Most people spend more time researching a new television than they do doing used car checks before they buy. A telly that goes wrong costs you a few hundred quid. A car that goes wrong can cost you thousands — and that’s before you factor in the emotional joy of discovering the one you just…
The short version: never mention your trade-in until after you’ve agreed a price on the car you’re buying. Here’s why. There’s a moment in every used car negotiation where the dealer leans back, smiles, and says: “So — have you got anything to part-exchange?” It feels like small talk. It isn’t. That question is a…
Car dealer sales tactics are as old as the forecourt itself. Every profession has its scripts — doctors say “this might sting a little,” estate agents say “it’s got real potential” — but car dealers have an entire repertoire refined over decades. I know this because I used most of them. Not maliciously. That’s the…
What I’d actually buy as a former car dealer might surprise you — but this story starts with a red Metro. 1988. I was nervous, the customer was nervous, and I’m fairly sure the Metro was nervous too. You never forget your first. That sale taught me something I’d spend the next few years having…