Mazda Master Dealers Announced P8 FOUNDATION SPONSORS Autotalk Acknowledges the Support of Our Foundation Sponsors
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE VEHICLE DEALER’S NEWS SOURCE APRIL 2020 .COM.AU Vinesh Bhindi, Mazda Australia, David Russel, Wippells Autos. Mazda Master Dealers announced p8 FOUNDATION SPONSORS AutoTalk acknowledges the support of our foundation sponsors: ADTORQUE EDGE DELIVERING YOUR MARKETING SOLUTIONS Automotive software solutions Driving your business THE VEHICLE DEALER’S NEWS SOURCE All the Auto Industry HOT NEWS every day as it happens on www.autotalk.com.au Subscribe online for FREE twice weekly updates direct to your email. autotalk.com.au/ 2 | AUTOTALK APRIL 2020 | www.autotalk.com.au NEWSTALK GUMTREE CARS MOVES TO SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN DEALERS umtree Cars is launching new Cars for free for the month of April, we dealer support measures in light of are demonstrating our commitment to Gthe Covid-19 pandemic. supporting our dealers, whilst creating The move comes as eBay Classified connections and delivering reach. Group’s Global Motors business initiates Gumtree Cars will continue to assess similar measures around the world. market conditions based on government To provide substantial financial relief and updates and dealer feedback and conduct support for new and existing partners, a review at the end of April. As the Gumtree Cars launched a robust future of the automotive industry and the programme of dealer initiatives. These ramifications of the crisis remain unclear, measures are aimed at increasing dealer Gumtree Cars is committed to going visibility at a time when digital is more above and beyond by providing ongoing Richard Dicello important than ever in the car sales customer service and sales support for its journey. dealership network. Gumtree Cars, will: • Waive all subscription fees for new and existing partners for the month of April. “We understand the • Remove all listing overage charges impact the crisis is having for the month of April, meaning that on all businesses, including dealers can list their entire vehicle inventory for free. car dealerships. By offering • Extend current partner payment terms our new and existing for March invoices, from 30 to 60 days. Support has been put in place for dealers partners the opportunity to list their entire stock on Gumtree Cars, to list their entire stock without any added investment. This allows for a digital extension of dealerships and on Gumtree Cars for free ensures Gumtree Cars’ partners remain for the month of April, we visible and able to generate connections are demonstrating our to potential buyers when they need it most. commitment to supporting To maximise the benefit from the relief, our dealers, whilst creating dealers should keep their current inventory online and prioritise adding unlisted connections and delivering vehicles to the site says Gumtree Cars. reach." This means they will remain visible for future customers, laying the foundations for a buoyant recovery. “While Australia’s dealerships are dealing “Gumtree Cars’ commitment to dealers with the significant uncertainty around the remains unwavering during these longevity of the COVID-19 crisis and its uncertain times,” Gumtree Cars’ head of potential long-term impacts, we want them motors Richard Dicello says. to know that Gumtree Cars will continue “Our large-scale financial support aims to to support their businesses. Gumtree Cars alleviate some of the burden put on the is people-powered, meaning we always automotive industry at this time. put our partners first, and we will continue “We understand the impact the crisis to do so during these difficult times, and is having on all businesses, including beyond,” Dicello says. car dealerships. By offering our new Further details regarding the relief and existing partners the opportunity support are available from the Gumtree to list their entire stock on Gumtree Cars Account Management team. AUTOTALK APRIL 2020 | www.autotalk.com.au | 3 AutoTalk Magazine and autotalk.co.nz are published by Auto Media Group 8/152 Quay Street, Limited. P.O. Box 10 50 10, Auckland City, 1030. Ph. 09 309 2444 MANAGING EDITOR Richard Edwards 021 556 655 [email protected] EDITOR – AUTOTALK AUSTRALIA Robert Barry 021 530 902 [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR Geoff Dobson 021 881 823 [email protected] BUSINESS MANAGER Van buyer narrowly avoids Dale Stevenson 021 446 214 [email protected] invoice scam GROUP GENERAL MANAGER Deborah Baxter Sydney-based car-broker who had Westpoint Autos group fleet manager 027 530 5016 his licence suspended in 2019 by Ben Maslen says the buyer was about [email protected] AFair Trading NSW for allegedly to transfer $37,000 into an ING account stealing money from clients, has alleg- allegedly for the purchase of a new PUBLISHER / CHAIR edly resurfaced and is allegedly invoicing Hyundai van. Vern Whitehead clients for cars and not delivering the Maslen says this invoice (which Autotalk 021 831 153 vehicles. has sighted) to the buyer is fabricated [email protected] Autotalk has been contacted by a reader and false and he assumes the details of who alleges that Shervin Kalimi of Cars & the vehicle were taken from a national Auto Media Group Limited makes every endeavour Co whose dealer licence was suspended website. to ensure information contained in this publication is accurate, however we are not liable for any losses by Fair Trading NSW in July 2019, has “The car is our car, for sale in Queensland, or issues resulting from its use. since resurfaced as Shervin Chadorchi the dealers’ licence number is a made up Annual subscription: $84 + gst ($96.60) trading as The Car Buying Agency, and one and the ABN is for a Hyundai dealer Printed by: Alpine Printers. is taking money from buyers and not in Windsor NSW. This buyer was within delivering cars. minutes of transferring the funds before Antonio Settimo says he believes he has we notified them of the situation,” he says. been scammed as he paid Chardorchi Maslen says he has notified Fair Trading $36,500 for a Calais V Tourer for delivery NSW and has been advised by a senior in February and has not received a receipt investigator that they are following up autotalk.co.nz for payment or the car. the matter. autotalk.com.au Settimo says Chadorchi told him all “NSW Fair Trading is investigating several transporttalk.co.nz manner of excuses as to why the car is not complaints relating to the Car Buying being delivered. Agency Pty Ltd. As the matter is ongoing, futuretrucking.com.au A van buyer from New South Wales no further comment can be made at this evtalk.co.nz narrowly avoided transferring funds on an time,” a spokesman for the agency says. evtalk.com.au invoice which names Shervin Chadorchi The spokesman says If consumers have wheeltalk.co.nz as a fleet salesperson, when he tracked any concerns with their dealings with the identicar.co.nz the dealer down (through the vehicles VIN trader should lodge a complaint with Fair number) in Queensland and asked when Trading at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au. the vehicle could be delivered. 4 | AUTOTALK ARPIL 2020 | www.autotalk.com.au NEWSTALK GOVERNMENT SUPPORT IS NOT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD he COVID-19 public health issue doesn’t,” he says. not qualify for support under the current has impacted more heavily on the “March is usually a good month for new JobKeeper thresholds. Tautomotive sector than the Global vehicle sales as orders placed in January He also notes that VACC research indicates Financial Crisis, but members of the industry and February are delivered, but sales this that approximately 70% of Victorian say while the current commonwealth and year will certainly fall against the previous franchise dealers will not qualify for the state government support initiatives are year as we saw a significant decline in state government’s $500 million business welcomed, some businesses unfairly fall the last two weeks of this month, and the support fund or the payroll tax waiver. outside the qualifying criteria. worst is yet to come.” “Our members are trying to get their heads One issue that the Regarding to better legal protection around the JobSeeker and the JobKeeper Australian Automotive for new car franchises in the wake packages which are yet to be passed into Dealers Association of the Holden shutdown and the law, but it’s a brave political and fiscal move (AADA), and the announcement by Honda Australia by the Australian government to maintain Victorian Automotive of its proposed agency-model the employee base and provide a huge Chamber of network restructure, Voortman safety net to stop unnecessary layoffs and Commerce (VACC) says in the current climate it will be redundancies,” he says. strongly agree upon, difficult to get Canberra to focus “The commonwealth government has is that government’s on this. done the right thing - it’s going to save focus upon revenue The association would like to see a lot of jobs, especially as there is such thresholds for the James Voortman better protection mechanisms for a narrow skills base in the automotive support packages franchise dealers similar to the US sector and the gaps are a challenge to fill. does not recognise that in the automotive market, and Voortman says in the coming “If we lose an apprentice, it takes up to industry – turnover does not equate to weeks: “We will pick our moment to talk seven years to fill that gap. There is four profit. to the relevant politicians and government years of training and then at least another AADA’s James Voortman says that departments on this particular issue.” couple of years for the person to become although in principle many dealers have competent and mature in their role. welcomed the news of the governments Every automotive business can be open Employers wait a considerable time for a JobKeeper package, they are waiting to see for business return on their investment,” Gwilym says.