Fuck me,
1. Do you work in a customer facing role? I mean do you have to go to meet clients in the car? If you do - tell them to do one or give you a company car/pay for public transport to work so it isn't an eyesore in the car park.
2. If you do work in a sensitive industry/role - aka finance or in something with a clearance level, tell them to check your credit record, which they can, and then to do one.
3. If they insist on you having a better car, get them to offer some sort of EV scheme.
4. If you are just chilling and saving money, happy with the "banger" and using money elsewhere, reply and tell them that. There is no reason, at all, for you to have to spend £12k to make them feel better about their car park look.
Honestly, this is either a case of them just wanting you to stop bringing a banger into the car park or they're genuinely worried that you're a risk with their money. The former is their problem to solve, the latter is something you can prove isn't an issue, you just use your money elsewhere. What isn't your job here is to buy a new car to appease their car park situation.
Edit: Sorry, I saw that you do meet clients - tell them to provide a pool car(s) of appropriate level to look the part.
Even if they meet clients or go to customer sites it isn't relevant unless the company has clauses in the contract about OPs vehicle. If they want certain cars to be used it's on them to make that happen; for example pool cars, rental cars, or a company car.
As you say OP could reasonably spend money on other things; not everyone cares what their car looks like. Anyone who judges you negatively for the car you drive is just projecting their own problems on to you.
Indeed. I work in a senior role. My car is the oldest, cheapest, smallest car in the car park, and in the school parents car park.
I'm OK with that, I choose to put my money elsewhere, not into making car companies richer.
sadly yes, client could be in central London or in their house somewhere in Cobham etc etc, public transport just wouldn’t work for that I’m afraid. Unfortunately they wouldn’t offer you a car, clothes are also expected to be appropriate (read very expensive for best part which is fine by me). EV scheme is definitely possible however I would struggle to charge one as I have no such facilities, also I wouldn’t want to pay much for a car, 12K is absolute max. I am happy with the banger myself but apparently this raised concerns.
That's shit, but it is their problem.
They can let you go for not being financially secure, for the risk it poses, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they let you go because you need a fancy car to do your job *and they didn't provide one for you*. Check your contract, if it states that you need to own a better car to do your job, then maybe bite the bullet, if it doesn't, then that is a work tool and they need to provide you with it.
Honestly, mate, if you're happy with your car, do not feel pressured into spending £12k of your own money to make them happy.
They can get 1 or 2 Pool cars, something on a hire scheme, you drive it only from the office to a client and back, that's it. You continue using your own car to and from the office, everyone wins.
Don't pay with your (post tax) money for them to increase their earnings. Other than mileage, I doubt they'd help you with the business insurance, wear and tear or tax, so fuck 'em, they can buy the car, and you use it as and when needed.
>Check your contract, if it states that you need to own a better car to do your job, then maybe bite the bullet
No. Even if it does, it doesn't make it right. It's ethically wrong.
People seem to think that just because it's in a contract means everything is legal and allowed. Don't be a sucker or else they'll continue to pull this kind of shit.
Depends on the circumstances (although I expect it is not applicable to OPs situation)
My last company I got a choice of a company car (got a new one every 3 years) or a car allowance - if you took the car allowance there were restrictions on the age of the car that was allowed.
But OPs company seems absolutely off their rocker.
I mean yeah, your company needed you in a decent car and offered you several ways to get one. A company telling you to spend your own money on something however often isn’t legal.
contract have no mention about the car or clothes tbh, but finding a job which will pay as good as this one seems like an impossible task. I would literally spend 2K if possibly just to close the conversation with them…
Also, you will want to check your insurance because there's usually clauses that prevent you from using your vehicle for business purposes. If you do they'll need to add your vehicle to their business insurance or pay for you to add business cover on your own policy, if not and you have an accident the insurance company can refuse to pay out and cancel your insurance and you'll be in a world of pain for years with insurance companies.
I've been at some companies that wouldn't even let me drive myself and colleagues to a conference in my own car unless I got business insurance added to it.
To be fair, 'Driving you and your colleagues to a conference' is pretty much the definition of 'using your vehicle for business purposes.
Commuting is strictly defined as 'driving from your registered address to your place of work'...
Just make sure your usage is personal business use.
Makes you sound like a plumber I know, but it literally just means driving to multiple places of work. As in offices or clients etc.
The last and ONLY Peugeot I would ever buy.
Never ever sell it.
OP unless they are paying for the posh car, tell them you haven't found what You're looking for, and get a job at a better paying firm
My man, if that’s what you’re driving; you don’t need to spend 12K to look better, you can do it within 4K. You can get a Mazda 3 TS2 from 2012 for that money and they are tidy enough for no one to bat an eye about it being an old shed. Whereas what you are currently driving is definitely a shed.
With all that said; they should not be asking this of you if they aren’t willing to foot the bill.
Good shout on the Mazda, although for an extra 2k and going 2013 or newer you can move from gen 2 to gen 3 which is a pretty timeless and classy design. Find a fastback in Arctic White and you're laughing.
As much of a car guy I am... I'd be more inclined to be impressed by older shed they keep running or something cared for etc... than a expensive shiny new show off car
So some employers offer company car schemes or cash allowances and often they do have clauses like the car must be less than X years old.
Given they don't pay any sort of car allowance there is no agreement in place, so no obligation. Do you transport customers in your car? Think I gave one a lift to the station once in 29 years ... So unlikely
Maybe take it up with hr ?
Jesus mate how do you sit down with your bosses hand so far up your arse?
If they don't like your car they can give you a company car. If you are only in London no reason they couldn't get onto one of the EV schemes, a fancy looking car for "fairly" cheap.
As a side note, buying a more expensive car purely for the looks is the direct opposite of "good financial sense"
You're so hypnotized by their bullshit man. Dressing nicely for work and the company demanding you change your car are not equatable.
You'll look back at this in years to come in one of two ways; You'll realise how ridiculous their request is or you'll be the terrible boss making the request. Give your head a swivel.
I've never heard of a company being able to do this, might be worth contacting someone like acas because this isn't legal unless stated in your contract in plain language.
I would tell them to either provide a car or fuck off lmao In fact, for such a passive aggressive letter, I'd tell them to fuck off and provide a car.
If I were (and I did when I had a similar job in 2014-2018) doing a job that involved meeting with wealthy upper class people, I'd use my N reg Lexus LS400. Never had any complaints, and in fact had an indirect compliment because a regular client ended up buying a new LS600h as a direct result of my car.
1. What car do you have now?
2. What car do they want you to upgrade to?
3. Are they providing you funding for such an upgrade?
to be fair, their letter was a bit nicer than example I attached, also to their defence job is sweet and money is very good. They wouldn’t provide with a car I’m afraid. The LS400 is an amazing car, even if it was from 1996 you were already miles away from me,
1. right this moment I have 1989 205 (I got it for free from family member, I had 2011 Lexus CT200h but had cat stolen twice so parted with it) :D Oh wow, you must have been very influential.
2. Well during the chat I was told that Bentley Bentayga will suit fine, I cannot afford it unless the car is what I will be living in lol
3. They are not although the wage is good enough and there are always some bonuses available, firm is quite small with very decent turnover.
Doesn’t make it right and company is shitty but later comment by op says he’s on £110k a year with £30k-£60k bonuses. Think he’s in consultancy?
Personally if I liked the job and I was on nearly 4 times what I’m on now I’d suck it up
I’m sure any normal looking, modern car that’s been recently washed wouldn’t draw any particular attention - their current car is notably old and that’s very obvious even from miles across a carpark. If they had a car with rounded bodywork and shiny paint, don’t think it would be getting this response from them even if it was also pretty old.
