42 PLAYER TWO HAS ENTERED THE GAME...

This morning, Carl sent me a WhatsApp message with a car that he had found. There is nothing unusual about that; it happens every other day. The cars are mostly decent but not perfect, but today was different. Today, Carl sent a unicorn car over, every single box ticked!

It was the right colour, had the correct alloys, had the right mileage, had the right number of previous owners, had the cam belt and water pump done, and, most importantly, was almost the right price.  Carl, being Carl, said he would phone them to see if he could negotiate a bit - nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that.

So, half an hour later, he called me excitedly.  He spoke to the dealer, asked him how low he would go, explained about our rally to Monte Carlo for charity, and asked if he could knock £500 off the sticker price. 

The guy returned and said if Carl put a deposit down today, he would knock a monkey off - an absolute result!

This took Carl back a bit.  I think he was expecting a bit more haggling! So he phoned me asking my advice, as he planned to get a car early next year.  I said, “What would you say to me if it was the other way around?”  Straight away, he said, “Go for it!”  There you go, then.  That is the advice.  

He put the phone down and said he had to think about it.  Before you could say, ‘He’s only gone and done it,’ I received a screen grab confirming the transfer of £500!  The second Abarth is on its way (subject to a full AA inspection, you understand).  If everything goes according to plan, he will pick it up on the same day as I do.  Tell me that isn’t fate?!