Buy a used car without having seen it?The car sales market is quite complicated and demanding. Buying a car is usually the second highest one-time expense right after buying a home, which is why most of us subconsciously want the best transaction possible. This is another reason why buying a car is stressful for many. It's not too difficult to find one that suits us, just spend an evening browsing the offerings on the internet. The staircase starts later when the seller is contacted and the item is inspected. Unfortunately, it often turns out that the technical condition does not correspond to the description or there are other defects that are not mentioned in the ad. It's not for nothing that people say you shouldn't look for a car too far from your home, because unfortunately it usually won't end at one trip.
I started looking for my current car this way, but life quickly confirmed me and finally, after a few months, I bought a new car. Yes, it was more expensive, but in hindsight and looking at the current used car prices it was the best possible decision. I also understand the 20% of respondents who said in a survey commissioned by Spotawheel that they would be willing to buy a car without a personal inspection. Of course, under the condition that someone performs the inspection for us and guarantees the technical condition of the vehicle. Does this company have a chance to work in Poland?
Selling cars online is not easy
Selling cars online is not easy. You can't treat an ad posted on a website this way. Several companies have already taken their approach to create a real garage where you can go through the whole process remotely. The cars are sold by Skoda, among others, without spectacular success. In fact, I'm just thinking of Tesla, which actually sells cars over the Internet, and customers in most countries don't even have the opportunity to drive them before delivery. Dealerships continue to mushroom in the traditional automotive industry.
Poles, even when buying a new car, would like to see it first, preferably drive it and then possibly order it later. It doesn't seem to be any easier with used cars. However, Spotawheel claims that the market is constantly evolving and that in the future we will increasingly prefer ease of purchase to the hassle of finding the perfect vehicle. Looking at the current offer, it will probably take a while, as it is not overly abundant and the prices are a bit higher than in the ads that can be found on the Internet. But in return we should get a proven vehicle with warranty, so these are arguments that cannot be overestimated. The company also prices and buys cars, so the offer should be expanded over time.
In the USA, artificial intelligence prices a car
It is not the only offer that can be found on the market. Carvago service, which offers cars from many different countries, works on a similar principle, primarily as an "advertising mast", but can also organize the entire purchase process, from the inspection of the vehicle, through delivery, to the vehicle our home. The American startup Carvana, which searches for and evaluates vehicles with the help of artificial intelligence, goes even further. The algorithm scans advertising portals for cars that attract the most attention from customers and automatically evaluates them. If he finds an offer that meets his criteria, he prepares an offer, which is then presented to the owner.
So it seems that online car sales have not yet had their last word. Who knows if portals won't eventually be a new norm, where we can click to buy in minutes while browsing used car listings. As when buying a computer, television or vacuum cleaner. In Poland it will probably take longer, but new technologies have proven more than once that the convenience of shopping becomes our most important thing with time. Taking into account my own experience and the behavior of my generation, I can imagine that it will soon be the new normal.