1:20 am, July 11, 2010
OUR Ford Fiesta bought from Lifestyle Europe has sold – and we’ve doubled our money for BEN in the process!
It wasn’t easy though – my blood pressure has been up and down like a yo-yo!
It all started so well. As you know Lifestyle Europe helped us find an absolute corking Fiesta for our charity challenge.
We paid just £987 for the 1.25-litre 5-door 02-plater and after three weeks on Auto Trader at £2595 had little interest.
The editor decided last week to lower the price, after some advice, and at £2,250 the phone calls began to flow. Yesterday I had three people who wanted to see it. But there were a few issues to sort first.
That wing mirror – attacked by a yob – still wasn’t fixed. After a quick assessment, James and I managed to get the mirror, minus the smashed glass, back on. I ordered a new glass from eBay for £5 and thought that’d be that. Job done?
Not quite. A new shiny mirror came the very next day, but didn’t fit. Right, back on to the chap from eBay and we order the right one, another £5. Job done, surely?
Er, not quite. Next day, we get a new mirror in the post. But it still didn’t fit! Fed up I headed to the local Ford dealer for a genuine replacement with the plastic backing and all! £15. Got to be job done?
Well… I snapped the new part into place, only to discover that during the Fiesta’s abuse from chavs, they’d snapped one of the adjustment cables too!
Back to Ford to get a new cable. Problem was we had to order a whole new mirror and then get it painted! £65 plus painting would mean time and money we didn’t have.
All this hassle for a sodding mirror. Eventually I found a breakers who had a spare for £20, but couldn’t pick it up until after the viewings. God, this is getting infurtating.
WORSE
Problem was there was worse to come.
Where had I put the V5 and MOT certificate? I’ll tell you where – somewhere that I had no recollection of there even being a place.
We turned the office over, searched all our cars and even checked our houses. Nothing! So, lovely Fiesta for sale, no driver side mirror, no MOT certificate and no V5. Sign here Mrs Smith… Not going to happen is it?
Step up Duncan the salesman! I used to work in the trade selling Mercs at main dealership so had to revert to the gift of the gab.
I arrived at the lady’s house in plenty of time. I couldn’t bring myself to accept a cup of tea until I had explained everything to her and her rather angry looking friend.
But, after being away from car sales for over a year, I shocked myself at how quickly it came flooding back!
Oh the mirror? That’ll be sorted this afternoon, I told her. Documents? Oh, they got mislaid I’m getting new ones ordered. It’s a bit dirty? The Polish cleaners were closed – I’m getting it done tonight and ready for you to pick up tomorrow…
Within 20 minutes she had driven the car and made me an offer just £100 under the £2,250 asking price! Happy days.Then, on the way back to the office, I had a call from home. ‘I’ve found the stuff you were looking for, Dunc.’
Happy days…
I forgot how much hassle this car sales lark can be… but WHAT a buzz when you sell one! Now we’ve doubled our money on the Fiesta we just need to work out what to buy next.
Duncan
