Cazoo Cinch etc.

[Cobra]

Do people really buy a car unseen, un driven?
I was aiming to change cars this year, and had a couple or so makes and models in mind.
But of course that has gone right out the window with these new lock down tiers.
You can only by remotely, be that from a dealer or one of the above.

I certainly won't be buying something un driven.
No matter how good the pictures look.

 

[Fuji Dave]

Do people really buy a car unseen, un driven?
I was aiming to change cars this year, and had a couple or so makes and models in mind.
But of course that has gone right out the window with these new lock down tiers.
You can only by remotely, be that from a dealer or one of the above.

I certainly won't be buying something un driven.
No matter how good the pictures look.

You need to put this in your thread

 

[Flossyrockstar]

I’d imagine they must be extremely confident of the checks and condition of the vehicle they’re flogging otherwise there would be no profit sending out duffers especially in this day and age of social media. They would get absolutely slaughtered. Personally I’m with you I’d much prefer to drive a car before parting with folding but it does make for an alternative method of buying a car.

 

[Cobra]

You need to put this in your thread

BUGGER!
How did that happen?
Several tabs open at once I guess first one to me

 

[srichards]

Cazoo has the right to return if you don't like it. DSR might cover any other distance transaction where you've ordered it online and had it delivered.

It takes me ages to get used to a different car so I don't usually find test drives much more helpful than research and then sitting in it. Crap seats/poor ergonomics are the worst things to deal with. Other stuff you can usually work around.

 

[hashcake]

Do people really buy a car unseen, un driven?
I was aiming to change cars this year, and had a couple or so makes and models in mind.
But of course that has gone right out the window with these new lock down tiers.
You can only by remotely, be that from a dealer or one of the above.

I certainly won't be buying something un driven.
No matter how good the pictures look.

I'm with you on this but I get a feeling that perhaps younger generations are happy to purchase a car this way.
I believe the take up rate for young drivers leasing cars has improved.
However, like me I expect you considet this to be a waste of money.

 

[Cobra]

Cazoo has the right to return if you don't like it.

I think they all give between a week and 14 days to "Test drive"?
Who pays the insurance and tax I wonder.
If its the buyer that's a months tax payments lost.
& if you keep "swapping" insurances on cars, it could cost the buyer a lot of money.

It takes me ages to get used to a different car so I don't usually find test drives much more helpful than research

Agreed, but I usually find that I either like it, or not within the first 15 mins.

 

[lindsay]

I'd agree re trying them out first. I was toying with the new Landrover Defender, but after driving one completely changed my mind. The old one was marmite but I liked it, the new one is neither one thing nor another and just didn't feel right to me - not as quiet and comfortable as a Discovery, not as utilitarian as a proper Defender. Hammond described it as the best Discovery they'd built, but he's wrong as I preferred the Disco 4. However LR lost my business with the redesign of both Discovery and Defender.

 

[Cobra]

but I get a feeling that perhaps younger generations are happy to purchase a car this way.

I think so too. Both my daughter and SiL have lease cars, but then again SiL works for inchcape

However, like me I expect you considet this to be a waste of money.

Absolutely Daz

 

[Box Brownie]

I too have wondered about the thinking behind such online car buying.

But the one thing that gives me a tiny smile of wry humour.......is the Cinch one with Nylon Lark 'whats is name' saying of the fella of the woman buyer "lovely bodywork......but shame about the rest...." with a look straight into camera.

To me a great bit of ironic humour....though does he see it too?

 

[Cobra]

To me a great bit of ironic humour....though does he see it too?

That makes me chuckle too, I'm guessing he's not bright enough to see it

 

[Box Brownie]

That makes me chuckle too, I'm guessing he's not bright to see it

Glad I am not the only one

 

[cambsno]

Dont get it either - I at least want to look round it, see how useful boot space is, ergonomics etc... then have a drive to see how it goes. Even more so if used as want to see all the things that are not 100%.

 

[ancient_mariner]

It's a sign that cars are just another commodity like a washing machine or toaster. It makes sense to an older generation that you want to check handling etc, but not so much a younger one for whom 'good enough' will do, and driving is just a means of getting around.

 

[Donnie]

Yep, its going to be a generational thing, guaranteed and then car showrooms will go under not long after. Basically what amazon's done to much of the high street.
It'll take 10 or 15 years but it will become the norm I have no doubt.

 

[Suvv]

Well I am 72 and 4 years ago I bought a Fiesta unseen.

