Here in sunny Belfast there's a car wash "franchise" for want of a better word that has a few sites which seem to mainly be staffed by Romanians. Now I don't know what they earn (I presume it's not fantastic money) but it's obviously a fairly lucrative business.
Occasionally when I drive past I notice that the owner parks his Bentley, or his A8 4.2 out the front. Both cars have vanity plates with the business name. Is it just me or is this a bit tasteless?
It reminds me of a printers I went to a few years ago when I was doing graphic design. I popped in to get some prints, was quoted a hugely extortionate price, but due to dead lines I had to pay it. On my way out I noticed a embarrassment of super cars, 911 turbos, an M6, an Aston....I promptly vowed never to use them again (and never to work to such tight deadlines).
I certainly don't begrudge people a nice toy or two, but sometimes flaunting it mightn't be a great idea.
Count your blessings, they could've been VWs. 😆
where else are they meant to park if on site?
I would avoid any business that flaunt their wealth through materialist tat....
Even if I was minted I wouldn't spend the money on flash cars or tasteless chavvy number plates
Count your blessings, they could've been VWs.
A Bentley and an Audi? They are!
dirtyriderwhere else are they meant to park if on site?
There's plenty of room on the lot, the car wash guy parks his cars on the footpath in full display mode out front of the business.
so what?
flaunt their wealth through materialist tat....
Yeah, have you seen the bikes the STW staff ride? Flashy gits. 😉
Presumably if they drive to work in a fiesta but live in a gated mansion then thats OK?
Although I do understand the point, we give all our sales reps a company golf (oh the irony) rather than have the more successful ones turn up in exotica that they have purchased themselves.
Its a strange world though, where if you have a genuine interest in cars, and choose to spend a certain percentage of your money on that you are judged in this way.
Final point - you can pick up the a Bentley Continental for just over £20K, so thats less than a new mid spec golf. Once its got a private plate on then most people cant tell.
I sometimes park my 52 plate Mondeo right outside reception.
If it had wheel trims I'd remove one, just one, for added effect. 😀
"Flaunt it if you've got it" is my mantra; it's why I can usually be found doing my shopping in the CO-OP without a shirt on. What's the point of tattoos and a six pack if you're not gonna show it off?
A relative is a large animal vet, he always buys 2nd hand cars and never washes them because the farmers hate to see that he is making money.
dirtyriderso what?
Well, when I see twenty Romanians swarming round a car in the freezing cold, and the owners £250,000 Bentley parked out front it makes me think I'll get my car washed somewhere else as it seems like a pretty tasteless juxtaposition.
Now there might be all sorts of logic fails going on there, but that's my gut reaction, and it reminded me of the printers from years ago. I thought their prices were extortionate and their fleet of luxury cars confirmed that they were doing extremely well out of it.
In a similar vein - how much do you care about builder's vans? I used to do a bit of labouring for a guy who had a run of the mill couple of year old transit and then some gas fitters turned up in their brand new top of the line T5 with all the bells and whistles and a personalised plate. The guy I worked for was pretty condescending say that he wouldn't trust a builder who turned up in such a flash van.
Well, when I see twenty Romanians swarming round a car in the freezing cold, and a £250,000 parked out front it makes me think I'll get my car washed somewhere else as it seems like a pretty tasteless juxtaposition.
so, as long as the explotation isn't highlighted, your happy with it.
how do you feel about the CEO's of most stores you shop in?
A relative is a large animal vet,
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How very [s]judgemental[/s] STW 🙄
Djglover has a point though. With the vanity plates masking they age, they could be 10 years old as there's been very few visual changes on both a continental or an A8 over the years. Both of which decprieciate like they've been thrown out of a plane.
Plus, a continental is nowhere near £250k. Half that new...
jam boso, as long as the explotation isn't highlighted, your happy with it.
how do you feel about the CEO's of most stores you shop in?
I'm not trying to make a statement, rather just bring it up for discussion. Y'know, like on a discussion forum. I'm sure it's a fairly paradox ridden attitude to take, but I'm curious to hear other peoples opinion.
so how do you feel about the CEO's of tesco's and the like?
