UK Direct

Mc Love

Just wondering has anyone bought or had any dealings with www.ukdirect.ie??

Also known as Northside Autos?

AugustusMaximus

A lot of negative comments on this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055634692

bazz26

If you going down the road of buying a UK import then why not cut out the middle man and go to the UK yourself. Otherwise you might not be saving a whole lot of money.

Mc Love

Think its probably too good to be true! It probably would be different if they physically had the cars in Ireland and not somewhere in the UK.

Strange how they have so many ads on carzone.ie and the fact they arent registered with SIMI.

Next question: Would you buy a car from a dealer that isnt a member of SIMI?

Gary ITR

sparkysrovers wrote: »

Think its probably too good to be true! It probably would be different if they physically had the cars in Ireland and not somewhere in the UK.

Strange how they have so many ads on carzone.ie and the fact they arent registered with SIMI.

Next question: Would you buy a car from a dealer that isnt a member of SIMI?

People on here put far too much weight in SIMI, SIMI won't do very much for the consumer, they are essentially the voice of the motor industry and a garage being a member of SIMI is more for their own benefit

Mc Love

Fair enough and just did a check there, so supposedly being a member of SIMI means jack sh1t to customers?

Gary ITR

sparkysrovers wrote: »

Fair enough and just did a check there, so supposedly being a member of SIMI means jack sh1t to customers?

It doesn't mean jack sh1t really. I'm sure SIMI don't want members who are in the business of scamming customers and I think they will listen to complaints, not sure they'll do much though

RedorDead

UK Direct have nearly 7000 cars listed on carzone - over 10% of carzone!

I would hazard a guess that not even 1% of these cars are actually in Ireland.

Berty

I would never use a company to import something that I can import myself for cheaper and have more fun doing it.

Massive Muscles

Berty wrote: »

I would never use a company to import something that I can import myself for cheaper and have more fun doing it.

Yep, you will save yourself a packet and have less doubts about the quality of the car and the veracity of the odemeter.

If you are buying a BMW go with a main dealer over in the UK.

Absurdum

sparkysrovers wrote: »

Fair enough and just did a check there, so supposedly being a member of SIMI means jack sh1t to customers?

The only "benefit" I can see is that many banks only do finance through SIMI members....

bazz26

RedorDead wrote: »

UK Direct have nearly 7000 cars listed on carzone - over 10% of carzone!

I would hazard a guess that not even 1% of these cars are actually in Ireland.

+1

It is bloody annoying when browsing carzone only to find their stupid adverts with a feeble photo shop picture of some car in a warehouse in the UK. Premier Fleet Autos are just as bad.

TheColl

Berty wrote: »

I would never use a company to import something that I can import myself for cheaper and have more fun doing it.

I can see why some people would though. Appears to be an easy way of taking the 'hassle' out of doing it all yourself. Still wouldn't use them myself either.

So has anyone actually used them then?

The Recliner

This crowd annoy the crap out of me

There are 34 2006 RX8's up on Carzone

Only 4 actually exist in this country, the rest are from UK Direct, this has to make it more difficult to shift cars and affect the price?

sk8board

RedorDead wrote: »

UK Direct have nearly 7000 cars listed on carzone - over 10% of carzone!

I would hazard a guess that not even 1% of these cars are actually in Ireland.

this really bugs the hell out of me too. Pity car sites like CZ don't have a way to not include certain words in their search option ala google search

2006 audi a4 -ukdriect

there are soo many of their results in all the popular searches that you cannot see the wood from the trees

Berty

I did a search on 5 series BMWs last night and thought.............sweet lots of them. Everytime I opened it I either saw a dirty car or a car covered in snow or ice with ukdirect written on it.

It really scuppered the search experience. BMW dealers in Dublin should be annoyed as hell because I basically avoided anything in Dublin to make my search easier.

TheBazman

Berty wrote: »

I did a search on 5 series BMWs last night and thought.............sweet lots of them. Everytime I opened it I either saw a dirty car or a car covered in snow or ice with ukdirect written on it.

It really scuppered the search experience. BMW dealers in Dublin should be annoyed as hell because I basically avoided anything in Dublin to make my search easier.

Yeah most days I do a search on Motornet of new cars added that day within certain criteria - I'd say 80 -90% are UKDirect cars and the quality of the pics ...shocking!

Cars&cars

I have a couple of suggestions:

1. everyone pop an email to ukdirect and the like and say "hey im sick of your false adds and adds for cars that dont look like they are real"
---- perhaps get them to change policy

2. pop an email off to carzone, better still phone them, and say you are not happy with the advertising practices of said companies
---- the more people that do this the more chance carzone will get on to said companies and make them change

3. there is an advertising standards agency that you can complain to, cant remember the details but a google search should bring it up

Im surprised more good legit dealers dont complain because ukdirect and others like premier fleet auto swamp a lot of the popular models, like BMW and Audi and others, so surely other dealers see the adds bottomed out with mad miles and mad prices -- what are they doing about it?

