first. People are strange. I think you should find where she scrapped it and go take a look
As I've said before, I would have no problem buying a car off you mate. But at the end of the day you get what you pay for in life. I think the lady had some bad advice regarding scaping the car. Out of interest, have you checked the number plate to see if it's still on the road 🤔
Just a thought - (and the answer might be it would take too long to be feasible), but to cover yourself a little could you send each car out with a single sheet giving the service intervals of the major drivetrain components and their state as currently known? MOT - Check last done X Service - Check last done Y (Oil/Filters etc) Cam belt - Unknown - but OEM Service life is x years / x miles Plugs - Last change unknown - but OEM service life is x years / x miles etc Not for everything but just the standard intervals, then if they choose to ignore a cam belt and it snaps/shears a tooth and skips time causing the piston to smack the valve and bend it then they it's very clearly on them for running outside of the specs and rolling the dice. If I bought a 2nd hand car that was 11 years old and the cam belt interval was 10 years with no record of it being changed, I'd assume it was the original and factor that job into my budget for the purchase and get it done first thing, but I'd think to look at the intervals and the history. Not that I think you're remotely to blame here - you've gone above and beyond in every way.
I wouldn't worry about it James But I would make a point of checking the registration in a month or so to see if it really has been scrapped or maybe not
My sister recently bought a 2009 Corsa 1.4 with 43,000 miles. The car was serviced and MOT'd (advisory free). It's in great condition and everything works. She also has a reliable local garage who will be able to keep that car running for another ten years unless something untoward happens. The fact that they decided to scrap it is their choice. If I buy something and decide to throw it into the bin that's my choice.
I James. Love your videos. The public are always over u when they want something then their attitude changes. You are right. Hundred percent. What did they do to it in 8 months. Long time. Trying to pull fast one. Don't get sucked in by that poor attitude. U are a nice man. Don't worry that causes strokes. Keep making good videos and we will keep watching. Just to note. I use autoglym high definition shampoo now, excellent product. Best wishes David. Norfolk
Reminds me of an incident many years ago when I worked at a tyre depot. A customer had a set of the cheapest remould tyres that we sold and came back in the next day saying they were useless, the reason being that he'd run over a nail and suffered a puncture, which in his deranged logic meant that the tyres were no good!
Couldn't do your job dealing with people like that their expectations are unreal ,nothing lasts forever,use it, maintain it ,put it right if it goes wrong
Unfortunately, once they had made that ludicrous decision to scrap a perfectly usable car, needing a fairly minor repair (which, if they had asked for your advice, could have been carried out by one of the legendary mechanics/companies that you use), any opinion that you give them, as an alternative to what they decided, will provoke them into defending their own opinion robustly and arguing the toss. I stand by my opinion that anyone who owns a car should either be prepared to learn a little about how it works or at least be prepared to seek advice from someone with that knowledge. You are the perfect example of decent used car dealer and an all round good person, James. Don't change - You're doing it right.
After watching this, and hearing what this guy says, I would buy a car from him. All what he says is very true, he seems honest and tells it like it is, if more dealers were like him more cars would be sold and probably last longer!
Sounds like someone who doesn't know how to run a car. I have been sold a 208 that wasn't fit for purpose, and it's taking me so far nearly a month to get it sorted! She's lucky that you are willing to resolve the issue so quickly. Not your fault. Thanks for sharing 👍🏽
Expectations versus reality on this one with the customer. The only thing you might get from it is to upsell an extended warranty, which they can pay on top if the sale price. Top work as usual sir👍
I sold a 2005 Rover 45, top spec, immaculate hatch pearl black, diesel, new clutch, timing belts, everything running gear, arms bushes etc, properly sorted with a years mot. Guy drove it less than 2000 miles over the next year and scrapped it when it needed it's next mot...... Literally the best 45 I've ever owned.
Even buying an expensive car doesn’t guarantee success - I had a rear light fail on a 4 year old prestige car (led system and a known fault on model) and the company was quite happy to make me pay. I’ve watched your channel for a while and you seem generous and have a large audience who will say if not - at the lower end once out of warranty it has to be the buyer who is responsible as the margins don’t allow for more.
I’ve a 2010 Polo I bought for my daughter as a learner. As it’s the 1.2 I’m probably going to be down nearly a grand next week as it has the notorious timing chain issue. I paid £4k a couple of years ago for it, but wouldn’t bin it. Older cars cost more money to maintain, but you’re still quids if you do the lease deal maths. People just don’t understand basic mechanics I’m afraid.
My Corsa had 30k on the clock when I brought it two years ago and now has 75k. I have had no major issues on it, though I have it serviced and check oil and fluids regularly. Any car will last, if you just look after it. I once chatted to a scrap dealer, he explained to me that he hadn't had to spend any large sum of money on a daily driver for years. Someone would turn up with a car to scrap, he would fix some minor thing like a muffler or a battery and he'd have a car for about 18 months.
Going back many years my nextdoor neighbour always purchased new small cars every 3 yrs to avoid MOTs even though she only done about 1000 miles a year and I recall once she was telling me her Mini Metro that she got rid of after 2yrs was because it became unreliable as it had a tyre puncture , i was lost for words
People get nervous with things they don’t understand, I can see her side and of course agree with your statements in reply to her. More places need to be so kind. I have no idea why she didn’t think to have the place she bought it from look at it. The car I’m driving at the moment I got in 2019 and it was going to be scrapped, running and driving with MOT. Needed a bit of maintenance and a good clean throughout but still to this day is it working with a fresh MOT the other week.