Happy to shop there as long as they don't park outside?
Perhaps he's manufacturing huge quantities of crystal meth and doesn't really care how his car affects the car wash business?
In a similar vein - how much do you care about builder's vans? I used to do a bit of labouring for a guy who had a run of the mill couple of year old transit and then some gas fitters turned up in their brand new top of the line T5 with all the bells and whistles and a personalised plate. The guy I worked for was pretty condescending say that he wouldn't trust a builder who turned up in such a flash van.
Don't care about "flash" per se, but I'd expect it to be clean, well maintained and undamaged. If the owner looks after, and takes pride in their tools & posessions, hopefully he'll have the same attitude to mine!
jam bo
so how do you feel about the CEO's of tesco's and the like?Happy to shop there as long as they don't park outside?
Well if the CEO of Tescos parked his helicopter in the middle of the car park of my local branch and the shop was staffed entirely by rain soaked Romanians running around frantically, only stopping briefly for a drag on some chinese fags and a swig of Redbull, yeah I'd probably find it displeasing and go to Lidl across the road 🙂
[quote=pjt201 opined]In a similar vein - how much do you care about builder's vans? I used to do a bit of labouring for a guy who had a run of the mill couple of year old transit and then some gas fitters turned up in their brand new top of the line T5 with all the bells and whistles and a personalised plate. The guy I worked for was pretty condescending say that he wouldn't trust a builder who turned up in such a flash van.
I turned a builder away who turned up in a brand new merc van without a quote as his prices would be to high for me as I know how much they cost.
Prejudice for sure but that money has to come from their customers
Our local Bookie has a Ferrari 458 which he parks outside occasionally.
I wouldn't bet with him - although I don't bet anyway 😆
I would instinctively (and quite possibly subconsciously) avoid such businesses; my probably erroneous assumption would be that they are either a) making too much money from their customers and therefor there will be cheaper suppliers elsewhere, or b) that they've been making money in a dodgy fashion and therefor not particularly trustworthy.
As additional supporting (anecdotal) evidence for this, the only bloke that I know that drives round in a Bentley is a chap that breaks 4x4s of a certain brand, and is (allegedly) as dodgy as all hell. I wouldn't trust him with making a cup of tea.
Given their tax arrangements, one wonders what the head of Facebook in the UK drives, and where he/she parks it....!
Don't see the problem myself. He's got a business, he's employing people and he's making himself some money.
However I do wonder whether other people don't see it the same way as I do - especially as I am a business owner and have nice cars (just Audis, nothing in the supercar league) and often go to clients offices.
Generally I think it's a bit "in your face" as the owner is flouting the size of the profits he/she is making. Its a car wash not a huge multi-national FTSE listed business like Tescos
the owner is flouting the size of the profits he/she is making
He could have won the lottery, come into an inheritance or made the money by some other means...
also a great way to wash money....apparently.
johndohHe could have won the lottery, come into an inheritance or made the money by some other means...
He sure could have, but the prominent placement of the car and the plates with the business name on them is making a very conscious and deliberate association between the car wash business and the fancy car.
You think those cars were bough with money earned only by washing cars?
Washing cars is not the only thing the do with cash.
Perhaps not paying any tax?
Just like Facebook, Google and Amazon in that respect.
He sure could have, but the prominent placement of the car and the plates with the business name on them is making a tight association between the car wash and the fancy car.
He could have won the money, invested in the business and is proud of building it up to what it is now...
yes and he could have bought the cars for the workers and he could spend his days feeding the poor but its very very unlikely your generous guess is correct.
As no one can prove anything its also pointless
They could have been given it all bya Russian oligarch to launder money from children trafficked into sex slavery for all we know.
That is my entry for the pointless guessing game debate.
Both cars have vanity plates with the business name
Yup there are some hell-pit units on our [s]industrial estate[/s] business park with cars that have plates that only make sense when you see them outside the units
Saw one of them the other day Merc SLK with paddle shifters and auto-blip going to and from Greggs it must've been at least 400 m
All part of life's rich tapestry
Why on earth is it unlikely?
