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ABOUT THE AUTHOR As
a baby boomer, living under a nuclear cloud your whole life, one can become
cynical and soul searching. Mark
served his country throughout his life in one form or another. From the armed forces to the public service. From bus driver to cabbie. From hospital administration to mature age student. From mature age uni student to self-employment. From self employed to restaurant manager. From
single parent to car salesman. Mark was sure he could write a book on his experiences prior to accidentally falling into the motor trade. His intention in writing this book is to provide an easy to read small account of his experience, for all ages, to easily and quickly absorb. The motor trade is where he found his inspiration, and the only people he acknowledges above all are his mum and dad, and his partner, whose faith in him has never wavered. Introduction
Isn’t
it funny how baby-boomers always want to write books? Whether the stories are
good, bad or indifferent we do have a story to tell. Let’s
face it, in a world gone mad over the last half century, there has got to be a
market in storytelling in this age of self-awareness, and the continuing search
for the meaning of life. This
little book isn’t about self-awareness or the meaning of life. It’s
about you and me and that pile of mind-bending, budget-breaking machinery; the
motorcar. And
it’s for you, for my partner (who believes the purchase of something should be
a pleasant experience), and my brother. He
put forward the point of view (as a post-war baby boomer too) that this story
should be all common sense to the potential reader.
A good point. However,
get involved with an experienced salesperson that can present a product (be it
anything) with which you can fall in love. Then the result is an absence of
‘common sense’. Any
business, requiring the signature of a buyer on a contract, has become a high
pressure, dodgy minefield, and full of shady, mentally anaemic (physically as
well in too many cases) characters who will do almost anything to bind you to
that contract. None
more so than the motor trade.
I
started writing this book four years ago, and then half way through I stopped;
but like a moth to a flame I was drawn back into the motor trade by the money,
excitement, locality, fringe benefits, and bizarre everyday occurrences. An
objective person may consider that the motor trade attracts the likes of other
people unemployable in the ‘outside world’. I could be safe in saying that
the employers outside the motor industry would not employ a salesperson (I’m
one of them) and/or manager from the world of car sellers.
Hence
I was drawn back into the nightmare. Some
of the content I’ve had to update since I first published this little story,
however, the message is the same. Please read on to absorb my message, and DO
NOT let emotions cloud your judgment when choosing your ‘new’ or
‘second-hand’ vehicle. You
may buy the car of your dreams, in an emotional cloud, that doesn’t really
suit your needs. Two
door instead of four. In
today’s climate of escalation in petrol prices people may buy the wrong
vehicle based on fuel economy too. Remember for a few dollars more per week you
could have the right car to suit your needs, which will then last for years
without having to change. I
can tell you now that mistakes can cost you thousands, when you change to
another vehicle, using emotions rather than practicalities. Think
of it this way. A vehicle bought new, now one to two years old with very low
kilometres, traded in earlier than you would normally, obviously has to be (when
retailed for a ‘profit’ by the dealer) thousands of dollars from the new car
price. Be prepared to tear up five thousand dollars plus the minute you drive
your new car out of the showroom. But
what is your old vehicle worth? Remember
you are getting out of your car for a reason when selling, therefore, what makes
you think someone will want to get into it? In
practical terms the market dictates your vehicle’s value. It’s
called ‘Supply and Demand’. Insurance
companies, vehicle valuation magazines and books, the Internet and your friends
and relatives are not actually buying or selling your vehicle, therefore their
market appraisals are only a basic guide. Very
basic. On
many occasions I have had to deflate peoples’ expectation of their vehicle’s
worth. They enter a dealership with books, magazines, computer printouts,
insurance policies and friends/relatives (who know best, don’t they!) who all
have their own ideas of car valuations. Again
it is only ‘supply and demand’ dictating the value of your car. And
again, remember you are getting out of your car for a reason when selling. What
makes you think someone else will want to buy your old car? And
what of buying a replacement vehicle! Get
an independent mechanical inspection. This will save a loss of a friend (who has
meant well) when things begin to go wrong, and/or turns you away from the car
you want for no apparent reason. This person could be jealous of your potential
purchase, and/or doesn’t want to be responsible for advising you to buy a
vehicle in case something should go wrong in the future. Again,
go independent. And
would you put your life in the hands of ‘Eddie the Expert’ when buying your
car? Does Eddie (your pal) really know best? Keep
in mind also that a vehicle sight unseen (or from a photo) could be worth
thousands less than what the seller wants for it. Ask yourself: Has
the logbook been maintained? Have
the interior and exterior been maintained? Remember smoking in your car will
devalue it. What
about the motor/transmission? These
things cannot be detected from a photo, and in the harsh light of day the badly
maintained vehicle may be hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, less than the
value of the same properly maintained vehicle. These
things will be covered as you read on. I may even repeat myself; however, I
doubt you will be bored as I try to enlighten you just a little. An Overview
As
this exposé was written over some time I’ve noticed some positive changes
have taken place within the industry, although time and again I still hear of
things that would curl your hair. Over-demanding
dealership owners (dealer principals) and their managers are really causing
grief throughout the industry among staff, and to this day I will maintain most
of these ‘pirates’ would not have a job outside of the industry in any
managerial position. Or for that matter, any position at all. As
with most politicians who fall under the spell of having excessive executive
power, and who work in an underhanded, and even a backhanded way, nothing seems
to pique them into fair and positive action unless they are bludgeoned verbally
to death, and exposed. So it is with dealer principals. However,
decent dealerships with decent intentions will embrace this book; vociferous
belligerents will spit and spew venom (I, at times, have been guilty of
dishonest behaviour as I became more and more involved in the industry). Have
you ever heard the saying, ‘the best view of heaven is from hell’? I could
not have written this book unless I had sat with the devil. In
Chapter Five (THE PRODUCT) I touched on trying to reduce the death toll among
our youth by mentioning the introduction of reducing power-to-age motor vehicles
to new drivers. This has come to fruition in New South Wales recently (home of
the author). Also,
in Chapter Five, the use of ethanol looks to be mandatory in the not too distant
future (how long did this take?). Let’s
now push the biodiesel answer (not question), hence reducing the stranglehold by
oil companies on motorists and the transport industry, at the same time keeping
a rein on tax and excise. This will be the real battle when it comes to
alternate fuel supplies. Women
buyers in the marketplace have now become a real influence and force to be
reckoned with. And so they should be. I’ve
always been happy to deal with women without any male involvement, whereas
colleagues have had a put-down mentality towards female buyers, which in the
end, obviously, hasn’t got them anywhere. Along
with this book, there are a couple of great web sites to help the lady buyer
make the correct choice when buying.
Click on the cart below to purchase this book:
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