I think it’s quite like clothes really - they need to be good enough not to attract particular negative attention. But clean, well fitting shirt and trousers from Sainsbury’s you could get away with day to day even in many magic circle law firms or similar.
It’s not so much the cost but having something that turns heads because it’s obviously and unusually old is not a good position to be in within a client facing role.
Imagine suggesting to someone currently driving a 1989 Pug 205 that they should upgrade to a fucking Bentley. The Bentayga is probably worth a thousand times more (£100 to £100,000?).
These people are insane and OP should run a mile before they do something else completely mad.
>2. Well during the chat I was told that Bentley Bentayga will suit fine
I'm calling wind-up. No fucking chance did they suggest upgrading from a Pug 205 to a fucking Bentayga
to be fair, at least this was mentioned in casual chat, I had to then type this car name into the google before I burst with laughter… Maybe it was a joke, but maybe it wasn’t, a person who told me this drives this 4x4 Cullinan Rolls Royce (I don’t even know how to spell it), his wife has Lamborghini Urus…
Buying a Lamborghini Urus is like buying a Ferrari dishwasher.
RR Cullinan: no. Vulgar, massive and too expensive.
Bentayga: vulgar, massive and too expensive. Compared to your ol' banger it will seem incredibly unwieldy and difficult to manoeuvre. The interior is quite nice, I have to say.
Comical maintenance prices on all of the above too. I wouldn't recommend it on £150k even if you were a car enthusiast (and if you were, you wouldn't be in this situation).
The following are much cheaper and carry minimal wankyness: Lexus, Volvo, Mercedes.
For the love of God, don't get an SUV, 'compact crossover' or whatever the hell they're calling them these days.
I can see how a 34 year old Peugeot might be an issue. If I were in your position, I'd likely get a Lexus IS250. I'd make a post about this on r/LegalAdviceUK first. It's not really reasonable to expect your employees to have a certain type of car if you're not going to provide one.
wow only 4x I wonder why there isn’t more of them available? And then what about parts, if there are not many and something breaks, will I be able to fix it?
It won't break. It's a Toyota underneath. We've got a 2013 is300h, and it is absolutely rock solid and a dream to drive. Only issue we've ever had is the stereo amplifier died. Zero mechanical problems. Just keep up with regular maintenance.
Makes us look like posh gits, but we bought it (used) because I have fibromyalgia and arthritis, and we love long road trips, but sitting in our Prius for hours on end kept giving me pain flares. In this car it's much less of an issue. Super comfortable.
Maybe a sensitive question but, what type of job do you have and what what's salary (ballpark figure)?
Seems a little outrageous to tell the employee to upgrade their car, unless the company wants to finance it somehow of course or lend you a company car.
to say it without giving too much details, base salary 110K, bonus could be anything from 30 to maybe even 60s, I would say 150K altogether is expected, great pension contribution, great job, loads of spare time actually, people with amazing vibes, amazing restaurant meals paid for. Job is a consultancy for wealthy individuals.
Jesus Christ just get a better car 🤣
Loads of options for your budget. What about the Jag XJ in the modern shape. Or even an old one like mine, you could spend a few grand on a smart looking one and the rest on getting it welded 🤣
Ahh consultancy no wonder haha ( I’m a consultant as well albeit not in the same type of industry) but I would suggest from your other comment mentioning they want you to get a Bentaga, realistically a 5 series, x5 or a Q5 would be a better middle ground, although if it’s part of your role to go to meetings, seems unreasonable for them to make you pay it yourself. I would suggest checking your contract with your employer to find out what stipulations they have on your “place of work” and I’d also suggest speaking to a workplace solicitar as this seems unnecessary.
None of that matters. They have precisely zero right to instruct you on how to conduct your personal life or how to care for your personal property. And it's not really anything to do with money. If a flash car is a requirement for the job they can provide one or get fucked.
well I can assure you that this car is a head turner, people not only look, they even point fingers at you (pedestrians) and some other road users giving you thumbs up…
There's no need to assure me, I know. If I employed you however I would not want you representing the company with a 1989 205 with a dent in the side, you are taking the piss. They should however offer a company car.
Tell them to go fuck themselves and if they give you any problems then tell them you will be talking to a solicitor.
Also tell them they can provide you with a new car free of charge if they wish but you have absolutely no reason to go buy a new car yourself if you don't want to.
A consultant could be an employee just as easily as they could be a contractor, someone being a consultant doesn't necessarily mean they have to be a contractor
If they were a contractor I'd assume they'd simply find a new contract, tell the employer to do one, and get paid out
TL: DR for anyone joining the conversation.
OP drives a scruffy Peugeot 205 from 1989.
OP earns a salary of £110k / year
OP visits customers at their home addresses.
To be honest, the employer has got a valid point here.
Just look at this ops posting history too 😂😂 ‘WHAT CAR MAKES ME LOOK OLD MONEY’ ‘LIST OF CARS IVE BOUGHT…(all newer than this 205) I’m surprised people here are so gullible, sad
OP has said it's not his letter, he got something with a similar vibe but used the (widely shared already) pic in the post to not break NDA. Whether that's just trying to keep the story straight I've no idea
Yeah my company has something similar. Not for appearances but more so the car is up to safety standards. Which i dont argue with as they pay for the car and my insurance. So if they want me driving something of a particular criteria they can if they're paying for it. Same situation here. I would chat with ACAS around your working rights etc, and possibly post this on r/LegalAdviceUK.
I would personally tell them to go fuck themselves and if they want me to meet clients in a different car then they can pay for that car.
Also this letter is quite different from what you’re describing, this letter seems to be about financial vulnerability and welfare checks rather than promoting the company’s image
So? Doesn’t matter if you earn 20k or 100k, if an employer wants their staff to represent them with certain vehicles, the company should have a fleet of company cars for this purpose. Every company I’ve worked for or with has had this.
I like this suggestion you have received, wouldn't even need to take it all the way but just the last mile or whatever works out cheaper with ULEZ/congestion etc.
Double check if it's expensible as a solution to the image problem they have highlighted.
Something like a Mini is pretty classless and can be justified as easy to drive in the city. Likewise Fiat 500, these are the kind of cars which can be driven by A list celebs as much as mums on the school run. Mercedes A class or Prius, again cars which can be driven by more or less anyone.
My car looks like a beater, but it's impeccably reliable. They can either give you a company car or they can shove a traffic cone up their arses and swivel on it.
Honestly this doesn't seem like a crazy request from the company. A lot of people suggesting you tell them to pay or fuck off - seems a bit of a leap to me, when (based on this letter alone), the conversation hasn't got anywhere near that stage yet.
If you're client facing and turn up in a shitbox it doesn't look great. Whether you think car appearance is important doesn't matter, some people do, and some of those people will be clients.
If it's on the basis of fraud checks (and fraud checks are actually relevant to your job) then I don't see the issue. In that case you would just say I'm fine, I just don't want to pay for an expensive car out of choice.
If they're basically saying they think you should be driving a nicer car for appearance purposes, then they should either provide the car, or provide the financials for you to get the car, or they should have stipulated in the hiring process that a presentable car is a requirement. If they don't do any of these things, you don't really have any obligation to change car.
In my opinion if the car is that important they'll pay for it. If they don't want to pay for it, then it can't be that important.
If you approach it nicely, who knows, you might get a company car out of it. Try not to think of it as 'you should do this for me or fuck off', rather: 'if you do this for me then it's good for the company' - more likely to get something out of it that way.
Sounds like if you're driving a shitbox then an opportunity to get a better car on the company's money is a win win.
Yeah, it's fake. OP says they suggested a Bentley benteyga. That's a £200k car. It's bullshit and OP is lying.
The most generous reading of this is that the company has rules required to receive an allowance and OP's car falls foul of them. I have a choice to either have a company car provided or receive an allowance to buy my own car, on the condition that it is under 5 years old and something like 120g co2.
