Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has a unique new online ordering system that is making the whole process of comparing vehicles and placing an order immensely simple and user-friendly.
Online ordering is nothing new. However there are many online vendors who still rely upon human interaction to complete a transaction. This can mean that prospective customers are often left on hold until an operator becomes available. This experience can be enough to dampen the interest of even the keenest prospect who may then choose to take their custom elsewhere.
Nationwide Vehicle Contracts have acknowledged that their valued clients really want to be provided with accurate vehicle leasing and contract hire quotations immediately, online, with no fuss and no waiting. And if they like the quotation they want to go right ahead and place their order without necessarily speaking to an agent on the telephone. Nationwide still provide the option to speak with an agent, but their new online ordering system makes the whole process of selecting and ordering a new vehicle an absolute breeze.
If you pay a visit to the main Nationwide Vehicle Contracts website you will see how easy it really is to obtain a side by side comparison of vehicles, their rental prices, options and technical specifications. Then, obtain an accurate quotation for your selected vehicle, including your chosen options, and follow this by placing your order with minimal form-filling.
Generally, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts will then call back to confirm the availability of your car or van and arrange delivery to your specified address anywhere in the United Kingdom. Nothing could be simpler.
Nationwide Vehicle Contracts are already receiving some extremely positive feedback from users of their system, which is one of the first online ordering systems to be implemented by a vehicle leasing and contract hire firm. Mr Naylor, a business customer from Yorkshire, has said:
“I’ve used the Nationwide online comparison tool before, just to compare prices and specifications of vans for my business. The new online ordering thing is so incredibly easy to use. Even an old technophobe like me can use it. Their system enhances their already outstanding customer service.”
And the following was received from a Mrs Cocking, a personal car leasing customer in Dorset:
“I’ve just used their system to order one of the new Fiat 500’s. The online procedure was so simple. It first provided a quote for my car, then my order details were confirmed, I was then given the option of applying for finance and finally it all concluded with a simple confirmation. I received an e-mail immediately with the full details of the car I’d selected and I received a call from a nice helpful person within a couple of hours. I’m now waiting for delivery and I can’t wait.”
This simple online system is set to be immensely popular and likely to be copied by other car leasing and contract hire websites. Nationwide can be justifiably proud of this excellent and unique system that takes their website to a new level of user-friendliness.
Posted on May 1st, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
The British built Astravan has been named best car-derived van at the prestigious Professional Van and Light Truck Awards.
The Astravan has already come in for commendation in the Commercial Motor Tester’s Choice awards of 2007 and in 2006 was awarded the What Van? Editors Choice.
The Professional Van and Light Truck Awards are presented by the magazine of the same name during April, coinciding with the Commercial Vehicle Show, where Vauxhall have one of the largest stands this year.
The award winning Vauxhall Astravan is available now at incredible contract hire rates starting at only £189.95 for the
Vauxhall Astravan 1.3 Cdti Club. We always have outstanding
van leasing deals on all of the top, award winning models of commercial vehicles and light vans.
Posted on April 17th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
Nine people a day die on UK roads and around ninety sustain serious injury. The sad fact is that most of these deaths and injuries could be prevented.
Speeding is recognised as one of the main contributory factors in around 27% of UK road deaths. Driving faster means there is less time to react and impacts are much harder, and therefore more damaging. About 75% of people who drive as part of their job, admit to speeding at more than 80mph on motorways and 77% admit to driving at 35mph in 30mph zones. Whereas about 49% of other drivers say that they exceed the motorway speed limit and 62% say that they exceed the 30mph speed limit.
Tailgatng has been cited as another significant contributory factor in at least 54 deaths in 2006. Around 60% of people who drive for a living admit that they do not leave the recommended 2 second gap between them and the vehicle in front. Around 40% of drivers who are not at work say they do not leave the required gap between them and the vehicle in front.
Research conducted by Brake, the road safety charity, indicates that the majority of drivers who are at work feel pressurised to complete their journeys quickly, resulting in their excess speeds and tailgating. Excess speed combined with tailgating is a recipe for disaster that has led to far too many deaths and injuries on British roads.
