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Inbetween all my bills and bank statements, I receive customer letters. Here one I pulled out to read from Lauren Brown, but I actually got it a while ago. It is about the delivery of their Land Rover Range Rover Sport.

Lauren says…
Now, the Range Rover Sport ………… I shall lick it clean every night, it is to die for (so the fuel bill…£78 to fill it today, ouch!). It’s a dream to drive and I am delighted I chose it. Great colour, spec etc. I’m driving it down to Manchester and back tomorrow so its gonna get a good run in.

I’m away to log onto your www.motorrecall.co.uk thingy now to see what thats all about, I will do the letter to you soon.

Again, I’m not easily impressed Ling, but you are a star, great website, great business and fantastic service. I got the best deal in the market place and am delighted. I will now become your stalker regarding websites and you will be so pissed off I ever came near you!!!!

Thanks Ling,

Lauren Brown
Falkirk
FK1 ***

Editor Note: Lauren, brilliant! I hope you enjoy posing in your new Range Rover Sport, these cars are REALLY nice. I’m sure even though it has a big fuel tank, it is not as thirsty as my 5mpg nuclear missile truck. Glad you are developing your website, I will gladly give you a link when it is up and running. Enjoy terrorising Scotland (and Manchester) in your new car! – Ling

CO2 affects fuel consumption directly. Less CO2 means less fuel burnt. So, I’m reporting this change on the DS DS3 Petrol Manual. Have a look at the new figures.

You need to insure the car fully comp, as normal with any new car. The car can be used for any purpose, or driven by anyone you choose. In effect, it is your own brand new car for the length of the hire period. You can even take it abroad. I tried to drive car to China once. That was damn big mistake. I suggest you do not use contract hire car for this.

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.

The CO2 for this DS DS3 Petrol Manual is better than it was, at just 107g/km. It is a bit different if you look at a slightly different trim level.

My DS DS3 1.2 PureTech 12v (82bhp) Chic Hatchback 3dr 1199cc Petrol Manual gearbox is only £226.57 inc VAT per month with 3 months initial payment, followed by 23 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 DS DS3 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! £226.57 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.

Plan ahead – choose uncongested routes, combine trips, car share.

I have hundreds of these comments on my website:

What a fab website, I love it, it’s fun and friendly and different!!! I am looking for a 6 or 7 seater car as I have expanding family.
Jodie Adams, Nottingham, NG8 3AZ
pjadamsfamily_@ntlworld.com

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.

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Getting letters in the post is really nice. It makes a lovely change from getting email. This one was sent by Marie Richards from East Preston. Amazingly, the postman didn’t steal it!

Marie says…
Ling and Guy offer a great service, backed up by honesty and integrity. My car was delivered as agreed and in good order. I would recommend this service to all. I love the website as well ‒ completely mad!! Dealer Service ‒ Good ‒ Only gripe was dirty car on delivery.

Marie Richards
East Preston
BN16 ***

Editor Note: Marie, thanks so much for the comments, you are really kind. Hope you are loving the Fiesta. So great to deal with you. I kick the dealer in the ass for dirty car, but they blame rain on the way, so sorry. – Ling

Green output is important to me, so I tell you the Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI 16v (230bhp) GTI Hatchback 3dr 1984cc Petrol Manual has changed, here are the new figures. I work hard to keep everything up to date.

Personal Contract Hire is exactly the same as contract hire for businesses. This is the beauty of getting a car like this, as you benefit from FLEET BONUSES! However, VAT makes a difference. Businesses get the rentals shown ex-VAT (they can often reclaim half of it), whereas private purchasers have it included in the 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”

I have taken a typical model of this car from my website – the Volkswagen Golf GTI Petrol Manual. For this car, the CO2 is now just 148g/km. Other trim levels might differ slightly.

My Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI 16v (230bhp) GTI Hatchback 3dr 1984cc Petrol Manual gearbox is only £309.50 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 Volkswagen Golf GTI 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! £309.50 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.