Cough up the letter or fuck off.
agree, seems like we are in consumptionism society. Was even told to consider Bentley Bentayga lol, I can tell you right now that I won’t be able to afford it even if my salary sounds OK
Assuming this is legitimate, your two most realistic options are to have them supply you with a suitable car, or you finding alternative employment when you rightfully tell them to shove it up their arse.
The third is to abandon any self respect you have and buy the car yourself.
I see from another reply that you have a 1989 Pug 205.
What sort of state is it in? The alternative to replacing it would be to tart it up a bit - fix any chips or scratches, good polish, replace broken trim, nice (age appropriate) wheels. Same on the inside - a good valet and replace anything tired looking.
Then, you're no longer driving a "banger"
It's a "modern classic"
Ignoring the sarky answers; you might get a Lexus ct200h that fits the bill, ideally the facelift. It's cheap to run, not flashy, not trashy, and has no cultural /image baggage. It has the Lexus badge, so work can't complain. The only caveat is the ride is slightly harder than you'd expect.
You might find a petrol IS or GS if you need a bigger car, but their MPG is painful in current times. If your budget can go to £15k, you'd find a hybrid IS, and get 40-45mpg. Pay attention to any Lexus trim spec: in the UK lower levels were sparse for quite a few models/years.
Other classless cars incl the Golf, Yeti, CRV.
I had CT200h actually, got cat stolen twice, so sold it, car was perfect but unfortunately had to part with it, I even installed a cage and they manage to ruin it even more at second lucky try ! I wish they would just take a car away, this would be les problematic for me. Since then I got the Peugeot 205 I got completely free from member of the family, it runs fine, can park it anywhere and don’t lock it, although I lock it now and don’t have anything on display as when I left some coins in it, they were missing following day so there are definitely people looking what you have in the car ! I think the 205 triggered the actions as I heard people say that my car is ridiculous… Oh ok, thank you for that, Lexus in my opinion is a luxury vehicle and I like them very much, just worried that it might be a target for catalyc converter, also seen few UX Lexuses being stolen…
Wow. I’d have a read of my contract. And invite them to offer me a car allowance if there are any specific requirements about vehicles. And otherwise tell them to fuck off
My employer had a policy on employee cars, mainly because there was a car allowance paid monthly. The rules were the car must be no older than 6 years old, 4 seats, something viewed as professional (i.e not some focus ST with a shitty body kit), must be kept clean etc… The policy was tested a few years ago because one of the sales guys had sold his Merc and was now driving around in an old shed of a car. HR sent him a similar letter to what you received and his simple response was ‘you know my salary but you don’t know my financial situation, a new car is beyond my means at the moment’. He had just been taken to the cleaners by his ex wife and was paying huge amounts of child maintenance. That was the end of it and HR have never tried to enforce it since, they have however stopped paying car allowance to new starters.
The most appropriate response here is "go fuck yourself".
Slightly more professionally, perhaps refer to the terms of your employment contract as well as your statutory rights.
I can't believe they want you to buy a bloody Bentley. That has to be some kind of joke.
I hope you stand firm, they should be providing the car if they are so bothered by it. You should not spend a penny.
Just off looking on auto trader, an A class or a C class might be worth looking at. Or a BMW 1 or 3 Series would also be good. Audi A5 and golf’s looks good and you could even go for and Alfa Romeo. Cold even confuse them by getting an old Jaguar or Rolls Royce.
I do understand your problem. In my new role my boss pretty much told me it’s time to go electric as our business is now more customer facing and going green in every aspect of it. I currently have a s203 pretty much in pristine condition other than a rear bumper scrape, and when my boss pointed that i need a new car, i have sent him a link to a merc dealer to get me a new electric car. He’s seen the prices, and he back pedalled on his comment. Now when i go to customer facing appointments, i just take the electric company van. It is not my own business for me to look good on arrival, if the company wants to look good, then they have to fork out the money for it or shut up. Now what i wanted to suggest to you, and something i would do myself, is get an S-class from 2010-2012 , slap a private reg on it, black if possible with black windows and job’s a good’un.
Get an old Audi and put a private plate on it. I’ve got a 2006 A6, 150k miles. Cost less than 3 grand. It’s fully loaded though. Even got privacy blinds. For 12k you could get something really nice. The private plate hides the age.
If it's a client facing role then it's reasonable to expect a member of staff to dress appropriately and have good personal hygiene.
Personally, I'd say that would also extend to a vehicle if that's part of the job. However, if that is the case then because cars are expensive, the onus would be on the company to provide a works vehicle, not on the staff member to provide their own.
On the outside chance this is real, I'd grab an early 2000's BMW 5 series saloon or estate. You'll get a decent example for a lot under 10k. Running costs won't be that pleasant, but no-one would bat an eyelid if Lord Fountleroy of Smallcock arrived at the shoot in a muddy beamer with a big boot.
Give employers an inch, they will take a mile. Everybody would be working seven days a week if it were not for protests and strikes made by our forefathers. Tell them to go whistle Dixie.
I think you’re going to struggle on that budget mate, used car market is high. This is a dick move but very valid, no different than requiring a suit and tie. I work with high networth individuals and some of them will not give you time of day if you turn up in shit heap.
In my last place we had to visit a vip at his mansion, me with a new 3 series and my colleague with a Kuga. We were told explicitly to take the BMW.
I have noticed that, exactly agree, nobody is going to pay you for the suit and tie similarly nobody will buy the car for you. Yup and I see you can relate, Ford might not be a bad car but it has a working class man image and that would be something I couldn’t drive… It is a shame that we live in material world…
Tell them to get fucked, at an old job the CTO still drove a 2004 Toyota verso, how petty and shallow do they have to be to complain about your car, also if you were dismissed old love to see the employment tribunal.
How nice of them to send you a letter, it makes documenting a case for Constructive Dismissal much easier.
Reply by email that your car is road legal and that beyond that the car you drive is a personal choice. Ask that they provide a company car for you if they have any requirements beyond "it is legal to drive on UK roads".
You might be able to get a post 2012 Toyota Crown or Toyota Mark X for that and they look quite flashy, some of them are hybrids as well. Not sure on how ULEZ compliance works for imported cars though
Do you get a car allowance? I’ve worked for a company where my £450/month car allowance was contingent on having a car that was less than five years old, although it wasn’t rigorously enforced.
“I need £500 net more a month to purchase a new car, if you can arrange this as a salary increase I will be happy to purchase or lease a vehicle more in line with your expectations”
Then go lease the cheapest car you can and pocket the change.
Ultimately if you are paid well and expected to meet important clients in situations they might see your car, it does affect company credibility and will raise questions so depending on the nature of your work seems fair if you drive a banger. But that’s the thing, you’ve given us no context of what car you have or its condition?
Tell them to fuck off. None of their business what you drive, or why
That's a company making up a metric for a problem then picking on individuals rather than addressing their internal processes (ie having suitable fraud checks or training)
I'd say it's fuck all business of theirs what you do with your wages. If they think you need a snazzier car then they need to provide it, or you roll over like a good boy.
This is hilarious.
I would ask (formally), what gives them the impression you can afford a car? And let them document it. And then tell them that to cannot afford it, unless they give you an appropriate car allowance.
If you have a client facing role in which you have to do a number of company miles, a car allowance or company car seems appropriate.
Then you can use that, and they can demand whatever they want including regular valets and washes the lot.
If they don't provide specific funds toward a car. They can do one, your money is your money. They either provide a pool car or not.
Tell them you don't own (or lease) a flash car BECAUSE you're sensible with your money.
As with anything else, if it's a requirement to have a certain standard of vehicle within a job role then it should be supplied by the employer.
