LINGsCARS Blog

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My letters webpage must be just about the longest on the internet! Currently, there are 1524 letters on my website. Letters are great, as they are like a window on my customers’ happiness. My good customer Laura Trevatt wrote this one:

Laura says…
Thanks for a quick, fantastic service from you, Ling. I’m very pleased with my new shape Fiesta, which has led me to order another car from you. Thanks again to all your staff. Delivery was OK, but the car turned up filthy dirty.

Laura Trevatt
Bristol
BS37 ***

Editor Note: Laura, well, I squeeze the dealers so hard on price, they can’t even afford a car wash! It was mid-December, so the weather will have been terrible – and you live in Bristol, a long way from everywhere hahaha. A carwash is a small price to pay but I understand it should have been clean. I will kick them. You have ordered ANOTHER Fiesta!!! That’s great. Over the past decade you have been the leading entertainment agency for mobile disco dance in Bristol, Bath, Swindon and the Southwest, from corporate events and resident nightclub DJ to wedding and birthday parties. I give you a hyperlink 🙂 – Ling

Looking at my records, the Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge 8v (69bhp) (4 seats) Hatchback 3dr 1242cc Petrol Manual (5 Speed) Petrol Manual has changed today, so I have updated the environmental information on my website. You have to laugh that I can beat Fiat to this update!

Most extras fitted onto cars don’t seem to make difference to the resale price in 2-3 years. Metallic paint, leather and aircon actually do, but let’s face it most cars I sell come with aircon and met paint, anyway. So, if you ask for quote to include extras, you can bet life that it will mean you pay the whole cost of the extra thing, divided by the number of rentals.

Martin Callanan (Euro MP for the North East Region) said “Ling and her unique website LINGsCARS.com displays environmental information in a way that leads the UK motor industry. Following my discussions with her about greening the business, Ling has grasped the environmental nettle and is giving UK car buyers comprehensive environmental data on all new cars for sale in the UK to enable them to make an informed choice. LINGsCARS.com gives a fantastic amount of green information on her new cars, which the rest of the UK motor industry would do well to emulate. Using the internet is already the most energy efficient way of researching and buying a new car, so well done Ling for taking the personal responsibility to push this carbon data to the top of her agenda and to push environmental awareness a big step further”

For this brand new Fiat 500 Petrol Manual, the latest CO2 figure is just 110g/km. When I chose this trim, it was because I have a few of these available. Different trims will have different CO2.

My Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge 8v (69bhp) (4 seats) Hatchback 3dr 1242cc Petrol Manual (5 Speed) Petrol Manual gearbox is only £168.00 inc VAT per month with 3 months initial payment, followed by 35 payments on direct debit. Business customers, make sure you deduct the VAT, when making decisions. As I can’t tell what type of customer you are (business or private), I can’t display the price any other way but to show VAT seperately (sorry!).

This price on my Fiat 500 includes full road tax for the length of the contract, on all of my cars and vans! Free delivery to your home or work and free collection from you at the end! £168.00 inc VAT per month is based on you driving 10,000 miles per annum, but higher mileages are usually available at a small extra cost. If you go over the allocated miles, you can pay a small excess mileage charge, usually between 3p and 15p per mile.

One of my best awards was the 2008 best non-franchise environmentalist, awarded by Automotive Management. The web is fickle, I have noticed LINGsCARS.com is the ONLY new car supplier to display and promote environmental info for ALL new cars, on the web! My website won “BEST non-franchised WEBSITE 2007” in the Automotive Management Awards.

Slow down – driving at high speeds significantly increases fuel consumption.