I hope it wasn't the silver '61-plate 1.4 SE that looked really decent. It must be, since I remember you giving a quick demonstration on the folding rear seat not staying. They didn't have it long.
If any body is dodgy it was that man that looked at that car !Yes it was 10 or more years old but very low miles NO need to scrap it what a con man.The majority of cheap but still good cars are the ones that people can afford now
My car has an engine management light on but drive's fine..... I'm so lucky it drive's fine so I have total piece of mind that it will make it to the scrap yard without breaking down 😂
Having spent over 42 years in the motor trade, it never ceases to amaze me what the customer expects from a car that is over a decade old and well past its sell by date ! Three months warranty on a car of that age is more than fair. I use to sell modern used cars back in the 80's and 90's along with classic cars, but for the past 25 years I have concentrated purely on classics. The classic car market has changed in the past 10 years, once 9 out of 10 buyers were enthusiasts who understood the vehicle they were buying and the effort needed to keep them reliable. Now I would say 5 out of 10 are buying for purely financial reasons ie they see the car as an investment. I tell all would be purchasers buying a classic car should be for the fun, camaraderie, social scene and the making of memories , not just investment purposes. Try warranting a 50/60 or even 70 year old car ! I do my best to make the cars as reliable as possible and warrant against catastrophic failure of engine, gearbox and back axle. I will always do my best to help any customer who is polite and reasonable.
The problem,is that a decade-old car, 'well past it's sell-by date' is fetching an absurd price at the moment,and I suppose peoples' expectations have risen also.
Unfortunately, there is more money to be made selling simple things like new brakes than there is sorting out an engine issue. The customer was probably told that their car was past it and not worth repairing. I have been told the same thing about cars I still drive 15 years later.... Stay firm and don't deal with that customer again, they should either lease a new car or use the bus or a bicycle as old cars are not for them.
Back in the 60s my brother used to buy REALLY cheap cars. One occasion he managed to buy a pair of Austin A40s for just £5. He managed to cobble together one runner between them. Although even this one had a problem with the drivers door. (If you opened it, it would fall off due to corrosion of the bodywork around the hinges) so you'd have to enter through the passenger side and slide across. He finally scrapped that car once the ashtray was full. He simply decided it wasn't worth the effort to empty it.
Silver Corsa FD61SUF still shows on DVLA so not scrapped. However the last V5C change was 11th June, so it's no longer in their hands. They very likely sold it cheap. Hopefully it gets repaired.
Hello bud another stonking video. Bud what you gonna do ,the thing is you always go out your way to try and give your customers as much help as you can,but as soon as something goes wrong out of warranty your the bad guy. Wow. Just keep on smiling dude. Don't forget you are a top banana. Adios for now man. 🤗😁✌👍✋
I suspect that the lady who scrapped the car is about to become a thorn in your side. Who in the right mind scraps a car and then reports that it developed a fault. Any opportunity you might have had to assist her with the fault has gone. Surely anyone in the right mind, if they felt they had a claim, would contact you “before” making a decision to scrap it.. I think you need to advise her that it was her decision to scrap the car and since it no longer exists, then nor does any warranty or obligation you have. If you sell her another car, you’ll have more problems, I’m sure you know that the people you bend over backwards for, are the first to criticise and take further advantage.
I can understand her frustration but at the end of the day, nothing can be foreseen. I bought my 2013 Corsa D in 2019 and within the first month the PVC valve went bad. But instead of pestering the dealer about getting it fixed, I just did my research and fixed it myself within 10 minutes. It's always a matter of mind set and unfortunately people expect too much when they are paying pennies.
Interested to know if it was a 1.0 12v or 1.2/1.4 16v. I have a 59 reg 1.4 auto here that had a head gasket failure which is very very common (More so on the turbo versions in Astras, Mokka's etc). Taking the head off is a real pain and you can't even start on it until you have the timing tools to hand. A garage would have included a timing chain etc in their quote together with the usual gaskets, and if it was a 1.4, used engines are a big risk due to the head gasket issues mentioned above.
This sounds like my young sister. I had the engine total rebuild on her wee Nova and she scrapped it a couple of months later when it failed MOT instead of coming back to me as I could have got the work done and new MOT at a reasonable price
@@ChopsGarage yes as you can imagine I was furious as I not only paid for the work on her car but lent her my spare with a full tank of fuel that came back empty.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
The trouble is some mechanics don’t want to bother diagnosing or working on older cars. I was ‘advised’ by a mechanic a couple of years ago to scrap my van because it was a 2008 and he thought the steering rack was going. When someone else investigated, it turned out to only be a UJ which was fixed for £100 and it was fine!
Very few true mechanics about these day's but plenty who are a disgrace and call themselves mechanics but are simply parts changers.
Very true. My elderly fathers 2007 skoda Octavia starting having engine trouble, his mechanic told him car couldn't be fixed (or would be way more than car was worth to fix) so he sold it for scrap for a few hundred £.
I've since checked the online history and car has new tax and MOT and was sold for over £4k...
I expect it was something like a mass air flow sensor etc but seems to me that his garage couldn't be bothered to look into it/work on it because it was an old car.
Definitely not your problem, she should have spoke to you first to see if you could help
From a mechanical point of view I wouldn’t call that an older car - just a car old enough to require some mechanical work! Any mechanic not interested in that should be working at qwik fit.
@@Tom-je4tt to be fair we never turn work away, only difficult customers 😉 food for thought
Well James, my Grandad bought a Morris Minor new back in 1965, it ran for the first 56 years no problems at all, and then the drivers side floor fell out, shock horror we were going to get our money back but the dealer is dead! So I have a new floor panel in t shed waiting to be welded in and then she will run on for another 100 years. As my old foreman used to say "You can't educate pork" great video as always.................