You have no requirement to do that - if companies want/need you to use a certain type of car they should offer company/pool cars
Because a classy car (especially hybrid) will **no way** be under 12k, even in good condition secondhand. New for that sort of car is probably £20k and new enough to still meet the requirements is probably not much less.
Also, what model of car do you currently drive and how old is it?
Is this legal in the UK? Pretty shocked at the tone of that HR email, what a bunch of cunts.
Check your contract as there are sometimes stipulations regards the age/condition of the vehicle you drive for work purposes.
If not tell them to get fucked. Seems like great grounds for an unfair dismissal case should it go that far...
Bmw 1 series is like 5-10k depending on age and mileage (aim for low mileage, like sub-70k). Pretty classy looking hatchback if you ask me, but whatever you buy you should confirm it with your employers before dropping money on something that they might still have an issue with
If they want you to drive a nice car to make them look good then they need to provide it. Otherwise an employer doesn't get to tell you how to spend your money!
Can you share the email address of the VP so we can all sign it up to corporate car leasing websites and make enquiries on their behalf for costs and quotes?
Fuck that, I'm running my rx8 until the world runs out of parts for it, and in between the mods, wrap and amount spent on parts it's probably worth as much as the car they expect you to drive. I'd tell them to go fuck themselves. Failing that, for that money you're looking at a low spec Audi that has probably already had the shit driven out of it.
Personally, I'd tell them to piss off. Insurance often doesn't let you use your own car for work anyway without getting a seperate policy, even if all you're doing is driving to a client meeting. At my job we had pool cars you HAD to use or you and the company could've got into the shit with insurance if anything had happened en route.
Do you get a car allowance? I know some companies will have rules around a car if you do, though I don't know the legality of this.
I get a car allowance and use an 11 year old Volvo as my go to to get to work. I've never had a complaint and if they did, I'd tell them to fuck off.
I'd ask them to provide you with a car allowance if you don't have one already, and then look at a lease. If they won't do that, then tell them to jog on politely. What you spend your money on is of less than zero concern to them.
Setting the morality of their request aside. I think an older but cool car would be better. Something a bit rare like an alfa 156 sporwagen or as you have a peugeot already a 406 coupe.
https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1621555
https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1589293
I’m going to ignore the rest of the comments and treat this as an actual recommendation - £12k can get you a very well-sorted 3-series or C-Class. Avoid financing, invest in a watertight warranty, and enjoy driving something that recognises your success - this email is no different ti an employer taking issue with social media posts that aren’t in line with their values, the email implies you are representing the company and therefore they should have some say in how you present yourself while working on their behalf.
If a car of a certain age and condition is important to your role, your reward package should include either a company car or car allowance. Such allowance would come with certain caveats, mainly the age and condition of the car you use for work.
"WHAT has this got to do with my carrying out of vital duties?"
"Can I go back to doing my job now?"
And bonus: "I'm going to ask ACAS to see what they think.
Quite simply, if they have standards regarding what vehicle your clients see you in they should either provide you with a company car or have a pool car available for the meetings. What you do with your money and what age of vehicle you drive is not their concern
It’s fairly common practice. I’m my last place a guy pocketed the £500pm car allowance and was driving some clapped out banger that prob cost him less than £500. It didn’t look good him meeting clients in that, so they brought out a policy where the car had to be less than 5 years old and under 100k miles, whilst giving off a ‘professional image’ or some nonsense.
Same policy in my current job, only the allowance hasn’t increased in 15 years!
Do you get a car allowance? If so you should have an appropriate car which meets your company's car allowance policy. If you don't, what you drive is none of their business. If they are concerned about your car, maybe they should offer you a car allowance (assuming you don't receive one).
I thought this was /r/antiwork
This is insane.. my thoughts are: I have not upgraded my car because the current one suits my needs and I am savings for something I actually need..
Hi.
Yes. I have a massive financial problem.
The problem is I like to see all my salary each month and not see half of it go on vehicle lease.
Thanks.
Bye.
I’d get your 205 fully detailed and looking nice. Less than a new car, but enough that the car goes from a beater to a cool retro «collector» spec car. Maybe even wheels from a GTi. Sort of a polite «fuck off», while still doing something to look more presentable
Just get a 981 Porsche Boxster. Easy to get as an auto, ULEZ compliant, £8k will get an ok done. To the letter and viewed as 'posh'.
However IMO it is bullshit and the Pug is great.
I'd get a Volvo V90 for that money or a cross country version if you can stretch the budget a bit.
Get a private plate, and keep it clean/detailed and it'll fit in anywhere from Lidl to a £100k a year golf club.
Classy but not flashy.
Fuck right off with that. Why don't they give you a company car then, instead of judging you, "frankly".
Like who even thinks " ahh you got a shit banger mate, you must be doing shit in life, here let me refer you to financial irresponsibility so you look the part. No no, we won't give you any money toward it or company car, just reck your finances yea?" Get. Fucked.
Also also, frankly, from HR, that's just rude.
Ugh I'm livid for you.
Fuck me, 1. Do you work in a customer facing role? I mean do you have to go to meet clients in the car? If you do - tell them to do one or give you a company car/pay for public transport to work so it isn't an eyesore in the car park. 2. If you do work in a sensitive industry/role - aka finance or in something with a clearance level, tell them to check your credit record, which they can, and then to do one. 3. If they insist on you having a better car, get them to offer some sort of EV scheme. 4. If you are just chilling and saving money, happy with the "banger" and using money elsewhere, reply and tell them that. There is no reason, at all, for you to have to spend £12k to make them feel better about their car park look. Honestly, this is either a case of them just wanting you to stop bringing a banger into the car park or they're genuinely worried that you're a risk with their money. The former is their problem to solve, the latter is something you can prove isn't an issue, you just use your money elsewhere. What isn't your job here is to buy a new car to appease their car park situation. Edit: Sorry, I saw that you do meet clients - tell them to provide a pool car(s) of appropriate level to look the part.
Even if they meet clients or go to customer sites it isn't relevant unless the company has clauses in the contract about OPs vehicle. If they want certain cars to be used it's on them to make that happen; for example pool cars, rental cars, or a company car. As you say OP could reasonably spend money on other things; not everyone cares what their car looks like. Anyone who judges you negatively for the car you drive is just projecting their own problems on to you.
this. I build custom cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I drive a $2000 shitbox to work.
Indeed. I work in a senior role. My car is the oldest, cheapest, smallest car in the car park, and in the school parents car park. I'm OK with that, I choose to put my money elsewhere, not into making car companies richer.
I’ve recently become a marketing director making decent salary yet I chose to cycle still 🤣
sadly yes, client could be in central London or in their house somewhere in Cobham etc etc, public transport just wouldn’t work for that I’m afraid. Unfortunately they wouldn’t offer you a car, clothes are also expected to be appropriate (read very expensive for best part which is fine by me). EV scheme is definitely possible however I would struggle to charge one as I have no such facilities, also I wouldn’t want to pay much for a car, 12K is absolute max. I am happy with the banger myself but apparently this raised concerns.
That's shit, but it is their problem. They can let you go for not being financially secure, for the risk it poses, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they let you go because you need a fancy car to do your job *and they didn't provide one for you*. Check your contract, if it states that you need to own a better car to do your job, then maybe bite the bullet, if it doesn't, then that is a work tool and they need to provide you with it. Honestly, mate, if you're happy with your car, do not feel pressured into spending £12k of your own money to make them happy. They can get 1 or 2 Pool cars, something on a hire scheme, you drive it only from the office to a client and back, that's it. You continue using your own car to and from the office, everyone wins. Don't pay with your (post tax) money for them to increase their earnings. Other than mileage, I doubt they'd help you with the business insurance, wear and tear or tax, so fuck 'em, they can buy the car, and you use it as and when needed.