These comments have been made about my website:

Wicked!!! Your site is great and you are hilarious!!! Worth visiting for the humour.
Marie Balchin, Ceredigion, SA48 8BY
mariebalchin_@hotmail.com

EU Directive 1999/94/EC requires new car fuel consumption and CO2 emissions data to be made freely available to consumers. Car dealers are required to have a label showing the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of each different model on display, either on or near the vehicle. Fuel consumption figures will be expressed both in litres per 100 kilometres (l/100 km) and in miles per gallon (mpg). The label will list the figures achieved in urban, extra-urban and combined conditions separately. From September of 2005, dealers had the option to produce a new “comparative” label. The new label shows the mandatory Fuel Consumption and CO2 figures mentioned previously, alongside information about the appropriate VED band for the vehicle. The new label is similar in design to the energy efficiency labels that appear on many ‘white goods’, such as fridge freezers

Visit my full letters page click here

I have 1524 customer letters! This one was sent by Janet Adamson after they had been driving around a few weeks in their new Audi A4 Saloon

Janet says…
“Hi Ling,

Just to let you know car received today and all seems to be fine and in working order. Many thanks for your help through the process, which has not been too painful at all!”

Janet Adamson
Warrington
WA5 ***

Editor Note: What a very nice car you have got, Jan! An Audi A4 Saloon 2.0t Fsi SE Multitronic, Leather, Auto Opening Boot Lid, Front Centre Armrest, Driver Inf System, Heated Front Seats, Split Folding Rear Seats, Multi Steering Wheel, very well specced and very cheap! Enjoy it, eh? – Ling

Checking against the values I publish for the VW Golf 2.0 TSI GTI 16v (230bhp) Hatchback 5dr 1984cc Petrol Manual (6 Speed) Petrol Manual, I have noticed a small error, so I’m publishing these new figures today. Please read.

Your car belongs to the finance company on whose documents you agreed to the contract. Many different wear and tear agreements are issued, but it is safe to say that they all are similar to the industry standard issued by the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association). I have condensed the advice into an easy to read PDF file. If you have things to fix, I recommend 1st call to people like Dent Devils, mobile Glass Repair, etc. Cheap and often works. They usually come to you, in van. Easy. Treat this car like your own car and you will not go far wrong. If you sold a 2-year-old car privately, you would fix exact same problems. Common sense helps!

On new cars for example, average CO2 has been cut by more than 10 per cent in six years. Improvements at manufacturing sites have been more significant. Published in September, the SMMT’s seventh annual sustainability report showed that average energy used � and CO2 emitted – to produce each vehicle in the UK has been halved in just four years.

I am pleased to say that the CO2 for the VW Golf Petrol Manual is now 148g/km. If you chose a different trim level, the CO2 would change, but not by much.

My VW Golf 2.0 TSI GTI 16v (230bhp) Hatchback 5dr 1984cc Petrol Manual (6 Speed) Petrol Manual gearbox is only £325.10 inc VAT per month with 3 months initial payment, followed by 35 payments on direct debit. Business customers, make sure you deduct the VAT, when making decisions. As I can’t tell what type of customer you are (business or private), I can’t display the price any other way but to show VAT seperately (sorry!).

This price on my VW Golf includes full road tax for the length of the contract, on all of my cars and vans! Free delivery to your home or work and free collection from you at the end! £325.10 inc VAT per month is based on you driving 10,000 miles per annum, but higher mileages are usually available at a small extra cost. If you go over the allocated miles, you can pay a small excess mileage charge, usually between 3p and 15p per mile.

Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the Government Economics Service, produced the UK Government Environmental Report on the Economics of Climate Change. I was so pleased to win an Environmental Award in 2008, myself. I am determined that LINGsCARS.com will go further than anyone else in this industry to exceed the legal minimum information disclosure. It is probably the case that my customers have the smallest environmental footprints of any new car customers in the UK!

Cold starts – drive off as soon as possible after starting.

I have so many comments about my website, this one says;

Great site, easy to navigate.
Jammer Hearne, Kirkby in Ashfield, NG17 7FY
greenday_chic_xx_@hotmail.co.uk

The other pollutants from petrol, diesel and alternative fuel engines are mainly Carbon Monoxide, Oxides of Nitrogen, un-burnt Hydrocarbons and fine particles. The first three are gases and are invisible. Fine particles are usually invisible although in certain operating conditions diesels will produce visible particles, appearing as smoke. Petrol engines will also produce visible particles if they are burning engine oil or running rich, for example, following a cold start. Unlike CO2, emissions of these pollutants are not directly linked to fuel consumption. Pollutant levels are more dependant on vehicle technology and the state of maintenance of the vehicle.

