RETURNING THE T5 TO ITS FORMER GLORY
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With two registered owners, the vehicle was entered into a sale by Hitachi Capital Fleet Solutions. James Davis says the problem with the van centred around a clutch fault when it arrived at auction. “This meant that, for health and safety reasons, it could not be driven through the auction hall.
“Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions agreed to enter it as a non-runner for this open book reconditioning exercise as it knew CM’s intentions,” he says.
Normally, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions would get a price for the repair before deciding whether to proceed with the sale. To get the van back to working order, the clutch was fixed, and body trim, grille, bumper, handles and mirrors were all fully colour-coded in white.
“There was also a small dent in the nearside sill that was repaired.
“In addition, Bruntingthorpe-owners C Walton fitted a selection of accessories donated by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles [brand new alloy wheels, colour-coded rear spoiler and chrome side bars]. The van has been MoT’d for a year and received a mini-service,” explains Davis.
Davis says there are a number of strategic reasons to refurbish a van.
“Tactical deployment is key. In the case of this exercise, the aim is to improve the overall specification of the van to maximise its sale value,” he adds.
What is more, refurbishing can be used to raise the profile of the vehicle’s seller and its brand perception in the marketplace.
“Refurbishing benefits buyers and sellers. Depending on the level of refurbishing, the closer it takes the van to being ready to retail, the better. Clearly the standards vary depending on the type of retailers and the expectation of their buyers,” Davis says.
Refurbishing a van or a range of vehicles, especially during periods where vehicle supply exceeds demand, or during seasonally slow marketplaces like summer, helps reduce the number of days a vehicle will be in stock.
“The time it would take traders to refurbish is reduced or eliminated. Many vendors see the clear benefit of upgrading valets, which is also seen as refurbishing, as buyers often gravitate towards the cleanest, best-presented stock,” he says.
The current used van market is suffering from a lack of volume that is worsening the average condition of vans. Davis says refurbishment can still be a viable and necessary avenue to take for vendors.
“Pre-sale refurbishing for vans is a science and driven primarily by supply and demand. It has to be used tactically. Duplicate stock and seasonality require specific attention to make stock as desirable as possible. We are our vendors’ eyes and ears.
“Our specialist CV teams at the auction centres work with the dedicated national CV team to ensure every opportunity to maximise values is explored,” he adds.
Clients are able to take this a step further and hold exclusive ‘refurbished van’ sales to lift the overall physical quality to counter higher mileage and condition. “Manheim already offers vendors the opportunity to enhance the images and bodywork appraisals to online and physical buyers with Van Check mechanical check product (with 24-hour money back guarantee).
“This would be combined with vans that had provenance in terms of all documentation, service history and warranted mileage,” he says.