There is some excellent, sensible advice on the Brake website. Remember, kill your speed and keep your distance. It’s always better to be late than dead!
Posted on April 8th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
If you run a small business that requires the use of a commercial vehicle or van there are numerous advantages in leasing over outright purchase. I’ll just summarise some of these for the benefit of any business person currently considering whether to lease or buy.
No huge down payment: One of the biggest advantages is that, whilst there is usually a deposit due at the beginning of van lease period, this is not a huge amount as it can be when you buy.
Fixed, known monthly payments: A big advantage for any small business is knowing your monthly business motoring costs. This enables you to produce accurate financial forecasts which your bank manager will love. You will also be pleased to find that the monthly van lease costs are often lower than the repayments on a loan to purchase the same vehicle would have been.
Get the vehicle you want: Rather than be forced to compromise and maybe settle for a second hand van you can choose exactly the model that you and your business needs. Create the right impression with your clients with an up-to-date modern van.
Easy disposal of used vans: Anyone who runs a business that uses and abuses commercial vehicles and vans will know that it can sometimes be difficult to dispose of high-mileage used vehicles. Leasing your van alleviates these problems as all you need to do is return it to the leasing company and pick up a new one.
VAT is recoverable: If your business is registered for VAT then you will be able to recoup some (possibly all) of the VAT paid on your monthly van lease payments. This is clearly a significant advantage for anyone running a business.
Maintenance and servicing costs reduced: By making the leasing company responsible for some of the servicing and maintenance of the vehicle you can lessen the costs and headaches that you may otherwise have had to bear.
With all of these advantages it’s amazing that anybody running a small business that needs a van or commercial vehicle would even consider outright purchase There are, however, some potential disadvantages to van leasing over purchase.
One clear disadvantage is that the vehicle is never owned by you, the business person. The van remains the property of the leasing company. It is often possible to negotiate ownership at the end of the lease period, but this may not be overly beneficial for your business.
Another potential disadvantage relates to the maintenance agreement. Many van lease contracts will make the leaseholder liable for any damage or repairs to the vehicle. It is therefore enormously important to ensure that these aspects of your van lease contract are agreeable before you sign.
One of the most significant disadvantages of van leasing over outright purchase relates to mileage. Leasing a van generally involves agreeing a maximum mileage that will be accumulated in a year. If this mileage is exceeded then additional, sometimes significant costs will be incurred. To avoid this possibility it is vitally important that you accurately calculate how many miles your newly leased van will be required to travel in a year and then add a few more on for good measure.
It is clear that van leasing provides the small business person with a number of significant advantages. When comparing quotes from various van leasing firms do be certain that you are comparing like with like. There are so many vehicle model variants and differences in van leasing contracts that it is often quite difficult to be certain that you are comparing two identical vehicles available on identical contracts.
Posted on March 18th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
After receiving only one star for occupant protection in a crash test Britains biggest selling 4×4 pick-up truck, the Nissan Navara, is being recalled to enable an airbag problem to be corrected.
The problem is that the airbag deployment is too slow. This has prompted Nissan to contact 6,700 buyers of the 2008 model asking them to take their trucks to back to their local dealers.
For some outstanding
commercial vehicle and van leasing deals take a look at our
van leasing and van contract hire offers.
Posted on March 14th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
Ken Livingstone’s proposed congestion charge of £25, to be applied to 4×4s and high emission vehicles, has been challenged by Porsche. They have said that the £25 daily charge is unfair and would not lead to a cut in carbon dioxide emissions.
Earlier this month the Mayor of London confirmed that his new congestion charges would be introduced in October of this year (if he is re-elected in May). All vehicles emitting more than 225 grams of CO2 per kilometre and all vehicles registered before March 2001 with engines that are larger than 3000cc would be required to pay £25 to enter central london during peak hours between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. These rules mean that many high powered sports cars and some saloons join the 4×4 Chelsea tractors in the top congestion charge bracket.