Visit my full letters page click here

Does your cat eat letters when they come through your letter box? Mine does. Here’s a letter it missed, from Annette Jackson in Beverley. Bloody cat!

Annette says…
Ling,

I love my new Honda Jazz already. A very nice man drove it from Birmingham for me. He was very efficient and professional and helped to remind me of all the things I should be asking him e.g. tax disc, mileage, weather conditions etc he had it all in hand. Thank you so much for your very efficient service from LINGsCARS, it has been the most enjoyable purchasing of a new vehicle I have ever had.

Annette Jackson
Beverley
HU17 ***

Editor Note: Annette, that’s fantastic. You are a deputy head teacher so I have hidden your home address from all the terrible kids. Glad you like the Jazz, brill small cars! The service… I will pass regards to the supplier. They are very good. Not sure what else to say except we had a wonderful time chatting and having fun. I have another friend in Beverley now! – Ling

Green output is important to me, so I tell you the Seat Leon 1.2 TSI SE Dynamic Technology 16v (110bhp) Hatchback 5dr 1197cc Petrol Manual (6 Speed) Petrol Manual has changed, here are the new figures. I work hard to keep everything up to date.

I get my car deals from many sources, main dealers, finance companies, or I work them out myself using different finance companies. Main dealers I use include; Audi, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Mazda (boo), Mercedes-Benz, MG (new improved Chinese joke version!), Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Proton, Renault, Saab, Seat, Skoda, Smart, Ssangyoung (North Korean??) Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen (or VW), and Volvo. Amazing, huh???

In 2008, I won the “BEST non-franchised ENVIRONMENTALIST” in the Automotive Management Awards, sponsored by the RAC. My website won “BEST non-franchised WEBSITE 2007” in the Automotive Management Awards. My website has been voted in the “TOP 100” in the world, by FHM magazine. I was voted “NORTH-EAST ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2006” in the One North East-sponsored WIN business awards. CAR Magazine listed me in their TOP 7 pick of UK car websites. I have around 50,000 unique visitors a month. I have well over 3000 happy, existing customers, and over 900 letters published on this website.

For this brand new Seat Leon Petrol Manual, the latest CO2 figure is just 116g/km. When I chose this trim, it was because I have a few of these available. Different trims will have different CO2.

My Seat Leon 1.2 TSI SE Dynamic Technology 16v (110bhp) Hatchback 5dr 1197cc Petrol Manual (6 Speed) Petrol Manual gearbox is only £191.59 inc VAT per month with 3 months initial payment, followed by 35 payments on direct debit. Business customers, make sure you deduct the VAT, when making decisions. As I can’t tell what type of customer you are (business or private), I can’t display the price any other way but to show VAT seperately (sorry!).

This price on my Seat Leon includes full road tax for the length of the contract, on all of my cars and vans! Free delivery to your home or work and free collection from you at the end! £191.59 inc VAT per month is based on you driving 10,000 miles per annum, but higher mileages are usually available at a small extra cost. If you go over the allocated miles, you can pay a small excess mileage charge, usually between 3p and 15p per mile.

One of my best awards was the 2008 best non-franchise environmentalist, awarded by Automotive Management. The web is fickle, I have noticed LINGsCARS.com is the ONLY new car supplier to display and promote environmental info for ALL new cars, on the web! My website won “BEST non-franchised WEBSITE 2007” in the Automotive Management Awards.

Keep the pressure up – make sure the tyres are inflated to the correct pressure for the vehicle.

This comment is great:

I think that this is a great site. You got some cool crazy humour and jokes which had me rolling on the floor with laughter.
Tabassum Kadiri, Leicester, LE4 7NL
angel4eva25_@hotmail.com

Climate Change is recognised as one of the greatest environmental threats facing the World today and it has long been appreciated by Governments, that reducing the impact of the motor vehicle has an important part to play in addressing this threat.