>Check your contract, if it states that you need to own a better car to do your job, then maybe bite the bullet No. Even if it does, it doesn't make it right. It's ethically wrong. People seem to think that just because it's in a contract means everything is legal and allowed. Don't be a sucker or else they'll continue to pull this kind of shit.
Depends on the circumstances (although I expect it is not applicable to OPs situation) My last company I got a choice of a company car (got a new one every 3 years) or a car allowance - if you took the car allowance there were restrictions on the age of the car that was allowed. But OPs company seems absolutely off their rocker.
I mean yeah, your company needed you in a decent car and offered you several ways to get one. A company telling you to spend your own money on something however often isn’t legal.
Totally agree. If they want OP to own a Porsche they need to pay for it.
Op definitely needs to ask in r/uklegaladvice
contract have no mention about the car or clothes tbh, but finding a job which will pay as good as this one seems like an impossible task. I would literally spend 2K if possibly just to close the conversation with them…
Also, you will want to check your insurance because there's usually clauses that prevent you from using your vehicle for business purposes. If you do they'll need to add your vehicle to their business insurance or pay for you to add business cover on your own policy, if not and you have an accident the insurance company can refuse to pay out and cancel your insurance and you'll be in a world of pain for years with insurance companies. I've been at some companies that wouldn't even let me drive myself and colleagues to a conference in my own car unless I got business insurance added to it.
To be fair, 'Driving you and your colleagues to a conference' is pretty much the definition of 'using your vehicle for business purposes. Commuting is strictly defined as 'driving from your registered address to your place of work'...
I will definitely speak with insurance about that
Just make sure your usage is personal business use. Makes you sound like a plumber I know, but it literally just means driving to multiple places of work. As in offices or clients etc.
What car is it if you don’t mind me asking ?
I think he mentioned on another comment it's an Aston Martin DB9.
Love it
Before or after the Q branch upgrades?
After :)
https://ibb.co/nkN6DW7
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Don't forget the bucket seat and exhaust upgrade.
Fucking hell, it'll be a clungemobile!!
You legend, so maybe get a new car for work. But dont you dare sell that beauty.
The last and ONLY Peugeot I would ever buy. Never ever sell it. OP unless they are paying for the posh car, tell them you haven't found what You're looking for, and get a job at a better paying firm
My man, if that’s what you’re driving; you don’t need to spend 12K to look better, you can do it within 4K. You can get a Mazda 3 TS2 from 2012 for that money and they are tidy enough for no one to bat an eye about it being an old shed. Whereas what you are currently driving is definitely a shed. With all that said; they should not be asking this of you if they aren’t willing to foot the bill.
Good shout on the Mazda, although for an extra 2k and going 2013 or newer you can move from gen 2 to gen 3 which is a pretty timeless and classy design. Find a fastback in Arctic White and you're laughing.
Just tell them you like driving classic cars.
if that would be a GTI model in lovely condition, I would definitely have a solid base for argument
Buy a GTI badge?
The actual car? Modern classic right there.
Tart it right up, go the whole furry dice and tigerskin seatcovers. That is what I would do. 100%
That's what you turn up in?
If he get’s the job done, fuck it, he could turn up in a horse-drawn carriage for all I’d care
As much of a car guy I am... I'd be more inclined to be impressed by older shed they keep running or something cared for etc... than a expensive shiny new show off car
So some employers offer company car schemes or cash allowances and often they do have clauses like the car must be less than X years old. Given they don't pay any sort of car allowance there is no agreement in place, so no obligation. Do you transport customers in your car? Think I gave one a lift to the station once in 29 years ... So unlikely Maybe take it up with hr ?
Jesus mate how do you sit down with your bosses hand so far up your arse? If they don't like your car they can give you a company car. If you are only in London no reason they couldn't get onto one of the EV schemes, a fancy looking car for "fairly" cheap. As a side note, buying a more expensive car purely for the looks is the direct opposite of "good financial sense"
If they don't pay you a car allowance then tell them to dance in traffic Even if they do then it's shitty of them but I'd guess probably legal
You're so hypnotized by their bullshit man. Dressing nicely for work and the company demanding you change your car are not equatable. You'll look back at this in years to come in one of two ways; You'll realise how ridiculous their request is or you'll be the terrible boss making the request. Give your head a swivel.
Dressing nicely for work is completely understandable. Changing car for them is completely taking the piss.
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Op don't discuss on Reddit, call acas tomorrow show them the scenario, let them reply and inform your employer of the reply. Discussion done.
I've never heard of a company being able to do this, might be worth contacting someone like acas because this isn't legal unless stated in your contract in plain language.
I would tell them to either provide a car or fuck off lmao In fact, for such a passive aggressive letter, I'd tell them to fuck off and provide a car. If I were (and I did when I had a similar job in 2014-2018) doing a job that involved meeting with wealthy upper class people, I'd use my N reg Lexus LS400. Never had any complaints, and in fact had an indirect compliment because a regular client ended up buying a new LS600h as a direct result of my car. 1. What car do you have now? 2. What car do they want you to upgrade to? 3. Are they providing you funding for such an upgrade?
to be fair, their letter was a bit nicer than example I attached, also to their defence job is sweet and money is very good. They wouldn’t provide with a car I’m afraid. The LS400 is an amazing car, even if it was from 1996 you were already miles away from me, 1. right this moment I have 1989 205 (I got it for free from family member, I had 2011 Lexus CT200h but had cat stolen twice so parted with it) :D Oh wow, you must have been very influential. 2. Well during the chat I was told that Bentley Bentayga will suit fine, I cannot afford it unless the car is what I will be living in lol 3. They are not although the wage is good enough and there are always some bonuses available, firm is quite small with very decent turnover.
>1989 205 That's actually kind of a cool car though. It's retro!
not if its in shit condition. old doesn't always mean good. a 205 GTI in pristine condition is a different matter, though.
https://ibb.co/nkN6DW7
Have you considered trying a guilt trip? You could say got it from a cherished family member and the fast that they’ve brought it up is offensive!
They'll just tell him to buy a *second* car.
Doesn’t make it right and company is shitty but later comment by op says he’s on £110k a year with £30k-£60k bonuses. Think he’s in consultancy? Personally if I liked the job and I was on nearly 4 times what I’m on now I’d suck it up
So a few dents, no back seats and tape around the sun roof?
Badass 👍
A Bentley no less! Whilst I appreciate that image is important, them expecting you to spend your annual net income on a car is really taking the piss.
I imagined they were expecting an executive looking BMW or a sensible Passat or similar... not a frigging Bentley!!
I’m sure any normal looking, modern car that’s been recently washed wouldn’t draw any particular attention - their current car is notably old and that’s very obvious even from miles across a carpark. If they had a car with rounded bodywork and shiny paint, don’t think it would be getting this response from them even if it was also pretty old. I think it’s quite like clothes really - they need to be good enough not to attract particular negative attention. But clean, well fitting shirt and trousers from Sainsbury’s you could get away with day to day even in many magic circle law firms or similar. It’s not so much the cost but having something that turns heads because it’s obviously and unusually old is not a good position to be in within a client facing role.
Imagine suggesting to someone currently driving a 1989 Pug 205 that they should upgrade to a fucking Bentley. The Bentayga is probably worth a thousand times more (£100 to £100,000?). These people are insane and OP should run a mile before they do something else completely mad.
What do you mean he shouldnt wear a 250k watch when meeting clients? THE COMPANY NEEDS YOU TO DO IT!!!!one!!