I bet you could sell it now for more than what your Grandad bought it for :o)
It's probably good life advice not to read insane customer emails right before bedtime.
Whatever that means reflects on you not the supposedly insane person. 😊
Seems good advice. Maybe people should also not construct insane emails right before bedtime
Nothing like the great British public, James!
You are already going above and beyond.
Hi a friend off mine has a 2004 corsa 1.0 three cylinder and has just pasted 310000 miles he changes the oil every 3 to 5 thousand miles and we have just done the cam cover gasket which was leaking water into the oil but apart from that and the odd exhaust it's been reliable
Totally agree
@@garycoleman874I'm baffled, how does the cam cover leak water into the oil?🤔
Not your problem, scrapping it sounds like an over reaction
Absolutely it's like if a person dying, getting them cremated... Then accusing someone of poisoning them!
They chose to scrap it, James has been more than fair on so many aftersales/out of warranty cars (with video evidence)
Probably scrapped £2k worth of car for a £50 part. Couldn't afford to diagnose it further but they will have stumped up far more to buy another car.
I understand they may not know about cars which is why they need to ask people. I know about cars but I would not do DIY brain surgery.
Car forums seem to be dying breed, but still some good ones out there with people willing to help.
Did they ACTUALLY scrap it? Or did some sharp mechanic persuade them that scrapping it was the only option and then "as a favour" give them £100 over scrap value while knowing full well that there was a cheap and easy fix!?!??
Quick repair and orf up to places north and his mate that he has some sort of cosy arrangement with.
Very true
Rubbish scrap
I had a sureal conversation with my neighbour about his car nightmare, his 15 plate civic had been nothing but trouble since he bought it six month ago a flat tire with a nail in it a month ago, new wipers for the mot and to cap it all he had had to replace the battery in January. Aparanetely the dealer was a crook😂
If he's made of money he should have bought new. If he isn't, Civic best can get as secondhand but. He needs to get real.
A perfect example , if we filtered these from all the cases I wonder how many would be left
🤣🤣🤣 I helped the lady who walks our dog find a new car for her dog walking business …the brief was she had £1500 to by a large car to last 1 year, and then she would be happy to scrap it… I found her a nice Honda CRV 4x4 with 170,000 for £1100… it had a years MOT and really clean, drive real nice… she absolutely loved it… she har it a year and liked it so much she’s now had it 3 years and covers 60,000 miles in it!!! But OMG does she complain about it… she spends next to nothing on it and runs it in to the ground… the other day she said the callipers welded themselves to the disks costing £500 to replace!!!! She had run the pads out completely and ignored the grinding noise… then the ignition barrel gave out, etc etc… all small issues she’s ignored… it’s a 2004 car with now 230,000 on the clock and the poor thing never sees any maintenance until something goes bang… some people are utterly unrealistic about cheap cars… they want to pay nothing, invest nothing in maintenance but expect it to drive to the moon and back
A neighbour of mine a few years ago bought a nine year old Suzuki Alto for £800. Used it to drive daily for work from Exeter to Highbridge. After two years it went band and he expected the place he bought it from to fix it for free, as it should've lasted!
Utterly clueless!
@@andysalter4473 I bet they never changed the oil because those cars are total shit awful things to drive but one thing they are is reliable.
Check the reg to see if whoever brought the car for scrap puts it back on the road. This is an old Garage trick tell the customer it's scrap and buy it cheap.
Yes good call
I've been a victime of that myself, except it was a lot worse because the car was scrapped at a scrapyard and yet somehow managed to end up back on the road. I suddenly started getting demands from this company I had never heard of of signing a document for a car I didn't own and they had already described as being 'his'. A messy business also involving the police. I never want a repeat of this experience.
That happened to me a good few years ago, wanted to trade in an older car that had a few problems and the dealer said it wasn't worth fixing and they could only offer scrap value at £150. A couple of weeks later we see the car up on their forecourt for sale at £950. Now they still can't have been making much money on it, and they could have just said, look it's going to cost us to fix it up and even then we're not going to make much profit so the best we can offer is £150.
Absolutely NO WAY could you EVER be described as a 'dodgy dealer', just a decent bloke trying to make an honest living! People like that just do my head in!!!! Keep up the good work, both on and off the screen.x
Flipping a car is not honest. Buying a car at auction and putting it through a MOT does not say the car is good. The car needs inspecting and faults fixed before it is sold. The least I would expect is that the timing belt is inspected for wear and if needs be changed. He does not know the condition of the timing belt. If the belt had slipped and caused the problem, that would have been caught with an inspection if the belt and tensioner needed replacing. How does the dealer know if the timing belt had ever been changed. When buying a second hand car the first thing I ask is about the timing belt and if they can't prove how old it is then I will ask them to change with an OEM part or walk away.
"I knew it was a wrong un when the horn needed fixing". What the actual f. I admire your ability to maintain a dignified and professional manner with people like that.
The horn is probably the simplest circuit on a car! Horn wired to positive and negative, protected by a fuse/relay, with a switch in the middle (steering wheel), maybe a splice to wire it into the alarm system! Even my Gran could figure that out!
Sadly that is the mentality of some people. I would think it was to be expected on a 13 year old car? It's hardly the most expensive thing to replace on a car.
I had to have the horn on my car replaced because it was pathetic from factory, my mechanic had spare horns they ripped out from dead cars, I knew the guy really well he said get me a bottle of whisky and it's done. The horn from my car was functional and ended up being fitted to a Moped which is suited much better and was actually good for a Moped he fitted to his sons Moped. I got a horn from an an old Vauxhall Astra in my Toyota Auris, since the alarm on my car is the horn it's incredibly loud if someone dares to steal it and the led indicators I fitted which also go off are incredibly bright the whole street will be up to witness my car being broken in to.