Visit my full letters page click here

New cars are like new toys to most of my customers. They get really excited. Just like Deborah Baker. I delivered this Ford Fiesta to Bristol then I got this very nice letter back…

Deborah says…
Brilliant! The whole process ‒ the car ‒ everything. I would definitely use Ling again as everything was great. Plenty of contact, simple process, quick response to e-mails and funny! Felt like I was dealing with a friend. Have recommended already and will be back! Thanks.

Excellent delivery: Good service ‒ polite, smart and delivered car on time. Thank you.

Deborah Baker
Bristol
BS7 ***

Editor Note: Deb, that sounds good to me! You were great to deal with, we had a load of fun and you were really happy with your Fiesta and the deal. It is hard to do better than that. You are certainly a friend, now 🙂 Thanks for recommendation! – Ling

CO2 affects fuel consumption directly. Less CO2 means less fuel burnt. So, I’m reporting this change on the Audi A1 3dr Hatch Petrol Manual. Have a look at the new figures.

Most Ling cars are on 2 year deals or less, so you should only need an oil and filter service (you won’t need brake pads etc unless you drive like German idiot Schumacker). You just pay this service yourself, OK? Some service intervals (eg. Renault) now at 18,000 miles! You can have this small service done at any cheap VAT registered garage, just use quality parts. Your car is fully covered by the manufacturer warranty (use franchise dealer for this, free), and you get manufacturer’s AA/RAC type cover.

The VCA (the VCA is the Government designated UK approval authority) wrote to me, saying “I can appreciate the efforts you are making to improve environmental awareness amongst your customers and I’m sure that your approach will be of help to them when deciding on a new car. At this time there is no legal requirement for dealers to display this information on their websites.” Why not? I think there should be! The VCA continued, “Your comments and in depth suggestions on how we might improve the output of the data will be considered alongside any other proposals for change.”

Having got all the info for the Audi A1 3dr Hatch Petrol Manual, I can publish the new CO2 figure: 115g/km. This will change across the different models of this particular car, they are all a bit different.

My Audi A1 3dr Hatch 1.4 TFSI Sport Nav 16v (125bhp) (4 seats) Hatchback 3dr 1395cc Petrol Manual (6 Speed) Petrol Manual gearbox is only £239.95 inc VAT per month with 3 months initial payment, followed by 35 payments on direct debit. Business customers, make sure you deduct the VAT, when making decisions. As I can’t tell what type of customer you are (business or private), I can’t display the price any other way but to show VAT seperately (sorry!).

This price on my Audi A1 3dr Hatch includes full road tax for the length of the contract, on all of my cars and vans! Free delivery to your home or work and free collection from you at the end! £239.95 inc VAT per month is based on you driving 10,000 miles per annum, but higher mileages are usually available at a small extra cost. If you go over the allocated miles, you can pay a small excess mileage charge, usually between 3p and 15p per mile.

The comparative or “fridge” label, is compulsory in car showrooms – except you’ve got to DRIVE there to see it! I won an industry award for displaying it electronically for all website visitors. I am the proud winner of the 2008 Best Environmentalist 2008 Automotive Management Award. Like me, Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair talks straight about cars versus planes. “The usual horseshit”, he says. One day, every car will be as Green as my Jolly Green Nuclear Missile Truck “Calm down dear!” – it’s only done 1,000 miles since 1970.

Cold starts – drive off as soon as possible after starting.

I have hundreds of these comments on my website:

Great site, friendly and one hell of a laugh. Look forward to renting a car from you in the very near future.
Diane Findlay, Corby, NN17 2AL
diane_findlay_@msn.com

The other pollutants from petrol, diesel and alternative fuel engines are mainly Carbon Monoxide, Oxides of Nitrogen, un-burnt Hydrocarbons and fine particles. The first three are gases and are invisible. Fine particles are usually invisible although in certain operating conditions diesels will produce visible particles, appearing as smoke. Petrol engines will also produce visible particles if they are burning engine oil or running rich, for example, following a cold start. Unlike CO2, emissions of these pollutants are not directly linked to fuel consumption. Pollutant levels are more dependant on vehicle technology and the state of maintenance of the vehicle.

