Used Car Buyers Show Faith in Online Shopping

A third of Autoquake.com customers buy unseen

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – September 9, 2009: Autoquake.com (www.autoquake.com), the UK’s largest online used car retailer, has discovered that on average nearly a third (30.5%) of customers buy their car unseen and have it delivered to their door. This figure varied regionally with 45% of car buyers in East Anglia buying unseen, closely followed by the South East at 43%, the South West at 41%, and the Midlands at 19%.

The proportion of buyers choosing delivery rather than collection from Autoquake.com’s handover centres in Leeds and Birmingham has steadily increased, suggesting buyers are becoming happier to spend thousands of pounds over the internet. Looking back over the past six months, in March just over a quarter of Autoquake.com customers opted for delivery. In August that had risen to over 35%.

“Used car buyers are becoming more comfortable shopping online,” said Autoquake.com CEO, Garry Hobson. “With full descriptions of every car, and 40 high quality pictures showing the interior and exterior in detail, there’s no need to see the vehicle before taking delivery. Every car comes with Autoquake.com’s 7 day money back guarantee, so shoppers can buy with confidence.”

Visitors to Autoquake.com also benefit from the condition viewer, which shows up any cosmetic blemishes. Unlike a conventional car showroom, Autoquake.com is open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so visitors can shop at a time that’s convenient to them from the comfort of their own home.

“Buying from Autoquake.com is an entirely different experience from visiting a main dealer or car supermarket,” explained Hobson. “There’s no need to travel miles to see the cars, and since we don’t employ salesmen, there’s no pressure to buy. It’s a simple, straightforward way to find a great used car, so it’s no surprise that many customers choose to buy from us without seeing the car first.”

Those who do choose to buy unseen are usually very happy with their purchase. Over 98% of customers decided to keep the car rather than return it using the 7 day money back guarantee in the last quarter. What’s more, price seems to be no barrier to buying unseen. The average price of cars delivered over the past six months is £7,349, but one buyer paid £24,185 for a BMW 320i Convertible.

The cost of delivery varies depending on where the customer lives and which Autoquake.com handover centre has the car in stock. Typically, car delivery from the Birmingham handover centre to an address in London costs just £100, little more than the price of travelling up by train and fuel for the drive home.

For many, delivery is simply a more convenient way to buy. Customers in the Midlands live within easy striking distance of the Birmingham handover centre, but 15% still choose the hassle-free option of having the car brought to them.