Probably had a good drink last thing at night , when they send a message 😅😂
By “scrapped” she probably meant the sold it for scrap value to the “mechanic” who did the diag.
Exactly my thoughts too.
It wouldn't surprise me if that car appeared back on the road again.
@@sidsod1616 ..exactly!
You could always use the 'check mot and tax' facility to keep an eye on it.
The classic "yeah its knackered, but I'll do you a favour and give you £400 to get it out of your hair". Then its up for £1500 the next week
There is no point arguing with these kind of people. They will never be happy and they will always think they are right.
I sell buttons. Was told the button i sent was 25mm and she ordered 16mm. I said put a ruler next to it and send a photo. It was 16mm and i put lines from the rule on the 16mm mark so she could see it was 16mm. Got a message back saying it was 25mm. What can you do?
There is no point in arguing with you. You always think everything is salvagable. 😂 If you assume, you make an ASS out of U and Me. 😂
Never a truer word spoken 👍
@@mrfoameruk Probably wrong place to ask. Do you sell foam too, lol. I need asome prices on foam. I gave up upholstery 10 years ago and all my accounts with hunters, martins etc are long closed.
@@UberAlphaSirus Gave up selling foam years ago as no one was buying it anymore (and took up a lot of space) as it was usually cheaper to buy a new sofa. The best thing is to look online.
People are unreal... Most seem to want champagne, for Lemonade money! Your openness and honesty on this channel speaks for itself! In my experience, the customer is sometimes, just wrong!!
This is such a shame, you're a genuine, honest guy. Anyone who watches your videos knows that you'll try to help out the best you can. Most places would charge top dollar for out of warranty repairs, but you always look after folk. If only everyone was as kind, please don't change.
Thank you
Maybe she was trying a scam or perhaps she was a bit too nervous to complain directly ?
The thing is when you are dealing with someone who makes the comment she did about the horn failing then you are dealing with someone who really is clueless. Whatever you do for them they are probably never going to be happy.
James, I’ve watched your channel for as long as it’s been live and you’re one of the few used car dealers I would buy from. You go out of your way to keep your customers satisfied with their purchases. You go the extra mile to ensure the cars are highly presentable and mechanically sound. Unfortunately, some consumers are totally unrealistic in their expectations or merely try it on to see if they can extract cash from you. I wonder what the mileage was on the car when it was scrapped! If you were based in the North East, I would certainly buy a car from you. Good luck and best wishes for the future.
Having spent many years in the retail trade the expectations of consumers is totally out of step with how much they are prepared to pay . Buy cheap but expect top end levels of service.
Yep
When i worked in the motor trade it was definitely the case that the cheaper the car a customer was looking at the more unrealistic their expectations. Sub five grand you are mostly dealing with people who really cant afford to properly run a car.
did you work at a main dealer by any chance ? Because your comment definitely isn't true. I've traded for 12 plus years and sold mainly £2000- £3000 cars and had repeat customer year in year out. I've taken part exs in that I valued at £150 got them right and saw them on the road a couple of years down the line, you are not experienced enough in the motor trade to make comments like that
I had a guy buy my old car, when he put it in his garage he scraped it all down one side, and caught the front corner trying to get it out.
He wanted his money back as the car was bigger than he thought and had lost confidence in it (he’d had it six weeks at this point). I said no, private sale, end of.
He said he was going to get legal advice …. Never heard a thing after that. That was over 2 years ago.
That's unbelievable!! What an idiot!😮😮 sounds like a Sh1te driver 😂😂😂
I take it it wasn't a bright green mini and he wasn't wearing a brown jacket and red tie was he?
@@dannyhtheretrogamingmaster9548 😂👍👏👏🤣
He probably had the garage full of shite and was trying to get the car into a space that didn't exist 🤣
Obviously, you should have offered to extend his garage for him free of charge ... 😂
Keep your eye on the reg when it's due for MOT, I doubt it was scrapped, I expect the "mechanic" bought it for scrap value and did the work themself.
Good point
Deffo happens alot mate
Very good point!
I expect they never once opened the bonnet in 8 months to check the oil and let it run low - I run a garage / MOT station and low oil level is the most common problem we see by far! Let a Corsa run low on oil and the timing chain will be clattering away within days.
It’s obvious why they had to scrap it James, the washer bottle was empty and I expect the tyres had worn down too… 😅
Lol!
maybe she's a smoker and the ashtray was full?😂
@@gordysevenzero3244 I know people who chuck out Dyson Vac cleaners when the bin is full
People take bikes to the dump because the tyre got a puncture.......
I used to get rid of cars as soon as they started getting relatively small problems. Learned my lesson when I got rid of a Citroen picasso because I thought it was going to fail big time. 10 years later whilst my car was having it’s MOT , my old Picasso drove out of the adjoining business premises.
Yep. In 1999 I had been driving a 1988 2.5l Senator for 3 years. Traded it for a new Renault Scenic. The Scenic was a pile of rubbish and appears to have been scrapped at 12 years old. I saw the Senator around locally for some time afterwards and it managed to keep going until major corrosion issues killed it about 3 years ago.
Your spot on James, unfortunately it seems their restricted outlay also applies to their mechanical knowledge. You wouldn’t scrap the car unless you knew what the fault was and its repair cost. Very odd this one, scrap yard will be dining out on this…
Just check it out that it’s actually been scraped they may have been told a story by the other garage or mechanic so that they could buy it off of them for next to nothing. And yes that does happen a lot.
