Chris Bottle F IDM

📢 We’re delighted to announce the extension of our partnership with Manheim, the vehicle remarketing operation of Cox Automotive! 🤝   🚗 We’ll continue to provide 24/7 vehicle and driver support across their company car fleet along with vehicles en-route to auction. Whether FNOL or repair management, rental or loss recovery, we provide a range of services to support all elements of incident management for the ever-changing vehicles on Manheim’s fleet 🚘 🔗 You can read our full press release with all the info here: https://lnkd.in/gUjTskcB #FMG #Manheim #CoxAutomotive Manheim by Cox Automotive Manheim UK #Fleet #IncidentManagement #FleetManagement

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Driving compliance excellence in Motor Finance We’re excited to launch our brand-new Motor Finance webpage, designed to support dealer groups and motor finance providers in navigating today’s complex regulatory landscape. At Huntswood, we understand the unique challenges facing the motor finance sector—from ensuring robust compliance frameworks to managing the demands of the FCA Commission Remediation project. Our new page outlines how we can help you: · Review and enhance your compliance arrangements · Benchmark against industry best practice · Deploy expert resource to manage complaints and customer queries · Help with Data Gathering to ensure a robust approach to DCA remediation · Reduce operational pressure on your internal teams Explore how we’re helping businesses like yours drive forward with confidence https://lnkd.in/ezZ5Pkh4 #MotorFinance #Compliance #FCA #CustomerExperience #Huntswood #FinancialServices #DealerGroups #CommissionRemediation #OperationalExcellence

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Alliance Automotive Group are proud to announce a new partnership with The Motor Ombudsman, the Ombudsman dedicated to the automotive sector. The collaboration has been designed to further expand the UK nationwide coverage of vehicle repairers committed to the high standards required by The Motor Ombudsman’s Service and Repair Code, and to widen the availability of The Motor Ombudsman’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services to businesses and consumers. The formal affiliation with The Motor Ombudsman reinforces AAG’s nationally recognised demonstration of our commitment to industry best practice and customer service excellence through our 1,200 nationwide Approved Garages Network across the UK, including AutoCare, Top Truck, United Garage Services, and NexDrive. Read the full announcement here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eFtCQJKB

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"Don't fear the transition." That's the advice from the DfT's Bob Moran for those commercial vehicle operators facing their decarbonisation journey. "Talk to people, share your fears, ask questions. "With the amount of time we've got, it shouldn't catch anyone out." Listen to more of Bob Moran's advice in his chat with Andy Eastlake at GREENFLEET's Decarbonisation Hub at the Commercial Vehicle Show. Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/eDMZSE6w

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The UK automotive market is at a crossroads. Despite the economic noise and shifting consumer trends, we’re entering a particularly dynamic phase for retail sales. As I’ll explore below, change brings both challenges and opportunities for the industry. I’ve been involved in the automotive retail trade for more years than I’m prepared to admit. However, one truism has always held: retail sales follow a pendulum effect – when used car sales are strong, the new car market is weak, and vice versa. Strong new car sales typically indicate a weaker used market. Following this logic, will 2025 be the year the balance shifts, leading to a strong new car market that pressures the currently robust used market? The signs are all there: 𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 One of the biggest challenges for new car sales has been the rising cost of vehicles. Combined with increasing interest rates, this has caused the all-important monthly payment to climb dramatically from the days of ‘free money’. At last, manufacturers are responding with much more realistic finance offers, including significant deposit contributions. With the right package, they can lower costs without appearing to reduce the headline price. This price adjustment is driven by the need to move excess production. Manufacturers operate with high operational gearing and require steady cash flow to maintain full capacity. 𝟮. 𝗘𝗩𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 Due to the ZEV mandate, the final quarter of last year saw a highly distorted market for ICE vehicles, as manufacturers held back ICE sales. Although the required ZEV percentage is increasing this year, manufacturers now have the opportunity to open the taps for ICE sales over the next six months, boosting cash flow by selling the vehicles consumers want – while still meeting their critical financial needs (see #1 above!) 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 The key challenge I’m hearing is how difficult it is to source used stock at a realistic price. This is being driven by the lack of cars produced in the Covid era, but also by large dealer groups being much more effective at keeping the trade-ins for resale within the trade. This has caused significant price increases combined with the normal strong demand we see in January. The upshot is that consumer demand remains strong, and manufacturers have become more realistic with their finance pricing. As a result, monthly payments for new cars are now comparable to those for many 3-year-old vehicles on high-interest financing. Naturally, consumers are opting for new cars, especially with the ancillary offers around servicing etc. If we're in the middle of a pendulum change, for franchise dealers the challenge will be to manage the pre-registrations that manufacturers enforce onto the market which will put strains on their balance sheets.

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