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

Looking at my pile of website remarks, I just found this one:

Thank you so much for having such a fun and original website. This is one of the best sites I have been on. I have very much enjoyed my visit. I wish more people were as witty as you.
Shelley Enright, Sheffield, S26 5LX
bladesbird_@btinternet.com

In 1993 exhaust emission limits, (generally referred to as the Euro 1 standards) were introduced for new cars which resulted in the adoption of advanced emission control techniques, e.g. catalysts. More stringent emission limits came into effect in 1997 (Euro 2) and 2001 (Euro 3) and 1st January 2005 (Euro 4). Euro 4 came fully into force on 1st January 2007 and now covers most new cars on sale.

Visit my full letters page click here

Customers often send me letters, I have 1525 in total! It keeps the postman busy. These letters are all hard copies, and none are invented. This one is from Adam McNaught-Davis

Adam says…
“Prompt, no messing service. No phone controllers or call centres to deal with, and a nice Citroen C4 on my doorstep in about 3 weeks – only a week later than promised. But no real issue as above all, I felt well informed by Ling all the way through the process.”

Adam McNaught-Davis
Eastbourne
BN20 ***

Editor Note: Adam, I don’t think your car was late – but on the 5th of July, you changed your mind: you were still not quite sure about which car you wanted. Your car was delivered on the 24th July, so where is the delay? – that’s 3 weeks and I never promise sooner than that. But apart from that, I score your letter 9/10. You have good handwriting and your letter was polite and enthusiastic. You were nice customer – Ling

Everyone moans that things go up and up and up. Well, the CO2 on the Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI CR 16v (150bhp) SE Technology Hatchback 5dr 1968cc Diesel Manual has just come down! What a result! This post is to let you know.

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???

My customers agree to adhere to a fixed mileage allowance (usually 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 miles per annum) and they are charged for “excess” miles. This means they are far more aware of the costs involved in unneccessary journeys in their new cars. To a certain extent, my customers will consider “is my journey really neccessary?” and “would it be cheaper to do this long trip on the train?”.

I am pleased to say that the CO2 for the Skoda Octavia Diesel Manual is now 113g/km. If you chose a different trim level, the CO2 would change, but not by much.

My Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI CR 16v (150bhp) SE Technology Hatchback 5dr 1968cc Diesel Manual gearbox is only £220.24 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 Skoda Octavia 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! £220.24 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.

Switch off – sitting stationary is zero miles per gallon, switch off the engine whenever it is safe to do so.

Look at this comment. It is not just me who is a mentalist.

A lovely website, well thought out, great prices. Will definitely recommend you.
Jo Read, Birmingham, B49 6AR
jojo998901_@aol.com

Because of the need to maintain strict comparability of results achieved by the standard tests they cannot be fully representative of real life driving conditions. Firstly, it is obviously not practicable to test each individual new car; thus only one production car is tested as being representative of the model and may therefore produce a better or worse result than another similar vehicle. Secondly, there are infinite variations in driving styles and in road, car and weather conditions, all of which can have a bearing on the results achieved. For these reasons the fuel consumption achieved on the road will not necessarily be the same as the official test results.

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 Gillian French in Walton On The Hill. Bloody cat!

Gillian says…
Hiya Ling. We love you in the French household! My daughter thinks you have the funniest website ever. BRILLIANT service from all your team. Thank you so much. Excellent delivery, fantastic service.

Gillian French
Walton On The Hill
KT20 ***

Editor Note: Mito customer!! Hey, I like these cars, Gillian! And you are a bloody accountant, I love accountants because you do the sums and prove I am the cheapest. Glad to entertain your daughter! Hope you have a great time in the fast 120bhp Mito! – Ling

I am the fastest car supplier in the UK to update the Mercedes A-Class 1.6 i 16v (102bhp) A160 Sport Edition Hatchback 5dr 1595cc Petrol Manual information. No one in the industry can believe how fast I am.

You need to insure the car fully comp, as normal with any new car. The car can be used for any purpose, or driven by anyone you choose. In effect, it is your own brand new car for the length of the hire period. You can even take it abroad. I tried to drive car to China once. That was damn big mistake. I suggest you do not use contract hire car for this.

When I asked Renault UK what they were doing to encourage franchised dealers to go beyond legal-minimum disclosure of environmental data, they simply said; “The majority of Renault dealers are autonomous businesses with a franchise to sell and repair Renault vehicles and as such, the internal running is outside of our jurisdiction. However, we train the dealer network, to ensure that they are aware of the different models and new technologies available. Some Renault dealerships may choose to advertise this information on their websites whereas some Renault dealerships would choose not to.”. Note that this statement is slightly misleading as Renault UK directly owns many of its larger dealerships, and in my extensive research no Renault dealer uses this information online. They could, if they wanted to. Their statement doesn’t seem to me to be very pro-active.