Really?
The owner of said cars might well be still living at his mum and dad's house - my brother did, with a series of high end cars and vanity plates, until his mid thirties.
NO offence but why are you asking this? 😯
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The owner of said cars might well be still living at his mum and dad's house - my brother did, with a series of high end cars and vanity plates, until his mid thirties.
There is that too - a senior art director at a place I used to work at bought a Ferrari - but he'd sold his house and moved back in with his parents.
But (and this is relevant to the OP) the big bosses told him not to park it in the office car park because it'd make clients think they were being overcharged.
Have you considered that they may have other more lucrative business interests other than the car wash....
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binnersHave you considered that they may have other more lucrative business interests other than the car wash....
Considering the part of town they're in it might be more along the lines of
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a carwash along with other cash based activities where services not products are sold is a handy business to own if you want to launder money.
MrSmithalong with other cash based activities where services not products are sold
There's a rumour going about that leaving a £20 note on the dashboard will get you a hand finish of another variety but I can't confirm this.
An anonymous tip to your local VAT man will sort this out one way or another. Keep an eye out for a Bentley and Audi going cheap shortly afterwards.
...and be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your days
Not so much the Audi, but whether you agree with it or not, a Bentley parked up wearing a dickhead plate connecting it to the business is going to make a statement.
There's a Vet near me that parks his DB9 outside the surgery, perhaps it's because I'm working class scum, I always assumed he'd be very expensive compared to the non-Aston owning Vet down the road, but when push came to shove and I had to use him, he wasn't - they were very good, well priced and the service was good. Seems he's build a business using that old fashioned approach of 'being good'.
As for the OPs Eastern European Carwash and it's Bentley driving owner - I think it's easy to look at these rough looking carwashes using on a disused Petrol Station forecourt and the like with the tired looking workers etc and assume there's something dodgy about it all, but there's no reason why it should be, they tend to use cheap materials, the use the cheapest land they can find and assume pay their staff minimum wage, the overheads are pretty small - punters pay them £10 for a few minutes work.
If the owner is fiddling the VAT, underpaying his staff or employing illegals he's going to be pretty stupid to paint a big target on his back and park a Bentley outside.
As for taste, I think most Bentley are in bad taste, big ugly vulgar things, but that's up to him - They say when the Americans see someone driving a big flash Car they think "Wowzers, I sure wish I could drive a swell Car like that - How can I make more money" whereas Brits think "Look at that flash prick, how can I get him out of that". No idea how former Eastern Block People feel about it, are they all in the gutter looking at the stars and dreaming about the day they own a string of car washes, or are they planning to eat him and drive his Bentley back home to escape British Drizzle.
As Toast would say-
"Dry your eyes Bono!"
In a similar vein - how much do you care about builder's vans? I used to do a bit of labouring for a guy who had a run of the mill couple of year old transit and then some gas fitters turned up in their brand new top of the line T5 with all the bells and whistles and a personalised plate. The guy I worked for was pretty condescending say that he wouldn't trust a builder who turned up in such a flash van.
I strangely quite often think about this whenever I see a really nice or really tatty work van. You can argue it both ways IMO, a really nice van could be someone who charges too much or someone that takes pride in his business (and by extension work) so invests heavily in it. Ergo someone in a tatty van could be someone just happy doing an honest days work for an honest days pay kind of thing or a cowboy that couldn't give a crap about his business/reputation or by extension the standard of work he does. So somewhere in the middle is probably the answer
The best van around our way is an old fella (a sparky in his 60s) who drives a retro (but beautifully maintained) van.
He's great and fortunately he's training up a pair of young lads so I am hoping his great quality of work is going to be passed into safe hands.
A garage I used to use back in Leeds had an old Sierra pickup that didn't seem to age outside it. They were very good with anything that didn't involve electronics, and were very reasonably priced.
