JustGoodCars

november 19, 2009 04:52am

292 Service Plan

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Almost 300 Service Plan dealer "champions" were trained by The Warranty Group in the third quarter of this year.

The champion concept is being heavily promoted following a successful trial in late 2008 that saw a sales increase of around 400 per cent in the dealerships where it was tried. Each champion is a specialist who has responsibility for promoting Service Plans within their dealership.

The Warranty Group originally had plans to train 400 champions before the end of 2009 but that figure now looks as though it will be beaten.

Ian Simpson, sales and marketing director, said: "Service Plans are an excellent product but do not always fit easily into the process that a dealer sales person takes each customer through.

"By training a Service Plan 'champion' in a dealership, we are creating the opportunity to talk to customers about service and maintenance as a separate subject.

"With the training programme now producing champions in large numbers, Service Plans sales are really beginning to take off and we expect them to be a major source of dealer profitability in 2010."

Simpson added that the champion concept was a matter of ensuring that the basics were in place for dealers to sell Service Plans successfully.

He explained: "The champion must be confident in selling the product, have the right promotional tools to hand, enjoy the support of dealer management and should be incentivised to the necessary degree."

The Service Plan is a planned servicing product from The Warranty Group that dealers can offer to customers, breaking down the cost of routine car servicing into monthly payments made by direct debit.

A quote for each customer can be generated in a couple of minutes by visiting The Warranty Group's web site based on the length of time they intend to keep the vehicle, ranging from one to six years.

Each Service Plan is based on the manufacturers servicing data and can accommodate any model and manufacturer, with the dealer setting their own prices in areas such as labour rates and oil pricing.

Simpson explained: "For the customer, each Service Plan offers an easy way of budgeting for scheduled servicing costs that is tailored to their exact needs, which is especially attractive in a recession.

"For the dealer, the advantages are numerous. It minimises the chances of losing servicing and therefore other aftersales business to fast fits or independent garages, strengthening their link to the customer."

The Warranty Group has 13 million live warranties in the UK and is a leading provider in the motor industry of warranty products including GAP insurance and extended service plans.

november 10, 2009 02:38pm

Mazda Dealer In Portsmouth Helps Save Lives

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Perrys is urging drivers in Portsmouth to drive more carefully as part of the car dealership's support of National Road Safety Week. The Walton Road-based Mazda retailer is throwing its weight behind the annual campaign, which aims to highlight the need for safer driving and cut the number of deaths and injuries caused on the nation's roads. National Road Safety Week is organised by the road safety charity Brake and will be held from 23-29 November 2009.

"Mazda is committed to road safety and we hope that by taking part in this important initiative we can help prevent road accidents and save lives," explains Bob Wright, general manager of Perrys. "Every year, thousands of people are needlessly killed or seriously injured on UK roads, but many of these accidents can easily be prevented by drivers simply slowing down and being more considerate of other road users and pedestrians. Perrys wants to help ensure that Portsmouth remains a safe place in which to live and drive."

To support this year's campaign, Perrys will contribute to Brake for every customer who visits its showroom during Road Safety Week. Collection boxes will also be placed in the showroom reception, should customers wish to make their own donation. All proceeds raised will be used by Brake to support families bereaved by road accidents.

"We hope lots of customers will support us in our attempt to make our community a safer place," adds Bob.

Every year, Brake chooses a theme for National Road Safety Week. This year's theme is ‘Not a drop, not a drag', which calls on all drivers to commit to not drinking even a drop of alcohol and not taking any amount of an illegal drug before driving.
"It is a scandal that some people still drink and drive and equally scandalous that some drivers drive after taking illegal drugs," continues Bob. "All the safety features present on Mazda models can't combat the terrible consequences caused by drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol. It's time to put a stop to drink and drug driving so that no more lives are destroyed."

To find support Perrys' campaign visit the showroom at Walton Road, Farlington South, Portsmouth, between 23 and 29 November or telephone them on 023 9231 4214.

october 29, 2009 03:23pm

Amazon Travel Club LIES but not really a scam - www.amazontravelclub.com

This blog is read by 25,000+ people daily and is not normally used like this but...

