Used car salesman could face criminal trial over extensive clocking allegations – Car Dealer Magazine Zainal Abidin, 22/07/2024 A used car salesman could face a criminal trial after he was accused of clocking vehicles before selling them. Grzegorz Seczwokski, 39, appeared at Oxford Crown Court last Thursday (Mar 14), charged with a single count of fraud in relation to his company, GNA Car Sales Ltd. The car dealer, of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, is said to have offered multiple vehicles with fake milometer readings between September 22, 2021 and October 29, 2022. This is Oxfordshire reports that during a brief hearing last week, Seczwokski’s legal team made an application for the charges to be dismissed. The motion will be put before the same court in May with a trial due to set place on February 24 next year if the application is rejected. Last week, National Trading Standards warned used car dealers that they needed to take every possible step to avoid selling cars that have been clocked. Owen Kennedy, lead officer for motor sales for the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, told Car Dealer that retailers could still be prosecuted, even if they don’t know a vehicle’s mileage has been tampered with. He advised all dealers to get a mileage history check carried out by an external provider and … Continue Reading
Role of dealership highly valued by used car buyers Zainal Abidin, 19/07/2024 Nearly half (48%) of those looking to buy a used car considering visiting an established bricks-and-mortar seller provides them with the added assurance that it has likely undergone rigorous checks. The findings emerged in the latest Opinion Matters poll of 2,050 UK driving license holders who were commissioned by The Motor Ombudsman, the independent watchdog for the automotive sector. Furthermore, 43% of survey participants wanted a safety net if something was to go wrong with their car after purchasing it, as they would have more legal rights compared to if they had sourced the vehicle via a private seller. The research showed that nearly one in four buyers (38%) would prefer to visit a showroom, as they would have a greater opportunity to view and understand a car’s history, including its servicing records and documentation. A similar proportion, 34%, said that there would often be an opportunity to purchase an extended warranty agreement to help protect them from costly mechanical or electrical failures. Lastly, if they were to buy a used car, a third of survey participants cited that they would steer away from a private individual, in favor of buying one from a seller that is accredited by The … Continue Reading
Good deal or scam? What to look out for when buying used car Zainal Abidin, 13/07/2024 WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – An indictment against the former owner of three used car dealershipsaccused of altering odometers and falsifying readings, raises questions about how to ensure that you’re getting a good deal with a used car purchase and aren’t being scammed. “Whenever you’re buying a car, the first thing I would always do is do your research,” advises Mike Gisick with Midwest Kia in Wichita. Gisick sells vehicles and knows the importance of knowing exactly what you’ll be getting when you’re thinking about making a big purchase. The best way to find out details on what you’re getting is to conduct an online history check through a source like CARFAX. “When you’re looking at the AutoCheck or the CARFAX, it’s gonna give you the odometer reading,” Gisick said. Now, the average consumer is going to drive about 14,000 miles in Kansas, so that helps you figure out how many miles the car should have to start with.” Most dealerships get cars from trade-ins, off-the-street sales and auctions, which can be a gamble. “Unfortunately, even at auction, we’ll get a bad purchase ourselves,” he said. You can do your best to try and avoid those bad purchases by … Continue Reading
Used car market facing unprecedented shift Zainal Abidin, 12/07/2024 A new report predicts that electric vehicles will make up 28% of all used car sales in the period between 2024 and 2027. According to the latest four-year market forecast published by Cox Automotive, up to 2.3 million used EVs will be sold before 2027, representing a 160% increase in market share. Meanwhile, hybrids are expected to account for 25% of total registrations, with two million units sold. Trending in the opposite direction, diesels will shrink to just three per cent with only 62,000 units registered in 2027, while petrol sales will fall 12% to just a 35% share by 2028. Philip Nothard, insight director, Cox Automotive said: “The registration of the millionth EV in the UK is an important milestone in the transition to zero-emission motoring. But with two in every five new cars joining the UK car park this year forecast to be EV or hybrid, and with that proportion destined to grow rapidly in future years, dynamics in the used market over the next four years will arguably rival the complexity and impact of those experienced during the pandemic.” He continued: “It’s almost impossible to overstate the shift in the UK car park over the past four … Continue Reading