Most cars will still fall into the £8 congestion charge band and Ken Livingstone has stated that ‘Nobody needs to damage the environment by driving a gas-guzzling Chelsea tractor in London’. He says that the CO2 charges will encourage drivers to switch to cleaner vehicles or public transport and serve to encourage manufacturers to make cleaner engines.
Porsche have claimed that it is illegal for Ken Livingstone to introduce this policy, although the 1999 Greater London Authority Act gives the Mayor the power to do so. They intend to make a submission to the courts if Mr Livingstone refuses to reconsider his plans.
Posted on February 27th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
Sweden recently (end of 2007) introduced ecodriving skills testing for those applying for car licences. This testing is to be extended to truck and motorcycle licences and could be a taste of what is in store for new driver testing here in the UK.
Swedish drivers are the first in the world to undergo an examination of their eco-awareness and knowledge of environmental factors relating to driving. For example, drivers are taught that thinking ahead starts before the engine does. All cockpit checks are carried out first and the car is even put in gear and the handbrake is released before the engine is started. They are instructed in using the car engine to slow the vehicle before hitting the brakes, to drive in as high a gear as possible and to avoid aggressive acceleration.
Ecodriving instruction is not new having been used in the Netherlands and Finland for over 10 years but including ecodriving skills as part of the driving test is something in which many European countries, including the UK, are showing an interest.
Ecodriving skills are not only good for the environment but they can also bring financial benefits as they reduce fuel consumption. These driving skills can bring significant financial savings on fuel expenditure to businesses which, at a time when the cost of motoring is on the increase, can only be a good thing.
Posted on February 26th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
This award winning road safety video has been watched by millions of viewers on youtube.
The viral video, entitled ‘Steamy Windows’, was sponsored by Lancashire healthcare trust and designed to appeal to young men. It has been enormously successful having been viewed by over 2.4 million Youtube users. Its success is partly attributable to the fact that it was tagged on youtube with the words ‘Hot Girl Sex in Car’.
The video has won an award at the New York film festival and will be shown in Lancashire cinemas from May 2008. Lets hope that it has the desired effect.
Posted on February 26th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
An auction to be held this coming Saturday will see what is probably the worlds most expensive number plate going under the hammer.
The auction, to be held by Emirates Auctions in Abu Dhabi, is for a plate that has the single digit ‘1′. Two other single figure plates were sold last year by the auctioneers. A plate with the number ‘5′ was sold for £3.5 million and one with the number ‘7′ was sold for £1.5 million. Both bought by businessman Talal Ali Mohammad Khouri.
Bids for the numero uno plate are expected to go sky high!
For more affordable number plates take a look at our extensive selection of vehicles all available at extremely competitive contract hire and leasing rates.
Posted on February 11th, 2008 under Car and Van Info.
Diesel prices of more than £1 per litre are prompting many people to look at alternative sources of fuel for their transport. Viewers of Fifth Gear on Channel 5 may recall that they successfully drove the width of the UK in a diesel car fuelled by chip fat. (See the attached youtube video).
Since the UK law changed in July 2007 it is now legal for anyone to make up to 2,500 litres of biodiesel without paying any tax. This would be enough fuel to run an average family car for a year.
It is possible for the average DIY enthusiast to setup a system at home to process used cooking oil into usable fuel that will not clog the fuel filter with food waste. Refining used cooking oil requires settling and filtering before it can be used by a diesel engine. There are now home biofuel processing units, such as the FuelPod2, which will produce biofuel from home waste cooking oil.
The makers of the FuelPod2 say that the fuel produced is good enough to run any standard diesel engined vehicle without requiring any modifications. The only challenge, they say, is to find enough waste cooking oil to process into diesel. But if you run a fast food restaurant or take away then investing in one of these units could be a way to save money and a lot of waste cooking oil from going to landfill. If you don’t run a fish and chip shop or use quantities of cooking oil it may be worth making friends with someone who does.
If you missed it, here is Fifth Gear driving an old Mercedes across the UK fuelled with chip fat.
Posted on February 8th, 2008 under Car and Van Info, TV Excerpts.