The Motor Ombudsman dedicated to the automotive sector is launching the 2021 Garage Star Awards. It follows the success of the inaugural recognition programme last year, which saw over 800 online customer nominations for Motor Ombudsman-accredited garages and dealerships across the UK, and Cornwall-based Dukes AutoTech crowned the first national winner. During the next six … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 September
Car rental experts at StressFreeCarRental.com have launched a campaign for the Government to ensure all motorists have a dash cam in place in their vehicles to record incidents while they are driving. It comes as Department for Transport figures showed there were 24,470 people killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents reported to the police for the year ending June 2020, with the … [Read more...]
Queues for MoT deferred tests
The country is expected to see a surge in MOT bookings this month. According to the AA, up to 5.5 million cars deferred their test last year due to the relaxation in rules caused by nationwide lockdowns. If you’re caught without a valid MOT certificate, you can be landed with a £1,000 fine. Motoring leasing company Vehicle Contracts explains the four simple checks that motorists can carry … [Read more...]
Crooks set eyes on new car buyers this month, says Metro Bank
Criminals want to make their mark with the release of the latest number plate, warn Metro Bank. The UK’s community bank is offering guidance about the rise in purchase scams around car sales, finance and leasing as the new number plates launch this month. Criminals will entice drivers with best deal offers often advertised on auction sites, such as eBay and Gumtree, or via social media. In … [Read more...]
Glass’s Guide ramps up services to trade
Autovista Group has unveiled Glass’s sales solution – a new platform-based application for the motor trade to value stock. “This is a game-changer for the automotive industry and will transform the way that dealers are able to access business-critical pricing information,” says Lindsey Roberts, CEO of Autovista Group. “Our new Glass’s platform pulls together our wealth of exceptional services, … [Read more...]
Newslines 5 July
Over the past 12 months used car purchases completed entirely via mobile devices have soared by 48.7%, compared with a rise of 22.1% on desktop or laptop computers and BuyaCar analysts say that transactions via tablets, such as iPads, are also up, but account for little more than one in every 100 sales. Mobile phones are thought to account for a tenth of sales. One in 20 learner drivers have … [Read more...]
Hybrids high on buyers’ search lists but shortages found
Insights into the minds of motorists have been revealed by contrasting what visitors to an online used car supermarket look for – and what they end up buying. Analysis of up to one million searches per month on BuyaCar.co.uk reveals that hybrid models are now the only type of car showing consistently increasing interest across every one of Britain’s 10 biggest urban areas. But, in a sign of … [Read more...]
Post Coronavirus symptoms trouble trade
The recovery from Covid-19 continues to be the main concern for car dealers when thinking about the future of their business, according to new research from Close Brothers Motor Finance. Over a third (35%) of dealers surveyed in the Dealer Satisfaction Survey said that Covid-19 recovery and the potential for future lockdowns poses the biggest threat to their business in the next 12 months, while … [Read more...]
Slow recovery in new car registrations
New car sales are slowly picking up after the first full month of showroom openings, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Registrations in May reached 156,737 units, an almost eightfold increase on the same month last year, but down -14.7% on pre-pandemic May 2019, and -13.2% on the 10-year May average. Against a more positive economic backdrop – including OECD forecasting a 7.2% … [Read more...]
Seeing is believing say car buyers
While the pandemic has accelerated online buying across multiple sectors, most drivers are not quite ready to take the leap and buy a new car online without seeing it first. According to Close Brothers Motor Finance’s Britain Under the Bonnet Report, a new car tops the list of things that people would research online but need to see in real life before buying – even over a new home. Just over a … [Read more...]