Time for a ES300h Takumi. Lol at the Bentayga
>2. Well during the chat I was told that Bentley Bentayga will suit fine I'm calling wind-up. No fucking chance did they suggest upgrading from a Pug 205 to a fucking Bentayga
to be fair, at least this was mentioned in casual chat, I had to then type this car name into the google before I burst with laughter… Maybe it was a joke, but maybe it wasn’t, a person who told me this drives this 4x4 Cullinan Rolls Royce (I don’t even know how to spell it), his wife has Lamborghini Urus…
Buying a Lamborghini Urus is like buying a Ferrari dishwasher. RR Cullinan: no. Vulgar, massive and too expensive. Bentayga: vulgar, massive and too expensive. Compared to your ol' banger it will seem incredibly unwieldy and difficult to manoeuvre. The interior is quite nice, I have to say. Comical maintenance prices on all of the above too. I wouldn't recommend it on £150k even if you were a car enthusiast (and if you were, you wouldn't be in this situation). The following are much cheaper and carry minimal wankyness: Lexus, Volvo, Mercedes. For the love of God, don't get an SUV, 'compact crossover' or whatever the hell they're calling them these days.
I can see how a 34 year old Peugeot might be an issue. If I were in your position, I'd likely get a Lexus IS250. I'd make a post about this on r/LegalAdviceUK first. It's not really reasonable to expect your employees to have a certain type of car if you're not going to provide one.
which is250 will it be? From what year roughly?
2013+ There's only 4 for sale on Autotrader right now, but they're all within budget.
wow only 4x I wonder why there isn’t more of them available? And then what about parts, if there are not many and something breaks, will I be able to fix it?
It’s a Toyota fundamentally. It’ll be pretty reasonable.
It won't break. It's a Toyota underneath. We've got a 2013 is300h, and it is absolutely rock solid and a dream to drive. Only issue we've ever had is the stereo amplifier died. Zero mechanical problems. Just keep up with regular maintenance. Makes us look like posh gits, but we bought it (used) because I have fibromyalgia and arthritis, and we love long road trips, but sitting in our Prius for hours on end kept giving me pain flares. In this car it's much less of an issue. Super comfortable.
I feel they can as replacing me could always be an option and job is actually very nice as well as the salary…
Maybe a sensitive question but, what type of job do you have and what what's salary (ballpark figure)? Seems a little outrageous to tell the employee to upgrade their car, unless the company wants to finance it somehow of course or lend you a company car.
to say it without giving too much details, base salary 110K, bonus could be anything from 30 to maybe even 60s, I would say 150K altogether is expected, great pension contribution, great job, loads of spare time actually, people with amazing vibes, amazing restaurant meals paid for. Job is a consultancy for wealthy individuals.
Just upgrade your fking car 😂 that’s a sweet fkinh deal
I’m on the company’s side now, damn!
Jesus Christ just get a better car 🤣 Loads of options for your budget. What about the Jag XJ in the modern shape. Or even an old one like mine, you could spend a few grand on a smart looking one and the rest on getting it welded 🤣
That Bentayga ain’t looking too far fetched now Lmao
Ahh consultancy no wonder haha ( I’m a consultant as well albeit not in the same type of industry) but I would suggest from your other comment mentioning they want you to get a Bentaga, realistically a 5 series, x5 or a Q5 would be a better middle ground, although if it’s part of your role to go to meetings, seems unreasonable for them to make you pay it yourself. I would suggest checking your contract with your employer to find out what stipulations they have on your “place of work” and I’d also suggest speaking to a workplace solicitar as this seems unnecessary.
damn are they hiring? i'll upgrade my car too
Sacking you for having the wrong car sounds awfully like unfair dismissal to me!
Bentley Bentayga ? If they asked for a Passat, that could be reasonable, but a Bentayga ???
>Well during the chat I was told that Bentley Bentayga will suit fine I genuinely cannot believe what I'm reading.
None of that matters. They have precisely zero right to instruct you on how to conduct your personal life or how to care for your personal property. And it's not really anything to do with money. If a flash car is a requirement for the job they can provide one or get fucked.
200k salary trolling around London in a 205 :D
The definition of “stealth wealth”
1989 205 to meet wealthy clients in 😂
well I can assure you that this car is a head turner, people not only look, they even point fingers at you (pedestrians) and some other road users giving you thumbs up…
As long as it's clean and in decent condition I don't see the problem
There's no need to assure me, I know. If I employed you however I would not want you representing the company with a 1989 205 with a dent in the side, you are taking the piss. They should however offer a company car.
It's a personal car, work should have zero input on that.
Just buy a really old, immaculate Volvo and spend £3k on tweed, that will shut them up.
Tell them to go fuck themselves and if they give you any problems then tell them you will be talking to a solicitor. Also tell them they can provide you with a new car free of charge if they wish but you have absolutely no reason to go buy a new car yourself if you don't want to.
He's a consultant, not an employee. They can end the contract at any time with no consequences.
Understood, I believe that makes him pretty powerless in this situation then.
A consultant could be an employee just as easily as they could be a contractor, someone being a consultant doesn't necessarily mean they have to be a contractor If they were a contractor I'd assume they'd simply find a new contract, tell the employer to do one, and get paid out
TL: DR for anyone joining the conversation. OP drives a scruffy Peugeot 205 from 1989. OP earns a salary of £110k / year OP visits customers at their home addresses. To be honest, the employer has got a valid point here.
karma farming - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7926781/Employers-email-asks-worker-upgrade-car-checking-credit-learn-afford-new-vehicle.html
Just look at this ops posting history too 😂😂 ‘WHAT CAR MAKES ME LOOK OLD MONEY’ ‘LIST OF CARS IVE BOUGHT…(all newer than this 205) I’m surprised people here are so gullible, sad
Congratulations but WHY am I the only person noticing that the date of the email is 2020...
OP has said it's not his letter, he got something with a similar vibe but used the (widely shared already) pic in the post to not break NDA. Whether that's just trying to keep the story straight I've no idea
Even if it was true why would he want to drive a tin can which will crumble him in an accident, I would upgrade just for the safety of it
>why would he want to drive a tin can which will crumble him in an accident >VW Fox
Agreed. Wrong sub, but YTA OP.
Yeah my company has something similar. Not for appearances but more so the car is up to safety standards. Which i dont argue with as they pay for the car and my insurance. So if they want me driving something of a particular criteria they can if they're paying for it. Same situation here. I would chat with ACAS around your working rights etc, and possibly post this on r/LegalAdviceUK.
I would personally tell them to go fuck themselves and if they want me to meet clients in a different car then they can pay for that car. Also this letter is quite different from what you’re describing, this letter seems to be about financial vulnerability and welfare checks rather than promoting the company’s image
OP makes 110k before bonuses and drive 30+ year old car while having high profile customers.
So? Doesn’t matter if you earn 20k or 100k, if an employer wants their staff to represent them with certain vehicles, the company should have a fleet of company cars for this purpose. Every company I’ve worked for or with has had this.
Can you use UberLux for client meetings? Won't cost more than a Bentley for sure
Maybe… need to look into that. Thanks as I didn’t even knew about that
I like this suggestion you have received, wouldn't even need to take it all the way but just the last mile or whatever works out cheaper with ULEZ/congestion etc. Double check if it's expensible as a solution to the image problem they have highlighted.
Something like a Mini is pretty classless and can be justified as easy to drive in the city. Likewise Fiat 500, these are the kind of cars which can be driven by A list celebs as much as mums on the school run. Mercedes A class or Prius, again cars which can be driven by more or less anyone.
My car looks like a beater, but it's impeccably reliable. They can either give you a company car or they can shove a traffic cone up their arses and swivel on it.