The CO2 for this Mercedes A-Class Petrol Manual is better than it was, at just 126g/km. It is a bit different if you look at a slightly different trim level.

My Mercedes A-Class 1.6 i 16v (102bhp) A160 Sport Edition Hatchback 5dr 1595cc Petrol Manual gearbox is only £276.02 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 Mercedes A-Class 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! £276.02 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.

Final word to Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary; “Worried about pollution? I’d say sell your car and walk.”

Here is a comment about my website (I have disguised the email address)

Mad as a Frog Eyed Sprite!
Nick Cater, Langport, TA10 0DL
winningentry_@hotmail.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

How much do I spend on stamps??? It must add up because I send every customer a nice thank-you letter. Peter Graham Kirkpatrick replied with a letter back to me about the Ford Mondeo that was delivered, new. Here it is:

Peter says…
Hi Ling!

Sorry for the delay – been having too much fun with my new toy! (definitely a superb car to drive, I’d recommend it to anyone).

Anyway, the main point of this email is to thank you very much for your efforts in acquiring this car for me.

There were times in recent weeks when I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get it and you must have got sick of me keep asking when, when, when… so thank you again for your patience.

Even though the deal seemed to take ages from start to finish, I do realise that it was down to events that you had no control over (ie. holidays, shortage of Ford cars etc).

Rest assured, I will have no hesitation in recommending your services to anyone I know who is considering car leasing (personal or business). Hopefully, if I’m still in employment in 3 years time, (and you’re still in the business), you’ll be hearing from me again regarding a replacement and I promise I’ll try to be more patient next time round.

So, best wishes for the future and keep up the brilliant website.

Peter Graham Kirkpatrick
Grantham
NG31 ***

Editor Note: Peter, yes, everyone has been saying these Mondeos are lovely cars, they are just starting to come through. Ford have been having difficulties (like most manufacturers always do with new cars) and supplies are difficult. I will still be here in 3-years, unless I’m on a tropical island, drinking Bailey’s and watching another sunset 🙂 Thanks for being patient! – Ling

Updating the Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI 16v (230bhp) GTI Hatchback 5dr 1984cc Petrol DSG Automatic quickly is brilliant because Google loves to use me as the choice for listing these cars.

Sometimes you must resign yourself to fact that dealer will look after a retail customer first. Your delivery might be slightly delayed because they are fussing over a damn retail customer (paying �1000’s more than you), and you have to learn to relax. Most times these delays never happen, but sometimes they do, so I’m just preparing your brain and giving you tip.

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.

The CO2 for this Volkswagen Golf GTI Petrol DSG Automatic is better than it was, at just 148g/km. It is a bit different if you look at a slightly different trim level.

My Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI 16v (230bhp) GTI Hatchback 5dr 1984cc Petrol DSG Automatic gearbox is only £320.56 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 Volkswagen Golf GTI 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! £320.56 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.

Remember I won the best non-franchise environmentalist 2008 in the Automotive Industry Awards. Don’t let these manufacturers fool you; LINGsCARS.com is the ONLY new car supplier to display and promote environmental info for ALL new cars, on the web! I have a Master’s Degree in Environmental Quality from Bournemouth Univeristy in 2000, plus a BSc in Applied Chemistry from Jinan University, Guanzhou in 1997.

Use air-conditioning sparingly – running air-conditioning continuously will increase fuel consumption significantly.

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

My friend has referred me to your site. Now I was expecting the usual car site with pages of boring cars available to rent. Well, you’re different.
Richard Jones, Bridgend, CF32 8DG,
psychoderek_@sweetthing.wanadoo.co.uk

Because of the need to maintain strict comparability of results achieved by the standard tests they cannot be fully representative of real life driving conditions. Firstly, it is obviously not practicable to test each individual new car; thus only one production car is tested as being representative of the model and may therefore produce a better or worse result than another similar vehicle. Secondly, there are infinite variations in driving styles and in road, car and weather conditions, all of which can have a bearing on the results achieved. For these reasons the fuel consumption achieved on the road will not necessarily be the same as the official test results.