Never like to hear that cars have been scrapped, but soon as you mentioned the Customer said “The Garage said…” I immediately knew - no wrongs on your part James!
Keep ‘em comin’!
JCHK
You're on a roll with all videos, can't keep up 😎
PCBWayyyyyyyyy! Welcome to RUclips, Elaine! Hope you keep posting more content. Enjoy your trip!
I used to be a car trader with a site but I packed up in 1996 as I was fed up with the public. I even had one come back after 2 months for a bloody headlamp bulb. My old business partner was right in saying sell cheap cars get cheap people.
Haha, you'd have put a bulb in, Halfrauds would have sold her one AND charged her to fit it! (and been the heroes!)
Is that the corsa you got pete to change the chain and he didn't remove sump. It's impossible to get cover alignment when you only remove a few sump bolts which is way he does them. Oil pump will always fail..jyst a matter of time
I bet they didn’t “scrap” it, James. It’s just language. I’ve heard it before. They mean they scrapped it from their life. Sold it for a nominal amount or part exchanged it. And then moaned about it.
You may be right
@@ChopsGarage many in London P/Ex value £500ish . Scrappage For ULEZ £2k. (did you see the vid on parking lots full in china of unsold electric vehicles (LHD) dont think they are "type approved" for UK road legal.
Keep an eye on the UK Gov MOT history service if you dig the reg out of your office paperwork, see if it gets re-tested at any point.
@SuperJames 1985 free VRM check online gives you last owner change, free for 1 a day.
Yes, all they did is sell it at scrap price, bet they didn't fill in the appropriate box on the v5🤔.......
As always, you’re very fair when problems occur…good work James👍
Thanks 👍
It does make you wonder if they ever lifted the bonnet to check the oil, so many people just don’t bother
Some people are always ready to complain, you went above and beyond as always James, keep up the good work mate.
I swear some customers expect new car reliability when buying old cars. Scrapping if was a ridiculous over reaction. And honestly not your problem James. And on a lighter note is it only me who’s had a chuckle at the Suzuki’s number plate behind you 😂😂
Nope I did too 😂
nice car for an only fans gal
Nah, SH..LAG had me chuckling too! 😂
That's why I never sell my cars, I'd rather scrap a car than put up with people wanting a full service history and 2 yrs of warranty for a £100 car.
You shlag 😂
@0:46 If they are penny pincher spec, there is not much to worry about beyond normal wear and tear. Especially those Toyota Aygos.
@1:09 Some of them have specific design flaws that go beyond wear and tear. Cars aren't created equally in terms of reliability. In the cheap city runabout market there doesn't seem to be much of a difference, though. 👍
Sounds like they are skint and trying it on, surprised she didn’t say the tires were wearing as well.
You go above and beyound to get these motors retail ready, how was this corsa driven for the last 8 months ? End of day its a motor could break at any time, scarping it then ringing you to give you a mouthfull. You do a fantastic job keep it up.
I would check its current tax status. My bet is that the dealer took it for scrap, fixed it up, and put it on sale.
I rekon you might be right.
Good point
It was an unreasonable customer. You should have been given the opportunity to remedy the situation. I wouldn’t worry, you sound an honest and trustworthy dealer.
Cheers, appreciated
They walk amongst us I’m afraid James, let this one go over your head pal👍🏻
Lol cheers
thankyou James, why on earth would anyone do that without at least asking someone for advice first, even the garage that picked up the faults could of come up with a practical alternative and your very approachable to,, as for contacting you after scrapping it im really not sure why she did that,
I find that very strange,,anyway have a good weekend James im sure youll be spoilt on sunday,personally I cant wait my kids and grandkids always make it such a special fathers day for me,,,👍👌
If the person was fairly close to you , she, could have rung you for advice.
Anybody who watches your channel regularly , knows the score -or should. Sadly, some people are on low income, and can't deal with a repair. But scrapping a car means that she now has to buy something else. Don't look at emails at midnight 😴 Keep the videos coming, please.
I won't lol
Read emails that was
Get the impression that alot of his customers don't watch or even know about his channel which is a shame because its a great advert for his whole buisness model.
I have also had similar problems in the past selling older cars . I remember selling a Vectra the buyer got back to me the next day saying he had changed his mind 🤔 I asked him why he said nothing was wrong with it but he decided he didn't like it anymore . He asked me for his money back to which I replied tough titties !! Bought as seen . He was going nuts lol threatening me with all kinds of stuff .
James I love watching your videos as I have always been into cars just sold my last Capri a couple of years ago I used to love working on the old pinto engine lol so easy to work on . Anyway keep up the good work and I look forward to your next video 😉.
I sold a car cheap to a friend after he had been hassling me for it for quite a while. Six months later he had sold it on because he couldn't afford the insurance. Less than six months after that the person he had sold it to had ragged it to death and scrapped it. It was in excellent nick when I sold it and I would still have it today if my "friend" hadn't kept on about how badly he wanted it.
At the end of the day they are only lumps of metal. Life's too short to be worrying about them. I'll never sell a car to anyone I know again, though.
Had to scrap it? No, decided to scrap it.
