A $1 billion online car seller has just launched in Australia, with the retailer confident the US and UK trend of buying a car online will take off across the country.
Indian start-up CARS24 now allows Australians to buy used cars from home in under five minutes, with the car then delivered to their door.
CARS24 Australia CEO Olga Rudenko said she believed Australians would jump on the “new way of buying used cars” very quickly.
“Being able to order a car in under five minutes with all the financing taken care of and the ability to return within seven days at no cost is an absolute no-brainer,” she said.
“We buy everything online these days. Groceries, clothes, appliances. Why? It’s super easy – buy when it’s right for you, no need to leave home. You trust that you’ll have a good experience, with customer reviews and return policies if things don’t work out.”
CARS24 owns every car it sells and works to ensure quality control from sourcing through to delivery and warranty.
The retailer also offers seven-day returns with 100 percent money-back guarantee while each car also comes with a six-month unlimited warranty and free at-home delivery – making it as easy and convenient as any other online purchase.
Melbourne’s 20-year-old Nathaniel Chanter was one of the first Australians to use the service, buying a $23,000 Jeep he’d never seen before.
Mr Chanter said he was “a little bit nervous” buying the car when he realized he couldn’t even look at the car first, but loved his purchase and thought he’d got it for a very good price.
“I’d definitely do it again,” he said.
Publisher of Drive.com.au James Ward said he thought times were changing when it came to buying cars.
“It’s a funny thing. The old adage of going to the dealer on a Saturday morning and taking it for a run around the block… I think those days have changed,” he said.
Mr Ward said while every buyer should do their own research, he thought test-driving was becoming less important.
“It’s very hard to produce a bad car these days. So you’re basically buying a solid prospect, regardless of test driving or not.”