Winfield Motors/Crawford Motors cease trading

Drummerboy08

These boys ceased trading midnight last night.

if anyone has a car in there, or are owed money, sort it out now!

Saab Ed

If this keeps up would the last one out please turn out the lights. Thats a biggy.

helimachoptor

Is that Crawford Dun Laoghaire?

Drummerboy08

Yep i think thats where they are alright. Scary stuff.

Lenny

Is this winfield that moved out to sandyford ind. est isn't it?
and wheres your source?
also if you cars in for repairs theres not a biggie worrie... they ain't gonna keep it.

Drummerboy08

Havent got a source Lenny, but im not gonna bullsh*t about it either. We've been ordered not to book in any cars, and try to clear the account asap with them. When my manager tells me to stop dealing with them because they ceased trading at midnight last night, thats good enough for me..

Lenny

Ok.. but I'd just like to point out to my that my place about 10 months ago was the first main dealer garage let some staff go(about 8-10) and rumours were flying around that we were closed too, so rumours are rumours, and I just rang the garage, someone answered at the reception anyway, but didn't introduce what company it was at the open..
sure winfield was always in the red since they were in rathmines.. hence why they sold out to apartments and moved

peasant

I'm afraid we Do need a source for that kind of stuff ...you could be from the competition for all I know

kiss103

Just phoned up to check when my car is to be delivered and was talking to MD and he told me that they are in recievership ! so i think that's proof enough

Hellrazer

Its true alright.Was announced through the Ford Dealers association this morning at 8.00am.

Drummerboy08

Tut tut Peasant... Dont you trust me???!:D I am the competition too....;)

Only kiddin!

It is a big hit to the trade tho, Winfield have been around quite a long time.

I feel for anyone who has lost their job as a result.

DonJose

I bought a car of them last year, they offered the best price on a Ford Galaxy Ghia, I got €5k or 10% off. I bought the car in January 08 and I was the only customer there, I thought January would be the busiest time.

VolvoMan

Their financial situation hasn't been good even since before the motor trade went down the sh1tter. I remember a big article on their losses a couple of years ago back when times were good.

It really is a shame though to see them both go. Crawford's had been in business for over 100 years and Winfield Motors had always been a respected Ford dealer. Another long established motor business gone.:(

Hellrazer

Yeah I could never figure out why Winfield Motors bought the Crawfords garages in the first place.
They were doing well in Rathmines with a single dealership.

There was talk of a takeover of them last week by another well known Ford dealer but I heard that that fell through yesterday and thats why they closed up shop today.

Theres definitely going to be more closures to come and its the dealers who in the last 2-3 years who invested in huge showrooms who are going to suffer the most with the huge rents/mortgages on these properties.

VolvoMan wrote: »

Their financial situation hasn't been good even since before the motor trade went down the sh1tter. I remember a big article on their losses a couple of years ago back when times were good.

It really is a shame though to see them both go. Crawford's had been in business for over 100 years and Winfield Motors had always been a respected Ford dealer. Another long established motor business gone.:(

kw6799

Winfield are gone, its a very sad day, Westland Peugeot are gone as well today, the Distributors have a lot to answer for with their "standards", not much point in having a great premises if you have no customers.

This is a lesson for everyone, tell Distributors to get lost when they are trying to spend Dealers money. Car Dealers are car Dealers they should not be defined by their new car sales, profit not sales are the facts.

Drummerboy08

kw6799 wrote: »

Winfield are gone, its a very sad day, WestlanD Peugeot are gone as well today, the Distributors have a lot to answer for with their "standards", not much point in having a great premises if you have no customers.

This is a lesson for everyone, tell Distributors to get lost when they are trying to spend Dealers money. Car Dealers are car Dealers they should not be defined by their new car sales, profit not sales are the facts.

Westland are in Liffey Valley right? Link?

If they are gone, its starting to get scary out there.

That would be -
Winfield
Crawfords
Eddie Garry Subaru {**ADMIN EDIT** NB: Eddie Garry is still trading}
Westland Peugeot

In one week???:eek:

kw6799

Don't for get BK motors in that list!!

leon8v

kw6799 wrote: »

Winfield are gone, its a very sad day, Westland Peugeot are gone as well today, the Distributors have a lot to answer for with their "standards", not much point in having a great premises if you have no customers.

This is a lesson for everyone, tell Distributors to get lost when they are trying to spend Dealers money. Car Dealers are car Dealers they should not be defined by their new car sales, profit not sales are the facts.