Good point
100%
You are spot on! We own and run an independent car dealership in Lincolnshire and stock 80-100 vehicles. We sell all sorts of stuff from Range Rovers to Meganes, we ALWAYS find that people expect WAY too much on our cheaper stock. For example, about 4 months ago we sold a 2010 Vauxhall Insignia for £3500 with 110k on it. Full service history, well looked after car. Last week they turn up out of the blue stating that they have had to have a new track rod end fitted and don’t think it should have needed one so soon after purchase and asked what we were going to do about it. My first question to them was “how many miles have you done in the vehicle since you purchased it?”. Their answer was 7500 miles! I was very diplomatic and explained to them why we were not in a position to help them on this occasion due to the mileage covered since purchase, the fact that they have gone ahead and had works carried out on the vehicle before speaking to us amongst other things. Every single vehicle we sell is sold with a minimum of 3 months RAC warranty and 12 months breakdown cover and I think that is plenty on a vehicle of that age and mileage.
Thanks for the feedback mate, that person was cheeky even coming by! And these are the characters that then say the dealer was dodgy
If only there were more car dealers like you around. If I lived closer, I would buy a car from you, no problem. As in anything in life, you are never going to please everybody and buying anything secondhand that is 10yrs old, is always a bit of a gamble.
Hi James , totally amazed how some people think and act. It's as if they showed up the wrong day when they were handing out the common sense. You always go the extra mile on car prep and looking after your customers.
Cheers Dave
Every single part of a car has a life span everything! Nobody can expect a used! Car dealer to cover things that are going to fail, if you buy a used car then the responsibility of keeping extra money for bits here and there is totally on the buyer, ps I have a 2007 car I've had it six years it still drives because I spend money on it's maintenance which is what I'd expect.
I have an 03 plate zafira with 167,000 on the clock petrol, just failed its mot on handbrake cables track rod end ball joint, seized rear caliper and exhaust clamp had rusted all the parts came to a little over £100 I done some of the work and a chap down the road done the the rest cheap so for around £200 I got my 12mth ticket I'm happy its called wear and tear the car still goes like a bomb being the gsi model. I call it cheap motoring. Sod the new cars with more expensive problems. I'm happier with the older cheaper cars.
Exactly,my motorbike is 15 years old now and I'm happy to replace parts on it because I know that the stuff I'm taking off did 15 years so I don't have to think about the stuff that goes on anytime soon.
You seem like a genuine guy. Lots of people keep swapping cheap old cars each year, it still cheap motoring. Don’t beat yourself up the customer was just informing you that they probably wouldn’t be a return customer. As you said all the parts are end of life and it soon gets very expensive to keep replacing the small things if you don’t DIY.
100-percent correct sir dealing with the public it's hard to please some people
Even leaving the 8 months since she bought it and the fact the warranty she was given has long expired aside, how anyone could expect someone to accept any kind of liability for something they have no opportunity to examine for themselves is beyond me. Very weird! Fully justifiable to just send her packing.
Because it had very low mileage. They don't go off like bread!
@@grahamlucas208 what's mileage got to do with anything? The warranty had expired on the basis of time not mileage. Additionally, no seller of any kind of goods would replace a faulty item if you didn't return the original. It's like buying a TV and turning up at the shop months after the warranty has expired asking for a replacement - at the same time you tell the vendor they can't see the old TV because you've thrown it out!
Fair point, I'd say there fault and above and beyond
when I'm buying cars for others always try and explain that I can't gauntee any major mechanicals. Having said that sometimes people get frustrated with repairs etc. I always so set a maximum your prepared to go upto when doing repairs. If you reach that question is is it worth the hassle or take a chance on something new- usually helping out anywhere upto 4-5k. If I were closer I'd probably be buying off you at points :)
Have you checked if it has been retaxed recently? Perhaps someone suggested they should scrap it and they would give them a good price, then just fixed it and sold it on.
Or it could be I'm just getting cynical in my old age.
Nah mate your spot on this happens all the time especially with mot failures they think it's failed on loads and going to be expensive but all the parts are cheap and easy to fit so the garage offer them a couple of quid to get out of it then do the work and sell them on for decent money
Sorry...I can't get past the Suzuki with the number plate....' You Shlaaag....'😅😅
"l knew it was a wrong un when the horn stopped working". that has got to be the stupidest car related comment ever made in the world 😂😂😂
Was funny
@@ChopsGarage was insulting the convo would of been over at that point
Your perspective is spot on…. These are “end of life cars”. Things will wear out. But I guess if someone is broke, they might have really stretched themselves to even pay for a car of that age, so they’ve got no cash for ongoing repairs. Scrapping it seems extreme, but maybe that’s all they could afford to do.
Sure understand that, but of course thats not down to a dealer
@@ChopsGarage absolutely of course. I was just suggesting one possible reason for the seemingly odd decision to scrap it 👍
Keep up the great work, love the channel :)
Did they ever tell you what they wanted from you? Until they give you their expectations, there's no way you can manage those expectations
No nothing
You’re spot on James
given the washer and horn comments they probably never lifted the bonnet and checked any levels. The same people that run the cars into the ground without the easy checks and topups who trade then in for other people. Sounds like karma.
Fella I feel for you! I sold new and used cars for 4 well known brands thinking I had landed my ultimate job (Total car nut) but it was (Mainly) customers whining that made me ditch out after 4 years. 8 months in on a car like that - sorry buyers but some you win, some you lose. ATB to you mate 🙂
You did well to last 4 years.
Joe Public can be utterly vile.
@@Steve-gc5nt Staggers me to this day, still involved with cars and customers. Level of stupidity, ridiculous expectation and rudeness when they find out theyre wrong is mind blowing!
There are a lot of unknowns here. We don't know how she treated the car for the last 8 months, we don't know if she's had other problems with it as this was the first, since the horn, you knew about and we don't actually know what was wrong with it. Yet somehow it's your fault and you're expected to help her after she chose to scrap it first. People are strange. I think you should find where she scrapped it and go take a look
thanks for this mate, you could say that the seat reg is a play on words
I would've just said I've got some good stock in here if your in the market for a new vehicle 🥳🥳
Lol
Great video james and interesting situation. Always thought you do super prep on your cars. Keep the amazing work up.
