Pop quiz: In which country an you buy a used car from a vending machine? Japan? Wrong. Thanks to Carvana it’s the good old US of America.
Could this used car ‘vending machine’ be the perfect way to cut out the sleazy car salesman? OK, so it doesn’t blast your vehicle unceremoniously out of a slot after you put your cash in, but this next-generation dealership from Carvana does minimise the amount of time spent listening to the BS spouted by pushy human sales people.
Developed by US company Carvana, the used car ‘vending machine’ is best described as a stripped down 24-hour car dealership. Users can order their car via a Web site and take a trip to the dealership/machine location to collect their car in as little as 24 hours after ordering.
The US tech start-up claims Carvana is the world’s first complete online car-buying service. Customers can browse, shop, finance, purchase a vehicle and have it delivered to their door within 48 hours. Delivery within a 75-mile radius of its Atlanta dealership is free, with deliveries outside of that costing up to $1,000 (£612). Or, if you don’t want it delivered, you can pick it up from the vending machine.
Carvana reportedly has fewer overheads than a traditional dealership due to it requiring fewer staff, while ‘state-of-the-art 360-degree photography technology’ lets customers get a good look all the motors on offer. CEO Ernie Garcia told FoxNews that the prices offered couldn’t be haggled, but that they are on average $1,500 (£919) cheaper than the rest of the market, due to the savings made.
Carvana reassures customers that all the cars it buys are accident-free. It also offers Experian Autocheck on every vehicle for added peace of mind. All purchases come with a ‘7-day no-question refund’ and a 100-day warranty so if the exhaust does drop off after three days, it gets collected with a bundle of sincere apologies.
Carvana isn’t the only tech company to be challenging the dealership norms. Tesla Motors has been experiencing a backlash from some American states in its decision to not allow dealerships to sell its cars on third-party basis. This has led to some states banning the sale of the all-electric Model S.
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