In terms of the flash car, I don't really see it as a bad thing, the guy may well have bought it second hand and if not, so what, he's managed to make a load of money in one way or another and as long as he's not harming anyone it's up to him how he spends it. If it was an Overfinch modified Range Rover, I would however have to avoid all his car washes on the grounds of good taste.
If it was an Overfinch modified Range Rover, I would however have to avoid all his car washes on the grounds of good taste.
Oh please, that's positively restrained. Now an Onyx Porsche Cayenne.....
I thought their prices were extortionate and their fleet of luxury cars confirmed that they [s]were doing extremely well out of it[/s]had a lot of cars on finance.
You do know that approx 90% of cars on the road are financed?
whereas Brits think "Look at that flash prick, how can I get him out of that".
It is a shame Brits don't more often think "wow he must pay for a whole load of nurses and teachers each year".
sharkbaitYou do know that approx 90% of cars on the road are financed?
I didn't know it was exactly 90%, but I know it's a high number. Saying that, can you tell me how much a 911 Turbo S costs per month? I'm guessing it's considerable.
sharkbait - MemberI thought their prices were extortionate and their fleet of luxury cars confirmed that they were doing extremely well out of ithad a lot of cars on finance.
You do know that approx 90% of cars on the road are financed?
No they're not, not even close.
85% of new cars are bought with some sort of finance deal, by the time they're 3-4 years old and find their second owner this drops to about 60%, most finance companies don't want to fund car older than 6 years old at all - some will fall into the hands of the log book loans sharks, but it's a small %.
I would estimate that less than 30% of the cars on the road in the UK are financed.
FuzzyWuzzy - MemberI strangely quite often think about this whenever I see a really nice or really tatty work van. You can argue it both ways IMO, a really nice van could be someone who charges too much or someone that takes pride in his business (and by extension work) so invests heavily in it. Ergo someone in a tatty van could be someone just happy doing an honest days work for an honest days pay kind of thing or a cowboy that couldn't give a crap about his business/reputation or by extension the standard of work he does. So somewhere in the middle is probably the answer
I think that was the solution we came to - not a T5 (T6 now I suppose) with all the chrome trim and 22" alloys, but something that is rust and dent free, a couple of years old and still looks fairly smart is what's required.
The guy is an arse. Simple. Gloating, arrogant, tasteless.
You release how many money grabbing, flash, arsehole capitalists are on STW.
It's also a social and cultural thing.
To me flash cars (of the big Bentley or Rolls variety - I quite like sports cars which for some reason don't 'feel' the same to me) look tasteless. I associate them with the sort of folk that would want gold taps in the bathroom and that means I think (a lot) less of them. But in other cultures it's not the same - flashing the cash is culturally acceptable and actually makes you more trustworthy and capable looking.
It's not the same, but I go out to Swaziland every year and I've learnt that my typical British self deprecation just doesn't work there. They genuinely take it that you don't think much of yourself and therefore must be properly crap at what you do. A flash car there would make you trusted and capable looking and not a throbber as it does here.
Well, when I see twenty Romanians swarming round a car in the freezing cold, and the owners £250,000 Bentley parked out front it makes me think I'll get my car washed somewhere else as it seems like a pretty tasteless juxtaposition.
agreed
Its all about perception innit?
My cousin has been board level at a few of the biggest multinationals. He's absolutely minted. He's had a succession of very flash cars for as long as I can remember - brand spanking new Porches, Massarati's etc.
A while back he took the plunge and started his own business. The first thing he did was sell the 911 he had at the time, and bought a bog standard Beemer rep-mobile. His logic being that if you're a start-up trying to drum up business, then pulling into the car park in a really flash sports car creates the ultimate bad impression that you're unlikely to recover from.
His business is now doing really well so he recently took delivery of a lovely black F Type, which i personally think of as quite classy, rather than flash. He also wouldn't be seen dead with a ****y private plate
a handy business to own if you want to launder money
^ this
You do know that approx 90% of cars on the road are financed?
Don't you mean 90% of facts used in STW threads are picked from thin air?