Inside abandoned used car dealership where cars have been left half-repaired – Car Dealer Magazine Zainal Abidin, 09/07/2024 A ghost ship car dealership has been uncovered by urban explorers complete with half-repaired cars and filing cabinets full of paperwork. YouTube channel ForgottenBuildings published a video this week looking inside the dealership where display cars are still in situ in the showroom and cars hoisted in the workshop up on the ramps. The Kia and Lada showroom – dubbed ‘the dealership of the apocalypse’ – is located near a busy main road ‘somewhere in Germany’. The video shows the explorers starting out the back of the dealership where they found a number of vandalized Kia models. They then climb in through a broken window to an office with shelves still full of files. Most of the cars have been ransacked for the expensive parts – including exhausts and interior trim. Offices in the showroom have posters on the walls, shelves are still full of brochures in the showroom and even the fridge was left with food inside when the dealership was shut down. The store room is still packed with ‘thousands of Euros’ worth of stock, including bumpers, wheels and smaller parts. It’s not known exactly when the showroom was abandoned – or why – but a more modern … Continue Reading
From supercars to superminis – why data can help dealers buy better cars – Car Dealer Magazine Zainal Abidin, 04/03/202428/03/2024 We all know that data is very often the key to a successful car retailing operation, but with so many providers of such information present on the market, trying to find the right one isn’t an easy process. Perhaps the answer is to go with a provider who has first-hand experience. Simon Hunt co-founded Brego in 2019 after wanting to buy smarter cars and not lose thousands of pounds in depreciation. He admits that after feeling the pain of selling his beloved Jaguar XK and taking a hit on the depreciation, he set out to build a platform that could help people such as him and dealers make better buying decisions. ‘If I could tell how much a car was going to be worth in the future, then I could buy smarter, make smarter buying decisions and better cars,’ he told Car Dealer Live in the video at the top of the story. ‘I quickly realized that the motor trade was also very interested in having accurate valuations data, so Brego branched out from there.’ The Surrey-based business initially started out by providing data on supercars, based on evidence that such data was harder to come by for dealers. It … Continue Reading
Cost counts most for used car buyers Zainal Abidin, 29/02/202428/03/2024 Cost is the driving factor for most motorists considering buying a second-hand car, according to a new poll commissioned by the Motor Ombudsman. It found that 58% of respondents said money mattered more than model or make. Meanwhile, the research also revealed that buying from retailers was the preferred option with 48% saying it offered more assurance buying from a business rather than a private seller and 43% saying it offered a safety net if something was to go wrong with their car after buying it. Meanwhile, the overriding majority (46%) of respondents would buy a petrol model, with those in the 55-plus age bracket the most likely to do so (52%), while 26% said a hybrid would be their preferred choice, followed by diesel (17%) and electric (10%). Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman, said: “Several million used cars change hands each year, and the second hand market, for some consumers, provides a more affordable and accessible proposition. To help steer consumers in the right direction as they embark on their used car buying journey, our handy reference guide has been designed to outline some of the key considerations, from initial research to extended warranties, and to act as a useful … Continue Reading
Cost of living crisis is fuelling booming used car market – Automotive Blog Zainal Abidin, 14/02/202428/03/2024 New research has highlighted the No. 1 reason why more people choose used cars over factory-fresh models. A poll commissioned by The Motor Ombudsman found that more than half of respondents (58%) said that their primary motivation would be to save money. This is particularly pertinent at a time when consumer budgets remain under pressure, with further increasing looming for household bills, such as council tax, broadband, water, and standing energy charges. More than 7.2 million used cars changed hands in 2023, compared to 1.9 million new car registrations, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The research also revealed that four in 10 respondents would prefer buying a car that had one or more previous owners to help avoid bearing the initial loss in value (ie depreciation), which is especially associated with buying a car from new. Nearly a third (32%) said there is often a large choice of vehicles to select from across the country when shopping around, while just over a quarter of survey participants (26%) agreed that they would be able to test drive and buy cars that were for sale on forecourts. When quizzed about some of the primary benefits … Continue Reading