A Shift to Online Car Buying & Financing in Lockdown
Online new and used car buying with ‘Deal & Deliver’ services are still an option
Customers can get car finance approval without stepping foot on a forecourt.
DoneDeal responds to Premium Consumer demand.
A shift to online shopping is an inevitable consequence of the move to Level 5 and it will apply equally to car buying as for other parts of retailing. This is the forecast by leading motor finance provider Bluestone Motor Finance’s MD Donal Murphy who notes;
“Like many other parts of the retail sector, car showrooms will be forced to operate differently during the lockdown, with many planning to provide online car buying services. At Bluestone, we are ready to help those dealers by providing an online finance capability for car buyers. The move to online for car buying and financing was a key learning point during the country’s previous lockdown period and this time, businesses are arguably better prepared to support people who want or need to change their car or van.”
While car showrooms will be closed, many of Ireland’s motor retailers have shown their agility by being able to operate remotely to help customers.
While car showrooms will be closed, many of Ireland’s motor retailers have shown their agility by being able to operate remotely to help customers. Both ‘Click & Collect’ services for customers within 5KM of the showroom or ‘Deal & Deliver’ home delivery of vehicles has become widely available.
To facilitate a purchase, a growing number of dealers have embraced the proven online financing portal developed by Bluestone and DoneDeal; this is available here.
It allows people to find and finance a used car to suit their needs, as Donal points out;
“Motor retailers have invested heavily to make not just their proposition COVID-safe; they included both their premises and remote sales approach. Online sales have been increasingly popular and our digital finance service has helped a growing audience to provide a one-stop online shopping experience that works seamlessly. Our message is straightforward; ‘customers can get car finance approval without stepping foot on the forecourt.”
“During the last lockdown, we saw that customers’ interest in car buying bounced back early in the lockdown."
DoneDeal is host to Ireland’s Trusted Car Dealers, touching over 70% of car sales. It means that the business can offer a ‘birds-eye view’ of what happened during the last lockdown. By sharing their insights DoneDeal’s General Manager, Rob Hume hopes to provide some best practice guidance for dealers as he explains;
“During the last lockdown, we saw that customers’ interest in car buying bounced back early in the lockdown and dealers that stayed open online on DoneDeal during this time benefitted the most. The current period of restrictions will end, but before it does, we’ll continue to see customers moving a large portion of their car purchase journey online. We hope that by empowering dealers and consumers with finance options, Irish businesses can continue online.”
“It’s as much to do with evolving consumer behaviour."
While the pandemic has brought the need for online finance options into focus, it isn’t the only reason DoneDeal and Bluestone Motor Finance have collaborated, Rob concludes; "A long-standing ask from both premium car buyers and dealers has been to empower them with finance options online. Car buyers come to DoneDeal for the best deals and they want those deals easily. They want to get their finance approved quickly and upfront. This initiative with Bluestone Motor Finance means that customers can get both their car, finance, and home delivery from the comfort of their own home now and in the future.”
This article was originally released and featured by our friends at Bluestone.
Introducing Bluestone Motor Finance
Bluestone Motor Finance is a specialist motor finance provider that can offer finance to car buyers, including to consumers who have found it difficult to get finance previously.
The Bluestone team are able to offer simple, secure, lending solutions to consumers and business users. Working with a trusted base of motor dealers, unlike other asset finance providers, Bluestone determines the rental amount, so that the customer is only ever offered a realistic, means-tested sum, based on their current situation, personally assessed by a member of our skilled underwriting team.
About DoneDeal
DoneDeal is for deals to feel great about from Ireland’s local trusted Car Dealers.
Employing people in Ireland across Dublin and Wexford, DoneDeal has quietly emerged as Ireland’s number one destination to buy and sell premium cars online. DoneDeal has onboarded Ireland's trusted car dealers to become the number one touchpoint for Irish consumers when buying premium cars. To put this in perspective, when scaled for Ireland, DoneDeal is comparable to AutoTrader in the UK.
DoneDeal's central mission is to empower Irish consumers by removing all uncertainty when it comes to purchasing a car. The result has been the development of products and services that empower the Irish consumer, e.g., free basic history check on verified cars, in-depth history checks, warranty, and finance options. Buy Premium cars confidently with DoneDeal.