EPM

Cars&cars wrote: »

I have a couple of suggestions:

1. everyone pop an email to ukdirect and the like and say "hey im sick of your false adds and adds for cars that dont look like they are real"
---- perhaps get them to change policy

2. pop an email off to carzone, better still phone them, and say you are not happy with the advertising practices of said companies
---- the more people that do this the more chance carzone will get on to said companies and make them change

3. there is an advertising standards agency that you can complain to, cant remember the details but a google search should bring it up

Im surprised more good legit dealers dont complain because ukdirect and others like premier fleet auto swamp a lot of the popular models, like BMW and Audi and others, so surely other dealers see the adds bottomed out with mad miles and mad prices -- what are they doing about it?

You're back;)

1 - Have you any proof the ads are false and the cars not real?

2 - Carzones bank balance is more than happy if they have 7k cars advertised...

3 - On what grounds?

Mad prices - some are completely off the wall but the varying miles could be quite normal depending on use. We all know they are just an agency really - nothing really wrong with that and at least shows some innovation with regard to car sales

-Chris-

TheColl wrote: »

So has anyone actually used them then?

This is what I'd like to hear too - there were one or two people who came on the last thread to tell of their experiences, but mostly the conversation about these guys is from people who don't like their stocking/advertising practices and who give out about them on the basis of this.

While all this opinion/discussion is probably fine in-and-of itself, it's not going to help sparkysrovers in any meaningful way...

Cars&cars

EPM

havent we been down this road before?

ok - the adds appear unreal to me, allegedly boom boom
what I see is a simple ploy to corner the market... they place adds at the bottom price, lets take an example, an Audi A3 07, they put on cars say at 115,000 miles at the base price for an 07, then another car say 90,000 miles, then another 60,000 miles and perhaps a 40,000 miles. Sometimes there is no difference between the car at 90,000 miles in price compared with the car at say 60,000 miles. I personally thinks its a marketing scam, a way of making customers searching through carzone think that x company has loads of stock. So this customer will call them.

I have called them myself and emailed them many times, Ive spoked to loads of people that have been in contact with them. Often the advertised cars dont exist, have been sold, are in the UK, can be put on order, others will be coming in, can we have your details and we will find a similar model for you.....and so on. It might not be false advertising but it certainly isnt good advertising.

You even say yourself "some seem off the wall"!

Many of their adds have no photos - lots of photos with distorted photos - im guessing its because they dont want you to see the source of the photos.

Like I said its a clear ploy to swamp the market and corner customers.

Ok carzone dont charge them per car add --- even if they place 700 adds or 2000 adds, they have a dealer rate, so basically this allows them to post add after add after add.

All allegedly !

I have followed my own advice and done suggestion 1 and 2, perhaps more numbers of people complaining would bring carzone to get on to them.

smash

Seriously C&C since you've joined boards all you've done is moan about other dealers....

-Chris-

OK, don't let this become personal - attack the post, not the poster.


Let's try and bring this back on-topic as well please - has anyone any experiences that will help the OP decide whether to buy a car from this garage?

smash

-Chris- wrote: »

Let's try and bring this back on-topic as well please - has anyone any experiences that will help the OP decide whether to buy a car from this garage?

No, but in general cars are cheaper here now than it is to bring one in from the UK so I'd say just shop around and make a few offers to Irish dealers.

Cars&cars

there are so many good dealers out there the OP - and its a buyers market.

my advice, look around get some recommendations and make an offer, the way the economy is, any good offer will be accepted

as for the garage in question, what people seem to keep saying about the place on here speaks for itself.

Happy holidays Steve!

Thank you Chris, Happy holidays to you too!

sloppy

UK direct is just a link to Cargiant, a large Car Supermarket in the UK remarketing ex fleet and lease cars. Premier Fleet are the same thing.

testicle

sloppy wrote: »

UK direct is just a link to Cargiant, a large Car Supermarket in the UK remarketing ex fleet and lease cars. Premier Fleet are the same thing.

No they're not.

I'll be putting my car for sale on carzone soon, and in the title, I'll definitely be putting "not UKDirect"

elqu

Hmm guys, none of this particularly helpful to someone wondering if UK Direct can be trusted to sell you a decent car and give you a good service afterwards if needed.

Anyone any actual EXPERIENCE of buying from UK direct? Would be very interested.