Thanks 👍
@@ChopsGarage I liked the way you would have been willing to help them get it repaired, despite it having been well out of warranty
As I've said before, I would have no problem buying a car off you mate. But at the end of the day you get what you pay for in life. I think the lady had some bad advice regarding scaping the car. Out of interest, have you checked the number plate to see if it's still on the road 🤔
Yes I think we need to
@Chops Garage let us know what you find out mate
"But at the end of the day you get what you pay for in life." Yes, unless it is a scam. That is why it is a dumb platitude.
@worldhello1234 as with anything used. You need to do your checks. But with any moving part, they don't last forever
Just a thought - (and the answer might be it would take too long to be feasible), but to cover yourself a little could you send each car out with a single sheet giving the service intervals of the major drivetrain components and their state as currently known?
MOT - Check last done X
Service - Check last done Y (Oil/Filters etc)
Cam belt - Unknown - but OEM Service life is x years / x miles
Plugs - Last change unknown - but OEM service life is x years / x miles
etc
Not for everything but just the standard intervals, then if they choose to ignore a cam belt and it snaps/shears a tooth and skips time causing the piston to smack the valve and bend it then they it's very clearly on them for running outside of the specs and rolling the dice.
If I bought a 2nd hand car that was 11 years old and the cam belt interval was 10 years with no record of it being changed, I'd assume it was the original and factor that job into my budget for the purchase and get it done first thing, but I'd think to look at the intervals and the history.
Not that I think you're remotely to blame here - you've gone above and beyond in every way.
What I would do James is, offer them a new car, no discounts, just include a long warranty...
I wouldn't worry about it James
But I would make a point of checking the registration in a month or so to see if it really has been scrapped or maybe not
My sister recently bought a 2009 Corsa 1.4 with 43,000 miles. The car was serviced and MOT'd (advisory free).
It's in great condition and everything works. She also has a reliable local garage who will be able to keep that car running for another ten years unless something untoward happens.
The fact that they decided to scrap it is their choice. If I buy something and decide to throw it into the bin that's my choice.
You give us confidence that there are honest people in the motor trade earning a living
On your bike lady
I James. Love your videos. The public are always over u when they want something then their attitude changes. You are right. Hundred percent. What did they do to it in 8 months. Long time. Trying to pull fast one. Don't get sucked in by that poor attitude. U are a nice man. Don't worry that causes strokes. Keep making good videos and we will keep watching. Just to note. I use autoglym high definition shampoo now, excellent product. Best wishes David. Norfolk
Thanks David
They didnt HAVE to scrap the car, they CHOSE to scrap the car, that is their problem not yours.
Reminds me of an incident many years ago when I worked at a tyre depot. A customer had a set of the cheapest remould tyres that we sold and came back in the next day saying they were useless, the reason being that he'd run over a nail and suffered a puncture, which in his deranged logic meant that the tyres were no good!
Obvs!
Couldn't do your job dealing with people like that their expectations are unreal ,nothing lasts forever,use it, maintain it ,put it right if it goes wrong
Unfortunately, once they had made that ludicrous decision to scrap a perfectly usable car, needing a fairly minor repair (which, if they had asked for your advice, could have been carried out by one of the legendary mechanics/companies that you use), any opinion that you give them, as an alternative to what they decided, will provoke them into defending their own opinion robustly and arguing the toss. I stand by my opinion that anyone who owns a car should either be prepared to learn a little about how it works or at least be prepared to seek advice from someone with that knowledge. You are the perfect example of decent used car dealer and an all round good person, James. Don't change - You're doing it right.
After watching this, and hearing what this guy says, I would buy a car from him.
All what he says is very true, he seems honest and tells it like it is, if more dealers were like him more cars would be sold and probably last longer!
Much appreciated
Sounds like someone who doesn't know how to run a car. I have been sold a 208 that wasn't fit for purpose, and it's taking me so far nearly a month to get it sorted! She's lucky that you are willing to resolve the issue so quickly. Not your fault. Thanks for sharing 👍🏽
Expectations versus reality on this one with the customer. The only thing you might get from it is to upsell an extended warranty, which they can pay on top if the sale price.
Top work as usual sir👍
I sold a 2005 Rover 45, top spec, immaculate hatch pearl black, diesel, new clutch, timing belts, everything running gear, arms bushes etc, properly sorted with a years mot.
Guy drove it less than 2000 miles over the next year and scrapped it when it needed it's next mot......
Literally the best 45 I've ever owned.
Even buying an expensive car doesn’t guarantee success - I had a rear light fail on a 4 year old prestige car (led system and a known fault on model) and the company was quite happy to make me pay. I’ve watched your channel for a while and you seem generous and have a large audience who will say if not - at the lower end once out of warranty it has to be the buyer who is responsible as the margins don’t allow for more.
Keep an eye on the reg, and see if it has been scrapped, or is still taxed etc.
I’ve a 2010 Polo I bought for my daughter as a learner. As it’s the 1.2 I’m probably going to be down nearly a grand next week as it has the notorious timing chain issue. I paid £4k a couple of years ago for it, but wouldn’t bin it. Older cars cost more money to maintain, but you’re still quids if you do the lease deal maths. People just don’t understand basic mechanics I’m afraid.
My Corsa had 30k on the clock when I brought it two years ago and now has 75k. I have had no major issues on it, though I have it serviced and check oil and fluids regularly. Any car will last, if you just look after it.