I hate being lied to and I have a voice on the internet so I shall use it and save a few of you some MORE money!

So I got a call today telling me I had won a cruise to the Bahamas with Amazon Travel Club (www.amazontravelclub.com), I was suprised to hear this was from a competition I had entered in the Vancouver Snow Show, a reputable show I might add! Heather then told me that there was alos lots more:-



It all sounded great and I had no reason to believe it was not true....

Then I was told by Heather that in accordance with US law I need to pay the taxes on my winnings, WELL I was not happy to hear that of course but I then found out that I could not win the prize if I did not pay the taxes, I am no fool I can tell you that but in these hard times I am sure many would be happy fork out a few hundred bucks to win a huge holiday.

I told them I would look into this and they said ok they would call me back in an hour.

So I did some investigation work, being a bit of a tech nerd I checked where the website was registered etc... They told me they had been around for years and that the Vancouver snow show would not let anyone exhibit if they were not legit. I Agreed with that!

This is the Problem! I WAS lied too!!!
Yes Amazon Travel Club is a legitimate business but they are a time share style business! I had not won ANYTHING, in fact I could go to their website and fill in a form to get the same "PRIZE" in the "Reservations" section. WHERE it says:-
"You are required to tour a host in each destination, which included a presentation for the sales of vacation ownership programs."

So no I didnt win, you tried a scam on me by doing this and I am not happy about it.

The real problem is you could not just tell me honestly that the truth is you want me to sit through presentations. Plently of people like these holidays dont get me wrong but if you need to lie to me so that you can get me there then I wish ill things of you all.

I used to work in the travel industry for a long time and have many contacts who are directors of the largest travel companies in the world, this kind of behaviour is unaceptable and the Ramada hotels will be notified along with the recordings I have on my phone for security reasons.

I will also be contacting major venues in Vancouver that I exhibit at and will get a full explanation as to why they do not investigate these companies further when it comes to prizes.

The website was Created on: 11-Jul-09 just a few months ago, it has a terrible design and done cheaply, The domain is owned by Brittany Myers who posted a fake reply on yahoo to a Amazon Travel Club scam question, claiming they had also won and had a great time!

I am sure these guys have read up on the laws and dodge through every loop hole possible!

Just a tip for a few of you out there, if you are unsure about a website, a quick check at http://www.alexa.com will tell you some good things, for example if you go to:-

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/amazontravelclub.com

You will see the Alexa Traffic Rank has no data, if it says that or has a number OVER 500,000 you should be very cautious as this means they get very few visitors to their website. A popular business would not have this issue: http://www.amazon.com/ alexa rank is 25

All that will happen soon is they will change their website and go under an new name to con the next batch of people. I do not take kindly of this behaviour and will do all I can to make sure that Amazon Travel Club (www.amazontravelclub.com) do not continue to lie to people and clearly state that you will need to go to a presentation for the sales of vacation ownership and more in each location that you go to and indeed you have no actually WON ANYTHING but it is instead a gift in exchange for listening to their sales pitch.

Amazon Travel Club this is disgraceful behaviour and you should be ashamed of yourselves for the lies you tell, no wonder people think that the Amazon Travel Club is a scam.

So many of these won a holiday scams really mess with people and others are happy for the free trip despite having to sit through presentations.

I hope that helps a few people, remember if you ever need to pay something when you have won a prize then its more than likely a lie or a scam.

I hate being misled and lied too! Shame on you!

october 27, 2009 05:48pm

THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE, AND HOW MUCH OF ONLINE CAR BUYING

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Exchange and Mart's top tips for buying used cars on the web

With recent British Retail Consortium figures showing 70% of UK household now have access to the internet, and 64% of adult surfers shop online,* Exchange and Mart is offering car buyers some top tips for buying online.

"The increasing popularity of online retail, particularly during the recession, shows just how successfully the industry allows customers to find exactly what they're looking for at a price they can afford," commented Debra Healy, Digital Director of Exchange and Mart. "When it comes to buying an affordable used car, ExchangeandMart.co.uk continues to be the first port of call for many. Whether it's a nearly new car to reduce fuel consumption and save on running costs, or a classic for loving restoration that the buyer's after, nothing beats the speed and convenience buying online can offer."

