Manheim Remarketing delivers ground-breaking new website

Manheim Remarketing has launched a brand new website that, for the first time in the UK remarketing industry, allows trade buyers to search for all stock in all Manheim Remarketing sales channels from one location. This includes physical auction, live Simulcast link to auction as well as ‘Buy Now’ stock from the all-new Manheim Direct service and a range of other stand alone electronic auctions. The new stock search engine, called Connect sits within the new website at www.manheimremarketing.co.uk, the homepage of which can be personalised, ensuring that users only see those services that are of interest to them.

For vendors the key benefits of the new site are:
•    First truly multi-channel remarketing service allowing vendors to list all vehicles offered through Manheim Remarketing via a single integrated search engine.
•    Provides options for stock to be cascaded between sales channels – i.e. selected stock offered on ‘Buy Now’ before going to physical auction, or offering ‘not solds’ as ‘Buy Now’ before scheduling for next auction at selected centres.
•    Provides easy access to the ‘Buy Now’ channel which gives vendors greater flexibility within remarketing strategies and significantly increases exposure of their online stock to all Manheim Remarketing buyers.
•    Tactical use of new CyberAuction as channel with much greater buyer visibility. •    Greater exposure to more buyers across the whole of Manheim Remarketing division supports
achievement of highest sale values.

For buyers the key benefits of the new site are:
•    Single sign-on into one stock locator to access all vehicles within Manheim Remarketing irrespective of sales channel.
•    Greater choice of stock from the whole of Manheim Remarketing. •    New online ‘Buy Now’ purchase option. •    Access to greater volumes of ‘Buy Now’ vehicles. •    Ability to discuss vehicle specifics using new ‘Live Chat’ functionality. •    Ability to create preferred vehicle searches and keep in touch with interested stock through
‘watchlists’. •    Choice of channels gives greater flexibility in purchase options to suit journey planning and
available buyer resources.

Mike Pilkington, Managing Director, Manheim Remarketing said: “The introduction of this ground- breaking new website further enhances Manheim’s position as the leading vehicle remarketing company in the UK. The benefits to both vendors and buyers are unsurpassed and set the standard for the rest of the remarketing industry.”

Toyota Tacoma test drive

I stopped by the Toyota Dealership yesterday for a look at the new
Tacoma . Just for fun, I took it out for a test drive. I wanted to sense that "new" feel.

The salesman (wearing an Obama "change" lapel pin) sat in the
passenger seat describing the truck and all its "wonderful" options. The seats were of particular interest.

He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in
the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat.

Feeling like messing with his mind, I mentioned that this must
be a Republican truck. Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it
was a Republican truck. I explained that if it were a Democrat truck,
the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round.

I had to walk back to the dealership... Damn guy had no sense of
humor.
 

Financial Concerns When Buying A Car (Part 2)

 

This is the second part of an article that covers the financial aspects of buying a new or used car.

6) Insurance group – how much is the car going to cost you to get insured? If it’s a cheap vehicle, could you afford to go third party, fire and theft only?

Find out which insurance group the car falls in to. If in doubt, call up a few insurers, they’ll be able to give you a free quotation and you could find yourself getting a lower premium than expected

7) Servicing for some cars is notoriously expensive. How often is another factor. Some highly tuned engines need serviced more than others. Get an idea of servicing costs from the local branded garage as well as an independent specialist.

8) Parts – how readily available are they? Are they much more than you’re used to paying? For example tyres for a BMW3 can give you a shock particularly when you've been used to a smaller hatchback.

9) Known faults issues in vehicles that are out of warranty can be expensive to repair. Check out Parkers, VOSA and other sources to see if the type of car you’re buying has anything apparent. It may not happen to yours but if it does you’re better off knowing it’s a possibility beforehand.

10) Tax bands are now quite wide these days. Are you prepared to pay more for a vehicle that emits CO2? If so, make sure you get the performance to match.

11) Hidden costs (such as a car that drinks a lot of oil) should also be thought of but often aren’t revealed until you take a look at specialist/enthusiast sites.

12) Hidden history – does the vehicle have outstanding finance, is it stolen or has it been in an accident? Any one of these factors could have a massive impact and if not disclosed could lead you to all manner of heartbreak.

Your car is a huge purchase so be a more aware consumer and bear all these things in mind. Go in fully aware of at least some of these points when looking at a new car.
 

