Car dealers must think their punters are stupid...

Still, 10/10 for trying on their part. Week's insurance will probably cost them 40-50 quid-ish, plus the grand and the 200-odd quid (in real terms) the Avensis is worth. Good way of getting decent stock in from their POV, though I don't know how many people would go for it.

Should have just mentioned that you save money on running costs by simply not running it as much, as that's much easier than any other option, and see what they said to that.

That was one of my first arguments, but theirs was, you could use the grand in the hand now, drive the FSH Avensis until you are working, then come back to use and buy something nice again when you have the cash.

They tried to argue it was better to have a reliable but cheap car and £1k in cash than a prestige one if it was going nowhere anyway.

But I like the IS, so it will be around until next MOT at least, unless I suddenly get a job that is paying enough to run another LS which as you know I really liked too.

As it is I get acceleration fun out of the Saab, and smooth cruising out of the IS. There isn't much noise difference inside either, just a little more road/suspension noise in the Saab.

Surely you'd be better off with no cars and all the money if things are tight at the moment? (c:

A used car salesman would argue that shit was piss if there was a couple of hundred quid to be made.

Yeah I know. If he had showed me a shabby diesel Merc or a leggy A6 TDi starship I could have understood it, but to try and get a a 2.0 Petrol Lexus owner to swap for a 2.0 petrol Toyota on the grounds of economy is just stupid.

It wasn't a swap though, was it - he'd offered you quite a bit of money on top and was counting on 'desperate times call for desperate measures' to kick in.

You won't be the last to be offered deals like this by them I'm sure, and not everyone will walk away like you did.

-- JackH

Oh no, that was the whole point of the VIP weekend for previous customers to either swap or upgrade (i.e. trade in) with the £500 cashback and they would basically try to select the cars for you ready for when you arrive.

A lot of people take the easy option when it doesn't bear logic just because it is easy. Otherwise no one would ever trade in a car.

Fraser

Oh I know. Given the right, same level, but higher mileage but history car I might have done it. Some thing like a similar age leggy/starship FSH A4 TDI/A6 TDI/C250D/E300D would make more sense than the IS, and as long as they drove OK, I would probably considered their offer, even if the spec was slightly lower. But older, lesser car, higher mileage, lower spec and gaffer tape trim/fitting repairs in swap for a Lexus. Not a hope.

And £1000.

I think you made the right choice, I just think the concept of a used car salesman ultimately serving your interests before their own is a little odd.

Got a job yet?

Indeed.

Nope. 78 applications, not one interview. CV has been reviewed several times by people who supposedly know what they are doing, still nothing. The job centre tried the old, "Have you tried cutting your hair, smartening up" things, to which point I said, how does that help when I don't get an interview. It isn't my face on the application envelope stamp.

I've asked if there are any training/rescources type stuff available, but they only have a link to Connexions which is for 17-25 year olds.

They even have me going in weekly now, Week 1 to sign on, Week 2 for them to try to find me something minimum wage. They have to find me to vacancies to apply for, even though I'm applying for between 8-10 a fortnight anyway.

I really hope they don't find me a minimum wage interview, because if I refuse any job offer on the grounds it won't pay my bills (gas/electric/mortgage/travel to work, just the basics, forget gas, electric, phone, mobile, sky which I'm still in minimum contract for) they can either stop any benefits, or make me sell the house and find somewhere that the wages will cover to live. Don't know anywhere that will let a reasonable sized space, with room for all my stuff for the sub-£300 a month my mortgage is now, that you would actually want to live in. My bed is bigger than some bedsits and I'm not giving that up. I worked hard to get what I have now.

If you don't try changing your appearance a bit, you'll never know if it will help or not?

How many of the 78 applications have been through the Job Centre?

Hmm, doesn't sound so handy. My mother signed on a few years ago to keep her stamp up to date between jobs (may have been during the last recession), they had her at all sorts of 'make a website' courses and 'start your own business' seminars.

I've been chucked off DLA before, which I was a bit indignant about at the time. I went to the Job Centre and the bouncer basically told me that the Job Centre was not a place for people who wanted a job and to come back as a last resort.

I didn't have much in the way of commitments financially at the time so I was not in the same position as you but Bob Sherunckle from this parish put me in touch with a bloke who paid me petrol money and in stories and experiences till I was well enough to take a real job.

Anyway, f*ck minimum contract. If you can't pay, you can't pay. Life is a better place without Sky and mobile phones.

So far, 6. Most came through direct.gov, which used to be Jobcentre+ but has totally different jobs to the Jobcentre+, Fish4(does all the local paper classifieds), Guardian jobs, Topjobs, Totaljobs, Monster, CWjobs. Plus cold calling places and cold sending CVs.

I'm hoping that as I get better, I can make a couple of quid flogging cigar box/tin can guitars, parts wise it is about 100% minimum profit, but breakeven if you include time taken (They are playable now, just need to make them prettier). That and throwing together basic wiring harness to turn acoustic CBGs into electric for people who are comfortable with woodwork, but not soldering.

Oh and hand cut bottle neck slides, where I get to empty the bottle first. Just need to find the right bottle. Closest so far, tone and fit appears to be a red wine or alcopop bottle, but even with with my chubby sausages they taper a little wide.

It will never be a millionaire maker, but will hopefully bring in a little bit of pin money and keep me from going mental being isolated from people by not having pub money.

Try jobserve.com as well. Pretty good for IT.

To cheer you up, I estimate that at times since the recession started that I have sent out my CV 100 times a week in order to secure work. I've got highly saleable skills and qualifications that put me into a group of no more than 600 people able to do what I do to earn a crust yet companies and government departments are cutting back hard and the gaps between contracts have got longer.

Back in 2006 I had to fight off clients with a stick, I really could have worked a 72 hour day and still have had people demanding that I do more for them.

All you can do is keep plugging away at it and take a bloody good hard look at your CV to make sure that it is customised for every single application. If you don't mention the skills for the job in question in the first paragraph you will probably not get through the initial sift of applications.

And CW Jobs and Jobsite. It's also worth joining Linked In unless your skills are at monkey see, monkey do level.

Already on Linkedin Been on for a couple of years.

Oh I know, because of this, I've been applying for everything from IT manager/IT support down to Office admin/receptionist, if it will at least meet all my minimum expenses.

I am at least getting some rejection replies which is more than I got during the last change in the industry.

And every week, I get the same earache that I'm not trying hard enough and have to take anything offered even if I have to force me to sell the house to do it.

Tell them if it's that easy you'll have their job, which seems to be piss-easy and they can go look for one.

Sounds s**te mate. Land Rover in Halewood are hiring, 1000 jobs up for grabs because they are building the new baby Rangie Evoque which they're expecting to be a massive export success. Look into it, there might be something half decent and up your street.