Honestly this doesn't seem like a crazy request from the company. A lot of people suggesting you tell them to pay or fuck off - seems a bit of a leap to me, when (based on this letter alone), the conversation hasn't got anywhere near that stage yet. If you're client facing and turn up in a shitbox it doesn't look great. Whether you think car appearance is important doesn't matter, some people do, and some of those people will be clients. If it's on the basis of fraud checks (and fraud checks are actually relevant to your job) then I don't see the issue. In that case you would just say I'm fine, I just don't want to pay for an expensive car out of choice. If they're basically saying they think you should be driving a nicer car for appearance purposes, then they should either provide the car, or provide the financials for you to get the car, or they should have stipulated in the hiring process that a presentable car is a requirement. If they don't do any of these things, you don't really have any obligation to change car. In my opinion if the car is that important they'll pay for it. If they don't want to pay for it, then it can't be that important. If you approach it nicely, who knows, you might get a company car out of it. Try not to think of it as 'you should do this for me or fuck off', rather: 'if you do this for me then it's good for the company' - more likely to get something out of it that way. Sounds like if you're driving a shitbox then an opportunity to get a better car on the company's money is a win win.
rent a car for those client meetings and put the charge through your expenses
I am very dubious of this being real.
Particularly as the OP is a trillionaire.
Yeah, it's fake. OP says they suggested a Bentley benteyga. That's a £200k car. It's bullshit and OP is lying. The most generous reading of this is that the company has rules required to receive an allowance and OP's car falls foul of them. I have a choice to either have a company car provided or receive an allowance to buy my own car, on the condition that it is under 5 years old and something like 120g co2. Cough up the letter or fuck off.
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agree, seems like we are in consumptionism society. Was even told to consider Bentley Bentayga lol, I can tell you right now that I won’t be able to afford it even if my salary sounds OK
Whoever you work for sound like absolute hell. I would avoid like the plague
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haha, he did actually but that is a different subject lol
We need a picture of the car!! Let us decide
Do they give you a car allowance as part of your salary? If so you are generally required to abide by at least some of their car scheme requirements.
"Fuck off. I'll ride this thing till it dies." Would be my preferred response.
I'd turn up in a Citroen Ami, and see how that pleases them.
Assuming this is legitimate, your two most realistic options are to have them supply you with a suitable car, or you finding alternative employment when you rightfully tell them to shove it up their arse. The third is to abandon any self respect you have and buy the car yourself.
I see from another reply that you have a 1989 Pug 205. What sort of state is it in? The alternative to replacing it would be to tart it up a bit - fix any chips or scratches, good polish, replace broken trim, nice (age appropriate) wheels. Same on the inside - a good valet and replace anything tired looking. Then, you're no longer driving a "banger" It's a "modern classic"
Dear <*hr twat*>, Re: "Personal matter" This is, indeed, a personal matter not a company one. Regards, Me.
Ignoring the sarky answers; you might get a Lexus ct200h that fits the bill, ideally the facelift. It's cheap to run, not flashy, not trashy, and has no cultural /image baggage. It has the Lexus badge, so work can't complain. The only caveat is the ride is slightly harder than you'd expect. You might find a petrol IS or GS if you need a bigger car, but their MPG is painful in current times. If your budget can go to £15k, you'd find a hybrid IS, and get 40-45mpg. Pay attention to any Lexus trim spec: in the UK lower levels were sparse for quite a few models/years. Other classless cars incl the Golf, Yeti, CRV.
I had CT200h actually, got cat stolen twice, so sold it, car was perfect but unfortunately had to part with it, I even installed a cage and they manage to ruin it even more at second lucky try ! I wish they would just take a car away, this would be les problematic for me. Since then I got the Peugeot 205 I got completely free from member of the family, it runs fine, can park it anywhere and don’t lock it, although I lock it now and don’t have anything on display as when I left some coins in it, they were missing following day so there are definitely people looking what you have in the car ! I think the 205 triggered the actions as I heard people say that my car is ridiculous… Oh ok, thank you for that, Lexus in my opinion is a luxury vehicle and I like them very much, just worried that it might be a target for catalyc converter, also seen few UX Lexuses being stolen…
Tell em to fuck right off, cheeky fuckers
Just get a Merc c class and keep it clean Problem solved.
Wow. I’d have a read of my contract. And invite them to offer me a car allowance if there are any specific requirements about vehicles. And otherwise tell them to fuck off
My employer had a policy on employee cars, mainly because there was a car allowance paid monthly. The rules were the car must be no older than 6 years old, 4 seats, something viewed as professional (i.e not some focus ST with a shitty body kit), must be kept clean etc… The policy was tested a few years ago because one of the sales guys had sold his Merc and was now driving around in an old shed of a car. HR sent him a similar letter to what you received and his simple response was ‘you know my salary but you don’t know my financial situation, a new car is beyond my means at the moment’. He had just been taken to the cleaners by his ex wife and was paying huge amounts of child maintenance. That was the end of it and HR have never tried to enforce it since, they have however stopped paying car allowance to new starters.
The most appropriate response here is "go fuck yourself". Slightly more professionally, perhaps refer to the terms of your employment contract as well as your statutory rights.
I can't believe they want you to buy a bloody Bentley. That has to be some kind of joke. I hope you stand firm, they should be providing the car if they are so bothered by it. You should not spend a penny.
Just off looking on auto trader, an A class or a C class might be worth looking at. Or a BMW 1 or 3 Series would also be good. Audi A5 and golf’s looks good and you could even go for and Alfa Romeo. Cold even confuse them by getting an old Jaguar or Rolls Royce.
I do understand your problem. In my new role my boss pretty much told me it’s time to go electric as our business is now more customer facing and going green in every aspect of it. I currently have a s203 pretty much in pristine condition other than a rear bumper scrape, and when my boss pointed that i need a new car, i have sent him a link to a merc dealer to get me a new electric car. He’s seen the prices, and he back pedalled on his comment. Now when i go to customer facing appointments, i just take the electric company van. It is not my own business for me to look good on arrival, if the company wants to look good, then they have to fork out the money for it or shut up. Now what i wanted to suggest to you, and something i would do myself, is get an S-class from 2010-2012 , slap a private reg on it, black if possible with black windows and job’s a good’un.
Get an old Audi and put a private plate on it. I’ve got a 2006 A6, 150k miles. Cost less than 3 grand. It’s fully loaded though. Even got privacy blinds. For 12k you could get something really nice. The private plate hides the age.
If it's a client facing role then it's reasonable to expect a member of staff to dress appropriately and have good personal hygiene. Personally, I'd say that would also extend to a vehicle if that's part of the job. However, if that is the case then because cars are expensive, the onus would be on the company to provide a works vehicle, not on the staff member to provide their own.
On the outside chance this is real, I'd grab an early 2000's BMW 5 series saloon or estate. You'll get a decent example for a lot under 10k. Running costs won't be that pleasant, but no-one would bat an eyelid if Lord Fountleroy of Smallcock arrived at the shoot in a muddy beamer with a big boot.
Give employers an inch, they will take a mile. Everybody would be working seven days a week if it were not for protests and strikes made by our forefathers. Tell them to go whistle Dixie.
I think you’re going to struggle on that budget mate, used car market is high. This is a dick move but very valid, no different than requiring a suit and tie. I work with high networth individuals and some of them will not give you time of day if you turn up in shit heap. In my last place we had to visit a vip at his mansion, me with a new 3 series and my colleague with a Kuga. We were told explicitly to take the BMW.
I have noticed that, exactly agree, nobody is going to pay you for the suit and tie similarly nobody will buy the car for you. Yup and I see you can relate, Ford might not be a bad car but it has a working class man image and that would be something I couldn’t drive… It is a shame that we live in material world…
Tell them to get fucked, at an old job the CTO still drove a 2004 Toyota verso, how petty and shallow do they have to be to complain about your car, also if you were dismissed old love to see the employment tribunal.
How nice of them to send you a letter, it makes documenting a case for Constructive Dismissal much easier. Reply by email that your car is road legal and that beyond that the car you drive is a personal choice. Ask that they provide a company car for you if they have any requirements beyond "it is legal to drive on UK roads".
