HMRC has identified an increasing risk of an error in the VAT returns for certain Franchised Dealerships, described as “Bumping”. HMRC are sending letters to some motor retailers that they believe are at risk from ‘Bumping’. Bumping is where there is a discrepancy between a vehicle sales invoice on the DMS system and the finance proposal one, which can lead to the underpayment of output VAT on … [Read more...]
Retail News
Parking perils poll
Car dealership Brindley Group surveyed over 1000 UK motorists about their thoughts on parking, including skills, parking experiences, opinions on parking situations and reactions to hypothetical situations. It found: Over a third of motorists (37%) said that they have received a parking fine. 1 in 10 admitted to using their hazard lights as an excuse to park where they want. 1 in 5 … [Read more...]
Warming up for winter
With temperatures dropping across the UK, and fuel prices rising, Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing shares ways drivers and their cars can stay warm behind the wheel without breaking the bank. “On frosty cold mornings, many drivers will wake up extra early to whack the heating up in their car. Whilst this won't consume a significant amount of fuel, it can actually shorten the … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 October
Churchill Motor Insurance reveals the most common ways in which having children in the car negatively affects parents driving, with more than 4.7 million parents blaming their children for bad driving. One in nine (11 per cent) parents takes their eyes off the road to tend to their children and the same proportion (11 per cent) find that looking in the rear-view mirror to check on their kids has … [Read more...]
Traffic volumes still below pre-pandemic peak
Traffic volumes appear to still be below pre-pandemic levels with flexible working patterns that have become commonplace across the UK likely to be a major factor, said RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes. "Nonetheless, the trend is upwards, especially so for vans and HGVs – both of which show higher traffic volumes than prior to the pandemic. Therefore it remains vitally important that the … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Focus ST 5dr Manual
Like every other manufacturer, Ford is struggling to fulfill orders in the current climate of confusion but it’s worth waiting to get your hands on the latest Focus ST. The market is changing for petrol-heads but the Focus ST still remains very desirable, particularly in the six-speed manual specification we tried as opposed the seven-speed automatic option. Our test car was fitted with £2,775 … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 September
An Aston Martin DB5 replica stunt car featured in No Time To Die (2021) has raised £2,922,000 for good causes in a charity auction at Christie’s to celebrate 60 years of the James Bond films. Two Land Rover Defenders used in the film No Time To Die helped raised £352,800 for charities and they were sold as part of 60 lots from EON Productions to mark the iconic jubilee. UK car manufacturing … [Read more...]
Britains best and worst cars listed
Britain’s most and least reliable cars have been revealed in the 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey, held in association with MotorEasy. Feedback from 24,927 car owners on 248 models and 32 brands was analysed by the country’s leading consumer champion and new car buying platform, What Car?, to find the most dependable vehicles. Four models achieved a perfect 100% score: the current versions of … [Read more...]
Young drivers hit by rising costs
A new report from Go.Compare Car Insurance revealed that the cost of getting a young driver on the road has risen to £6,574 – the highest since 2019, representing a shift backwards to pre-pandemic costs. Costs for young drivers – those aged between 17- 21 - and their families dipped to £6,394 in 2021 and £6,071 in 2020, a sharp fall from £6,846 in 2019. The research shows that, in the … [Read more...]
Eyes are focussed on BMW X1
Research by the UK's largest automotive marketplace Auto Trader has revealed the BMW X1 is the most anticipated car release of the year. Its newly released study compared the number of Google searches made in the last 12 months for over 50 popular cars which are set to be released in 2022 and 2023. The BMW X1 takes top spot, followed by the Honda Civic Type R, and the Nissan X-Trail takes … [Read more...]