Wow, some folk here really don't like people with money do they?! 😯 Personally I take the view that if i've never met the person i'll reserve judgement as I've no idea of the story that person and where they are in life. But i suppose for a lot of people its easier to allow an easy prejudice to take over. My builder changed vans part way through the build to a brand new liveried one, he gave the old one to a couple of his subcontractor brickies that were just starting out. He was a really good guy and very honest (and cheaper than the other quotes i had). Using the logic of some on here i should have told him to do one.... 😕
Wow, some folk here really don't like people with money do they?
Only those who spend it on tat showing off rather than doing something good with it.
Why?. If they earned it they can spend it on what they like. They could spend it on an over engineered shed to keep their toys in or donate the money to charity perhaps and do without? 😉
Just ask yourself what would Jeremy Corbin use to get to work? Bicycle, walk or public transport, surely anything else is just pure capitalist greed and oneupmanship!
Only those who spend it on tat showing off rather than doing something good with it.
What, like £6k mountain bikes that get used a couple of times a month if they're lucky?
Wow, some folk here really don't like people with money do they?!
I think they see the poor people whose labour makes the money and feel empathy with them rather than admire the owner. Some folk just dont care/have no empathy and like/admire greed.
Interesting reading..also works the other way,if someone is gonna judge me on what van I drive for my plumbing business I wouldn't even entertain doing work for them. Tend to let work quality do the talking.Personally could never afford a spanking new T5/6 and certainly wouldn't use it for work if I could.
I think they see the poor people whose labour makes the money and feel empathy with them rather than admire the owner. Some folk just dont care/have no empathy and like/admire greed.
But as has already been said on this thread - do these people have the same dislike of the bosses of big companies such as Tesco and Sports Direct etc etc that pay derisory wages are very wealthy (and I expect much more wealthy than the OP's Bently-driving car wash operator)? And on top will probably have a much better set of perks such as pensions, health care, golden handcuffs etc etc etc
One of the reasons I left my old employer of 6 years was that after year 5 of all of the staff being told that yet again no pay rise was due, despite maintaining a steady increase in business and profits, the boss and directors had new cars and private MAV****** number plates... It stunk so I fired my boss and left to start my own business. Before anyone says anything my company motor is 18 years old, German and doesn't have a private plate.
Do they ? I dont know ask them
TBH I cannot be arsed as folk try to see hypocrisy/attack others views rather than defend their own view
so much angst about other peoples wealth.
nothing better to worry about?
85% of new cars are bought with some sort of finance deal
Sorry should have said 'new' cars and when I last looked 85% is close to 90%. You can almost guarantee that a 90% of 'flash' new cars are on finance as they can be put through the company.
Anyway, what I'm saying is that just because someone has an expensive car doesn't mean they actually own it or have loads of money.
sharkbaitAnyway, what I'm saying is that just because someone has an expensive car doesn't mean they actually own it or have loads of money.
Yes I get that Sharkbait but again, what does a 911 Turbo S cost monthly on finance? I have no idea. At a guess I'd say £1000 per month at least. Am I in the ball park? If you can afford those kinds of monthly repayments on a toy then you're doing very well. And for five or six members of staff to be able to afford the same, then the business must be quite lucrative.
marcus7Wow, some folk here really don't like people with money do they?! Personally I take the view that if i've never met the person i'll reserve judgement as I've no idea of the story that person and where they are in life. But i suppose for a lot of people its easier to allow an easy prejudice to take over.
I actually like money marcus. It might be prejudicial of me to jump to conclusions about the owner of this car wash but if I ask myself if I owned the car wash would I do the same and and I absolutely would not as I think it would be pretty cruel to the staff and in my mind at least, might drive away customers.
My original post wasn't about wealth, so much as whether flaunting it outside of a business is a good idea, and I had a personal experience of feeling ripped off/over charged by people who were being less than subtle about their money.
Seems about right. But who says it's a toy? Some people love cars and for them it's their aim in life so they get 'the' car and don't spend the money on something else such as house, holidays, track days, etc.
We are straying OT though - in business there's def a fine line between having a nice car and taking the pish.
