Cars on line?

No no and NO, I wouldn’t buy a car from any of them it just doesn’t sit right with me.

Cinch and Cazoo are not the only online alternatives. Autotrader is an online site where most garages advertise the cars they have for sale and you can put a lot of parameters in to limit your search, to cars of specific mke and within a certain distance.

Most ebay car sellers are also reputable garages and car delares elling their stock.

DD recently bought a new car through Car Shop. Chose a car she liked, which was over 100 miles away and for £50 they brought it to their nearest outlet to her, so that she was able to go there to examine and test drive the car, in DD's case with DH, who is the car expert in the family and then make her decision to buy. If she bought, as she did, the £50 charge was taken off the price.

I’ve seen quite a free Cazoo wagons recently, presumably doing deliveries. However, despite the money back promise, I’d still prefer to actually see and drive the model I’d like to buy. It would be an expensive mistake to make.

few not free.

I wouldn't consider buying a car online.

I got my car from Available Car Com. I looked at the ones that were suitable, then went to the nearest branch to me and bought the one that was the best for me.

GSM, neither would I, which is why I recommended either Autotrader, ebay or Carshop, where you can search online but can then make a visit to see the car and test drive before you make a buying decision.

Having just got my cheque from the insurance company for the value of the car that someone wrote off for me earlier this year. I am actually putting my money where my mouth is at the moment and doing exactly what I recommended to the OP.

I have only ever got cars from the nearest main dealer of the car I want.

Meant to say, I research online to identify suitable makes and models before going to look at and test drive them. Mr. B does the driving nowadays so the final choice is his.

gulligranny

My trusty 12-year-old i10 has just become rather untrustworthy and has had to go. Now I'm faced with a major decision: do I trawl round all the local dealers/garages or do I go on line and use Cinch or Cazoo?

So I'm wondering if any Gransnetters have had experience of this way of buying a car and if so, is there any advice you can give me?

I certainly would. Can't be coping with eager 12 year olds trying to find me the perfect car.

My daughter-in-law's sister got one from Cinch. No problems at all and so easy.

uk.trustpilot.com/review/cinch.co.uk

Absolutely, MOnica. I really can't imagine someone turning up with a car I'd spotted online from a private seller. 'Nice little runner' springs to mind - the seller doing one too, leaving you with a dud (stolen?) car and minus a good few ££££s.

We bought a car from Evans Halshaw during lockdown. Everything went very smoothly, no problems at all. Paperwork was signed electronically and the delivery driver wore a mask and wiped everything down with sanitizer before we took possession.

I don't know if they are still doing online sales, or whether it was just during lockdown.

He turned up bang on time and parked the car just where we wanted.

I have also read positive reviews about Cazoo. It's in their own interest to make sure that they give a satisfactory service.

I would definitely do it again.

I knew the make and model of new car I wanted last year, but my local main dealer wasn't able to come up with anything that had all the features I wanted at the price I was willing to pay.

I looked at Autotrader and saw exactly what I wanted at the right price, from a dealership some 20 miles from me. I was willing and able to take a trip to them, but having had a test drive with the local dealer was quite happy to conduct the purchase online. I spotted the car on a Tuesday and it was delivered to me on the Friday. The sales person was a very good communicator throughout, including calls on the day after delivery and a week after that to make sure I was happy with everything.

I'd do it again.

I am going to buy my next car from one of the online companies, they have a returns policy that gives plenty of time to take the car to a mechanic if you want it checked. These companies rely on customer reviews which can easily boost or close a business so I do not think they would knowingly sell a lemon.

How do you know the reviews are genuine? And how easy might returning it turn out to be? No way, never in a million years.

They offer more service than a lot of normal car services.

I can't see that they will have 14500 fake reviews. Trustpilot is extremely trustworthy!

Many people will not want to buy this way. But I imagine in time it will become the norm.

I remember when the Internet was really revving up and I had many friends who were appalled at the thought of buying anything online. Crazy! Online banking? Never! Photos of loved ones on social media? Absurd.

Yet here we are.

I spent the afternoon going through Autotrader and ebay. Unfortunately the car I am looking for is not that common and I am fussy about colour, but I have found one on ebay, some distance away from home, but doable. I have checked the selling garage out and I have checked the RAC review on the make and model I want to buy.

If I was at home, I would be off to see it tomorrow. Unfortunately I am in France until Tuesday, so I will ring the garage on Monday and if it is still available be off to see it, with DH, on Wednesday

I would not risk buying online from a private seller.

When I was choosing my last car I booked in test drives in different maker’s showrooms. I was very surprised when I drove them how different from what I thought they would be. I bought a ‘show’ one in the end on offer, cheaper at the end of the tax year.
Also consider the rent/ buy and electric ones. My daughter has the type you rent over three years and it’s electric. She is real happy with it. Quids in at the moment.

The other problem with companies like Cazoo, Cinch, and Car Shop, which DD used, and was very happy with, is that they only sell cars at the top end of the second hand market. All their cars costing £10,000 or more and probably up to £1,000 of the price is for their service, delivery etc. The services of these sort of companies do not come cheap

My budget is considerably less than £10,000, so these companies have nothing to offer me.

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I looked at Available Car, online, and found a few I liked. I went there and looked, and bought one there and then