Its an awful shame about these dealers alright and Its terrible news for the staff involved.
Its not always the distributors fault as regards standards, these are dictated from the manufacturer and a lot of times the distributor is caught in the middle. A distributor wont want to see ones of its dealers going to the wall either.
Unfortunately these guys are only the start of it, there will be more, lets just hope its not too many but if the market keeps going the way it is, its only a matter of time before the banks close in on a few more unfortunately.

mike65

There will be many shiny glass palaces empty by the summer. The indy "corner boys"
will survive though.

kw6799

No really cannot agree about Distributors and Manufactures, anyone who has dealt with a Distributor in Ireland in the past five years knows the score. Go to places like France, Spain, Italy and others the garages are not that great.

Distributors saw "block exemption" as an excuse to push for "their" dealers to have the best premises to enhance their product. What they (dealers) forgot was that Distributors were spending Dealers money promising increased sales on better premises, where are the promises now.

Everyone back to small premises and lower overheads please (if you can) small is beautiful, there will be blood on the streets now, once a few "names" go it will start a run.

Thats the facts.

leon8v

kw6799 wrote: »

No really cannot agree about Distributors and Manufactures, anyone who has dealt with a Distributor in Ireland in the past five years knows the score. Go to places like France, Spain, Italy and others the garages are not that great.

Distributors saw "block exemption" as an excuse to push for "their" dealers to have the best premises to enhance their product. What they (dealers) forgot was that Distributors were spending Dealers money promising increased sales on better premises, where are the promises now.

Everyone back to small premises and lower overheads please (if you can) small is beautiful, there will be blood on the streets now, once a few "names" go it will start a run.

Thats the facts.

We are going off topic here but I dont fully agree there, Of course it looks great to have a big impressive showroom and what marque wouldnt want their product sold from one, but if the dealer was basing spending that amount of money based solely on promises of increased sales, then really they shouldnt be in business in the first place. Would you build a million euro showroom based solely on someone promising you sales? Come on, nobody is that naieve. The owners of these dealerships didnt have their arms twisted up their backs when building these showrooms.
There are plenty of huge showrooms in cities across all those countries you listed, just like there are plenty of small franchised dealerships in Ireland who didnt seem to have to spend millions? Maybe more astute owners?
Just to clarify, I am not saying in any way that I dont have sympathy for these dealers, I do, an awful lot, and for the staff moreso. But I dont think its fair to push all the blame onto distributors.

Lenny

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Westland are in Liffey Valley right? Link?

If they are gone, its starting to get scary out there.

That would be -
Winfield
Crawfords
Eddie Garry Subaru
Westland Peugeot

In one week???:eek:

Yes westland are deffo gone!
closed last night

Saab Ed

Can anyone confirm that <rumour> are gone? Just got it on the grapevine so unconfirmed as of now.

Lenny

Yea someone in work said they heard it there "rumour" there cars were taken off the fore court two weeks ago?
rumours are nasty, they drive business away

-Chris-

Lenny wrote: »

rumours are nasty, they drive business away

Absolutely - we all need to be careful about what we're saying on these threads.

kw6799

Dealer most certainly did have their arms twisted, some Dealers with franchises for twenty years were looking at loosing the franchises they built up if they did not commit to building, in fact termination notices were issued in advance and if they built they got new contracts, costs are what are driving people out of business, franchises have a higher or lower standards depending on the distributors decisions.

It will not be long till all distribution will be controlled from the country of origin they will close offices in Ireland, so long see ya.

We all have to set our sights a little lower in the future.

kw6799

AudiChris wrote: »

Absolutely - we all need to be careful about what we're saying on these threads.

I agree

leon8v

kw6799 wrote: »

It will not be long till all distribution will be controlled from the country of origin they will close offices in Ireland, so long see ya.

I wouldnt be so sure about that.
You sound like you have a chip on your shoulder about a distributor.
Anyway getting back on track, its unfortunate about these dealers and their staff. Hopefully they will get some sort of compensation as jobs in the motor trade are hard to come by at the moment.

kw6799

leon8v wrote: »

I wouldnt be so sure about that.
You sound like you have a chip on your shoulder about a distributor.
Anyway getting back on track, its unfortunate about these dealers and their staff. Hopefully they will get some sort of compensation as jobs in the motor trade are hard to come by at the moment.

No Leon no chip just a simple fact look into it and you will see that it is a fact.

leon8v

kw6799 wrote: »

No Leon no chip just a simple fact look into it and you will see that it is a fact.

I have and thats why I dont agree. We'll agree to disagree on it.

kw6799

leon8v wrote: »

I have and thats why I dont agree. We'll agree to disagree on it.