A Guide To Car Loans And Finance Deals

Please note options do change so keep an eye on special offers, etc.

Cars are expensive purchases and when you’re looking at a gleaming new set of wheels, you can quite easily get emotionally involved in the purchase. This is why it’s so important to know what type of finance or loan will best suit your needs prior to visiting the forecourts.

Personal Loans

Perhaps the simplest option is to go for a personal loan from a bank. APR (Annual Percentage Rate) can vary, but essentially the way this works is the interest you pay on the amount you borrow.

These are normally to a maximum value of £25,000 and over a ten year repayment period. One thing to note is that your credit status can dictate the maximum value you can borrow along with the APR itself.

A better credit rating means you’re more likely to have to pay less in the long run as there is less risk for the loan provider.

Check the APT as this makes a huge difference.

Secured Loan

This type of loan is secured against a property so you’d need property to secure it against. A longer repayment period and a higher maximum value can be borrowed with this type of loan but obviously comes with the risk that you property could be repossessed by the bank should you default on the loan! Not really worth risking your home for an expensive car.

Car Finance

Generally speaking, when you go to buy a new or used car, the dealer will either have their own credit provider or be linked with an established company. When a dealer offers you credit, look over all of the paperwork very carefully. You may find it a good deal, or alternatively choose to arrange a loan through your own bank, depending on what sort of APR is being offered.

PCP

PCP (or Personal Contract Purchase) is an alternative way to buy a car. It’s actually a good way to get a higher priced vehicle but at a cost. Simply put, PCP can be better for some people as it includes road tax, sometimes maintenance too and comes with fixed monthly payments that are quite often lower than other forms of finance.

The drawback comes from the fact that once you paid off the initial period, there’s a balloon payment at the end, called an ‘optional final payment’. It’s at this point that you can hand the car back, pay off the money and keep the car or use it as a deposit on a new vehicle.

The choice is entirely yours. Overall, PCP tends to come with lower monthly costs associated but a higher total payable when the optional final payment is taken into consideration.

Fees To Consider

When organising a loan, sometimes you’ll find there are ‘hidden’ costs. A good car dealer if being arranged on the day of purchase, should discuss with you all of the options and where additional costs are accrued on the loan.

Here’s a breakdown of some of those additional costs when arranging finance:

* Application fee: A fee that is charged when applying for the loan
* Arrangement fee: Normally added to the cost of the loan when your credit has been checked and agreed
* Courier fee: Depending on what is required, some companies will charge a courier fee.
* CHAPS fee: Clearing House Automated Payment Service – a way to transfer money from one bank to another, quite often in a single day.
* Early settlement fee: Some companies charge if you settle the loan early, as it means they won’t be getting the full interest. This tends to be based around the amount of interest remaining so depends on the value of the loan
* Optional final payment: Should you choose the option of PCP, the optional final payment is the lump sum you pay at the end in order to keep the car

Other things to consider

When purchasing a car, unless it is brand new, it is recommended to run a vehicle data check. It’s fairly cheap to do could well help you spot a bad buy.

Consider putting down a larger deposit. This will reduce your monthly repayments when it comes to your loan, which can be very useful.

Perhaps most importantly when considering finance, choose the right car for you. Remember that you are getting into debt for what could be a significant amount of money so it is important that you’re happy with your purchase.

Should the worst happen and you fall behind on your payments, do not panic. Talk to the loan provider, they may be able to arrange something to help you. Alternatively, seek financial advice from a specialist, your bank and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Financial Concerns When Buying A Car (Part 1)

Different financial aspects that you should consider when buying a car. Some of them you may be aware of already, others may be completely new to you. All should be taken into account though when you arrive on a forecourt, to ensure you’re not stung at a later date.

1) How will you finance the purchase? PCP? Personal loan?

2) Deposit – if you can put down more, quite often you can negotiate a greater discount on the car.

3) Petrol or Diesel? If you’re buying new, diesel engines tend to cost more, but you’ll recoup that if you do a lot of miles by having a greater MPG.

4) Depreciation – if you are buying new, do you mind taking the hit? Why not look at a car a few years old, which could save you the greatest part of the depreciation.

5) Miles per gallon is the usual old performance vs economy debate that comes into play when considering miles per gallon. However, this is becoming less of a factor as cars are now using smaller engines which return greater fuel economy and better performance but you may need to pay more to get one of those newer cars!