Wheeler Dealers

[Bazile]

Is it correct that when they show Mike Brewer going to look at a car and test driving it and then negotiating a price with the seller - it's all acting ?

Because the car has been inspected and bought already 

[barry1010]

Yes.

[Bazile]

That changes the way I feel when I watch it from now on - knowing that he's not as 'clever'/ knowlegible as it appears 

 

[barry1010]

He has been a successful car dealer away from the show for decades, don't let it spoil the programme for you.

 

[Hopkirk]

It doesn't surprise me in the least. 

[Bazile]

I know he has been a car dealer .

I just think it would sit better if viewers knew that he was really negotiating and buying the car for the first time as shown , with the associated risks involved 

[Hopkirk]

I think the sellers might be more than a bit intimidated by a film crew recording everything when selling a car to a stranger.

The fact they seem so relaxed and friendly makes it pretty obvious it's set up.

[douglas9401]

" 'old aht yer 'and" is about as much work as he does.

Don't be fooled by A Place In The Sun taking folk to five random houses in a day on the off chance either. 🙄

 A format is produced then beaten to death over time.

[piggynose]

Isn't he a geezer?

[barry1010]

Place in a Sun - they have to wear the same clothes for four days, often in very hot weather.

The presenters don't find the properties.

Car SOS - Tim's antics are all agreed and set up, but that is very obviously fake.

TV is primarily entertainment so the format tries to make the programme entertaining and that involves a lot of fakery

[gingejbee]

Yes, all these types of programmes have teams of reseachers working for weeks/months to get 30 mins/1 hour of telly...and the over-paid presenters get all the kudos.

[barry1010]

One of my relatives is a researcher, I find the whole thing fascinating.  If I had a second life maybe I'd go in to tv production - I didn't know I had any interest until she got that job.

[piggynose]

Isn't 'Place in the sun' a load of bolucs!!

It's quite obvious that most of the couples want something for ef-all, having failed  at finding a place themselves!

[barry1010]

Sometimes they have a decent budget, I think £500k is the biggest I've seen.

Yesterday I watched one in France and the budget was £60k. I was surprised what was available at that price point two years ago.

When they apply they have to state their budget and requirements so they get weeded out if it's unrealistic.

It's obvious some have no intention of buying and I can't understand those that want to buy in a country they've never been to.

I do feel uncomfortable when the presenter seems to pressure the applicants in to making a decision, which does happen occasionally.  Danni is the worst for that.  I need more than a week to decide to buy a property 

[davebro3]

You rarely get on "Escape to the Country" with a budget under £500k .

[davebro3]

//I do feel uncomfortable when the presenter seems to pressure the applicants in to making a decision, which does happen occasionally.  Danni is the worst for that.  I need more than a week to decide to buy a property //

It's just a phone call Barry - I doubt that many of them are finalised.

[barry1010]

I've never seen that but property in the UK is generally more expensive than many parts of Europe.

I've just remembered someone had a very large budget in one episode in Barbados.

[maggiebee]

Don't watch Wheeler Dealers, but love Bangers and Cash which I believe is a similar show.

[barry1010]

The presenter made it clear to a buyer in France that if an offer is accepted in France it is legally binding on both parties.

A fair few do pull out, sometimes the presenter gives updates at the end.

[barry1010]

We watch B&C too but it is very different from WD. The B&C spin off renovation series is more similar to WD except they buy and sell at auction and pay other people to do the work

[davebro3]

I think Bangers  & Cash is much more realistic.

B&C - The Restorers demonstrates very well how difficult it is to make money restoring cars & easy to lose large sums.

(A friend bought a Golf Mk1 to restore for £500, once he got it stripped down & shot blasted there wasn't enough metal left to repair. The body was scrapped & he managed to sell off some of the bits for a couple of hundred quid.)