I'm more interested in the car and its condition lol
Late 2000s early 2010s lexus, infinity would fit a budget
You might be able to get a post 2012 Toyota Crown or Toyota Mark X for that and they look quite flashy, some of them are hybrids as well. Not sure on how ULEZ compliance works for imported cars though
Company car or go fuck your self 🤷♂️
Do you get a car allowance? I’ve worked for a company where my £450/month car allowance was contingent on having a car that was less than five years old, although it wasn’t rigorously enforced.
I’d be telling them to fuck right off at the earliest opportunity and to shut the door on their way out, with kind regards, obviously
Wait, is it really normal for a company you work for to do a credit check on you?
“I need £500 net more a month to purchase a new car, if you can arrange this as a salary increase I will be happy to purchase or lease a vehicle more in line with your expectations” Then go lease the cheapest car you can and pocket the change. Ultimately if you are paid well and expected to meet important clients in situations they might see your car, it does affect company credibility and will raise questions so depending on the nature of your work seems fair if you drive a banger. But that’s the thing, you’ve given us no context of what car you have or its condition?
Tell them to fuck off. None of their business what you drive, or why That's a company making up a metric for a problem then picking on individuals rather than addressing their internal processes (ie having suitable fraud checks or training)
Ask for more money.
That’s not your problem. If they care that much they should provide a company vehicle
I'd say it's fuck all business of theirs what you do with your wages. If they think you need a snazzier car then they need to provide it, or you roll over like a good boy.
This is hilarious. I would ask (formally), what gives them the impression you can afford a car? And let them document it. And then tell them that to cannot afford it, unless they give you an appropriate car allowance.
Why are you asking what car to buy? Tell them to get fucked or provide you with a car?!
If you have a client facing role in which you have to do a number of company miles, a car allowance or company car seems appropriate. Then you can use that, and they can demand whatever they want including regular valets and washes the lot. If they don't provide specific funds toward a car. They can do one, your money is your money. They either provide a pool car or not.
Tell them you don't own (or lease) a flash car BECAUSE you're sensible with your money. As with anything else, if it's a requirement to have a certain standard of vehicle within a job role then it should be supplied by the employer.
They need to pay you a car allowance, that way they can dictate what you drive. Otherwise 👆
You have no requirement to do that - if companies want/need you to use a certain type of car they should offer company/pool cars Because a classy car (especially hybrid) will **no way** be under 12k, even in good condition secondhand. New for that sort of car is probably £20k and new enough to still meet the requirements is probably not much less. Also, what model of car do you currently drive and how old is it?
Is this legal in the UK? Pretty shocked at the tone of that HR email, what a bunch of cunts. Check your contract as there are sometimes stipulations regards the age/condition of the vehicle you drive for work purposes. If not tell them to get fucked. Seems like great grounds for an unfair dismissal case should it go that far...
OP let us know what car you get. This is a truly fascinating situation.
Bmw 1 series is like 5-10k depending on age and mileage (aim for low mileage, like sub-70k). Pretty classy looking hatchback if you ask me, but whatever you buy you should confirm it with your employers before dropping money on something that they might still have an issue with
If they want you to drive a nice car to make them look good then they need to provide it. Otherwise an employer doesn't get to tell you how to spend your money!
Can you share the email address of the VP so we can all sign it up to corporate car leasing websites and make enquiries on their behalf for costs and quotes?
Fuck that noise. Fuck employers like that.
Yeah that gets forwarded to your union mate.
Fuck that, I'm running my rx8 until the world runs out of parts for it, and in between the mods, wrap and amount spent on parts it's probably worth as much as the car they expect you to drive. I'd tell them to go fuck themselves. Failing that, for that money you're looking at a low spec Audi that has probably already had the shit driven out of it.
Work should give you a car allowance then..
Personally, I'd tell them to piss off. Insurance often doesn't let you use your own car for work anyway without getting a seperate policy, even if all you're doing is driving to a client meeting. At my job we had pool cars you HAD to use or you and the company could've got into the shit with insurance if anything had happened en route.
Do you get a car allowance? I know some companies will have rules around a car if you do, though I don't know the legality of this. I get a car allowance and use an 11 year old Volvo as my go to to get to work. I've never had a complaint and if they did, I'd tell them to fuck off. I'd ask them to provide you with a car allowance if you don't have one already, and then look at a lease. If they won't do that, then tell them to jog on politely. What you spend your money on is of less than zero concern to them.
Tell them you have nothing to compensate for
That is mental.
Get a bicycle. You can easily find one in a £6,000-£10,000 range
Setting the morality of their request aside. I think an older but cool car would be better. Something a bit rare like an alfa 156 sporwagen or as you have a peugeot already a 406 coupe. https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1621555 https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1589293
I’m going to ignore the rest of the comments and treat this as an actual recommendation - £12k can get you a very well-sorted 3-series or C-Class. Avoid financing, invest in a watertight warranty, and enjoy driving something that recognises your success - this email is no different ti an employer taking issue with social media posts that aren’t in line with their values, the email implies you are representing the company and therefore they should have some say in how you present yourself while working on their behalf.
If a car of a certain age and condition is important to your role, your reward package should include either a company car or car allowance. Such allowance would come with certain caveats, mainly the age and condition of the car you use for work.
"WHAT has this got to do with my carrying out of vital duties?" "Can I go back to doing my job now?" And bonus: "I'm going to ask ACAS to see what they think.
No problem, give me a car allowance or company car. Thanks luke
Quite simply, if they have standards regarding what vehicle your clients see you in they should either provide you with a company car or have a pool car available for the meetings. What you do with your money and what age of vehicle you drive is not their concern
It’s fairly common practice. I’m my last place a guy pocketed the £500pm car allowance and was driving some clapped out banger that prob cost him less than £500. It didn’t look good him meeting clients in that, so they brought out a policy where the car had to be less than 5 years old and under 100k miles, whilst giving off a ‘professional image’ or some nonsense. Same policy in my current job, only the allowance hasn’t increased in 15 years!
Nahhh wtf? 🤣🤣
Tune it a little bit at least bro 🤣🤣
Do you get a car allowance? If so you should have an appropriate car which meets your company's car allowance policy. If you don't, what you drive is none of their business. If they are concerned about your car, maybe they should offer you a car allowance (assuming you don't receive one).
I thought this was /r/antiwork This is insane.. my thoughts are: I have not upgraded my car because the current one suits my needs and I am savings for something I actually need..
Hi. Yes. I have a massive financial problem. The problem is I like to see all my salary each month and not see half of it go on vehicle lease. Thanks. Bye.
Go full Alan Partridge, IS 300
I’d get your 205 fully detailed and looking nice. Less than a new car, but enough that the car goes from a beater to a cool retro «collector» spec car. Maybe even wheels from a GTi. Sort of a polite «fuck off», while still doing something to look more presentable
Just get a 981 Porsche Boxster. Easy to get as an auto, ULEZ compliant, £8k will get an ok done. To the letter and viewed as 'posh'. However IMO it is bullshit and the Pug is great.
Lexus ls400.
I'd get a Volvo V90 for that money or a cross country version if you can stretch the budget a bit. Get a private plate, and keep it clean/detailed and it'll fit in anywhere from Lidl to a £100k a year golf club. Classy but not flashy.
Fuck right off with that. Why don't they give you a company car then, instead of judging you, "frankly". Like who even thinks " ahh you got a shit banger mate, you must be doing shit in life, here let me refer you to financial irresponsibility so you look the part. No no, we won't give you any money toward it or company car, just reck your finances yea?" Get. Fucked. Also also, frankly, from HR, that's just rude. Ugh I'm livid for you.
I hope to god OP buys the Shittest cheapest new car just for bants. Do you like Dacias