Reaching for the stars

Gert Fourie says MAN TopUsed vehicles provide proud buyers with peace of mind.

MAN’s used-vehicle division, MAN TopUsed, is shooting for the stars and giving each truck it sells the “MAN seal of quality”

Following its best-ever sales year in 2016, and having already chalked up sales ahead of budget in 2017, MAN TopUsed is now aiming to give the buying experience an even more personal touch. Head of MAN TopUsed, Gert Fourie, is extremely upbeat about the new developments in his used-vehicle business.

MAN TopUsed customers will now physically get to touch and feel three distinctly different levels of used vehicle preparation:

• One Star – Certificate of Fitness (CoF) with health check;

• Two Star – CoF, mechanically checked, cosmetically refurbished with health check;

• Three Star – CoF, mechanically refurbished, one-year warranty with health check.

Each level of preparation is clearly marked on the side of the vehicle’s cab with MAN’s seal of quality, reflecting the “star value”.

“Customers are seeing the benefits of owning a used MAN – such as excellent value for money,” says Fourie.

The Three Star level is the best you can get.“MAN vehicles are often sold into their first economic life with a repair and maintenance agreement and a guaranteed end-of-term residual value. MAN Own Retail and MAN Private Capital Dealers take care of these rolling assets throughout their life, ensuring that their use is optimised for the duration for which they were purchased,” Fourie adds.

“The MAN international vehicle return process ensures that the vehicles return to the TopUsed division in the condition required, due to an additional independent check undertaken on the quality standard of that vehicle.

“From time the vehicle is taken in, MAN TopUsed ensures that it is further prepared for resale – the scope of work being confirmed by the star rating with a visible seal of quality.

“These preparations enable MAN to offer warranties and even service contracts for applicable model types and qualifying customers. MAN TopUsed has a vested interest in every MAN asset, and will ensure reliable resale values coupled to dependable performance,” Fourie explains.

Fourie notes that MAN always uses genuine MAN parts when preparing MAN TopUsed vehicles for onward sale.

“Knowing that our customers are keeping vehicles for longer, we are focusing on ensuring they are getting the utmost value for money with our aftersales offerings,” he adds. This extends beyond TopUsed to an all-inclusive suite of services that includes: dynamic programmes for parts such as MAN ecotrade, where clients receive substantial discounts on new parts in exchange for their used parts for potential refurbishment; extending warranties on new parts to a second year; and conducting free health checks for customers’ vehicles while they’re in MAN workshops for routine work.

“These initiatives, together with our prudent trade-in process and refurbishment programmes, enable us to offer a wide variety of transport solutions, at several price levels, and with various degrees of guaranteed peace of mind.

“Having such great product offerings also enables us to expand our footprint of authorised TopUsed dealers (including various African countries, too),” Fourie elaborates.

“For a sales outlet to qualify as an authorised MAN TopUsed franchise, adherence to stringent rules and standards must be demonstrated. Through our main dealer in Centurion, my team and I will be at the service of any potential customer throughout southern Africa.

“We at MAN are in this business for the long haul, and with this stamina, we are holding our own and innovatively expanding our market offering to our loyal customers,” concludes Fourie.

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