BUY SIGHT UNSEEN? IT’S THE FUTURE
WE PROBABLY all, at some stage, have bought clothes on the internet. It’s easy to order, they arrive quickly, you try them on, and if they don’t fit or you just don’t like them in the flesh, you send them back and get a refund.
But what about cars? Would you buy sight unseen and without so much as a five-minute test drive?
Well, if you’re my age, the answer is probably a clear no. A survey by Opinium for UK insurers Insurethegap.com found those of us who are 55 or over (I only just made the cut!) are more likely to buy from a dealership, with 82% of respondents saying they drove away in their new car from a showroom. Only twothirds of 18-34-year-olds did so, saying they were far more likely to buy through personal ads.
The really staggering result, though, was that nearly one in 10 would be happy to buy from a reputable seller online without having ever seen the car, and the same number would be happy to travel across the country to collect a car bought online. In both cases, men were twice as likely to do this as women.
And – here’s the bit I just don’t get – over half said they would buy a car they had not test-driven at all, with men again more likely to do this. Meanwhile, almost one in five said they would buy a car without consulting their partner.
The main reasons for avoiding showrooms were cited as feeling intimidated by the sales patter and many also said they hated having to haggle, even though it could save them money.
Younger people are still more likely to research and buy everything online, so it probably doesn’t feel like a great leap for them to do the same when choosing cars. Mindful of this, big carmakers are pumping money into online launches and brand streaming channels.
What does it mean? Well, in 20 years from now, don’t be surprised if all those glass palaces on the outskirts of towns have completely disappeared.