Visit my full letters page click here

I have 1524 customer letters! This one was sent by Samuel Davis after they had been driving around a few weeks in their new Fiat Panda

Samuel says…
Being the first time that I had leased a car, I had lots of questions which you answered quickly and clearly, in fact you were very caring and supportive all the way. I am really pleased with my new Fiat Panda and I promise to recommend your company to my friends. Thanks very much Ling I look forward to dealing with you again in the future. Good delivery, efficient and prompt.

Samuel Davis
Woodbridge
IP12 ***

Editor Note: Hehehe, not often a Fiat dealer gets called “efficient and prompt”! Thanks for the letter, Sam, you work for a Chinese shipping company, so maybe I should say “xie xie” 🙂 Enjoy the Kung-Fu Panda! – Ling

Great cars like the Volvo V90 Estate 2.0 D4 Momentum 16v (190bhp) Estate 5dr 1969cc Diesel Geartronic (8 Speed) Diesel Automatic jump out to me when I am checking environment data. This one has changed, so I type it here. I get a lot of these changes.

At the manufacturer’s service intervals, the car will need a service, which you are responsible for. Of course, as it’s a brand-new car, tyres/brakes etc will probably last out the contract so you’ll only have a basic oil and filter service to pay for.

If showroom-based car dealers fail to show fuel consumption labels on new cars on display, or to make available to potential buyers the results of the fuel consumption tests as listed in this booklet, it renders them liable on conviction to a fine of up to �5,000. This is why dealers miraculously acheive these “minimum standards” – under threat of a �5,000 fine!

For this brand new Volvo V90 Estate Diesel Automatic, the latest CO2 figure is just 119g/km. When I chose this trim, it was because I have a few of these available. Different trims will have different CO2.

My Volvo V90 Estate 2.0 D4 Momentum 16v (190bhp) Estate 5dr 1969cc Diesel Geartronic (8 Speed) Diesel Automatic gearbox is only £314.26 inc VAT per month with 3 months initial payment, followed by 35 payments on direct debit. Business customers, make sure you deduct the VAT, when making decisions. As I can’t tell what type of customer you are (business or private), I can’t display the price any other way but to show VAT seperately (sorry!).

This price on my Volvo V90 Estate includes full road tax for the length of the contract, on all of my cars and vans! Free delivery to your home or work and free collection from you at the end! £314.26 inc VAT per month is based on you driving 10,000 miles per annum, but higher mileages are usually available at a small extra cost. If you go over the allocated miles, you can pay a small excess mileage charge, usually between 3p and 15p per mile.

Winning the environmental award (2008 Best Environmentalist in the car industry) was very pleasing for me as it meant I was being recognised for my hard work. I’m the the ONLY new car supplier to display and promote environmental info for ALL new cars, on the web! Please note I have pioneered availability of environmental information on the internet. Using the internet to research and buy new cars is the most environmentally friendly method, by miles.

Do not compromise safety but be aware that the use of onboard electrical devices increases fuel consumption.

I get tired of typing out these comments, but… here’s one.

Wow, what a fantastic site! I will definitely be telling my friends to come and have a look. With a name like Ling Valentine, you should really be a star!!
Amanda Skilton, Ivybridge PL21 0PJ
stas4949_@stas4949.eclipse.co.uk

Failure to show fuel consumption labels on new cars on display, or to make available to potential buyers the results of the fuel consumption tests as listed in this booklet, render dealers liable on conviction to a fine of up to �5,000. The same penalty exists for anyone who does not include all the appropriate test results in promotional literature. Trading Standards enforce point of sale information and should be contacted if you have concerns in this area. The Vehicle Certification Agency enforce the provision of information in advertising and promotional literature.