the “cheap cheap cheap” customers are the same ones who will report you to dmv in a heartbeat and then you’ve got big problems. doesn’t matter what nys mandatory warranty says, dmv complaints are a whole different ball game
As per our deal and the current deal I have with my tech and 3 body guys, I dont pay hourly, I pay by the job or in myself and your deal by the profit after a vehicle is sold… Your trying to make your theory sound alot better then it is lol… That ac compressor was I think $200 new… Or $60 used with a warranty from jerry browns which has top notch used shit lol… If it dont work you get your money back… I dont know about you, but alot of cars need 3/4/5 different repairs made and with that price difference on 1 single part, you bet your god damn ass im going the used junkyard part route… Even shit that doesnt have a warranty, you still get it replaced AND 90% of the time shop time for installing/uninstalling so again, im about saving money and cranking profit, aaalll dayyyy.
#1, its not called “hacking” …“hacking” is a short cut, different from the right way to repair a vehicle… Adding a peice of metal to a $250 subframe instead of replacing it with a new one is “hacking”
#2 Im not about nor would I ever be about “hacking” …I choose to buy a $60 jerry brown bumper thats already black then buy a new one for $120, pay for paint and materials and have the labor involved when it can be used to do something else… I’d rather buy a used alternator for $40-60 with a warranty rather then a $200-250 one… I’d rather buy a junkyard transmission for $300 then to rebuild one at aamco for $1,500…
yup, I’ve only been a dealer for like 3 months, ive sold probably 36 cars lol…
You couldnt be further from correct… Customers that report you are the higher dollar cars that people have alot more to loose… My customer base which includes mostly cars under 5k include jigs, mexicans that cant talk english & white trash that dont know how to sign there name… DMV inspector even told me when he approved me for the license, there real lenient with dealers that sell low dollar cars bc they know its tough to please everyone… I mean really, what the fuck can you expect for $2-3k which is 90% of my cars… They all come inspected with a warranty, what else can you ask for?
You giving them a warranty is a bonus if the car has over 100k because its not required at that mileage, another reason a lot of small dealers sell cars with higher mileage- once they get it to pass inspection its not their problem anymore.
With ‘high end’ junkyards like JBAP the parts come off of running and driving cars that were wrecked, not something they picked up that’s been sitting in a field for 10 years because it was junk when it was parked.
Sure I wouldn’t trust an electrical part or major component to be any good from a shit hole like William’s junkyard that doesn’t buy wrecks at auctions but most of the big ones have good parts.
thats actually not entirely true… I thought it was a long time ago, but I was wrong… If someone can prove that something that went wrong was a pre exsisting issue when the vehicle was sold, you still have to replace it… Sucks, but true …Thats why I warranty 99% of my shit lol.
lol, i’m the polar opposite. when i’m outside of work i’m usually wearing jeans with holes in them and a t-shirt, or a hoodie. I’m usually working in the garage at any given point in the day and then just go do whatever else I have to do in the same clothes, no fucks given.
dont get me wrong, i was not calling you a hack or trying to say anything negative about your business,i was just giving my insight from personal experience. the examples you gave are not hack work, i would say they are smart business decisions right now given the economy and the fact that you are a new dealer, but i would recommend that as your business grows and you start selling better cars worth more money to people who are looking for a good vehicle, to step up to remanned or new parts (junkyard body stuff is fine though as long as it’s in good condition), simply because if you build a reputation with your customers for going the extra mile to have better quality parts…your business will grow and be much more successful than if you were putting junkyard parts on cars you plan on selling for a 4,000 or 5,000 dollar markup…you obviously know your shit when it comes to making money, i’ve just been seeing the place i used to work for struggle for about 6 years now and the owner is doing shit just as cheap today as he did when he first started out, (it worked for him then but now that people expect more it’s not working out too well and he’s beeni dumping money into the business to keep it from failing completely)
dave is 100% right! why would you put brand new parts into a car thats 2-5k when your trying to make money, when used parts are just as good and come with a decent warranty if bought from a reputable salvage yard… i use eire volvo for all my used parts, even on my car, id rather buy used body parts that are already painted to match my color then cheap new aftermarket replacement metal made in china thats gonna rust and rot in a few years… even here at work i offer the use of used parts from eire volvo, they have a lifetime warranty on their parts (labor is not coverd) and its 100x cheaper for the customer and they are happy leaving with 1/4 of the bill. and new parts dont mean quality parts, id rather put used oem parts on a car then 99% of the aftermarket junk thats on the market right now haha… just because its new in box dosent mean its quality
The building I am buying which means I will be there for years to come is in a neighborhood of low income to average working class people… There will never be demand for 10k+ cars here… $2-5k cars are what sells, and what sells QUICK…
To add, others may think differently, but the car sale business in my opinion is nothing like any other where reputation prevails… Its really not… Real estate you need to have a good name, pawnshop most of the time need to have a good name, restaraunts need to have a good name… How I myself and how I’ve seen others find a car is either an internet search, or a drive by seeing a PARTICULAR car they want to purchase… Maybe you guys have, but I have never nor have I seen someone see an AWESOME laguna seca blue m3 that is at the top of there list to buy, cash and hand and say… “ahhhhh, cant buy it because so and so dealer is selling it, nevermind”
I will say though when you get to huge NEW car dealers my theory/opinion changes, because theres other NEW car dealers that are selling the same exact NEW cars, but when doing a drive by and seeing a $2,500 civic, I dont think who your buying from weighs very heavily on the buy or do not buy scale.
there are a couple dealers that i will tell people not to go to because of their reputation (whether it be from my experience or others), and even if they had a car i wanted i wouldn’t give them a dime of my money. but i think as far as cars go most people don’t have that attitude. but i’m also going into a career where without a reputation you are fucked, so i might have a different outlook when it comes to that.
…Thats why I warranty 99% of my shit lol.