Conference terri::cars_uk

>    Has anyone used this service or knows of it or any similar business?
    
       I've certainly heard of similar businesses, that can fulfill any
       used car order.  The service normally includes a number plate
       change and optional respray!

       Ian.

    I remember reading somewhere about a few people who got caught out
    with some so called dealers operating a similar business from an office
    that they rented for a week! People who had paid their money got their
    car BUT surprise surprise it turned out to be nicked and the dealers
    have moved on and the way the law stands at the moment the car is not
    yours!!!!!!
    
    Stick to one of the first two options
    
    
    Regards
    Martin

    The other thing that has come to light recently, is the use of stolen
    building society cheques.
    
    I would always accept a building society cheque when selling a car
    as I understood it was guaranteed. However, there are apparently
    1000's of stolen cheques around. I think it was on That's life (that
    programme is so contrived IMO) that they are incorporating orange
    dye in their safes to contaminate the cheques if the safe is broken
    into.
    
    I wouldn't now accept one of these cheques, the other option is
    cash or bankers draft (which could be fake as well, I guess)
    
    - Roy

    Any documentary money transfer can be forged. For that matter, cash can
    be counterfeited. Best thing is cleared funds, but if the other party
    is unhappy, the rock solid safe way is a joint account. Deposit the
    cheque, when it is cleared, both signatures of purchaser and vendor are 
    required to release the funds to the vendor.
    
    If you want to use this Phoenix outfit, thing to do is to check them
    out. Get a copy of their file from Companies House, or get somebody to
    do a credit check on them.
    
    Steve

    If this company is genuine it sounds like it is trying to do something
    to ease the problems many thousands of car buyers face. I agree with
    other replies to be cautious, but at the same time, you have to
    occasionally trust SOMEONE!.
    
    I'd suggest looking further into this; try to find out how long they've
    been doing business, approach them about how they'll guarantee to
    honour the contract. If they are geniune they won't object to the
    questions and should be helpfull about putting your mind at rest.
    
    
    THERE IS ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE: Lease companies generally put ex-company
    cars into auctions, however there is a company in Newbury, VFM, who are
    a leasing company and advertise their end-of-lease cars for sale direct
    to the public. I did the searching negotiating for my brother-in-law
    who bought one from them. It's been very good so far. Worth looking at.
    
    Richard

Aren't Phoenix the company who (used to?) claim they could exchange Q-plates on
kit-cars for "real" plates, by exploiting a supposedly secret "loophole in the
law", known only to them?

(For those who don't know, the law says that Q-plates are non-transferable: once
your car is registered with one, you're stuck with it for life.  The loophole
is to export the car (eg to Eire or Channel Islands), register it there, then
re-import it and re-register in England, whereupon you get a plate with the
suffix/prefix letter of the year of manufacture claimed by the Eire/CI reg
documents.  If you're clever, you can do all that without actually having to
take the car to Eire/CI...)

Scott

    Another possibility; What Car? did something in their second hand
    section about a company in Reading which sells ex company cars. It
    deliberately puts them onto the stand before titivation, so you can see
    how they have been kept. After sale, but before delivery, they do the
    service and beautification, and of course you can negotiate for any
    particular things to be dealt with. 
    
    I will try to look up the article tonite - if my senile memory can
    possibly dig up whatever it was I was supposed to remember when I
    started this note...
    
    Steve

    Phoenix are a long established and "reputable" company, who specialise
    in buying ex fleet and ex hire cars to order.  I believe they supply 
    Ford, Vauxhall, Rover, Peugeot, Fiat and VW/Audi, BMW, Citroen etc, 
    but wont guarantee to get other makes.
    
    I thought of using Phoenix when replacing my wifes car a few months
    ago, but was able to get the car I wanted from a local garage at an
    eveln lower price than Phoenix quoted.  They were very helpful and
    informative over the phone.
    
    They advertise in What Car? etc on a regular basis.  I wouldnt worry
    about using them, if the price is right.

    Thanks for all the replies so far. Phoenix have been in business
    it seems since the end of 88. They have about 100 enquiries a week
    and monthly turnover is about 500,000 pounds. They have computer
    access to ADT (car auctioneers) entry lists and also get lists of
    company fleet cars that are for sale. ADT moves about 750,000 cars
    per year and one of the companies which they get lists of fleet
    cars for sale from is Thorn EMI who have a massive fleet of company
    cars.
    
    I myself am always suspicious of anything that sounds too good to
    be true so I will check them out further. I am still toying with
    the idea of buying at an ADT auction and in order to avoid wasting
    time by going there and finding there is no cars of the model I am looking
    for in the entry list will phone the entries office and get them
    to check if any are coming in.
    
    Talking to a friend in the trade it seems that locally there are
    a couple of similar, though far smaller, businesses of the same type
    operated by mechanics who buy at auction to order and check out
    the car thoroughly before the auction warranty period expires. They
    also charge on a percentage basis. However as these require money
    up front I would definitely not use them.
                                             

There's always the alternative of doing just what Phoenix do, but doing
it yourself.  Some of the big fleet cars don't find their way direct to the
consumer market, but Avis has an outlet near Heathrow for their ex-hire cars
for example, and you can get a real bargain from them.  Plus they give a
minimum 3 months warranty, or the balance of the manufacturer's, whichever
is greater.  Their prices are usually around "bottom book" for trade, so you
can get a bairgain.

Brian

    
    Hertz also sell off their ex-lease cars. Used to be with a one year
    warranty. Good prices, especially if your company leases from them.
    
    Haven't got the number any more, but I used them in my last company.
    (I got 10% off the used price as a corporate user).
    
    Don't know about PHH. Some noters have said they just ship out to
    auction to save the aggro.	

    There's also an AVIS sales outlet on Bone Lane in Newbury. If you don't
    know the area and want travel directions, mail me.

    
    Having previously been involved in the anti-counterfeiting business I
    have the following advice for sellers.  There are forged/stolen building 
    fsociety cheques and bankers drafts around.  The simplest form of security 
    is to telephone the bank/building society to verify that the cheque or draft 
    has actually been issued.  If offered cash you are reasonably safe with
    20's but be suspicious of larger denominations particularly if brand
    'new'.  Check the thread and watermark against a specimen of your own
    and feel the surface of the note as genuine notes have 'raised'
    printing.