Yea we have it Leon the staff yep we got that, but garages go out of business to this degree because of overhead and lack of sales, if you looked into it then you would know, pity you have to show your ignorance of the issue on a forum like this but I guess you you have looked in it so we can all be happy now.

I will sleep better tonight knowing "you have looked into it" but ask the guys out of work and they will tell you.

Hellrazer

Saab Ed wrote: »

Can anyone confirm that <rumour> are gone? Just got it on the grapevine so unconfirmed as of now.

Nope definately not gone.Rumours were just that-rumours!!!Dangerous that!!!Think these threads should be kept to Confirmed closures.

peasant

Hellrazer wrote: »

Nope definately not gone.Rumours were just that-rumours!!!Dangerous that!!!Think these threads should be kept to Confirmed closures.

+ 10000

please folks, only name names if it is absolutely certain and confirmed (by independent sources) that that business has indeed closed.

The recession is bad enough as it is, I would hate to see yet more people out of a job just because of rumours.

Run_to_da_hills

peasant wrote: »

+ 10000

please folks, only name names if it is absolutely certain and confirmed (by independent sources) that that business has indeed closed.

The recession is bad enough as it is, I would hate to see yet more people out of a job just because of rumours.

+1 and only with related press links.

245

Pity about Westland - any sales staff that I dealt with there were decent and straight.

Big Nasty

Hellrazer wrote: »

Nope definately not gone.Rumours were just that-rumours!!!Dangerous that!!!Think these threads should be kept to Confirmed closures.

Who ya talkin' bout here Hellrazer? Westland? If so I am sorry to tell you that they are gone. Their used car department, Online Autos closed a couple of weeks back and Westland itself closed up last night. Heard it from the horses mouth today. Bad news!

Hellrazer

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Who ya talkin' bout here Hellrazer? Westland? If so I am sorry to tell you that they are gone. Their used car department, Online Autos closed a couple of weeks back and Westland itself closed up last night. Heard it from the horses mouth today. Bad news!

No not westland.

Saab Ed

peasant wrote: »

+ 10000

please folks, only name names if it is absolutely certain and confirmed (by independent sources) that that business has indeed closed.

The recession is bad enough as it is, I would hate to see yet more people out of a job just because of rumours.

Sorry about that post guys. I was really only asking the question ,not trying to start any rumour. Im in the trade myself and know all about the hard times. Wont happen again.

Drummerboy08

Guys its getting scary out there. Another two big dealers have gone to the wall this week. I've confirmed it myself, but i have no link so i wont be naming names as yet. PM me if you want to know who it is.

Its getting seriously bad now.

Vexorg

Guys

Please be careful when you say that car dealerships have gone out of business. This is a very difficult period for the motor trade and the last thing anyone in the that business needs to to read that they business is closed when it is not. Please double check before assuming.

I am just off the phone from Eddie Garry Car Sales - www.eddiegarrycars.com , they answered the phone with "Eddie Garry Car Sales" and I had a pleasant conversation with Eddie Garry himself. Eddie explained that he was lucky enough to be able to reduce his stock early on from 120 to 40-50 cars and felt that someone may have mis read the stock reduction as going out of business instead of a good business strategy, and that they are most definately still in business.

A free plug for The Service Centre at Eddie Garry Cars (where they service every make and model from €99) for not shouting down the phone and for appreciating the "social" web.

Thanks


V.

PaulieC

re the original dealers mentioned in the thread, I'm not surprised they've gone. I had occasion twice over the last year to visit the showroom in Sandymount looking to buy a 2nd hand car and both times they were less than friendly. In fact, they were only marginally more friendly than the worst ever dealers I visited, which shall remain nameless (clue - they are in Sandyford Ind Estate and sell German cars!)

reverandkenjami

Got word today that a well known opel garage on the long mile road has gone under. Drove past it on the way home and its cleared out. Getting bad out there

Guy:Incognito

reverandkenjami wrote: »

Got word today that a well known opel garage on the long mile road has gone under. Drove past it on the way home and its cleared out. Getting bad out there

Heard about 10 days ago that was coming.


In fairness, building new premises/moving/changing marque every 6 months was never goign to end well.

McSpud

I presume the reason places are closing is they cannot service their loans - loans for premises? I would assume if no significant loans can reduce staff numbers to match the current sales levels...?

Brienoian

I drove past the old Winfield Motors site on Maxwell Road. It looks open again. There was a few cars parked outside and seemed to be business going on.
Does anybody know if they have reopened?