Cars&cars

Think EPM kept asking me for proof of this and proof of that - perhaps this persons communication with the Managing Director might help.

Quote from Topper_Harley2
I am quite suspicious of whether the cars from UK Direct even exist. I was recently buying a car and 50% of the stock on carzone for the particular model was from them! It just stinks of flooding the market to me.

I emailed the managing director of the company who has assured me the cars do exist. He admitted that previously their "old" business model was to advertise non-existing cars and then get a real one in when a customer ordered it, but they have changed their approach recently. However I would remain highly sceptical

biggus

Blue Toyota prius T3 2008 29000 miles£9999 ex uk Car giant http://www.cargiant.co.uk/Toyota/Prius/details-442419-Toyota-Prius.asp


Blue Toyota prius T3 2008 29000 miles uk direct € 14500 inc vrt of €280

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Prius/1.5-VVTi/201001196471560/advert?channel=CARS


Not bad margins on stock you don't own
10k sterling = €11,122 (xe.com)plus vrt 280 (ros.ie)plus transport 300 =
~ €12k cost (assuming they pay cargiant the full asking price) Uk direct asking 14500

EPM

Cars&cars wrote: »

Think EPM kept asking me for proof of this and proof of that - perhaps this persons communication with the Managing Director might help.

Quote from Topper_Harley2
I am quite suspicious of whether the cars from UK Direct even exist. I was recently buying a car and 50% of the stock on carzone for the particular model was from them! It just stinks of flooding the market to me.

I emailed the managing director of the company who has assured me the cars do exist. He admitted that previously their "old" business model was to advertise non-existing cars and then get a real one in when a customer ordered it, but they have changed their approach recently. However I would remain highly sceptical

Well finally thats something at least. The reason I "kept asking" was simply you didn't provide anything to back up your argument. But now you have:D

lifer_sean

UK Direct are not always competitive on price. I was researching prices of Scenic diesels earlier today. UK Direct wanted 10,600 to 11,000+ for 04 models, but several dealers here had them for sale at 6500-ish, almost half price. Also 07 Grand Scenic 16,500 with UK Direct but available from Irish dealers at 13,900.

EPM

They want nearly 12k for a 4 year old bog standard leon with big miles!

testicle

biggus wrote: »

Blue Toyota prius T3 2008 29000 miles£9999 ex uk Car giant http://www.cargiant.co.uk/Toyota/Prius/details-442419-Toyota-Prius.asp


Blue Toyota prius T3 2008 29000 miles uk direct € 14500 inc vrt of €280

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Prius/1.5-VVTi/201001196471560/advert?channel=CARS


Not bad margins on stock you don't own
10k sterling = €11,122 (xe.com)plus vrt 280 (ros.ie)plus transport 300 =
~ €12k cost (assuming they pay cargiant the full asking price) Uk direct asking 14500

Where are you getting the VRT of €280 ??? It's at least 1400!

Also, that blows the above email from their MD that the cars do actually exist, and are not brought in when the customer orders it, out of the water.

colm_mcm

testicle wrote: »

Where are you getting the VRT of €280 ??? It's at least 1400!

No it's €280

Mc Love

Just did a check on 2008 ford focus 1.8 diesel zetec and it would cost at least 4k more to buy it with uk direct as opposed to going over yourself

mondeo

I'd be cutting out the middle man and just heading over myself

Mc Love

It seems to best and way cheaper tbh

testicle

colm_mcm wrote: »

No it's €280

Hmmm. What's the 89gCO2/km version? The VRT on that is higher?

Fizman

colm_mcm wrote: »

No it's €280

Correct me if I am missing something here, but isn't 14% of €17287 = €2,420??

colm_mcm

There's a €2500 rebate for hybrids, the minumum VRT amount is €280 so that's what's charged here.

The new model is worth more so VRT is higher, the old and new models fall into emissions category A regardless.

This means VRT on Honda Civic IMAs is €280 for most years as well so this makes them cheaper to import than lower spec 1.4 or 1.6 models.

TheColl

wtf is up with this ad!?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Alfa-Romeo/147/1.9-JTDm/201002196564855/advert?channel=CARS

EPM

TheColl wrote: »

wtf is up with this ad!?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Alfa-Romeo/147/1.9-JTDm/201002196564855/advert?channel=CARS

Whoever puts the ads up doesn't check obviously

Mc Love

Found a very interesting one:



http://www.autotrader.ie/search/Ford/Focus/2.0-TDCi/201001196435376/advert?channel=CARS

Shane732

TheColl wrote: »

wtf is up with this ad!?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Alfa-Romeo/147/1.9-JTDm/201002196564855/advert?channel=CARS

That's clearly someone who know's his cars!