Admittedly it was only 6 months old and had done 8 miles and was delivered on a transporter.
I bought it from Lex Autolease so there were lots of safeguards.

 

[stickytape]

I could not imagine buying a car without looking at it first... but perhaps I’m just too old fashioned! My Dodge Journey will continue for much longer..

 

[mex]

I don't think I would be too bothered about 'test driving' one any more, after all I would have thought the majority of us are just tyre kickers anyway. My wife's idea of choosing a new car goes no further than' I like the colour of that one', she chose my current wheels, a Land Rover Freelander using her method (guess who wears the trousers?) no regrets other than its not a cheap car to run, it's going shortly so I will probably get her to chose what she thinks I will like again.

 

[Donnie]

Just changed my car in September and had an idea of what I wanted ie diesel SUV / 4x4 type was getting rid of a Qashqai. Narrowed it down to Kia Sportage, Peugeot 3008, Dacia Duster, Toyota CHR even looked begrudgingly at a Nissan x trail.

Put off by the tinniness and cheap feel of the x trail, the small size of the Toyota and their awful showroom service, the kia sportage felt a bit plasticky and salesman was trying to tell me what I wanted and was pushy, The peugeot was nice and drove nicely but had an extra stalk on the binnacle I kept hitting accidentally, though Im sure I would have adjusted. Quite liked the peugeot but then there were quite a few marks on the car and salesman was getting a bit pushy phoning up twice in a day and then sending a video. The dacia duster really surprised me, quite liked the feel of it and look of it, it's not really pretending to be something it's not, but when I sat in it I wasn't comfortable and it felt like the pedals were off centre when I put my feet on them?

I wouldn't have ended up with my current car (nor been as happy as I am with it) without going through all that.

 

[Hadron]

I changed cars earlier this year and it’s confirmed to me I need to have a test drive and a good look around them. I’d got my heart set on a Discovery Sport, nearly bought one via a video walk around but thought better of it. Fortunately I made the effort to look properly, have a drive in one and absolutely hated the thing. It was uncomfortable to me and a lot more cramped than I expected for a 7 seater. The long and the short of it was I ended up with an L200 instead

 

[Cobra]

My Dodge Journey will continue for much longer..

My Chrysler crossfire MOT is up shortly, I have a feeling I'll be spending a few quid this year, its sailed through the last 3 so can't grumble I suppose.
It'll do a bit longer ...

so I will probably get her to chose what she thinks I will like again.

I’d got my heart set on a Discovery Sport, nearly bought one via a video walk around but thought better of it. Fortunately I made the effort to look properly, have a drive in one and absolutely hated the thing.

I've come across a few like that too that "I really wanted" so I test drove them and I'm glad I did!

 

[stickytape]

My Chrysler crossfire MOT is up shortly, I have a feeling I'll be spending a few quid this year, its sailed through the last 3 so can't grumble I suppose.
It'll do a bit longer ...





I've come across a few like that too that "I really wanted" so I test drove them and I'm glad I did!

I didn't realize you were a fellow FCA owner! If it can be justified, the 300 is on the radar next!

 

[Cobra]

If it can be justified, the 300 is on the radar next!

They are definitely nice looking cars and I have thought about one but tbh the "Normal ones" are not really quick enough for me
And the the quick ones are a tad out of my price range, such as the 5.7 Hemi

 

[stickytape]

They are definitely nice looking cars and I have thought about one but tbh the "Normal ones" are not really quick enough for me
And the the quick ones are a tad out of my price range, such as the 5.7 Hemi

You think thats slow... you should try flooring it in the Journey! 2 ltr with an ancient 6 speed; I'm in it for the pretty comfortable ride and extra space haha! It makes my other half Chevy Cruze seem like a sports car....

 

[boyfalldown]

I bought my current car from Cazoo. I knew exactly what I wanted & was confident in their description of the car and the returns options I had. It was a very easy way of buying a car. It works well and I’m very happy with the car. Compared to buying from a dealer it’s certainly easier then trudging round forecourts.

mid you know what you want and have driven the model before why not?

 

[Gremlin]

I used to help a friend that owned a garage in my spare time, taking cars for MOTs, delivering and collecting from customers
etc.
I got to drive many different cars and the one thing I learnt is that being a short person it's you don't always
get a good view round the car, especially when reversing, this was in the days before all the parking add ons, reversing sensors were the most you would get, worst car was the Mk4 Mondeo, couldn't even see the back corner, and one firm he dealt with had a fleet of the damn things

So yes I would always want to test drive a car, can usually tell in a very short time if I like it

 

[LCPete]

I’m probably old fashioned but if I was spending that amount of money on something I want to see what I’m buying
We tend to keep a car for a long time though so also want to be sure that it’s the right one
I have once bought a motorbike sight unseen but that was from a dealer I trusted and the bike wasn’t so much money

 

[Cobra]

. Compared to buying from a dealer it’s certainly easier then trudging round forecourts.