In our increasingly demanding instant-result culture, time is of the essence, and by using an online search, buyers are able to save time by entering their search criteria and looking only at the most relevant ads. Searchable criteria include make, model, fuel type, price and even location, meaning buyers get exactly what they want, where they want it.

"ExchangeandMart.co.uk not only offers a huge range of vehicles through private sellers and dealers," continues Healy, "but it is also a great place to research additional products and services such as car finance and insurance. With everything in one place, buyers have all the information they need at the click of a mouse, and in plain English, to ensure they bag a bargain and get what they pay for."

Exchange and Mart's Top tips for buying online


* BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor September 2009
**You need to copy this format exactly. Please do not include spaces in the number plate or commas to separate the fields. Texts cost £1.50 plus your standard network charge. See www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/smsvalues for more information.

october 24, 2009 09:57am

Car Insurance News: As Costs Go Up Flux Shows How To Keep Them Down

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How to dodge the car insurance increases:

Flux unveils 'top six' ways to cut costs by up to 30%, as AA warns car insurance is going up

Car insurance prices are rising faster than ever, especially for younger drivers, according to a survey just published by the AA. But these days there are more opportunities to dodge the increases, says Adrian Flux Insurance Services, one of the UK's leading car insurance brokers.

"Drivers just have to be a bit canny," says Gerry Bucke of Flux. "There are loads of ways to cut the premium, sometimes by as much as 30%, and all of them are perfectly above board."

Here's Flux's list of the top six ways to cut car insurance costs:

Pass Plus - young drivers seem to be bearing the brunt of the increases. But taking a Pass Plus test after passing the standard test can cut premiums significantly. For example, Flux gives a discount of up to 30% for Pass Plus drivers. Pass Plus costs vary, depending on the area, but right now, many councils are helping with the cost. Check out www.passplus.org.uk for more information.

Advanced driving courses - drivers of all ages can get a discount on insurance for passing an advanced driving course, such as those run by the Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and Ride Drive. For example, Flux will normally give at least 25% discount on insurance for drivers who take (and pass) the national Ride Drive advanced driving course, which costs from around £200.

Join a club - members of car owners' clubs can get discounts of up to 15% on car insurance via their club. There's an owners' club for just about every car marque imaginable, from a Trabant to a Micra to a Ferrari. Flux offers special deals via thousands of different car and motorcycle owners' clubs.

Up the excess - the excess is the amount of any claim that the policyholder pays before the insurance company starts to contribute. Typically the excess will be £100 to £250 - but it's possible to get much higher excesses, which will reduce the cost of the insurance. For example, a 20 year old driver with a VW Golf who is paying £2,500 for fully comprehensive insurance with £150 excess could cut the cost to £1,900 if the excess is increased to £1,500.

Limited mileage - these schemes give a discount based on the number of miles the policy holder doesn't drive. The less miles the driver does, the bigger the discount. Typically owners of kit cars and classics will use these schemes - they may only drive the car 500 miles a year. But these days brokers like Flux can offer limited mileage schemes for as much as 10,000 miles per year. Many drivers only do a few thousand miles per year, especially if most of their driving is in town, and they will be able to take advantage. Typically a limit of 5,000 miles will give a discount of around 20%

Ring around - it pays to get more than one quote, and to speak to insurance providers to get a better deal. Specialist brokers like Flux will be able to advise of how to get a better deal, especially if the car or driver is 'non standard' - for example, for high performance cars and grey imports, or where drivers have a high risk job, live in a high risk area or have points on their license. Brokers will also check a variety of different insurers to see who gives the best price - in Flux's case, the company compares over 40 different providers. Searching online can be very effective, but beware of web quotes that seem too good to be true - check they are comparing like for like. (For example, check what the excess is). The best deals are usually to be had by talking to car insurance specialists on the phone.

Adrian Flux aims to offer cheaper car insurance and has a huge range of policies for the motoring enthusiast. For details contact the Adrian Flux quote line on 0800 081 8989 or see the Flux homepage on www.adrianflux.co.uk