CHANGES
Official Announcement. 3rd October 2017
Devon Moto and Devon Wheels 2 Work are going through some changes.
We have had a very tough year which came to a head at the end of March this year. March is the time when we get our annual insurance renewal premium. We had been expecting an increase of the usual 3%, but this year it was to be very different. We were paying around £350 per bike for our loan scheme bikes and were expecting to pay around £360. However, when the schedule arrived our insurance was quoted at £975.00 per bike plus insurance premium tax at 12%, making our new premium a massive £1,092.00 per bike. With around 100 bikes insured understandably our budget was under significant pressure. This was almost a 300% rise in our insurance cost, as you can imagine we were more than a little shocked!
We had to think fast and quickly reduced our fleet to 75 bikes, but this wasn’t enough so we further reduced to 50 machines, still struggling to make ends meet. A further blow hit us when during April when our premises was hit by a catastrophic flood which damaged a large proportion of our showroom stock taking us off the scene during the highest trading period of the year. We had to close the doors to get everything back in order but we never really recovered from that. Following the flood, trading continued to be in decline placing further financial pressure on the business.
In August we decided that we had to make some changes to protect the Wheels 2 Work motorcycle loan scheme to ensure that we can continue to provide the essential service we have been delivering to people throughout Devon for the last 17 years. We reluctantly decided to close the trading arm of the business and concentrate on the loan scheme, so it is with a very heavy heart that I am now announcing the closure of the Holsworthy showroom and workshop facility. The Devon Wheels 2 Work programme will continue, operated on a mobile basis by Max.
Devon Wheels 2 Work has supported in excess of 5000 people over the last 10 years with independent personal transport to access employment, education, training and social activities.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal customers for supporting us and the Wheels 2 Work programme over the last four years in Holsworthy. Your custom has helped to provide much needed support for those struggling with transport all over the County. Your investment has changed people’s lives and I thank you for that.