But haggling is all part of the fun of buying a "new" one and the look on their little faces when you walk away

mid you know what you want and have driven the model before why not?

That was my main point, no test drives allowed at the moment.
I'd still be sceptical without driving the one I was buying.
Even in the times before "lockdown" even if I had a good look round a car on forecourt in real life,
I'd still want to drive it before parting with any money.

And the other point I raised, maybe you are in a position to answer it, who pays the tax and insurance on the 1-2 week trial?
If it's the buyer and they send it back, it could get expensive, chopping and changing, before finding the right car..

 

[boyfalldown]

I'd still be sceptical without driving the one I was buying.
Even in the times before "lockdown" even if I had a good look round a car on forecourt in real life,
I'd still want to drive it before parting with any money.

Thats fair enough.

I think these sort of sales have to rely a lot on the reputation of the companies. If they honestly describe anything you're likely to pick up on a walk round then Im happy for them to tell me about any issues rather than physically seeing it first. But then again I'm not really that interested in cars, along as its comfortable, safe and reliable I don't really care about anything more. Maybe I'm their ideal customer

And the other point I raised, maybe you are in a position to answer it, who pays the tax and insurance on the 1-2 week trial?
If it's the buyer and they send it back, it could get expensive, chopping and changing, before finding the right car..

I paid it. After all those 2 weeks its still me car and my who'd loose out if I totalled it. Thats unlike a traditional test drive. You're right though lots of chopping and changing would get expensive. I think you have to enter into this sort of buying not intending to change the car you buy

 

[Cobra]

If they honestly describe anything you're likely to pick up on a walk round then Im happy for them to tell me about any issues rather than physically seeing it first. But then again I'm not really that interested in cars, along as its comfortable, safe and reliable I don't really care about anything more. Maybe I'm their ideal customer

All fair comments Hugh. And I suspect you are an ideal customer, like so many that take up this option.
As for me? I'm a dealers nightmare
Although to be fair I do tend to buy privately where possible.

 

[Mr Bump]

i have had 4x citroen c3 cars in the last 20 years, the first 2 i had good long looks and drives but the last 2 barely 2 minutes and round the block.
cars are all just so the same nowand i think young people just get that, they can get everything elses delivered to the sofa so why not a car.

i would quite happilly ordere a car unseen

 

[Cobra]

but the last 2 barely 2 minutes and round the block.

At least that's enough time to check for a slipping clutch or busted seats.

they can get everything elses delivered to the sofa

And that is something else I would never buy with out a "good long sit"

 

[Donnie]

Cars are all just the same now? Really? My previous car and current one are chalk and cheese!

 

[jonbeeza]

Do people really buy a car unseen, un driven?
I was aiming to change cars this year, and had a couple or so makes and models in mind.
But of course that has gone right out the window with these new lock down tiers.
You can only by remotely, be that from a dealer or one of the above.

I certainly won't be buying something un driven.
No matter how good the pictures look.

Yes...

I sold my little car a few years ago on Gumtree. A young woman messaged me and said she would buy it at the asking price.
I think what swung it for me, was I said I was the first owner and an old fart a mature owner at that. Oh, and how regularly I serviced the car and a few other such facts.

Yes, she came up and said she will have the car. She did not even ask to test drive it or even hear it start up. I actually had to persuade her to test it first.
One of the most quickest and simplest experiences of selling.

Sell a camera on here and you get the third degree etc.

 

[Cobra]

One of the most quickest and simplest experiences of selling.

Result

Sell a camera on here and you get the third degree etc.

Absolutely and I bet that you would have got the third degree had you put your car on a car forum

 

[mj4456]

Worked in the motor trade and sold a few cars sight unseen, second hand buyers usually know what they want and sales are normally pay upon delivery if satisfied, new car buyers have done their homework and are buying on best price possible. Never brought a car back from a delivery meeting.

 

[Cobra]

I was having a bored 5 mins and decided to see what all the fuss was about.
Using their search criteria, and comparing it with the likes of auto trader, that had lots to offer,
cinch came out with a blinding....



As for the last line I had 2 checked but not SUV