I have a friend who shall remain nameless who decided, against my advice, to purchase a new car one year ago. She did as we all do, finance to the hilt, extended service contract, and wisely chose a convertible as it would retain value better than the closed version. R 432,000 thankyou very much. Fast forward one year and 20,000 kms later, and the dear friend is obliged to let it go due to unforeseen circumstances. Logically, she goes back to the selling dealer who informs her that they have a zillion similar models in stock and that the model has changed spec so is less desirable, and therefore they are not interested in it. I try to help by using my rather extensive contacts all over the country to try and achieve the best possible price. Result ; R250,000 in a cheque. A loss of over R200,000 if you include the interest on the money, in the space of one calender year. Settlement at the bank ; R400,000.

There are several issues here ; why does the manufacturer not support its product ? How can the banks so readily finance new cars and jeopardise their ‘ valued ‘ clients' financial stability, in preference to, say, a slightly older car that has suffered most of its depreciation already ?

If you are tired of the clever marketing, and have realised that keeping up with the Joneses is not what we are here for, then come and talk to people that understand, we will send you in the right direction.