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As long ago as October last year I reported that Nottingham City Council was the first to consider charging for at work car parking (see my blog). Well they have now completed their deliberations and decided that they will go ahead with the levy which will now come into force from April 2012. Companies providing more than 10 parking spaces will be charged from Read more »

Big brother strikes again at a cost to the environment! No I’m not talking about the absolutely enthralling popular TV programme that keeps us on the edge of our seats for several weeks each year. I’m actually talking about Satellite Navigation systems. No doubt bored with watching people sleep in the hope that they may get up to some, under the covers, hanky panky the lads and lassies down at Continental Tyres decided to Read more »

Finally, it’s happened, a company has brought out an insurance policy to cover the ever growing end of contract refurbishment charges for cars and vans that will be returned to the leasing company at the end of the lease. The cost of the policy will range between £290 and £350 for a standard family sized car and it will cover vehicle damage over and above fair wear and tear up to £1,500. This may seem like Read more »

I’m not sure if this applies to all motorists but LeasePlan has found that the most dangerous day of the week to drive is Monday, replacing Tuesday in previous years. More company cars are involved in accidents on a Monday than any other day of the week with the most dangerous time to travel being between 8.00am and 10.00am. They also found that 10% of the accidents involved cars hitting stationary objects. Is this a good reason to turn up for work late on a Monday? I’m not sure but could be worth having a word with your boss. By Graham Hill

I have to say that I have a fantastic relationship with my customers, many of whom rely upon my judgement, but one of the dangers I’ve had to face over the years, is when I attempt to get a customer into a great value car but the customer, who bases his decision on cost rather than the whole package, hasn’t had a test drive in the car, only to find that the driving position is Read more »

We keep hearing a lot about green issues and the need to improve our environment. The warnings are there, each year we see more extreme weather conditions that are blamed upon global warming but what are we actually doing about it in the cars we drive? Have I sold hundreds of hybrid cars? No. Have I seen a strong move from big gas guzzlers to city cars or even just mildly more modest cars? Read more »

Bad news! The dopey Chancellor has listened to all the anecdotal evidence and decided that the scrappage scheme should be extended, which has already helped nearly 300,000 people with old bangers to get into new cars, but done nothing to help ordinary people and small businesses that are struggling to finance their new car as the funders are running out of money. Whilst manufacturers continue to Read more »

The test of a finance arrangement isn’t so much the cost or the APR but in the current climate, what happens when things go wrong. Most of my readers know my views on the heavy promotion of personal loans rather than dealer HP but another issue was mentioned to me this week that again shows why HP is far more beneficial than a personal loan. When you take out dealer HP it is what is known as a Read more »

Over the years I have put forward many reasons why you should opt for Dealer HP over a personal loan (contrary to all advice given in the media). Your legal rights are so much greater when you take HP. If you have read my book An Insider Guide To Car Finance, or been a regular reader of my newsletter, you would know the reasons that I put forward. However, I have just uncovered a new one that you may find useful if you, or a friend/relation ever find yourself in this situation. If you are a consumer (can also be a sole trader) and you purchase a vehicle outright you are deemed to have accepted the goods if you have had a reasonable time to inspect the goods and not rejected them. After this time your remedy for defects is restricted to Read more »

Last week I attended Motor Finance Europe 2009, one of the most important events of the year with regard to identifying how the European motor industry and the finance sector in particular is coping with the downturn. So I packed a couple of bottles of Paracetamol in the briefcase along with a couple of razor blades as I was totally convinced that by lunchtime I would be feeling more than a little suicidal and Read more »