JazminesII

Some of the Spanish near us have lovely cars (Mercs, Alphas) but others just keep their battered old vehicles.....

For some reason it seems second hand cars are so much more expensive in Spain.

andy.w

Yes the open back type trucks. Many of them dotted around Spain?

mimosa

See very few in my area, maybe others can let you know about other areas

baldilocks

Pick-ups - yes a few, more cars with trailers (for the olives, etc.) as for cars, you are more likely to see old Renault express, old citroëns, etc. The Spaniards are more likely to adopt the attitude "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Couple this with a dislike of outward displays of ostentation...

ShinyAndy

Younger Spaniards (again, non-campo/donkey owning types) are far more into motorbikes than cars. Bike trackdays for example are huge over here and the roads are always full of the things. Thanks to the success of Alonso they are gradually starting to turn their affections to things 4-wheeled and three years ago we started a trackday company (something I did in the UK too). We started by concentrating on the expat market as the Spanish are a bit crazy on track (thinking they're Alonso!) and would think nothing of trying to outbrake an Enzo into a corner and taking it out, unfortunately a year later or so when things crashed here most people gave up on such luxuries and so we've got them on hold for a bit.

There is now however quite a large car trackday scene amongst the Spanish but typically it would be your hot hatch brigade more than trackday specials such as Lotus/Caterhams/Radicals. Things are changing though and we're seeing more Spanish investment in proper tools for the job

baldilocks

As for tune ups. There are no shops such as Halfords etc. around here so just getting a new bulb means going to the local garage and paying their prices. The nearest they get to doing tune-ups is to make more noise by taking baffles out of a moto exhaust or knocking a hole or two in the exhaust of a Fiat Panda

cadiar

Also bear in mind that outside the cosmopolitan areas, many Spanish simply cannot afford an internet connection, which is two to three times dearer than in the UK, and have to rely on Internet Cafes, therefore time is precious, and shopping online, is usually at the bottom of their list.

Regarding vehicles and ignoring ShinyAndy's insulting, 'again, non-campo/donkey owning types' remark, many Spanish people who live and work in out of the way places, believe that a vehicle runs until it packs up, and do not wish to waste their money on updating them, when they work perfectly fine, whether it be a campo van or anything else.

expatsinspain

It isn`t so much how common the language is. It`s just that unlike the US, UK, and Germany and France, Amazon can`t be sure of getting sufficient business to make it worthwhile. The cost to set up an online business like Amazon`s in any country must be phenomenal.

I once posed the same question on the Amazon Associates forum and was told that traditionally the Spanish like to shop `in-store` and very often quite locally. It would take quite a shift in buying habits to get them to change to shopping online, even though it`s something many of us take for granted.

CDThader

Mabe its just an age thing. I am not Spanish and don't live in the campo but........

I've never shopped on line (except for flights).
I drive a 13 year old Renault, and have no wish to change it.
I don't have a flat screen TV, and won't buy one while my old set is still working.
I have been trying to save to buy a new car radio, but there always seems something more important to spend the money on.
I have enough clothes to last until I die, and don't need any more.
I have a video casette player, and have built a good collection of classic films purchased at 1 euro each from the local charity shop.

I am probably not the sort of person, that your proposed business is targeting.
CD

pete_l

There's also less use of credit cards in Spain, plus internet access is much, much more expensive and slower than in britain. Plus if your idea will involve dispatching goods, there might be "issues" will fulfillment. You should also look into the difference in buyer/seller protection laws in Spain to see if there are any gotchas.

However, since Amazon is one of the internet's trailblazers you'd expect them to have a presence in every country (they're even in china: amazon.cn) where it makes econimic sense. If they have decided not to give it a go in Spain, that should raise a flag.