I once chatted to a scrap dealer, he explained to me that he hadn't had to spend any large sum of money on a daily driver for years. Someone would turn up with a car to scrap, he would fix some minor thing like a muffler or a battery and he'd have a car for about 18 months.
Going back many years my nextdoor neighbour always purchased new small cars every 3 yrs to avoid MOTs even though she only done about 1000 miles a year and I recall once she was telling me her Mini Metro that she got rid of after 2yrs was because it became unreliable as it had a tyre puncture , i was lost for words
People get nervous with things they don’t understand, I can see her side and of course agree with your statements in reply to her. More places need to be so kind.
I have no idea why she didn’t think to have the place she bought it from look at it.
The car I’m driving at the moment I got in 2019 and it was going to be scrapped, running and driving with MOT. Needed a bit of maintenance and a good clean throughout but still to this day is it working with a fresh MOT the other week.
I hope it wasn't the silver '61-plate 1.4 SE that looked really decent. It must be, since I remember you giving a quick demonstration on the folding rear seat not staying. They didn't have it long.
If any body is dodgy it was that man that looked at that car !Yes it was 10 or more years old but very low miles NO need to scrap it what a con man.The majority of cheap but still good cars are the ones that people can afford now
Does seem strange
My car has an engine management light on but drive's fine..... I'm so lucky it drive's fine so I have total piece of mind that it will make it to the scrap yard without breaking down 😂
lol
Having spent over 42 years in the motor trade, it never ceases to amaze me what the customer expects from a car that is over a decade old and well past its sell by date ! Three months warranty on a car of that age is more than fair. I use to sell modern used cars back in the 80's and 90's along with classic cars, but for the past 25 years I have concentrated purely on classics. The classic car market has changed in the past 10 years, once 9 out of 10 buyers were enthusiasts who understood the vehicle they were buying and the effort needed to keep them reliable. Now I would say 5 out of 10 are buying for purely financial reasons ie they see the car as an investment. I tell all would be purchasers buying a classic car should be for the fun, camaraderie, social scene and the making of memories , not just investment purposes. Try warranting a 50/60 or even 70 year old car ! I do my best to make the cars as reliable as possible and warrant against catastrophic failure of engine, gearbox and back axle. I will always do my best to help any customer who is polite and reasonable.
The problem,is that a decade-old car, 'well past it's sell-by date' is fetching an absurd price at the moment,and I suppose peoples' expectations have risen also.
Always been interested what the warranties were on classics as again the law does not define it, leaves it to a judge to decide
Unfortunately, there is more money to be made selling simple things like new brakes than there is sorting out an engine issue.
The customer was probably told that their car was past it and not worth repairing. I have been told the same thing about cars I still drive 15 years later....
Stay firm and don't deal with that customer again, they should either lease a new car or use the bus or a bicycle as old cars are not for them.
Back in the 60s my brother used to buy REALLY cheap cars. One occasion he managed to buy a pair of Austin A40s for just £5. He managed to cobble together one runner between them. Although even this one had a problem with the drivers door. (If you opened it, it would fall off due to corrosion of the bodywork around the hinges) so you'd have to enter through the passenger side and slide across. He finally scrapped that car once the ashtray was full. He simply decided it wasn't worth the effort to empty it.
Silver Corsa FD61SUF still shows on DVLA so not scrapped. However the last V5C change was 11th June, so it's no longer in their hands. They very likely sold it cheap. Hopefully it gets repaired.
Has a years tax on it now too
Hello bud another stonking video. Bud what you gonna do ,the thing is you always go out your way to try and give your customers as much help as you can,but as soon as something goes wrong out of warranty your the bad guy. Wow. Just keep on smiling dude. Don't forget you are a top banana. Adios for now man. 🤗😁✌👍✋
Cheers buddy
Life lesson one: people are often weird. It’s taken me a lifetime to truly acknowledge this, but it is the case.
I suspect that the lady who scrapped the car is about to become a thorn in your side. Who in the right mind scraps a car and then reports that it developed a fault. Any opportunity you might have had to assist her with the fault has gone. Surely anyone in the right mind, if they felt they had a claim, would contact you “before” making a decision to scrap it..
I think you need to advise her that it was her decision to scrap the car and since it no longer exists, then nor does any warranty or obligation you have. If you sell her another car, you’ll have more problems, I’m sure you know that the people you bend over backwards for, are the first to criticise and take further advantage.
I can understand her frustration but at the end of the day, nothing can be foreseen. I bought my 2013 Corsa D in 2019 and within the first month the PVC valve went bad. But instead of pestering the dealer about getting it fixed, I just did my research and fixed it myself within 10 minutes. It's always a matter of mind set and unfortunately people expect too much when they are paying pennies.
Very fair of you
Interested to know if it was a 1.0 12v or 1.2/1.4 16v. I have a 59 reg 1.4 auto here that had a head gasket failure which is very very common (More so on the turbo versions in Astras, Mokka's etc). Taking the head off is a real pain and you can't even start on it until you have the timing tools to hand. A garage would have included a timing chain etc in their quote together with the usual gaskets, and if it was a 1.4, used engines are a big risk due to the head gasket issues mentioned above.
1.2
Yes, you check and let us know. It'll be back on the road.
This sounds like my young sister. I had the engine total rebuild on her wee Nova and she scrapped it a couple of months later when it failed MOT instead of coming back to me as I could have got the work done and new MOT at a reasonable price
No way!
@@ChopsGarage yes as you can imagine I was furious as I not only paid for the work on her car but lent her my spare with a full tank of fuel that came back empty.
I do fully agree with you but if their is a car thats prone to failure at a certain mileage might be better to just not deal with those cars.