Record numbers buying cars unseen over the internet

A third (35%) of all Autoquake.com’s customers now sign on the dotted line without taking a test drive or even kicking a tyre. On average, these customers pay £7,500 on a car they have only seen on a computer screen. Cars are the second highest big ticket item consumers buy, with their home top of the list.

“That’s a huge amount of money to spend blind,” said Autoquake.com Founder, Fredrik Skantze. “It shows the confidence that consumers now have with buying goods online. Buying a car online now, for many, feels like a very natural process.  What’s more, with our comprehensive descriptions and over 40 photographs of each car, shoppers at Autoquake.com know exactly what they’re buying.

“There’s also the reassurance of our 7 day money back guarantee. If Autoquake.com customers decide a car is not for them, they simply return it to us for a full refund. It makes online car buying risk-free.”

It doesn’t take long for internet shoppers to take the plunge. An astonishing 60% of Autoquake.com’s customers reserve their car on the very first day they visit the site.

Claire Scott is typical of the Autoquake.com customer who buys unseen: “I had never purchased a car online before and I was a bit worried as I usually purchase cars face to face. However, on checking the Autoquake website everything looked in order and there was no pressure whatsoever to purchase. Once I'd found the car I wanted I transferred the money online to the Autoquake account which was so simple it was unbelievable.

“I had my new Golf delivered to me in Somerset from Birmingham, taking the hassle out of me driving all that way to collect it. The guy turned up dead on the dot and talked me through all the paper work and the car itself.  I can't believe that buying a car was so easy.”

Autoquake.com expects more buyers to place deposits without seeing the cars first in 2010. “We saved car buyers £10million in 2009*,” said Skantze. “We intend to beat that figure this year.”

*Compared with the Parkers Price Guide franchised dealer price.